hooked-model

• Designing user engagement loops
• Improving product retention metrics
• Planning notification and re-engagement strategies
• Building features that create lasting habits
• Evaluating competitor engagement mechanisms
• Auditing ethical implications of engagement design

The Hook Cycle

```

+-----------------+

| |

v |

TRIGGER |

(Internal/External) |

| |

v |

ACTION |

(Simple behavior) |

| |

v |

VARIABLE REWARD |

(Unpredictable) |

| |

v |

INVESTMENT |

(User effort)-------+

```

Phase 1: Trigger

External Triggers (initial hooks):

• Push notifications
• Email reminders
• Advertising
• Word of mouth
• Social media mentions

Internal Triggers (goal state):

• Boredom → Open TikTok
• Loneliness → Check Instagram
• Uncertainty → Google it
• FOMO → Check Slack

Phase 2: Action

The simplest behavior in anticipation of reward.

Fogg Behavior Model alignment:

```

B = MAT (Behavior = Motivation + Ability + Trigger)

For habit formation:

• Motivation: Must exist (desire for reward)
• Ability: Must be HIGH (action must be easy)
• Trigger: Must be present

```

| Product | Trigger | Simplest Action |

| --------- | -------- | --------------- |

| Twitter | Boredom | Scroll feed |

| Google | Question | Type query |

| Instagram | FOMO | Open app |

| Slack | Anxiety | Check messages |

Phase 3: Variable Reward

Three types of variable rewards:

| Type | Description | Example |

| --------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------------- |

| Tribe | Social validation | Likes, comments, follows |

| Hunt | Material resources | Search results, deals, information |

| Self | Personal achievement | Completing tasks, mastery, progress |

Why "Variable"? Predictable rewards lose power. Slot machines use variable

rewards - you never know which pull wins. Social feeds use the same psychology.

Phase 4: Investment

User puts something into the product that:

1. Improves the product for them
2. Increases likelihood of return
3. Creates switching costs

| Investment Type | Example | Lock-in Effect |

| --------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------ |

| Data | Preferences, history | Personalization improves |

| Content | Posts, uploads | Social capital |

| Followers | Audience built | Network effects |

| Learning | Skills developed | Competency |

| Reputation | Reviews, karma | Identity |

Step 1: Map Current Hook

```

Your Product's Hook:

TRIGGER

External: _____________________

Internal (goal): _______________

ACTION

What's the simplest action? _______________

How many steps/taps? _______________

VARIABLE REWARD

Type: [ ] Tribe [ ] Hunt [ ] Self

What's unpredictable? _______________

INVESTMENT

What do users put in? _______________

How does it improve experience? _______________

```

Step 2: Identify Weak Links

Rate each phase (1-5):

| Phase | Score | Improvement Needed |

| ------------------ | ----- | ------------------ |

| Trigger strength | [/5] | |

| Action simplicity | [/5] | |

| Reward variability | [/5] | |

| Investment depth | [/5] | |

Step 3: Design Improvements

Focus on the weakest phase first. A hook is only as strong as its weakest link.

```markdown

Product: [Name] Date: [Date] Goal: [Habit to form]

Current Hook Cycle

Trigger:

• External: [Current external triggers]
• Internal target: [Emotion/situation → product]

Action:

• Current: [Steps to engage]
• Friction points: [Obstacles]

Variable Reward:

• Type: [Tribe/Hunt/Self]
• Variability source: [What changes]

Investment:

• Current: [What users contribute]
• Lock-in created: [Switching cost]

Weakness Assessment

| Phase | Score (1-5) | Issue |

| ---------- | ----------- | ----- |

| Trigger | | |

| Action | | |

| Reward | | |

| Investment | | |

Improvement Plan

1. Trigger improvement: [Specific change]
2. Action simplification: [Reduce steps to X]
3. Reward enhancement: [Add variability via]
4. Investment deepening: [New investment type]

Ethical Check

• [ ] Product genuinely improves user's life
• [ ] User would recommend to friends
• [ ] We'd be comfortable if usage was public
• [ ] No dark patterns employed

```

Example 1: Instagram

| Phase | Implementation |

| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |

| Trigger | External: notifications. Internal: boredom, FOMO |

| Action | Open app, scroll (one tap) |

| Variable Reward | New posts (Hunt), likes/comments (Tribe) |

| Investment | Followers, posts, profile, DM history |

Example 2: Slack

| Phase | Implementation |

| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |

| Trigger | External: @mentions. Internal: anxiety about missing info |

| Action | Check channel (one click) |

| Variable Reward | New messages (Hunt), recognition (Tribe) |

| Investment | Channel history, integrations, workflows |

Example 3: Duolingo

| Phase | Implementation |

| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |

| Trigger | External: streak reminders. Internal: guilt, achievement |

| Action | Complete one lesson (5 min) |

| Variable Reward | XP, leaderboard (Self + Tribe) |

| Investment | Streak, progress, course completion |

The Manipulation Test

Ask yourself:

1. Materially improves life? Does the habit genuinely help users?
2. User is the customer? Or are they the product?
3. Would you use it yourself? And let your children use it?
4. Transparent? Would users feel manipulated if they knew?

Ethical Spectrum

```

Facilitator -------- Entertainer -------- Dealer

(Helps users) (Neutral) (Exploits users)

Your product should be a Facilitator

```

Do

• Start with internal trigger research (what emotion leads to use?)
• Make first action as simple as possible
• Vary rewards meaningfully, not randomly
• Ensure investments create genuine value
• Test hook cycle with real users

Avoid

• Relying solely on external triggers (expensive, unsustainable)
• Complex actions that require learning
• Predictable rewards that become boring
• Investments that feel like manipulation
• Ignoring ethical implications

| Method | Combined Use |

| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |

| Fogg Behavior Model | Action phase design |

| Self-Initiated Triggers | Internal trigger development |

| Loss Aversion | Investment and streak psychology |

| Jobs-to-be-Done | Understanding underlying motivations |

• [Hooked - Nir Eyal](https://www.nirandfar.com/hooked/)
• [Indistractable - Nir Eyal](https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/)
• [Atomic Habits - James Clear](https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits)