Make your app a habit. Your AI builds it.

The eight reasons people do anything, from feeling part of something bigger to not wanting to lose what they have.

• Wazers vs Traffic

  01 · Epic meaning

  Waze was a traffic app. So why did its first screen show a monster and a team of cute knights?

  You’ve seen it in

  Guess, then flip: Epic meaning

  Epic meaning

  The monster was Traffic and the knights were Wazers: just driving with the app open helped everyone beat it. Users reported accidents, fixed the map and even forgave wrong turns, because they were on a mission.

  People do more, and forgive more, when they feel part of something bigger.

  Use it in your app
• 

  Profile strength

  Intermediate · add a photo

  02 · Accomplishment

  LinkedIn made its profile pages easier to fill in, and people still left them half done. What finally worked?

  You’ve seen it in

  Guess, then flip: Accomplishment

  Accomplishment

  +20%more complete profiles after adding the bar, as reported

  A small bar showing how complete your profile was: completion reportedly rose about 20%, for very little coding time. Making it easy didn’t make people care; seeing their own unfinished progress did.

  People love to see themselves get better, and they hate leaving progress unfinished.

  Use it in your app
• Players vs 15 years

  03 · Creativity and feedback

  Scientists were stuck for 15 years on the shape of one protein. Who cracked it in a matter of weeks?

  You’ve seen it in

  Guess, then flip: Creativity and feedback

  Creativity and feedback

  15 yearsscientists had been stuck before Foldit players solved it

  Players of Foldit, an online game where you fold a protein with simple tools and a score shows how good your shape is. Give people a real goal, tools and quick feedback, and they find answers you never would.

  People stay when they can make things their own way and see the result right away.

  Use it in your app

• MEN’S BASKETBALL

  ADMIT ONE

  Section 18 · Row C · Seat 4

  LOTTERY WIN

  04 · Ownership

  Duke gives out basketball tickets by lottery. What price did the lucky winners ask before they would sell theirs?

  You’ve seen it in

  Guess, then flip: Ownership

  Ownership

  $2,400 vs $170what winners asked to sell, vs what losers would pay

  About $2,400, while the students who lost would pay only about $170 for the same ticket. Luck made one group owners, and once something is ours, giving it up feels like a loss.

  Once something feels like ours, we value it more and want to keep making it better.

  Use it in your app

• HOME ENERGY REPORT

  YouNeighborsGreat

  05 · Social influence

  Energy bills that compared homes with their neighbors cut energy use. Why did the best savers start using more?

  You’ve seen it in

  Guess, then flip: Social influence

  Social influence

  ≈2%less energy used, across hundreds of thousands of homes

  They saw they were already beating the average, so they relaxed. A smiley face on their bill, two for the best savers, kept them going: comparison pushes people up, and praise keeps the leaders there.

  We care what others do and think, and we measure ourselves against people like us.

  Use it in your app
• Only 12:00–1:00 pm

  06 · Scarcity and impatience

  A Korean supermarket chain’s sales dropped every lunch hour. How did a statue’s shadow fix it?

  You’ve seen it in

  Guess, then flip: Scarcity and impatience

  Scarcity and impatience

  +25%noon sales at eMart, as reported

  Between 12 and 1 PM, its shadow formed a QR code shoppers could scan for a coupon, and noon sales reportedly rose about 25%. A reward you can get only at a certain time gives people a reason to show up then.

  We want most what we can’t have yet, or can only have for a short while.

  Use it in your app

• RECEIPT · LOTTERY

  AB-12345678

  WIN?

  07 · Curiosity

  In 1951, Taiwan’s shops weren’t reporting their sales. How did the government get shoppers to ask for receipts?

  You’ve seen it in

  Guess, then flip: Curiosity

  Curiosity

  +75%tax revenue in the first year, as reported

  It printed a lottery number on every receipt, with a draw every other month, and tax revenue reportedly rose about 75% in a year. A small chance at a surprise makes a dull action exciting.

  Not knowing what comes next pulls us in. A small surprise beats a sure thing.

  Use it in your app

• Tetanus: what you need to know

  Your plan: when and where to get the shot

  08 · Loss and avoidance

  A scary booklet about tetanus left people worried, but few did anything about it. What finally got them to act?

  You’ve seen it in

  Guess, then flip: Loss and avoidance

  Loss and avoidance

  A clear plan for getting a tetanus shot: fear alone led to worry and looking away, while fear plus a specific next step got people moving. A warning works only when the fix is obvious.

  We work hard to avoid losing what we have, but only when we can see how.

  Use it in your app