Social Prods (GT#62)

• LinkedIn · 2015

  Round

  LinkedIn: invitations sent in your name

  Perkins v. LinkedIn: a $13M settlement announced in Oct 2015 (final approval in Feb 2016) for Add Connections users from Sept 2011 to Oct 2014. The suit alleged members agreed to the first invitation but not the two reminder emails. LinkedIn denied wrongdoing.

  M3 ×Spread
  NumberALinkCCase grade for the number: A. Evidence grade for the mechanism link: C.

• Strava · 2025

  Round

  Strava: one-tap kudos

  14B kudos given (up 20% on 2024) by a community of about 180M, for data from Sept 1, 2024 to Aug 30, 2025 (Strava Year in Sport 2025, Dec 2025). Company-reported. In Dec 2025 the Year in Sport recap moved behind the subscription, and users pushed back.

  M4 ×Return
  NumberBLinkDCase grade for the number: B. Evidence grade for the mechanism link: D.Analyst inferenceCorrelational

• TechniqueCLimitedEvidence grade C. Limited evidence: few or small studies.

  A first social reward from a real person, fast

  early, real encouragement

  Route a newcomer's first post, workout or project to real people who respond quickly, and show the value of the community in the first session rather than weeks later.

• TechniqueCLimitedEvidence grade C. Limited evidence: few or small studies.

  Rewards of the hunt with natural stopping points

  discovery that knows when to stop

  Let users search for useful or interesting things where the next item is uncertain, mixing what they asked for with occasional discoveries. Build in endings: a daily drop at a set time, 'you're all caught up' markers and session summaries.

• TechniqueBModerateEvidence grade B. Moderate evidence: solid studies with some limits.

  Pay in recognition, not small cash

  recognition over money

  Don't attach small or rare cash to things people already do for social or personal reasons. Reward contribution with recognition, reputation and privileges that mean something, ideally given by peers, and if you pay, pay meaningfully.

• TechniqueDPractitionerEvidence grade D. Practitioner framework or anecdote: plausible, untested.

  Get variety from people and creation

  variety that renews itself

  Products whose novelty comes from other people and from what users create stay fresh; products whose content can be finished become predictable. Add co-creation, community galleries, shared spaces or user templates so the next visit is never fully known.

• TechniqueDPractitionerEvidence grade D. Practitioner framework or anecdote: plausible, untested.

  Stack social, material and mastery rewards in each loop

  three kinds of payoff

  Map each core loop on three reward types and fill the gaps: a social payoff (who responded), a material or informational payoff (what's new or useful), and a mastery payoff (progress or completion). Score the coverage before adding mechanics, and add small, harmless surprises.

• TechniqueBModerateEvidence grade B. Moderate evidence: solid studies with some limits.

  Minimum effective incentive

  smallest reward that still works

  For behaviors you want users to own, use the smallest incentive that still gets the behavior, announce up front when any launch bonus ends, and favor recognition over payment. Large rewards and threats buy compliance only while they last; small ones leave room for people to feel they chose.

Sources

• Actionable Gamification · Yu-kai Chou

  Ch.9, p.222 · Ch.9, p.223 · Ch.9, p.224 · Ch.16, p.451 · Ch.9, p.195

Source IDs: GT#62 · CD5

Book content is paraphrased, never quoted at length. Last verified October 24, 2026.