Pay in recognition, not small cash

• TikTok · 2024

  Round

  TikTok Lite: paid to watch, then withdrawn

  Aug 2024: the European Commission made binding TikTok's commitment to permanently withdraw TikTok Lite Rewards from the EU and not to launch any programme that circumvents the withdrawal, the first DSA case closed with commitments. No admission.

  M4 ×Return
  NumberALinkDCase grade for the number: A. Evidence grade for the mechanism link: D.Analyst inference

• 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.

  Make stored value visible, and exportable

  show what users have built

  Show users what they have built in the product (their library, history, notes, reputation, working setups) in summaries and anniversaries, and let them export it. Visible value raises the felt cost of leaving; export keeps it a gift rather than a hostage.

• 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.

• 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

• Hooked · Nir Eyal

  Ch.4

Source IDs: HK-RWD28 · HK-RWD02 · HK-RWD03 · HK-RWD06

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