A stable context for the core action

• Diagnostic question

  How often a devoted user should come back

  devoted cadence question

  Sets a realistic devoted-user frequency from typical loyal users, never extreme ones, which every habit metric is measured against.

• Diagnostic question

  How much better than the alternative

  perceived utility question

  Rates perceived utility against the best alternative, the second axis of the Habit Zone placement.

• Diagnostic question

  Does the business need a habit?

  business fit question

  Checks whether the business needs unprompted repeat use or grows through trust and referrals on occasional purchases.

• Diagnostic question

  The key action at each stage

  desired actions question

  Names the one action wanted from users at each lifecycle stage, so every lens rates the right behavior.

• Diagnostic question

  The habit statement

  habit statement question

  Drafts the habit statement as a hypothesis and checks whether the team agrees on it.

• Diagnostic question

  Quick scan: what users really want

  internal trigger quick scan

  The first of Hooked's five fundamental questions, used as the default quick scan of the internal-trigger link.

Sources

• Hooked · Nir Eyal

  Ch.7

• What can machine learning teach us about habit formation? Evidence from exercise and hygiene · Buyalskaya et al., PNAS 120, 2023

  BModerateEvidence grade B. Moderate evidence: solid studies with some limits.

• How are habits formed: modelling habit formation in the real world · Lally et al., European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010

  BModerateEvidence grade B. Moderate evidence: solid studies with some limits.

Source IDs: F15 · HK-TRG29

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