The friend makes the ask

• 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

  Organic share of new activated users

  organic growth question

  Finds the share of new activated users who arrived without paid acquisition, and its direction.

• Diagnostic question

  Does use reach non-users?

  relationship trigger question

  Checks whether normal use delivers value to people who don't use the product yet, the strongest relationship trigger.

• Diagnostic question

  Paying for what people do anyway

  crowding-out question

  Checks whether cash or points reward behavior users would rather do for social or personal reasons.

• Diagnostic question

  A premise people can retell

  retellable premise question

  Checks whether a happy user can retell what the product is for in one sentence.

• Diagnostic question

  Invites before or after the wow

  invite timing question

  Checks whether invites or contributions are requested before or after the first wow moment.

Sources

• Influence · Robert Cialdini

  Ch.5, p.126 · Ch.5, p.128

Source IDs: INF-T-LK-01 · INF-T-LK-02

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