The Latest from Nir Eyal
3 pillars of the most successful tech products
Why do some companies scale to millions of users while others wallow in obscurity? What explains the runaway success of a company like Facebook while a startup like Viddy, a mobile app for video, attr
Here’s what your boring app would look like as a conversation
In years to come, conversations will breathe new life into software -- particularly the boring enterprise tools millions of knowledge workers begrudgingly use every day. Conversational user interfaces
How to politely ask people to get the f*ck off their phones
You’re with a small group of friends at a nice restaurant. Everyone is enjoying the food and conversation when someone decides to take out his phone -- not for an urgent call, but to check email, In
The 4 Reasons You’re Addicted To Technology
“Nearly everyone I know is addicted in some measure to the Internet,” wrote Tony Schwartz in a recent essay in The New York Times. It’s a common complaint these days. A steady stream of similar
The Message Is The Medium: Reasons ‘Assistants-as-App’ Work
Nir Eyal Contributor Nir Eyal is the author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and blogs about the psychology of products. More posts by this contributor 3 pillars of the most successful t
Why You’ll Hate the Apple Watch And The Important Business Lesson You Need To Learn
If you are among the 19 million people Apple predicts will buy an Apple Watch, I have some bad news for you — I’m betting there is an important feature missing from the watch that’s going to dri
Your Fitness App Is Making You Fat
Fitness apps are all the rage. An explosion of new companies and products want to track your steps and count your calories with the aim of melting that excess blubber. There's just one problem -- most
How Technology Is Tricking You Into Tipping More
My taxi pulled up to the hotel. I got out my credit card and prepared to pay for the ride. The journey was pleasant enough but little did I know I was about to encounter a bit of psychological tricker
The Psychology Of Notifications
In his famed experiments, Ivan Pavlov trained his dogs to associate mealtime with the ring of a bell. Pavlov found he could elicit an involuntary physical response in his dogs with a simple jingle. Ev
The Hidden Psychology Of Why Customers Come Back
Psychological factors affect the decisions we make every day. Of course, most of us are blissfully unaware of the tendencies that influence our actions. However, businesses can use the hidden psycholo
To Create A Habit, Focus On The Reward
On May 1, 1981, American Airlines launched its frequent flyer program AAdvantage. Since then, a flood of loyalty programs have attempted to bring customers back through rewards.
Today, you can beco
Kim Kardashian: Hollywood And The Viral “Oops”
Editor’s Note: Nir Eyal writes about the intersection of psychology, technology and business at NirAndFar.com. He is the author of “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products”. Recently
Is Some Tech Too Addictive?
Addiction can be a difficult thing to see. From outward appearances, Dr. Zoe Chance looked fine. A professor at the Yale School of Management with a doctorate from Harvard, Chance's pedigree made what
How To Build Habits In A Multi-Device World
Editor’s Note: This excerpt is authored by Nir Eyal and appears in Michal Levin’s new book, Designing Multi-Device Experiences. Nir Eyal is also the author of Hooked: A Guide to Building Habit
How To Cope with Your Insane Jealousy Of The WhatsApp Deal
Wednesday was my birthday. It should have been a great day. Then I heard the news. WhatsApp had been purchased by Facebook for $19 billion. When I read about the deal I blurted out the words, "Holy Cr
Why Fads Fade: The Inevitable Death Of Flappy Bird
On February 8, 2014, an app called <em>Flappy Bird</em> held the coveted No. 1 spot in the Apple App Store. The app’s 29-year-old creator, Dong Nguyen, reported earning $50,000 a day from the game.
You’d Be Surprised By What Really Motivates Users
Earlier this month, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone unveiled his mysterious startup Jelly. The question-and-answer app was met with a mix of criticism and head scratching. Tech-watchers asked if the worl
Why Behavior Change Apps Fail To Change Behavior
Imagine walking into a busy mall when someone approaches you with an open hand. “Would you have some coins to take the bus, please?” he asks. But in this case, the person is not a panhandler. The
The Curse Of The Network Effect
<b>Editor's Note:</b><em> Nir Eyal writes about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business for <a target="_blank" href="http://dashboard.io/blog">Dashboard.io</a> and on his blog <a targ
Temptation
How do products tempt us? What makes them so alluring? It is easy to assume we crave delicious food or impulsively check email because we find pleasure in the activity. But pleasure is just half the s