The Earned Lunch: Fixed Action Rewards — Technique for Long-term Motivation

About the Creator of the Octalysis Framework

Yu-kai Chou created the Octalysis Framework after studying gamification since 2003 — years before the term entered mainstream vocabulary. As a Human-Systems Architect & Behavioral Designer, his framework has been applied by LEGO, Microsoft, Porsche, Coca-Cola, Salesforce, and MrBeast, impacting over 1.5 Billion Users.

Chou has taught the Octalysis methodology at Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Tesla, Google, BCG, and IDEO.

His work has been cited by Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Wired, US Department of Energy, NIST, NSF, NCBI, US Department of Education, ClinicalTrials.gov, and 3,700+ more academic publications. Explore his books here.

Introduction

Your company offers a $500 bonus for hitting a sales target. Everyone knows the deal: close 10 accounts, get the check. Simple, transparent, effective.

Except three months later, nobody cares about the bonus anymore. They expect it. And if you take it away, they resent you for it.

This is the core tension of the Earned Lunch technique, also known as Fixed Action Rewards (Game Technique #7 in the Octalysis Framework). It is one of the most commonly used reward structures in gamification, and one of the easiest to get wrong.

Below, I break down the psychology, benefits, limitations, and best practices for designing fixed action rewards that sustain motivation without creating entitlement.

The Earned Lunch Technique (Game Design Technique #7)

The Earned Lunch technique is built on offering a clear and enticing reward for completing a specific action.

This is different from other reward structures like the Mystery Box (Random Rewards) and Easter Eggs (Sudden Rewards).

The Earned Lunch shows up in loyalty programs, sales incentives, and employee motivation schemes.

The key to this technique’s success is simplicity and transparency: users know what they need to do and what they’ll get in return.

The Psychology Behind the Earned Lunch

The Earned Lunch technique relies on several Core Drives from the Octalysis Framework: Ownership & Possession (Core Drive 4), Scarcity & Impatience (Core Drive 6), and Development & Accomplishment (Core Drive 2).

However, these are primarily extrinsic motivators. They don’t tap into the user’s desire for exploration, creativity, or social interaction.

To create a more engaging experience, consider incorporating intrinsic motivators alongside the fixed action reward.

The fixed action reward creates anticipation and desire for the reward, building a stronger emotional connection to the activity.

Users experience increased motivation to complete the task knowing they’ll receive a reward upon completion.

This creates a positive feedback loop: more engagement, stronger desire for reward, continued motivation.

Pros of the Earned Lunch Technique

1. Ease of design: The Earned Lunch is straightforward to implement: offer a specific reward for a particular action. This simplicity makes it attractive for designers who want to motivate users quickly.
2. Clear user expectations: The fixed action reward clearly communicates what users need to do to earn the reward. This clarity leads to increased user satisfaction and motivation.
3. Justification for action: The Earned Lunch helps users overcome initial barriers to engaging in an activity. The promise of a reward can encourage users to try new things or continue tasks they might otherwise abandon.

Cons of the Earned Lunch Technique

1. Loss of intrinsic motivation: Users may lose their drive once the extrinsic rewards disappear. This leads to decreased engagement when the promise of reward is gone.
2. Rising expectations: People develop growing appetites for rewards. The same reward loses its appeal over time, requiring continuous increases in reward value, which isn’t sustainable long-term.
3. Entitlement and boredom: When users expect a specific reward, they feel entitled rather than excited when they receive it. The reward loses its emotional impact over time.

Designing Effective Fixed Action Rewards: Best Practices

To maximize the impact of the Earned Lunch technique, consider these best practices:

1. Choose emotionally appealing rewards: Select rewards that create a strong emotional connection. For example, people often feel more attracted to a free iPad than to $600 cash, even when the value is identical.
2. Ensure visibility and awareness: Make sure users are continuously reminded of the reward and its requirements. In-app notifications, progress trackers, or visual cues keep the reward top-of-mind and encourage engagement.
3. Combine with intrinsic motivators: Incorporate elements of intrinsic motivation: Social Influence & Relatedness (Core Drive 5), Empowerment of Creativity & Feedback (Core Drive 3), and Unpredictability & Curiosity (Core Drive 7) to create a more engaging and sustainable experience.
4. Balance labor-driven and performance-driven rewards: Decide whether rewards should be based on effort or performance. Labor-driven rewards encourage time investment; performance-driven rewards motivate excellence. A mix works best.

Conclusion

The Earned Lunch technique is one of the most common reward structures in gamification, and for good reason: it is simple to design and easy for users to understand.

The catch is sustainability. Without intrinsic motivators layered on top, fixed action rewards create a cycle of rising expectations and declining excitement.

The best implementations pair the Earned Lunch with Core Drive 3 (Creativity) or Core Drive 7 (Unpredictability) so users stay engaged even after the novelty of the reward fades.

What kind of fixed action rewards have been most appealing to you?

Have they sustained your motivation or were they short-lived?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Related Reading

• The Octalysis Framework for Gamification & Behavioral Design
• Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges & Leaderboards
• Master the Art of Streak Design
• Exploring Appointment Dynamics
• The Six Contextual Types of Rewards
• How Rewards Kill Our Creativity

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