3 Types of Motivation That Explain All Human Behavior
I’ve spent twenty years mapping the types of motivation that drive every human decision. And for most of…
Work with Yu-kai
The Blog
Ideas on motivation, behavior & design.
Deep dives on the psychology behind why people do what they do — from Yu-kai Chou, creator of the Octalysis Framework. Pick the topic that matters to you.
Why Virtual Rewards Beat Physical Prizes
A fired employee walked back into the office. Not to beg for his job back. Not to collect…
Why Users Love Your App and Never Come Back
Here’s something that will mess with your head if you design products, apps, or experiences for a living.…
The Endgame Problem: How Great Games Keep Veterans from Quitting
Your Best Players Are Leaving, and You Haven’t Noticed Your product is thriving. Users are onboarding smoothly, the…
The Achievement Treadmill: Why We Chase Progress (And When It Breaks)
The human urge to improve, to reach higher, to prove capacity is universal. Yet most systems claiming to…
Badges That Backfire: Why Most Achievement Systems Destroy Motivation
If you’ve spent time in a modern app, a language learning platform, an employee training system, a fitness…
Why Losing Hurts Twice as Much: The Psychology Behind Every Decision You Regret
We feel losses more intensely than equivalent gains. That asymmetry, often described as loss aversion in behavioral economics,…