Status Design: Why Status Drives Behavior More Than Money
Status design is one of the most misunderstood forces in human behavior. We’ve been taught that money motivates…
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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.
Habit Formation Through Gamification Design
Most people talk about habit formation like it’s a simple three-step process: trigger, behavior, reward. If you’re familiar…
The Voluntary Adoption Cascade
Voluntary adoption sounds like a paradox when you first hear it. Most companies approach adoption like a military…
Physical World Gamification Design
Physical world gamification is the hardest design challenge most practitioners never attempt. Most gamification design assumes a digital…
The Do Your Job Game Trap
Workplace gamification is one of those ideas that sounds brilliant until it implodes. I’ve seen it happen at…
Reward Layers Architecture: Why Points Alone Fail
April 11, 2026 I’ve sat through countless pitches about gamification. The conversation usually goes like this: “We’re adding…
Paywall Placement: 3 Timing Strategies for Monetization
There’s one decision that determines whether monetization feels like a natural checkpoint or an annoying obstacle in your…