The Persuasion Flow Playbook (ATACC): How to Influence People Who Outrank You
A five-phase conversation structure for influencing your boss, client, or anyone who outranks you — without manipulation, without…
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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.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Through the Octalysis Lens: Why White Hat = Self-Actualization
A side-by-side reading of Maslow's Hierarchy and the Octalysis Framework: why the top of the pyramid is White…
Sunk Cost Prison: Why Users Can’t Leave Apps They Already Hate
The sunk cost fallacy is why smart people keep pouring money into projects they secretly wish had never…
How AI Is Already Transforming Games: 17 Examples Analyzed Through Octalysis (Part 2)
See 17 real games using AI, from adaptive enemies to generative worlds, analyzed through the Octalysis Framework to…
7 Ways to Improve Team Communication Using the Octalysis Framework
Team communication improves when leaders design for motivation, clarity, and trust instead of adding more meetings, more channels,…
Your Waist Knows More Than MyFitnessPal: What 7,853 Americans’ Health Data Actually Shows
I spent $1,500 on AI tools to analyze health data from 159 countries and 6,000 Americans. Sugar doesn't…
“You’ve Been Played” Book Review: Gamification’s Most Important Critic Is (Mostly) Right
Adrian Hon’s “You’ve Been Played” is one of the most credible attacks on gamification in print. But most…