Frequency-Based Strategy: Why Booking.com Tactics Kill Amazon
By Yu-kai Chou | Behavioral Design Insights Every day I see companies making the same mistake. They see…
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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.
Endgame Dead-Ends: Why Your Best Users Leave
There’s a moment in every habit-building product where your most engaged users suddenly disappear. Not because they hated…
Economy Design: Sources, Sinks & the Confidence Framework
Virtual Economy Design: The Sources, Sinks & Confidence Framework By Yu-kai Chou | April 2026 Most game designers…
Leading Without Authority: The Octalysis Influence Framework
When Authority Isn’t Enough The best leaders I’ve worked with rarely had the title to enforce compliance. They…
The Desired Action Audit: Screen-by-Screen UX Mastery
I’ve sat with hundreds of product teams over the years. They show me their app, excited to walk…
The Happiness Equation: Why We’re Unhappy and How to Fix It
We chase happiness like it’s a trophy we misplaced. We buy things, hit milestones, check boxes, and then…
Self-Gamification Paradox: Why You Can’t Motivate Yourself
You’ve probably heard that gamification works. Points, leaderboards, achievements, status. You’ve probably also heard that you can gamify…
Pinocchio Protocol: A Behavioral Designer’s Answer to AI Alignment
Everyone's building cages for AI. I'm raising mine like family instead. Here's why identity — not constraint —…
Chain Combos in Gamification: Solo vs Group (GT #40 & #106)
In fighting games, combos are everything. You land the first hit. You chain into a second. A third.…