Vasanthakumar Krishnan’s Post

📘 The Power of the Hook Model: Building Habit-Forming Products I've been diving into "Hooked" by Nir Eyal, where the author introduces the Hook Model—a powerful framework that businesses can leverage to create products that customers return to habitually. The model consists of four stages: Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment. Each stage plays a crucial role in engaging users and turning one-time actions into regular, repeated behavior. 🔹 Trigger: The initial cue, either external or internal, that prompts users to take action. For example, notifications can remind us to open an app or check a feature. 🔹 Action: The simple behavior in anticipation of a reward. This might be scrolling on a social feed, clicking a like button, or posting a new update. 🔹 Variable Reward: The heart of the hook. By introducing a degree of unpredictability—like varying likes or comments—products can keep users engaged and coming back for more. 🔹 Investment: The step where users put effort or time into the product, making it a part of their lives, such as by customizing settings, adding content, or building networks. This investment fuels future use. Businesses aiming for higher engagement and retention can apply this model to make products irresistible, transforming casual users into loyal ones. A well-designed hook creates positive, beneficial habits that align with users' needs and values. Curious to hear how others might be using or thinking about the Hook Model in their work! How are you crafting products that resonate? Picture collected from ProductPlan

The secret to building a product that people want is simple: Ask them. Before you write a line of code. Before you design a thing. Ask your potential customers what they want. There are a lot of ways to collect feedback: 1. User testing 2. Surveys 3. Support tickets 4. Social media interactions But the goal is the same: you want to understand what your customers need and want. Because if you build a product that solves their problems, they'll be delighted. So, go out there and ask your customers what they want. And then, build the thing they want.

I often say, “Emotion sells and logic justifies.” Yet, time and again I see companies fall into a trap. They lead with what their product or service is, versus focusing on the outcome it produces. That puts folks into a cognitive loop (which invites logical critique), versus an emotional loop. Imagine a tech company that says, "Our app features note-taking, organizing, and task management tools." This statement is factual, yes, but it's uninspiring. This invites the consumer to compare it to other available options. Now flip the script: "Capture your best ideas, keep your life organized, and tackle your to-do list with ease, anywhere you are." Suddenly, the app isn’t just a tool; it's a pathway to a more organized and productive life. When attributes and benefits mix, you get a narrative that sticks. It’s about making your product indispensable by showing how it fits seamlessly into your customer's daily life, making it better, easier, and more enjoyable. #strategy #storytelling #marketing

Th: "Playing with fire: innovation, quality, and brand loyalty" I once had a client, a tech startup, who believed their groundbreaking app would speak for itself. They poured millions into cutting-edge features but skimped on user testing. The result? A PR nightmare at launch. Why? Crashes, data breaches, and a UI so complex it needed its own manual. What was meant to revolutionize personal finance became a cautionary tale in tech circles. This experience crystallized a truth: in the realm of reputation, your product isn't just a commodity - it's the embodiment of your brand promise. The conundrum? Many brands obsess over disruptive innovation while overlooking the bedrock of quality assurance. Critical factors often underestimated: → Consistency: your brand's reputation hinges on your most recent offering. → User-centric design: intuitive functionality speaks volumes about your brand ethos. → Sustainable production: in today's market, your manufacturing ethics are as scrutinized as your end product. → Lifecycle support: the customer journey extends far beyond the point of sale. The real challenge lies in harmonizing cutting-edge innovation with unwavering reliability. Is your R&D truly pioneering or merely chasing market trends? Does your quality control bolster your reputation or simply mitigate risks? In the consumer psyche, product performance often outweighs even the most compelling marketing narratives. Reflect on this: which product experiences have fundamentally altered your perception of a brand? The answers might surprise you. #reputationmanagement #customerexperience

This is why some apps pull you in, and others just don’t 👎 It’s all in how they understand you. Today’s consumers expect more than just a functional product; they want products that make them feel a certain way. They’re not just swiping and tapping—they’re interacting with something that truly gets them. Take any product you love and look closer. I guarantee you it anticipates your needs before you even know them, remembers your preferences, and designs every detail with a purpose. We're all basically trying to satisfy a fundamental human need: CONNECTION. And for that, we’ve got to get consumer behaviour down to a science. Here's how we do it: 🔎 Observe, Don’t Just Analyze: Everyone loves to say "We're analysing data" these days. It should not just be about relying on quantitative data; you really need to dig into the user experience. Observe how people interact with your product to identify those friction points—that's where the real opportunities for improvement lie. 🤔 Understand Context: Consumer behavior isn’t static; it’s influenced by context. Pay attention to factors like seasonality, social trends, or cultural shifts that can affect how users engage with your brand. 📈 Personalize at Scale: There are plenty of tools available to help you create tailored experiences for users without losing the human touch. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where personalization feels genuine and not intrusive. 🥹 Design for Emotional Engagement: Create experiences that resonate on an emotional level. Think about how your product could make users feel happy, curious, excited, or nostalgic—these connections are key. 💡 Feedbacks Hurt, But They Build You: Cultivate a culture where feedback isn’t just a formality, but something you take seriously—that's the only way to grow. Bottom line is, let's get back to those core human needs that actually matter and create product experiences that hit home 🚀

Ever wondered how people come up with all these crazy new business ideas from scratch? Same 😂 So, let me tell you how I came up with my latest one. It all started with me falling down the YouTube rabbit hole, binge-watching videos from channels like Marc Lou, Starter Story, and My First Million. Afterwards, I thought, "I could do that." As a developer with marketing experience, I knew I could make it happen. I just needed the right idea. At first, I hit a mental roadblock. Every app idea seemed to exist already. I struggled to come up with something original. I felt stuck and uninspired. But I knew that if I could break through this creative barrier, I could get something going. So, I went all-in on researching SaaS ideas. Here are 3 things I did: • I binged YouTube videos specifically about idea generation • I made a habit of writing down every idea I could come up with (good or not) • Started observing all the apps I used each day, thinking "How do I wish this worked?" I wrote down every idea, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. After a day or so, my list of ideas ended up being two full pages 😱. Generating ideas isn't about sitting around waiting for a sudden flash of inspiration. It's a skill that anyone can develop with practice. The more you flex that muscle, the easier it gets to come up with ideas. -- If you liked this, please feel free to hit repost and follow https://lnkd.in/gpzr3dE3 for more :)

Creativerly 290 is out featuring a new deep dive on the state and issue of AI-powered writing apps. Besides that, I wrote about news like #DetaSpace shutting down, Superlist's current back to work deal, #NaNoWriMo saying condemning AI is 'Classist and Ableist', #Canva's subscription prices increasing by 300% because of AI, and #SilvioRizzi's new Reeder app, which is live now. It also includes insightful articles from #MarielleSamWall (#Doc), #IrisMauss + #BrettQFord (#GreaterGoodMagazine), #NandiniMaharaj (#WellGood), and #RonaldWDworkin (#Quilette). Thank you to this week's Creativerly sponsor, which is Exist (exist.io), personal analytics for everything you do. Supercharge your Apple Health data with context about your productivity, your habits, and more, to uncover the patterns that lead to a happier, healthier, and more productive you. Read the whole issue here:

If you're a researcher, you know that managing your notes, insights, and data can be an unruly beast. 👿 To tame it, an effective knowledge management solution is a must.  Beloga helps you manage and organize vast amounts of information efficiently, saving you precious time and reducing stress. How? Well, it's not just a note-taking app. It's a revolutionary tool that simultaneously combines your personal notes with the power of web searches, opening up endless possibilities for research while referencing your original ideas, sources, and findings. Don't get overwhelmed with information overload. 🙅 Take action with Beloga.

Stop. Don’t waste your time doing any work until you’ve validated your idea. Building something people don’t want or need only wastes your time and money.  Instead, make sure you’ve validated your idea with at least one approach and considered all the options before you build. Here’s how: ⏹ Surveys: Ask targeted questions to a broad audience to validate your idea. For example, if you're developing a new productivity app, survey potential users about their current pain points and what features they'd find most valuable. ⏹ User Interviews: Have real conversations with potential users to understand their needs and pain points. User interviews let you dig deeper and get to know your audience. Ask questions to encourage participants to share their experiences and preferences. ⏹ Email Signups: Build a subscriber list and validate interest by offering a sneak peek or early access. It not only measures interest but lets you start building a community around your idea ⏹ Fakedoors: Create a mockup or landing page to show your product concept and measure user engagement. instead of building the actual product behind the scenes, clicking on links or buttons might lead to a message saying that the feature is "coming soon" or prompt users to sign up for updates. ⏹ Wizard of Oz or Concierge MVP: Simulate your product manually as if it were automated. For instance, if you're developing a food delivery app, manually handle orders and deliveries to validate demand and refine your service offering 🧙♂️. Make this a part of your team’s working practices. As your user base grows, analytics open up different opportunities and tools to validate ideas, but the principles remain the same. What else should be on the list? Share your thoughts and experiences below 👇

It's a common challenge: stakeholders see research findings and jump to quick solutions that don't address the real problem. A client wants to grow engagement with a key customer segment—single parents. Research uncovers their core struggle: financial stress and food insecurity. Many live paycheck to paycheck, unable to afford healthy food, and some live in food deserts where access to fresh produce is limited. The client's solution was to develop a financial planning tool and a recipe app. Financial planning tools don't solve the lack of income; a recipe app doesn't help if you can't access or afford the ingredients. It's a common pitfall for companies to rush into 'quick wins' without fully grasping the complexity of the problem. In the case of these single parents, what was truly needed was not just a tool or an app, but a systemic support system. This could have included partnerships to tackle food insecurity, financial aid, or advocacy for better resources. Have you encountered similar situations? How do you guide stakeholders to look beyond the immediate solution and focus on creating meaningful change? At Akendi, we specialize in guiding businesses toward deeper, more meaningful solutions through research. Let's connect to explore how we can help drive lasting impact for your customers. #UXResearch #UserResearch #DesignThinking #HumanCenteredDesign #UserExperience #ProductStrategy #CustomerNeeds #ResearchDrivenDesign #SocialImpactDesign