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1-Page Summary of Hooked

Overview

In order to understand why some products are habit-forming, try to identify all the triggers that get you to use them. Are they external or internal? Do these habits enhance your life, or do they make it worse?

Think about all the products you use on a daily basis, such as your smartphone and favorite apps. How did these products succeed in getting you to use them every day?

Hooked explains how to form habits and why they are so important. It also shows companies how they can use this information in their products.

You will learn about the importance of designing a habit-forming product, which is the best sales boost your company could ever hope for.

We’ll also discuss why Twitter is so addictive. (It’s no coincidence). Finally, you’ll come to understand the ethical implications of habit-forming products and how they can be used for good or evil purposes.

Big Idea #1: It’s hard to change or replace established habits.

Every New Year’s Eve, people make resolutions to quit drinking, eat healthier and exercise more. However, when the clock strikes midnight on January 1st we find ourselves sitting on the couch munching chips and guzzling beer.

The reason is that it’s due to our habits. We’ve done them so many times before that we don’t think about what we’re doing.

Because our brain is lazy, it will make us do whatever worked last. For example, biting your nails when you’re nervous probably emerged because the habit of nail-biting helped you release stress in the past. So now you bite them unconsciously to relieve anxiety.

Habits are difficult to change. It’s almost impossible to permanently alter them because the neural pathways of old habits remain intact in our brains and can easily be reactivated. This is illustrated by the fact that two thirds of alcoholics who finish a detox program start drinking again within a year.

It’s no wonder people have trouble making New Year’s resolutions. How can you possibly succeed in adopting a new habit? The easiest way is to repeat it frequently, according to one study. If it can’t be repeated often, the new habit has to be very useful for you to still adopt it successfully. For example, online retailer Amazon is used by many people despite countless other online stores to choose from because of its usefulness and convenience.

Why is Amazon so popular? It’s because of the price comparison feature. People use it even if they don’t intend to buy anything there.

Big Idea #2: Highly successful products are hard to compete with because they’re habit forming.

We can see that many successful businesses and products today are habit-forming. Products like smartphones have become a part of our daily routines, such as checking for new messages in the morning.

There are many advantages to selling products that people get addicted to.

In the first place, they retain customers for a longer time. Customers are much less likely to switch products when they get used to them, and therefore increase their value to the company. This means that they will generate revenue for a longer period of time.

The more people use a product, the better it is for the company. People will tell their friends and family about products they like and this helps spread the word. Take Facebook for example; many people started using it because others were using it, so they invited their friends to join as well.

A habit-forming product is one that’s hard to replace. This happens because habits are so difficult to change, and the new product will need to be significantly better than the old one in order for people to switch from their current products.