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hooked-model skill

/skills/hooked-model

This skill helps you design habit-forming products using the Hooked Model to boost engagement, retention, and re-engagement strategies.

npx playbooks add skill flpbalada/my-opencode-config --skill hooked-model

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md
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---
name: hooked-model
description:
  Design habit-forming products using the Hook cycle. Use when building
  engagement loops, improving retention, designing notifications, or creating
  products users return to without external prompting.
---

# Hooked Model - Building Habit-Forming Products

The Hooked Model is a four-phase framework by Nir Eyal for creating products
that form user habits. A habit is formed when users engage with a product
repeatedly without conscious thought, driven by internal triggers rather than
external marketing.

## When to Use This Skill

- Designing user engagement loops
- Improving product retention metrics
- Planning notification and re-engagement strategies
- Building features that create lasting habits
- Evaluating competitor engagement mechanisms
- Auditing ethical implications of engagement design

## Core Concepts

### The Hook Cycle

```
    +-----------------+
    |                 |
    v                 |
 TRIGGER             |
 (Internal/External) |
    |                 |
    v                 |
 ACTION              |
 (Simple behavior)   |
    |                 |
    v                 |
 VARIABLE REWARD     |
 (Unpredictable)     |
    |                 |
    v                 |
 INVESTMENT          |
 (User effort)-------+
```

### Phase 1: Trigger

**External Triggers** (initial hooks):

- Push notifications
- Email reminders
- Advertising
- Word of mouth
- Social media mentions

**Internal Triggers** (goal state):

- Boredom → Open TikTok
- Loneliness → Check Instagram
- Uncertainty → Google it
- FOMO → Check Slack

### Phase 2: Action

The simplest behavior in anticipation of reward.

**Fogg Behavior Model alignment:**

```
B = MAT (Behavior = Motivation + Ability + Trigger)

For habit formation:
- Motivation: Must exist (desire for reward)
- Ability: Must be HIGH (action must be easy)
- Trigger: Must be present
```

| Product   | Trigger  | Simplest Action |
| --------- | -------- | --------------- |
| Twitter   | Boredom  | Scroll feed     |
| Google    | Question | Type query      |
| Instagram | FOMO     | Open app        |
| Slack     | Anxiety  | Check messages  |

### Phase 3: Variable Reward

Three types of variable rewards:

| Type      | Description          | Example                             |
| --------- | -------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Tribe** | Social validation    | Likes, comments, follows            |
| **Hunt**  | Material resources   | Search results, deals, information  |
| **Self**  | Personal achievement | Completing tasks, mastery, progress |

**Why "Variable"?** Predictable rewards lose power. Slot machines use variable
rewards - you never know which pull wins. Social feeds use the same psychology.

### Phase 4: Investment

User puts something into the product that:

1. Improves the product for them
2. Increases likelihood of return
3. Creates switching costs

| Investment Type | Example              | Lock-in Effect           |
| --------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Data            | Preferences, history | Personalization improves |
| Content         | Posts, uploads       | Social capital           |
| Followers       | Audience built       | Network effects          |
| Learning        | Skills developed     | Competency               |
| Reputation      | Reviews, karma       | Identity                 |

## Analysis Framework

### Step 1: Map Current Hook

```
Your Product's Hook:

TRIGGER
External: _____________________
Internal (goal): _______________

ACTION
What's the simplest action? _______________
How many steps/taps? _______________

VARIABLE REWARD
Type: [ ] Tribe  [ ] Hunt  [ ] Self
What's unpredictable? _______________

INVESTMENT
What do users put in? _______________
How does it improve experience? _______________
```

### Step 2: Identify Weak Links

Rate each phase (1-5):

| Phase              | Score | Improvement Needed |
| ------------------ | ----- | ------------------ |
| Trigger strength   | [/5]  |                    |
| Action simplicity  | [/5]  |                    |
| Reward variability | [/5]  |                    |
| Investment depth   | [/5]  |                    |

### Step 3: Design Improvements

Focus on the weakest phase first. A hook is only as strong as its weakest link.

## Output Template

```markdown
## Hook Analysis

**Product:** [Name] **Date:** [Date] **Goal:** [Habit to form]

### Current Hook Cycle

**Trigger:**

- External: [Current external triggers]
- Internal target: [Emotion/situation → product]

**Action:**

- Current: [Steps to engage]
- Friction points: [Obstacles]

**Variable Reward:**

- Type: [Tribe/Hunt/Self]
- Variability source: [What changes]

**Investment:**

- Current: [What users contribute]
- Lock-in created: [Switching cost]

### Weakness Assessment

| Phase      | Score (1-5) | Issue |
| ---------- | ----------- | ----- |
| Trigger    |             |       |
| Action     |             |       |
| Reward     |             |       |
| Investment |             |       |

### Improvement Plan

1. **Trigger improvement:** [Specific change]
2. **Action simplification:** [Reduce steps to X]
3. **Reward enhancement:** [Add variability via]
4. **Investment deepening:** [New investment type]

### Ethical Check

- [ ] Product genuinely improves user's life
- [ ] User would recommend to friends
- [ ] We'd be comfortable if usage was public
- [ ] No dark patterns employed
```

## Real-World Examples

### Example 1: Instagram

| Phase               | Implementation                                   |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **Trigger**         | External: notifications. Internal: boredom, FOMO |
| **Action**          | Open app, scroll (one tap)                       |
| **Variable Reward** | New posts (Hunt), likes/comments (Tribe)         |
| **Investment**      | Followers, posts, profile, DM history            |

### Example 2: Slack

| Phase               | Implementation                                            |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Trigger**         | External: @mentions. Internal: anxiety about missing info |
| **Action**          | Check channel (one click)                                 |
| **Variable Reward** | New messages (Hunt), recognition (Tribe)                  |
| **Investment**      | Channel history, integrations, workflows                  |

### Example 3: Duolingo

| Phase               | Implementation                                           |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Trigger**         | External: streak reminders. Internal: guilt, achievement |
| **Action**          | Complete one lesson (5 min)                              |
| **Variable Reward** | XP, leaderboard (Self + Tribe)                           |
| **Investment**      | Streak, progress, course completion                      |

## Ethical Considerations

### The Manipulation Test

Ask yourself:

1. **Materially improves life?** Does the habit genuinely help users?
2. **User is the customer?** Or are they the product?
3. **Would you use it yourself?** And let your children use it?
4. **Transparent?** Would users feel manipulated if they knew?

### Ethical Spectrum

```
Facilitator -------- Entertainer -------- Dealer
(Helps users)       (Neutral)            (Exploits users)

Your product should be a Facilitator
```

## Best Practices

### Do

- Start with internal trigger research (what emotion leads to use?)
- Make first action as simple as possible
- Vary rewards meaningfully, not randomly
- Ensure investments create genuine value
- Test hook cycle with real users

### Avoid

- Relying solely on external triggers (expensive, unsustainable)
- Complex actions that require learning
- Predictable rewards that become boring
- Investments that feel like manipulation
- Ignoring ethical implications

## Integration with Other Methods

| Method                      | Combined Use                         |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| **Fogg Behavior Model**     | Action phase design                  |
| **Self-Initiated Triggers** | Internal trigger development         |
| **Loss Aversion**           | Investment and streak psychology     |
| **Jobs-to-be-Done**         | Understanding underlying motivations |

## Resources

- [Hooked - Nir Eyal](https://www.nirandfar.com/hooked/)
- [Indistractable - Nir Eyal](https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/)
- [Atomic Habits - James Clear](https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits)

Overview

This skill guides product teams to design habit-forming experiences using the four-phase Hook cycle (Trigger → Action → Variable Reward → Investment). It helps you map existing engagement loops, identify weakest phases, and create concrete improvements that drive retention without relying solely on external marketing. Use it to build ethical, repeatable engagement that turns casual users into returning users.

How this skill works

The skill inspects your product’s current Hook by mapping external and internal triggers, the simplest user action, reward variability, and user investments. It scores each phase to reveal weak links, then proposes prioritized, tactical changes—reducing friction, increasing meaningful variability, and deepening investment—to strengthen the overall loop. It also includes an ethical checklist to avoid manipulative designs.

When to use it

  • Designing core engagement loops for a new product or feature
  • Improving retention and reducing churn
  • Planning notifications and re-engagement strategies
  • Auditing competitor or legacy product engagement
  • Evaluating ethical impact of engagement mechanics

Best practices

  • Start by researching internal triggers (the emotion or context that drives use)
  • Design the simplest possible action to lower friction and increase ability
  • Introduce meaningful variable rewards across Tribe, Hunt, and Self categories
  • Create investments that genuinely improve the product for users (personalization, content, followers)
  • Prioritize the weakest phase first and run small experiments to validate changes
  • Apply the ethical checklist: benefit users, avoid dark patterns, be transparent

Example use cases

  • Map a mobile app’s Hook to reduce onboarding drop-off by simplifying the first action
  • Redesign notification strategy so external triggers become sustainable and tied to internal triggers
  • Add variable rewards (social proof, discovery, progress) to increase session frequency
  • Create investment features (saved preferences, content creation) to raise switching costs
  • Audit competitor apps to copy effective engagement patterns while avoiding exploitation

FAQ

How do I choose which variable reward to use?

Match reward type to your product’s core value: Tribe for social validation, Hunt for information or discovery, Self for mastery and progress. Test combinations and measure repeat engagement.

What’s the fastest way to reduce friction in Action?

Identify the minimal steps or taps required and remove optional screens, inputs, or permissions; aim to complete the core action in one or two interactions.