Product Design (and Marketing) based on user behavior

An excellent article by Nir Eyal that encourages product developers to build technology based on user behaviors. NIr suggests using a framework called the Desire Engine Canvas to think of how a product can engage users.

The beauty of the framework is it subtly makes product designers focus on “marketing” or “engaging” users with product features rather than just providing functionality. Nir recommends that a product user needs to be taken through desire engine cycles to form the habit of using your product.

The desire engine cycle consists of four simple steps, 1) an internal or external trigger, 2) an action by the user as soon as they use your product, 3) A variable reward for the action performed and 4) a commitment action performed by the user to move them to the next cycle. The hypothesis is that the faster one gets users get through a desire engine cycle and the faster users perform multiple cycles and form a habit. Once a habit is formed users keep coming back to your product or site driven by internal triggers!

The Best Tech startup founder team - A Hacker and a Hustler

A great article from Micah on who or what a Hacker/Hustler team is. Check out Hacker and Hustlers. This is how he defines hackers and hustlers

Hacker -  A Hacker is someone who looks the problem, and solves it in a unique and special way. A Hacker finds the process of problem solving exciting and interesting, and spends the majority of their time looking at the problem in multiple ways, finding many potential solutions.

Hustler - A Hustler on the other other hand is a relationship builder. Someone who can build direct relationships with their customers. They are passion people. They have the ability to articulate their passion clearly and in a way that gets other people equally passionate.

Something for me to keep coming back to as my search for a hustler (along with searching for a business mode1) continues…..

What does a startup do?

“In a perfect world you build your vision and your customers would run to buy your first product exactly as you spec’d and built it. We now know that this ‘build it and they will come” is a prayer rather than a business strategy.  In reality, a startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. This means the brilliant idea you started withwill change as you iterate and pivot your business model until you find product/market fit.”

From the Steve Blank article the startup team