# Hook Model Product Applications

Applying the Hook Model to specific product types with appropriate customization.


## Table of Contents
1. [B2B SaaS Applications](#b2b-saas-applications)
2. [E-commerce Applications](#e-commerce-applications)
3. [Health & Fitness Applications](#health-fitness-applications)
4. [Education & Learning Applications](#education-learning-applications)
5. [Productivity Applications](#productivity-applications)
6. [Social & Community Applications](#social-community-applications)
7. [Quick Reference: Product Type Patterns](#quick-reference-product-type-patterns)
8. [Adaptation Framework](#adaptation-framework)

---

## B2B SaaS Applications

### Unique Characteristics

B2B products differ from consumer apps:
- Users may be required to use the product (boss decided)
- Habits must form at team level, not just individual
- Value is often productivity/efficiency, not entertainment
- Switching costs include training and data migration

### Adapting the Hook

**Trigger:**
- External: Task assignments, mentions, due dates, integrations
- Internal: Fear of missing information, desire to stay organized, need to appear productive

**Action:**
- Must fit into existing workflow (low friction)
- Often: Check notifications, update status, respond to requests
- Key: Make the core action completable in seconds

**Variable Reward:**
- Self: Progress tracking, completion satisfaction, productivity metrics
- Tribe: Team recognition, visibility of contributions
- Hunt: Finding needed information quickly

**Investment:**
- Data: Accumulated history, preferences, customization
- Integration: Connected to other tools
- Team: Colleagues also use it (social switching cost)
- Skill: Time invested in learning

### B2B Hook Patterns

**Slack pattern:**
```
Trigger: Notification of new message
Action: Read and respond
Reward: Information + social connection
Investment: More conversations, more value in history
```

**Notion pattern:**
```
Trigger: Need to capture/find information
Action: Create/search page
Reward: Organized knowledge, aesthetic satisfaction
Investment: More content, more structure, more utility
```

**Salesforce pattern:**
```
Trigger: New lead, scheduled task, manager expectation
Action: Log activity, update record
Reward: Pipeline visibility, gamification (in some implementations)
Investment: Data completeness, reporting value
```

---

## E-commerce Applications

### Unique Characteristics

E-commerce hook isn't about daily use—it's about:
- Being first choice when purchase intent arises
- Building browsing habits that lead to discovery
- Creating loyalty that overcomes friction

### Adapting the Hook

**Trigger:**
- External: Email, retargeting ads, push notifications, seasonal events
- Internal: "I wonder if..." curiosity, need arising, boredom browse

**Action:**
- Browse/search products
- Add to cart/wishlist
- Check prices/availability

**Variable Reward:**
- Hunt: Finding deals, discovering new products
- Self: Satisfaction of smart purchase
- Tribe: Reviews from community, social sharing

**Investment:**
- Saved preferences, wishlists, payment info
- Order history (reordering ease)
- Loyalty points, status tiers
- Reviews written

### E-commerce Hook Patterns

**Amazon pattern:**
```
Trigger: "I need X" → Think of Amazon first
Action: One-click search/order
Reward: Finding item, fast delivery
Investment: Prime membership, purchase history, reviews
```

**Pinterest → Commerce pattern:**
```
Trigger: Inspiration seeking (internal)
Action: Browse, pin, save
Reward: Discovery, aspiration, curation
Investment: Boards that connect to purchase intent
```

---

## Health & Fitness Applications

### Unique Characteristics

Health apps face special challenges:
- Motivation fluctuates with energy/mood
- Results take time (delayed gratification)
- Competition with deeply ingrained habits
- Ethical responsibility for user wellbeing

### Adapting the Hook

**Trigger:**
- External: Daily reminders, streak notifications, friend activity
- Internal: Guilt, aspiration, energy levels, appearance concerns

**Action:**
- Log food/exercise
- Complete workout
- Track progress

**Variable Reward:**
- Self: Progress visualization, achievement unlocks, personal bests
- Tribe: Community encouragement, accountability partners
- Hunt: Discovering what works for your body

**Investment:**
- Historical data (trends become meaningful)
- Streaks and achievements
- Personalized recommendations
- Community connections

### Health App Hook Patterns

**Peloton pattern:**
```
Trigger: Scheduled class, instructor relationship, leaderboard
Action: Take a class
Reward: Endorphins + achievement + community
Investment: Equipment, favorites, friends, historical data
```

**MyFitnessPal pattern:**
```
Trigger: Meal time, habit
Action: Log food
Reward: Staying within goals, data satisfaction
Investment: Food database customization, history
```

**Special consideration:** Don't create unhealthy obsession. Build in rest days, discourage over-exercise, celebrate sustainable habits.

---

## Education & Learning Applications

### Unique Characteristics

Learning products must:
- Make difficult things feel achievable
- Create intrinsic motivation for effortful activities
- Balance engagement with actual learning
- Show progress even when mastery takes time

### Adapting the Hook

**Trigger:**
- External: Daily reminders, streak warnings, new content
- Internal: Curiosity, career anxiety, guilt about not learning

**Action:**
- Complete a lesson (must be short!)
- Practice a skill
- Consume content

**Variable Reward:**
- Self: Mastery, progress, skill acquisition
- Hunt: Discovering new knowledge
- Tribe: Community learning, comparing progress

**Investment:**
- Accumulated progress
- Skill certifications
- Learning path customization
- Time invested (sunk cost)

### Learning Hook Patterns

**Duolingo pattern:**
```
Trigger: Daily reminder, streak anxiety
Action: 5-minute lesson
Reward: XP, streak maintenance, skill progress
Investment: Streak, progress, language ability
```

**Masterclass pattern:**
```
Trigger: Curiosity, aspiration, new release
Action: Watch lesson
Reward: Insight, entertainment, proximity to celebrity
Investment: Saved lessons, notes, completed classes
```

**Coursera/Udemy pattern:**
```
Trigger: Career goals, learning intent
Action: Take course section
Reward: Progress bar, certificate progress
Investment: Course completion, credentials
```

---

## Productivity Applications

### Unique Characteristics

Productivity apps should:
- Reduce cognitive load, not add to it
- Integrate seamlessly with workflow
- Make organization feel good, not like work
- Support both quick captures and deep work

### Adapting the Hook

**Trigger:**
- External: Due dates, scheduled reviews, integrations
- Internal: Overwhelm, need for control, planning satisfaction

**Action:**
- Capture task/note quickly
- Review and organize
- Complete and check off

**Variable Reward:**
- Self: Completion satisfaction, sense of control
- Hunt: Finding the right system, optimizing workflow

**Investment:**
- Accumulated tasks/notes
- Customized systems
- Integrated workflows
- Historical context

### Productivity Hook Patterns

**Todoist pattern:**
```
Trigger: Thought of task, Karma reminder
Action: Quick add task
Reward: Capture = mental relief, completion = satisfaction
Investment: Task history, project structure, karma score
```

**Obsidian pattern:**
```
Trigger: Information to capture, thought to develop
Action: Create/link note
Reward: Building knowledge graph, connection discovery
Investment: Accumulated knowledge, custom setup
```

---

## Social & Community Applications

### Unique Characteristics

Social products:
- Network effects drive value
- Content is user-generated (variable by nature)
- Social dynamics are powerful and risky
- Can have significant mental health impacts

### Adapting the Hook

**Trigger:**
- External: Notifications, tags, messages
- Internal: Loneliness, boredom, FOMO, validation seeking

**Action:**
- Scroll/consume
- Post/share
- Engage (like, comment, share)

**Variable Reward:**
- Tribe: Social validation, connection, belonging
- Hunt: Content discovery, information
- Self: Content creation satisfaction, follower growth

**Investment:**
- Follower/following network
- Content created
- Reputation/status
- Profile customization

### Social Hook Patterns

**Instagram pattern:**
```
Trigger: Boredom, FOMO, notification
Action: Open app, scroll
Reward: Likes, interesting content, social connection
Investment: Followers, content, aesthetic
```

**Discord pattern:**
```
Trigger: Notification, community FOMO
Action: Check messages, participate
Reward: Belonging, information, social interaction
Investment: Server roles, relationships, community standing
```

### Ethical considerations for social apps

- Provide usage controls
- Don't optimize purely for time spent
- Consider mental health impacts
- Protect from harassment
- Be transparent about algorithms

---

## Quick Reference: Product Type Patterns

| Product Type | Primary Trigger | Key Action | Main Reward | Critical Investment |
|--------------|-----------------|------------|-------------|---------------------|
| B2B SaaS | Work notifications | Quick update | Productivity | Team adoption + data |
| E-commerce | Purchase intent | Browse/buy | Discovery | Purchase history |
| Health | Guilt/aspiration | Log/complete | Progress | Streaks + data |
| Education | Learning goal | Short lesson | Mastery | Progress + streaks |
| Productivity | Overwhelm | Quick capture | Control | Accumulated system |
| Social | Loneliness/FOMO | Scroll/engage | Validation | Network + content |

---

## Adaptation Framework

When applying Hook Model to any product:

1. **Identify the job:** What progress is the user trying to make?

2. **Find the internal trigger:** What emotion precedes use?

3. **Minimize action friction:** What's the simplest possible action?

4. **Align rewards with value:** Does engagement = value?

5. **Make investment meaningful:** Does investment improve experience?

6. **Check ethics:** Does habitual use serve the user?
