The Psychology of Persuasion in Product Design

After leaving Microsoft, I went deep into psychology. NLP. Persuasion. Human behavior.

It changed everything about how I build products.

The Insight That Changed My Thinking

People don't buy products. They buy better versions of themselves.

This sounds like marketing fluff, but it's actually a technical specification. It tells you exactly what to build and how to build it.

Sometimes you want friction. Sign-up flows that are too easy attract the wrong users.

Strategic friction filters for intent.

Every default you set is a decision you're making for your user. Most people never change defaults.

Choose wisely.

Show people how far they've come. Progress bars. Streaks. Levels.

This isn't gamification. It's acknowledging human psychology.

The best products aren't about technology. They're about understanding people.

Study psychology. Study persuasion. Study what makes humans tick.

Then encode that understanding into your systems.