made-to-stick

What this skill does

# Made to Stick Skill

> Based on *[Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die](https://heathbrothers.com/made-to-stick/)* by **Chip Heath & Dan Heath**

Apply Chip and Dan Heath's SUCCESs framework to make ideas memorable, impactful, and actionable. This skill helps you transform abstractions into concrete, sticky communication.

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:
- Writing landing pages, blog posts, emails, or documentation
- Crafting investor pitches, sales decks, or presentations
- Reviewing content for memorability and impact
- Fighting the Curse of Knowledge in technical writing
- Evaluating app concepts or feature descriptions (secondary)
- Explaining complex ideas to non-experts

## The SUCCESs Framework Quick Reference

| Principle | One-Line Summary | Diagnostic Question |
|-----------|------------------|---------------------|
| **Simple** | Find the core and express it compactly | "If they remember only one thing, what should it be?" |
| **Unexpected** | Break patterns to grab and hold attention | "What's counterintuitive about this?" |
| **Concrete** | Use sensory, tangible language people can visualize | "Can someone picture this in their mind?" |
| **Credible** | Make it believable through proof or testability | "Why should they believe this?" |
| **Emotional** | Make people feel something, not just think | "What emotion does this evoke?" |
| **Stories** | Show, don't tell—use narrative to drive action | "Is there a person going through something here?" |

## Workflows

### 1. Improve Copy

**Use for:** Landing pages, blog posts, emails, documentation

**Steps:**
1. Read the existing copy
2. Ask the user what one thing readers should remember
3. Score each section against SUCCESs principles (see `sticky-evaluation.md`)
4. Identify the weakest principles and apply targeted techniques:
   - **Low Simple**: Cut abstractions, find the Commander's Intent
   - **Low Unexpected**: Add a curiosity gap or pattern break
   - **Low Concrete**: Replace jargon with sensory details
   - **Low Credible**: Add a Sinatra Test, antiauthority, or testable claim
   - **Low Emotional**: Find the individual, not the statistic
   - **Low Stories**: Frame as someone overcoming something

### 2. Craft a Pitch

**Use for:** Investor decks, sales presentations, keynotes

**Steps:**
1. Ask the user for context: audience, goal, key differentiator
2. Build the pitch using all six principles:
   - **Simple**: Lead with the one-sentence core ("THE ___ that ___")
   - **Unexpected**: Open with what's counterintuitive or surprising
   - **Concrete**: Use specific examples and numbers (humanized)
   - **Credible**: Include Sinatra Test or testable credentials
   - **Emotional**: Connect to what the audience cares about (WIIFY)
   - **Stories**: Close with a transformation story
3. Present the draft and iterate

### 3. Review Content

**Use for:** Reviewing articles, proposals, documentation, marketing materials

**Steps:**
1. Read the content
2. Apply the sticky evaluation checklist to score 1-5 on each principle
3. Summarize strengths and weaknesses
4. Provide specific, actionable recommendations with examples

### 4. Fight the Curse of Knowledge

**Use for:** Technical documentation, expert-to-novice communication

The Curse of Knowledge is when experts can't remember what it's like not to know something. They tap rhythms expecting listeners to hear the song.

**Detection signs:**
- Undefined acronyms and jargon
- Abstract concepts without examples
- Missing "why it matters" context
- Assumed background knowledge

**Mitigation strategies:**
- Ask "What does someone need to know first?"
- Replace every abstraction with a concrete example
- Use the "mom test"—would your mom understand this?
- Add analogies to familiar concepts (pomelo = grapefruit)
- Include before/after scenarios

### 5. Evaluate an App Idea (Secondary)

**Use for:** Evaluating feature concepts, app ideas, product positioning

**Steps:**
1. Ask: "What's the one thing users should remember about this?"
2. Score the concept against SUCCESs
3. Provide targeted improvements for weak areas

## Technique Toolbox

### Simplicity Techniques

| Technique | Description | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Commander's Intent** | State the single most important outcome | "THE low-fare airline" (Southwest) |
| **Core + Compact** | Strip to essential meaning, then compress | Proverbs, Golden Rule |
| **High-Concept Pitch** | Analogy to something known | "Jaws on a spaceship" (Alien) |
| **Generative Metaphor** | Analogy that guides behavior | "Cast members" (Disney employees) |

### Unexpectedness Techniques

| Technique | Description | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Break the Pattern** | Violate expectations | Flight safety done as comedy |
| **Curiosity Gap** | Open knowledge gaps, then fill them | "What if I told you movie popcorn..." |
| **Postdictable Surprise** | Surprise that makes sense in hindsight | Good movie plot twists |
| **The Mystery** | Frame as a question to be answered | "Why do some ideas survive?" |

### Concreteness Techniques

| Technique | Description | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Sensory Language** | Describe what you can see, touch, hear | "Ice-filled bathtub" |
| **Velcro Memory** | More hooks = more memorable | Multiple concrete details |
| **The Concrete Goal** | Specific, visualizable outcome | "Man on moon by decade's end" |
| **White Things Exercise** | Specific prompts beat general ones | "White things in refrigerator" vs "white things" |

### Credibility Techniques

| Technique | Description | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Sinatra Test** | One undeniable proof point | "If we can handle the White House..." |
| **Antiauthority** | Credibility from experience, not credentials | Pam Laffin (smoker) on smoking |
| **Testable Credential** | Let them verify themselves | "Are you better off than 4 years ago?" |
| **Human-Scale Statistics** | Make numbers relatable | Nuclear warheads as BBs in bucket |
| **Vivid Details** | Specifics signal authenticity | Darth Vader toothbrush |

### Emotional Techniques

| Technique | Description | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **The One** | Individual > Statistics | Mother Teresa principle |
| **WIIFY** | "What's In It For You" | Lead with audience benefit |
| **Identity Appeal** | Connect to who they are | "Don't Mess with Texas" |
| **Association** | Link to existing emotional concepts | Reclaim "sportsmanship" |
| **Avoid Maslow's Basement** | Appeal to higher needs, not just base ones | Purpose > paycheck |

### Story Techniques

| Technique | Description | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Challenge Plot** | Obstacle overcome | Jared losing 245 lbs on Subway |
| **Connection Plot** | Relationship bridging gap | Good Samaritan |
| **Creativity Plot** | Mental breakthrough | Newton's apple |
| **Springboard Story** | Enables audience to see themselves | "What if we could..." |
| **Flight Simulator** | Stories as mental rehearsal | Firefighters swapping tales |

## Examples

### Writing Example: Before and After

**Before (Abstract):**
> "Our platform provides comprehensive workflow optimization solutions that leverage AI to enhance productivity metrics across enterprise environments."

**After (Sticky):**
> "Teams using our tool ship features 40% faster. One engineer told us: 'I used to spend Mondays in status meetings. Now I spend them building.'"

**What changed:**
- Simple: Cut jargon, one clear outcome
- Concrete: "40% faster," "Mondays in meetings"
- Emotional: Individual story, relatable frustration
- Credible: Specific metric + quote

### App Idea Example

**Original pitch:**
> "A task management app with AI prioritization"

**Sticky version:**
> "Imagine your to-do list actually knew what mattered. TaskFlow is the app that asks: 'If you could only finish one thing today, what would move the needle mo