A short YouTube video by Nir Eyal in which he answers two questions. First, he proposes that products should disclose the time cost (how much time using a product will take from a user’s life) as a theoretical metric that might affect purchase/use decisions. Second, he critiques current product/book reviews, noting many reviewers appear not to have read books (cites misconception that his book teaches "mind control"), and suggests using e-reader data (e.g., reviewers who finished the book) to give greater weight or placement to more credible reviewers.
Chapters
Hello, my name is Nir Eyal and I'm the author of how to Build Habit Forming Products. I was recently asked to answer two questions and so I'll read my responses here for you on this video. The first question was what do you wish you knew about a product before you buy it? So here's my response. Merchants make it clear how much money things cost, but few products and services disclose how much time using a product will take out of our lives. I wish I knew how much time using a product cost before I started using it. What would happen if we knew how much of our limited time and attention a service requires before we started using it? This is a theoretical metric, of course, but I'd be curious to know how our decision to use certain products would change based on an honest disclosure of how much time they required. Second question was what do you think is wrong with product reviews and and other reviews today? And so here's my response. As an author of a book sold on Amazon, I'm sometimes frustrated by reviews made by people who clearly haven't read my book. For example, some people think my book is about using mind control to create consumer zombies. However, anyone who has actually read the book would know I spent significant time discussing the morality of manipulation. I wish it was a way to communicate with reviewers and screen out those who haven't actually read the book they're reviewing. It would be great if data sent from E readers gave higher placement to reviewers who finished the book. That would make for much more credible book reviews. Thanks very much.
