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Made to Stick - Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Nov 16, 20242 min read

Book Overview

Core Premise

The book examines why some ideas thrive while others die, identifying specific patterns in successful ideas that can be replicated and applied systematically.

Authors’ Background

  • Chip Heath: Stanford Professor of Organizational Behavior
  • Dan Heath: Senior Fellow at Duke University
  • Combined expertise in business, education, and idea dissemination
  • Research spanning multiple disciplines

The SUCCESs Framework

Framework Components

  1. Simple

    • Finding the core message
    • Stripping ideas to essential elements
    • Creating profound simplicity

  2. Unexpected

    • Breaking patterns to get attention
    • Creating curiosity gaps
    • Maintaining interest

  3. Concrete

    • Making ideas tangible
    • Using sensory language
    • Creating clear mental images

  4. Credible

    • Building belief
    • Using various authority types
    • Creating testable credentials

  5. Emotional

    • Making people care
    • Connecting to values
    • Creating meaning

  6. Stories

    • Inspiring action
    • Creating mental simulation
    • Providing actionable examples

The Curse of Knowledge

Core Challenge

The Curse of Knowledge represents the primary barrier to creating sticky ideas:

  • Experts can’t remember what it’s like to be novices
  • Knowledge makes it hard to imagine ignorance
  • Leads to overcomplicated communication

Manifestations

  1. Communication Barriers

    • Using jargon
    • Assuming background knowledge
    • Skipping crucial context

  2. Teaching Challenges

    • Missing foundational concepts
    • Moving too quickly
    • Failing to connect ideas

  3. Business Impact

    • Poor product documentation
    • Unclear strategies
    • Ineffective training

Key Case Studies

Successful Ideas

  1. Urban Legends

    • Kidney Heist
    • Halloween Candy
    • Kentucky Fried Rat

  2. Business Examples

    • Southwest Airlines
    • Subway’s Jared Campaign
    • Norton’s Anti-virus

  3. Social Movements

    • “Don’t Mess with Texas”
    • Truth Anti-smoking Campaign
    • Civil Rights demonstrations

Failed Ideas

  1. Business Communication

    • Mission statements
    • Corporate values
    • Strategy documents

  2. Educational Materials

    • Textbook passages
    • Training manuals
    • Instructions

Practical Applications

Communication Design

  1. Message Planning

    • Core message identification
    • Audience analysis
    • Channel selection

  2. Delivery Methods

    • Story structure
    • Visual aids
    • Interactive elements

  3. Testing and Refinement

    • Audience feedback
    • Message clarity
    • Impact measurement

Implementation Strategies

Research Foundation

Methodology

  • Analysis of urban legends
  • Study of successful teaching methods
  • Business case examination
  • Psychology research review

Key Studies

  1. Tapping Study

    • Demonstrates Curse of Knowledge
    • Shows communication assumptions
    • Illustrates expertise blindness

  2. Memory Research

    • Concrete vs abstract recall
    • Story impact on memory
    • Emotional connection effects

  3. Decision Making

    • Choice architecture
    • Information processing
    • Behavioral economics

Additional Reading

Tools and Templates

References

  • Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2007). Made to stick: Why some ideas survive and others die. Random House.
  • Additional research papers and studies cited throughout
  • Case studies and interviews referenced in the book

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