One Sentence Overview
“Start at the End” by Matt Wallaert is: “A practical guide to designing products that change behavior,” which means that the book provides a step-by-step approach for designing and developing products that are intended to influence people’s behavior. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding human behavior and starting with the desired outcome in mind before designing the product. Wallaert offers practical strategies and examples for leveraging behavioral science to design products that encourage users to take desired actions, such as creating friction, leveraging social influences, and designing for habit formation. By following the principles outlined in the book, entrepreneurs and product designers can create products that are more effective at changing behavior and achieving their desired outcomes.
The Favorite Quote from the Author
“Don’t change behavior, people change behavior.”
The Five Big Ideas from the Book
- Start with the desired outcome in mind: To design products that are effective at changing behavior, it’s important to start with the desired outcome in mind and work backward to design a product that will encourage that behavior.
- Understand human behavior: In order to design products that are effective at changing behavior, it’s important to have a deep understanding of human behavior, including the underlying psychological and social factors that influence behavior.
- Leverage social influences: Social influences can be a powerful tool for changing behavior. Designers can leverage social influences such as social proof, authority, and social norms to encourage users to take desired actions.
- Create friction: Adding friction to the user experience can be an effective way to change behavior. Designers can use friction to make it harder for users to engage in undesired behaviors and easier for them to engage in desired behaviors.
- Design for habit formation: Habits are a powerful force that can drive behavior. By designing products that are intended to form habits, designers can create products that are more effective at changing behavior over the long term. Designers can use principles such as repetition, consistency, and rewards to help users form new habits.
Who is This Book For
“Start at the End” by Matt Wallaert is a book for entrepreneurs, product designers, marketers, and anyone who is interested in creating products that change behavior. The book offers practical guidance on how to use behavioral science to design products that encourage users to take desired actions. The strategies and principles outlined in the book are applicable to a wide range of industries, including technology, healthcare, finance, and education. This book is especially valuable for anyone who is interested in designing products that have a positive impact on people’s lives, whether that’s by improving health outcomes, increasing financial literacy, or fostering environmental sustainability.
Key Insights from the Book
- Products don’t change behavior, people change behavior.
- Start with the desired outcome in mind and work backward to design a product that will encourage that behavior.
- Use behavioral science to design products that are more effective at changing behavior.
- People’s behavior is influenced by a variety of factors, including social norms, peer pressure, and the environment.
- Social proof is a powerful tool for changing behavior.
- Use social proof to encourage users to take desired actions by highlighting how others have behaved in similar situations.
- People are more likely to comply with requests from authority figures.
- Leverage authority by using testimonials from experts or highlighting endorsements from trusted organizations.
- People are more likely to engage in behaviors that align with their self-identity.
- Use self-affirmation to encourage users to engage in desired behaviors that align with their self-identity.
- Use feedback to create a sense of progress and reinforce desired behaviors.
- People are more likely to engage in behaviors that are easy and convenient.
- Use defaults to encourage users to engage in desired behaviors without having to make a conscious decision.
- People are more likely to engage in behaviors that are rewarded.
- Use rewards to encourage users to engage in desired behaviors.
- Habits are a powerful force that can drive behavior.
- Use principles such as repetition, consistency, and rewards to help users form new habits.
- Use design to create positive emotions and associations with the product.
- Design for the long term by creating products that are sustainable and promote positive behavior change over time.
- Continuously test and iterate on the product to optimize for behavior change.
About the Author
Matt Wallaert is a behavioral scientist and entrepreneur who is the author of “Start at the End.” He has a background in psychology and has spent his career working to apply principles of behavioral science to design products that encourage behavior change. Wallaert has held a variety of roles in the technology industry, including as a startup founder, product manager, and behavioral scientist at companies like Microsoft and Clover Health. He is also a frequent speaker on the topics of behavioral science and product design. In “Start at the End,” Wallaert shares his insights and strategies for using behavioral science to design products that are more effective at changing behavior.
