# Made To Stick

> Made to Stick Framework

- Skill: `comeonoliver/made-to-stick` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add comeonoliver/made-to-stick`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/comeonoliver/made-to-stick/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: ComeOnOliver (https://skillmd.com/u/comeonoliver)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/comeonoliver/made-to-stick

---

# Made to Stick Framework

A framework for crafting ideas and messages that are understood, remembered, and have lasting impact. Based on decades of research into why some ideas survive and others die.

## Core Principle

**The Curse of Knowledge is the single greatest barrier to effective communication.** Once we know something, we can't imagine not knowing it. This makes us bad at explaining our ideas to others.

**The foundation:** Sticky ideas aren't born — they're made. The SUCCESs framework provides six principles that make any idea more memorable and impactful.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** When reviewing or creating messaging (copy, presentations, campaigns, onboarding), rate 0-10 based on SUCCESs principles. A 10/10 means the message is simple, surprising, concrete, credible, emotional, and wrapped in a story; lower scores indicate forgettable communication. Always provide current score and improvements to reach 10/10.

## The SUCCESs Framework

Six principles that make ideas stick:

```
S - Simple
U - Unexpected
C - Concrete
C - Credible
E - Emotional
S - Stories
```

**Not a checklist — a toolkit.** Not every sticky idea uses all six. But the stickiest ideas tend to use most of them.

### 1. Simple

**Core concept:** Find the core of the idea and share it compactly.

**Simple ≠ dumbed down.** Simple means finding the essential core and expressing it in a compact way. It means ruthless prioritization.

**The Commander's Intent:**
- Military term: If everything goes wrong, what ONE thing must we accomplish?
- For messaging: If people remember ONE thing about your product, what should it be?

**The inverted pyramid:**
- Lead with the most important thing
- Add detail in order of decreasing importance
- Readers who stop anywhere still got the core

**Techniques for simplicity:**

| Technique | How It Works | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Core message** | Strip to the essential | Southwest: "THE low-fare airline" |
| **Analogy** | Explain new via known | "It's like Uber for dog walking" |
| **Generative** | Core idea that generates behavior | "Names, names, names" (local newspaper motto) |
| **Prioritize** | Force-rank what matters | "If you say 3 things, you say nothing" |

**Application to product messaging:**

| Before (Complex) | After (Simple) |
|-------------------|----------------|
| "AI-powered, cloud-native customer engagement platform with omnichannel capabilities" | "Talk to all your customers in one place" |
| "We leverage machine learning algorithms to optimize conversion funnels" | "We find why visitors don't buy and fix it" |
| "Enterprise-grade project management with Gantt charts, resource allocation..." | "The simplest way to manage projects" |

**The test:** Can you explain it to a smart 12-year-old? If not, simplify.

**Warning:** Don't oversimplify to the point of meaninglessness. "We make the world better" is simple but empty.

See: [references/simple.md](references/simple.md) for simplification exercises and templates.

### 2. Unexpected

**Core concept:** Get attention by breaking patterns. Hold attention by creating curiosity gaps.

**Two tasks:**
1. **Get attention** → Surprise (violate expectations)
2. **Hold attention** → Interest (create curiosity gaps)

**Surprise:**
- Identify the core message
- Figure out the counterintuitive implication
- Communicate the surprise

**Example surprises:**

| Category | Expected | Unexpected (Sticky) |
|----------|----------|---------------------|
| **Product launch** | "Introducing our new feature" | "We removed your favorite feature. Here's why." |
| **Statistics** | "Obesity is growing" | "A bag of movie popcorn has more fat than a bacon-and-eggs breakfast, Big Mac and fries, and steak dinner — combined" |
| **Value prop** | "Save money on insurance" | "15 minutes could save you 15%" (specific, unexpected) |

**Curiosity gaps:**
- Open a gap in knowledge → create desire to fill it
- "Before I tell you the answer, let me ask..."
- Mystery format: Present a puzzle, delay the resolution
- Challenge assumptions: "You think X, but actually Y"

**Creating curiosity gaps:**

| Technique | How It Works | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Question** | Ask what they don't know | "What's the #1 reason startups fail?" |
| **Prediction** | Ask them to predict | "How many X do you think...?" |
| **Mystery** | Present a puzzle | "Nordstrom once refunded a set of tires. They don't sell tires." |
| **Challenge** | Violate assumptions | "Everything you know about X is wrong" |

**Anti-pattern:** Gimmicky surprise without substance. The surprise must connect to the core message.

See: [references/unexpected.md](references/unexpected.md) for pattern-breaking techniques.

### 3. Concrete

**Core concept:** Use sensory language and specific details instead of abstract concepts.

**Abstract kills memorability.** The more concrete and specific your idea, the stickier it becomes.

**Abstract vs. Concrete:**

| Abstract | Concrete |
|----------|----------|
| "Improve customer experience" | "Customers get their order in 30 minutes, still hot" |
| "Increase engagement" | "Users open the app 8 times a day" |
| "Optimize efficiency" | "Reduce report generation from 4 hours to 10 minutes" |
| "World-class support" | "Call us and a human answers in under 60 seconds" |
| "Scalable solution" | "Handle 10,000 users on day one without code changes" |

**The Velcro theory of memory:**
- Concrete ideas have more "hooks" for memory
- "Bicycle" is easier to remember than "vehicle" (you can picture it)
- Sensory details create mental images

**Techniques for concreteness:**

| Technique | How It Works | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Specific numbers** | Replace "a lot" with exact figures | "2,347 customers" not "thousands" |
| **Sensory language** | Engage senses | "Crispy, not crunchy" |
| **Concrete example** | Replace category with instance | "Like John, a 35-year-old teacher in Denver" |
| **Demonstration** | Show, don't tell | Product demo > feature list |
| **Before/after** | Tangible transformation | "Before: 4 hours. After: 10 minutes." |

**Application to product messaging:**
- Features → Outcomes (what it does → what changes for user)
- Percentages → Real numbers ("saves 40%" → "saves 16 hours/month")
- Categories → Specific examples ("restaurants" → "pizza shops in Brooklyn")

See: [references/concrete.md](references/concrete.md) for concreteness exercises.

### 4. Credible

**Core concept:** Help people believe your idea using internal and external credibility.

**External credibility:**

| Source | How It Works | Example |
|--------|-------------|---------|
| **Authorities** | Expert endorsement | "Recommended by Harvard Business Review" |
| **Anti-authorities** | Real people with experience | "Here's what a customer with the same problem found" |
| **Credentials** | Verifiable achievements | "10 years experience, SOC 2 certified" |

**Internal credibility (more powerful):**

| Technique | How It Works | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Vivid details** | Specificity implies truth | "On Tuesday at 3pm, in the conference room on the 4th floor..." |
| **Statistics** | But make them human-scale | Not "$1B market" but "1 in 4 businesses" |
| **The Sinatra Test** | One example so good it proves everything | "If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere" |
| **Testable credential** | Let them verify | "Try it free for 14 days" |
| **Human-scale statistics** | Relate numbers to experience | Not "10TB of data" but "every book ever written, 100 times" |

**The Sinatra Test:**
- One reference so impressive it handles all objections
- "We secured the White House" = instant security credibility
- "We handle Super Bowl traffic" = instant scalability credibility
- "Used by Apple, Google, and Microsoft" = instant quality credibility

**Making statistics sticky:**
- Don't: "37 grams of saturated fat"
- Do: "More saturated fat than a Big Mac, fries, and milkshake combined"
- **Rule:** Put statistics in a context people understand

See: [references/credible.md](references/credible.md) for credibility-building techniques.

### 5. Emotional

**Core concept:** Make people feel something. People act on emotion, not analysis.

**Mother Teresa principle:** "If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will."

**Key insight:** Statistics numb. Stories about individuals inspire action.

**Emotional appeals:**

| Approach | How It Works | Example |
|----------|-------------|---------|
| **Individual focus** | One person's story > statistics | "Meet Sarah, who..." > "10,000 people affected" |
| **Self-interest** | "What's in it for me?" | WIIFM (features → personal benefits) |
| **Identity** | "What would someone like me do?" | "Texans don't litter" (Don't Mess with Texas) |
| **Maslow's hierarchy** | Appeal to the right level | Security, belonging, esteem, self-actualization |

**The identity approach:**
- People make decisions based on identity, not calculation
- "What would a person like me do in this situation?"
- Frame your product as consistent with who they want to be

**Examples:**

| Identity Frame | Product | Message |
|---------------|---------|---------|
| "I'm an innovative leader" | SaaS tool | "For teams that move fast" |
| "I care about my health" | Food product | "Made with ingredients you can pronounce" |
| "I'm a serious professional" | B2B service | "The tool Fortune 500 CTOs rely on" |

**Avoiding the "semantic stretch":**
- Don't over-abstract the emotion
- "Support the troops" > "Support our national defense infrastructure"
- Keep it personal and specific

See: [references/emotional.md](references/emotional.md) for emotional appeal frameworks.

### 6. Stories

**Core concept:** Stories are flight simulators for the brain. They teach people how to act.

**Why stories work:**
- Simulate experience (mental rehearsal)
- Inspire action (not just understanding)
- Are memorable (narrative structure)
- Bypass resistance (people don't argue with stories)

**Three story plots that work:**

| Plot | Structure | When to Use | Example |
|------|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Challenge** | Protagonist overcomes obstacle | Inspire courage, perseverance | "We started in a garage..." |
| **Connection** | People bridging a gap | Inspire tolerance, teamwork | "A customer helped another customer..." |
| **Creativity** | Novel solution to problem | Inspire innovation, thinking | "We tried X, Y, Z... then discovered..." |

**Story structure for product messaging:**

1. **Character:** Who is the customer? (relatable)
2. **Problem:** What challenge did they face? (emotional)
3. **Journey:** What did they try? (concrete)
4. **Solution:** How did your product help? (specific)
5. **Outcome:** What changed? (measurable + emotional)

**Example:**
> "Sarah ran a 10-person design agency. Her team spent 4 hours every Friday compiling client reports from 5 different tools. She'd tried hiring an intern, building spreadsheets, even a custom tool. Nothing worked. Then she found [Product]. Now reports generate in 10 minutes. Last Friday, her team left at 3pm for the first time in years."

**Spotting stories in the wild:**
- Customer support tickets (problems + resolutions)
- Sales calls (objections + breakthroughs)
- User interviews (before/after moments)
- Internal Slack (team wins)

See: [references/stories.md](references/stories.md) for story templates and collection methods.

## The Curse of Knowledge

**The biggest enemy of sticky ideas.**

**Definition:** Once you know something, you can't imagine not knowing it.

**How it manifests:**
- Using jargon your audience doesn't know
- Skipping context that seems "obvious"
- Assuming your audience sees the same things you do
- Over-abstracting because you know the specifics

**Solutions:**
- Test messaging with outsiders (not your team)
- Use concrete language, not abstractions
- Tell stories, not bullet points
- Ask: "Would my mom understand this?"

## Sticky Messaging Audit

**Rate your message on each principle:**

| Principle | Question | Score (1-10) |
|-----------|----------|-------------|
| **Simple** | Is there ONE clear core message? | |
| **Unexpected** | Does it break a pattern or create curiosity? | |
| **Concrete** | Can you picture it? Are there specific details? | |
| **Credible** | Why should someone believe this? | |
| **Emotional** | Does it make you feel something? | |
| **Stories** | Is there a narrative or character? | |

**Scoring:**
- 50-60: Extremely sticky (rare, aim for this)
- 35-49: Strong (most good messaging lands here)
- 20-34: Average (forgettable, needs work)
- Below 20: Won't stick (fundamental rework needed)

## Applying SUCCESs to Product

### Landing Pages
- **Simple:** One clear value proposition above the fold
- **Unexpected:** Counterintuitive claim or statistic
- **Concrete:** Specific outcome ("save 4 hours/week" not "save time")
- **Credible:** Customer logos, specific testimonials
- **Emotional:** Customer story or pain point
- **Stories:** Customer transformation narrative

### Product Demos
- **Simple:** Show ONE core workflow, not every feature
- **Unexpected:** Start with the "aha moment" not a tour
- **Concrete:** Use real data, not "Lorem ipsum"
- **Credible:** Show how [specific company] uses it
- **Emotional:** Connect to the pain they feel today
- **Stories:** "Let me show you what happens when [customer] has this problem..."

### Onboarding
- **Simple:** One action per screen
- **Unexpected:** Delight with quick win early
- **Concrete:** Show real results, not abstract promises
- **Credible:** "Join 5,000 teams already using..."
- **Emotional:** Celebrate first success
- **Stories:** "Here's how [user] got started..."

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Why It Fails | Fix |
|---------|-------------|------|
| **Burying the lead** | Core message lost in details | Commander's Intent: what's the ONE thing? |
| **Too abstract** | Nothing to remember | Replace every abstraction with a concrete example |
| **Feature listing** | No emotional connection | Tell customer stories, show transformations |
| **Jargon** | Curse of Knowledge | Test with outsiders |
| **Statistics without context** | Numbers don't stick | Make stats human-scale and relatable |

## Quick Diagnostic

Audit any message:

| Question | If No | Action |
|----------|-------|--------|
| Can I state the core in one sentence? | Too complex | Find Commander's Intent |
| Would this surprise someone? | Predictable = forgettable | Find the counterintuitive angle |
| Can I picture it happening? | Too abstract | Add specific, sensory details |
| Why should someone believe this? | No credibility | Add proof, examples, Sinatra Test |
| Does it make me feel something? | Purely logical | Focus on one person, not statistics |
| Is there a story? | List of facts | Wrap in character + problem + resolution |

## Reference Files

- [simple.md](references/simple.md): Commander's Intent, core finding, simplification
- [unexpected.md](references/unexpected.md): Surprise techniques, curiosity gaps
- [concrete.md](references/concrete.md): Sensory language, specificity, demonstrations
- [credible.md](references/credible.md): Authority types, Sinatra Test, human-scale statistics
- [emotional.md](references/emotional.md): Individual focus, identity appeals, Maslow
- [stories.md](references/stories.md): Three plots, story structure, collection methods
- [curse-of-knowledge.md](references/curse-of-knowledge.md): Diagnosis and remedies
- [applications.md](references/applications.md): Landing pages, demos, onboarding, presentations
- [case-studies.md](references/case-studies.md): JFK moonshot, Subway diet, Don't Mess with Texas

## Further Reading

This skill is based on Chip and Dan Heath's research on sticky ideas. For the complete framework:

- [*"Made to Stick"*](https://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287?tag=wondelai00-20) by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
- [*"Switch"*](https://www.amazon.com/Switch-Change-Things-When-Hard/dp/0385528752?tag=wondelai00-20) by Chip Heath & Dan Heath (companion: how to make change stick)

## About the Authors

**Chip Heath** is a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and **Dan Heath** is a senior fellow at Duke University's CASE center. Together they have written four New York Times bestsellers. *Made to Stick* spent over 2 years on the bestseller list. Their research spans organizational behavior, decision-making, and how to make ideas have lasting impact. The SUCCESs framework is used by educators, marketers, nonprofits, and product teams worldwide.