tomevault-io 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 for simplification exercises and templates.
2. Unexpected
Core concept: Get attention by breaking patterns. Hold attention by creating curiosity gaps.
Two tasks:
- Get attention → Surprise (violate expectations)
- 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 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 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 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 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:
- Character: Who is the customer? (relatable)
- Problem: What challenge did they face? (emotional)
- Journey: What did they try? (concrete)
- Solution: How did your product help? (specific)
- 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 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: Commander's Intent, core finding, simplification
- unexpected.md: Surprise techniques, curiosity gaps
- concrete.md: Sensory language, specificity, demonstrations
- credible.md: Authority types, Sinatra Test, human-scale statistics
- emotional.md: Individual focus, identity appeals, Maslow
- stories.md: Three plots, story structure, collection methods
- curse-of-knowledge.md: Diagnosis and remedies
- applications.md: Landing pages, demos, onboarding, presentations
- 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" by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
- "Switch" 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.
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