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The most powerful referral incentive isn't money, it's a cognitive bias. I once built a referral program that cost nothing, required no special software, and got 1 in 50 users to refer a friend, without promising them any incentive.  Most referral program examples rely on cash or credits. This one didn't. The reason it worked was simple. The commitment & consistency bias.  In 1966, two Stanford researchers  went door-to-door asking homeowners to put a massive "DRIVE CAREFULLY

Most experiments fail, but my winners have one surprising thing in common… As I was writing my book , my editor noticed something weird: I included examples of the best hypotheses I’d seen, ones that led to the biggest breakthroughs. “Did you notice these are all negative?” she observed.  They all followed a pattern: “We believe people are not signing up because…” “We believe people are not activating because…” “Is there any reason these are all phrased in the negative?” I

Some products are commodities. Others command huge premiums. The difference isn't features, it’s signal. Expensive products are props in a story the buyer is telling about themself. Companies can charge more when they discover that story and reinforce it. Think about these expensive brands: Patagonia gear  says “I’m active, healthy, outdoorsy, eco-conscious and financially secure…husband material.” Aēsop soap  in the guest bathroom whispers: “Tasteful but not flashy. Details

Anyone who runs enough A/B tests eventually figures out that t he marketing that pays the bills doesn’t look like marketing . That’s because people have a sixth sense that filters out anything that looks like marketing. Yet each year, we spend a trillion dollars on marketing that doesn't work because it looks like marketing . Here’s what actually works Emails – The ones that convert look like emails, not HTML brochures. Plain text. From a real person . (Your "from" address m

People don't abandon checkouts and free trials because they  forget , they abandon because they  object. Here’s how to win them back. Instead of sending “reminders,” figure out  why they bailed and address the  real objection – Not just in your emails, but at the root cause, before they abandon. How to find the real objections that lead to cart abandonment If you ask Google or ChatGPT, they’ll tell you to offer free shipping and enable guest checkout – but you know it’s no

What if I told you the best referral incentive isn't money, it's a cognitive bias? Here's the best simple no-code referral program.

I've sent over 1 million emails, and I try to keep my open rates above 50%. I never focus on clicks or conversions, so here's my top 5 KPIs.

When's the best time to run ads (Facebook, LinkedIn, Adwords)? In B2B, it may be Saturdays. At PayPal, we studied data on 10 million busines

If I had to explain Language/Market Fit in one sentence it would be: “Figure out the words in your customer's head and use them in your mark

Instead of saying "fast" or "easy," do this instead.

Our latest draft of the SCS Glossary covering: Metrics, User Psych, Process, Marketing, Paid, Conversion Opt, Email, SEO and Inbound

Two weeks ago, I outlined my Top Six Competitor Analysis Tools and how I spy on competitors. This week, I’ll reverse course and explain...