Ever wondered why Candy Crush or Twitter are so hard to resist? It is not just the content. The answer lies within our brains and is about a chemical called Dopamine. Called the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter, dopamine plays a crucial role in how we experience pleasure and reward

In layperson’s terms, dopamine is the brain’s reward system. When you achieve something, be it as small as completing a to-do or as important as running a marathon, your brain releases dopamine. This chemical release makes you feel good. It teaches our brain to repeat the task in the future. It is nature’s way of patting on the back.

How does it relate to product management?

Product leaders can create features that tap into this reward system by understanding how dopamine works. That will keep users engaged and coming back to the product for more.

The What

When it comes to product features, dopamine is the secret spice that can turn a simple action into a rewarding experience.

1.Instagram’s Like or Comment: Whenever you get a like or a comment, it triggers a mini-celebration in your brain.
2.Duolingo’s Streaks: This language-learning app hooks you by rewarding daily practice with visual confetti and congratulations.
3.Fitbit’s Step Milestones: Fitbit turns a day of walking into a series of accomplishments, cheering you on as you hit each step milestone.
4.Strava’s Fitness Challenges: Strava takes the monotony out of exercise by introducing challenges and social competitions. It makes each run or ride an opportunity for a dopamine-driven victory.
These are not just features. They are dopamine triggers carefully incorporated into the user experience.

A study by Harvard University showed that talking about oneself through social media activates the same part of the brain that lights up with the promise of food or money.

The Why

The clever use of dopamine does not just make an app or a website fun to use. It can make it almost irresistible. The features can lead to increased user activity and engagement when they successfully tap into our dopamine pathways. This results in forming daily habits.

MailChimp’s email marketing statistics prove the dopamine-engagement relation. Their statistics show that the subject line with “You’ve got a reward” gets a 50-60% open rate.

Sustainable Engagement

Features should be designed to provide users with value and satisfaction. They should not be used for just short-term dopamine hits.

Ethical Considerations

We must design our products with a conscience. Incorporate features that encourage moderation, such as Netflix’s “Are you still watching?” prompt. That is an example of the product’s commitment to user well-being.

Actionable Takeaway with Caution:

Consider balancing dopamine triggers with features that encourage moderation. Your product’s user journey should have checkpoints promoting the mindful use of time online.

My View

1.User Education: Foster trust. Help users make informed decisions on the use of technology. Do this by educating them on features that impact their brain chemistry.
2.De-Trigger Dopamine: Decide when you should not design features that trigger dopamine. Example: “wind-down” feature on health apps promotes better sleep by encouraging less screen time before bed.
The Responsible Path Forward

Dopamine is not just a chemical. It is a tool. Use it responsibly to create products that make users’ lives better. It is up to us as product leaders to use this knowledge and not to hook users indiscriminately.