Behavioral Strategy Discipline Charter

This charter defines the discipline: Fit‑first, field‑validated, and measured in behaviors, not proxies or press‑release science.

Tenets

• Fit Order: Problem → Behavior → Solution → Product. Never skip gates.
• Immediate Objective: Achieve Behavior Market Fit (BMF) for a clearly defined behavior in a defined segment.
• Field Before Theory: Prioritize observed behavior in real contexts over lab generalities.
• Measurement: Report Δ‑B, TTFB, and behavior retention (with denominators and windows). Avoid proxy KPIs.
• Evidence Discipline: Link claims to sources or label numbers as examples. Maintain an Evidence Ledger.
• Ethical Transparency: Defaults are configuration. Preserve autonomy, explain recommendations, and keep change paths reversible.
• Practical Creativity: Favor situation‑specific designs informed by behavioral science. Avoid nudge‑first templates and “one‑size‑fits‑all” interventions.
• Replication Awareness: Treat contested effects with caution (e.g., broad loss‑aversion claims). Test in your context.

Practitioner Code

• Publish stage‑gate thresholds (pre‑registered where feasible).
• Tie outcomes to behaviors; avoid attitudinal metrics as endpoints.
• Report denominators, windows, assignment, and cohorting for every claim.
• Distinguish example values from measured results.
• Document limiting BSM components and how the solution addresses them.
• Avoid nudge theater and proxy wins (clicks, toggles) masquerading as behavior.

Fit‑First Workflow (Four‑Fit)

1) Problem Market Fit → evidence users seek solutions to a meaningful problem.
2) Behavior Market Fit → users can and will perform the selected behavior in context (Identity Fit, Capability Fit, Context Fit; all ≥6/10).
3) Solution Market Fit → the solution measurably enables that behavior with low friction (TTFB/completion thresholds).
4) Product Market Fit → behavior sustains in the market with viable economics.

See: Behavioral Research, Behavior Ranking & Selection, Designing Products.

What We Reject

• “Nudges” as a strategy. In most real-world settings, effect sizes are too small and too brittle to justify nudge-first work. Fix fit and enablement instead.

BS-0003

BS-0027

• Attitudinal claims without behavioral evidence.
• Priming/”magic words” theater and unreplicated lab effects as prescriptions.
• Overstated “defaults did it” narratives (e.g., organ donation) that ignore system design.

Reporting Example (Behavioral Outcome)

Project: Auto‑pay onboarding
Target behavior: Schedule the first bill payment within the first week
Segment: New checking customers
Window: 30 days
Denominator: All exposed
Baseline completion: 22 pp
Post completion: 34 pp
Δ‑B: +12 pp
TTFB: 06:10
Retention: D30 18 pp; D180 9 pp
Notes: limitations, confounders, turnback rules
Evidence: Ledger IDs and links