The Behavioral Strategy Playbook #
Strategy is Selection. Success comes from choosing the right behavior for the user, not from “nudging” them to do the wrong one.
This playbook is organized by Behavior Market Fit. We do not start with tactics; we start with matching.
Use the Behavior Fit Assessment (Dispositional Fit, Capability Fit, Context Fit) as the default screen for comparing candidate behaviors and prioritizing validation before you design solutions.
Phase 1: Behavior Selection & Matching (The Strategy) #
These are the core plays. If you get these right, execution is easy. If you get these wrong, no amount of “design” will save you.
| Play | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Situational Survey | Map the hard constraints of the user’s environment (time, money, physical space). |
| Behavioral Audit | Inventory the user’s existing repertoire. It is easier to anchor to what they already do than to invent new habits. |
| Worldview Analysis | Map self-concept, beliefs, and status concerns as testable interpretation signals; do not treat them as the whole person-behavior fit construct. |
| Problem Examination | Verify the problem exists in the user’s reality rather than only in your business plan. |
| Behavior Matching | Compare candidate behaviors against the population’s dispositions, actual capabilities, external context, and the desired outcome. |
Phase 2: Behavioral Innovation (The Last Resort) #
Use this only when no existing behavior in the user’s repertoire can solve the problem.
| Play | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Behavioral Innovation | Inventing a net-new behavior. Requires extremely high value leverage to justify the learning cost. |
Phase 3: Optimization (Finishing Moves) #
These are not strategy. These are polish. Use them only after Fit is established.
| Play | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Context Engineering | Structuring the physical/digital environment so the behavior is the path of least resistance. |
| Value Realization | Ensuring the user feels the “win” immediately after the behavior (the “closed loop”). |
| Value Escalation | Designing systems where continued engagement yields proportionally increasing returns. |
| Proof of Benefit | Demonstrating tangible value before asking for commitment. |
| Competence Loops | Building skill progression that makes the behavior increasingly rewarding. |
What We Reject (Anti-Patterns) #
We explicitly reject “nudge-first” approaches that try to manufacture motivation for poor-fit behaviors.