See how successful products identify their motivational spine and build everything around it. Each case study breaks down the core motivations, supporting elements, and strategic choices.
The social network for athletes
Strava transformed fitness tracking from a solo activity into a social experience. By combining personal progress with community connection, they created a product athletes check daily.
Strava works because Progress and Connection reinforce each other. Your personal improvements become social currency. Community accountability drives you to train more, creating more progress to share.
Strava deliberately avoids Creativity (no customization of the core experience) and Exclusivity (open to all athletes). This focus keeps the product simple and accessible.
Your wiki, docs, and projects. Together.
Notion succeeded where Evernote plateaued by making the workspace itself a creative canvas. Users don't just store information—they build personalized systems.
Notion's power is in the combination: Creativity lets you build exactly what you want, and Ownership makes leaving painful. The more you customize, the more locked in you become—but it feels empowering, not trapped.
Notion avoids prescriptive Progress systems (no built-in habit tracking or goals). They trust users to build what they need, accepting that some will find it overwhelming.
Learn a language for free. Forever.
Duolingo gamified language learning, making daily practice addictive through visible progress and a mission of free education for all.
Progress mechanics (streaks, XP) drive daily engagement, while Purpose provides the deeper "why" that keeps users coming back long-term. The combination creates both habit and meaning.
Duolingo avoids deep Creativity (lessons are structured, not open-ended) and Exclusivity (free for everyone). This keeps the experience accessible and consistent.
Banking that makes you feel in control
Monzo disrupted banking by making security visible and giving users unprecedented control over their money through customizable systems.
Traditional banks hide complexity to avoid scaring customers. Monzo does the opposite—they make everything visible and controllable. Security through transparency, not obscurity.
Monzo avoids Exclusivity (banking for everyone) and Curiosity (finances should be predictable, not surprising). They focus on control and clarity.
Make your day
TikTok's algorithm creates an endless stream of discovery, while easy creation tools turn viewers into creators. The loop is addictive.
Curiosity gets you in (endless discovery), Creativity keeps you engaged (easy to create), and the algorithm ensures both loops are optimized. Watching leads to making, making leads to watching.
TikTok avoids deep Purpose (it's entertainment) and Ownership (content is ephemeral, not accumulated). This keeps it light and addictive.
The fastest email experience ever made
Superhuman charges $30/month for email by making inbox zero feel achievable and positioning itself as a tool for serious professionals.
Exclusivity justifies the price and attracts the right users. Progress makes the price feel worth it—you're not paying for email, you're paying to be better at email.
Superhuman avoids Connection (email is solo) and Creativity (there's an optimal way to do email). They focus on speed and efficiency.
Map your motivational spine in 90 minutes. See how your product scores across all 8 motivations.