Made to Stick Framework

A framework for crafting ideas and messages that are understood, remembered, and have lasting impact. Based on decades of research into why some ideas survive and others die.

Core Principle

The Curse of Knowledge is the single greatest barrier to effective communication. Once we know something, we can't imagine not knowing it. This makes us bad at explaining our ideas to others.

The foundation: Sticky ideas aren't born — they're made. The SUCCESs framework provides six principles that make any idea more memorable and impactful.

Scoring

Goal: 10/10. When reviewing or creating messaging (copy, presentations, campaigns, onboarding), rate 0-10 based on SUCCESs principles. A 10/10 means the message is simple, surprising, concrete, credible, emotional, and wrapped in a story; lower scores indicate forgettable communication. Always provide current score and improvements to reach 10/10.

The SUCCESs Framework

Six principles that make ideas stick:

S - Simple