Today, I will introduce you to my favorite topics with endless opportunities to go deeper. Why now? I believe that in the age of AI, it's even more about understanding the patterns that shape human behavior than it is about tech.

Building great things isn't about following rigid rules. I will introduce you to the 11 mental models or frameworks if you will, that every builder should know and use regularly to get different view on the product. Use them as lenses on your camera. Same goes for marketers and designers.

The most successful builders, marketers, and designers don't reinvent the wheel - they study what works and iterate from there. We all need to remind ourselves more often that every breakthrough product is built on timeless psychological principles that have been quietly shaping human behavior for centuries.

These aren't abstract theories. They're practical frameworks I collected over 20 years of building and selling products and services. At the right moment, they can transform how you approach product development, marketing, or UX design. You don't need to master these (you, of course, can), just use them regularly as a lens to review your work, and you'll start seeing new opportunities for improvement everywhere.

Let's dive in.

1. Jobs-To-Be-Done

People don't buy products - they hire them to do a job.

This framework, pioneered by Clayton Christensen, shifts your focus from demographics to the real problems people need solved. When someone "hires" your product, they're not just buying features - they're buying progress toward a desired outcome. The magic happens when you understand the emotional and social dimensions of these jobs, not just the functional ones.

As a builder developing a project management tool, you might realize users aren't hiring your app to "manage projects" - they're hiring it to "feel confident that nothing will fall through the cracks" or "look competent in front of their team." This insight changes everything: your onboarding focuses on quick wins that build confidence, your dashboard emphasizes clarity over complexity, and your notifications are designed to prevent anxiety rather than just track tasks. You're not competing on features - you're competing on the emotional outcome your users desperately want.

Same way, people don't buy NFTs or DeFi protocols - they hire them to solve specific problems. As a Web3 builder developing a decentralized lending protocol, you might discover users aren't hiring your platform to "borrow crypto" - they're hiring it to "maintain crypto exposure while accessing liquidity for real-world opportunities" or "feel financially sophisticated without selling their digital assets." This insight transforms everything: your interface emphasizes portfolio preservation over lending rates, your marketing focuses on maintaining conviction rather than accessing cash, and your features prioritize seamless re-collateralization over complex yield optimization. You're not competing on APY - you're competing on the emotional confidence that comes from never having to sell your Bitcoin.

Source: Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice by Clayton M. Christensen, Taddy Hall, Karen Dillon, David S. Duncan

2. Self-Determination Theory

Humans have three core psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.

Developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, this theory reveals why some experiences feel energizing while others drain us. Autonomy is the need to feel volitional and self-directed. Competence is the need to feel effective and capable of achieving desired outcomes. Relatedness is the need to feel connected and have a sense of belonging. When your product supports all three, users don't just engage - they thrive.

Marketing a productivity app becomes less about selling features and more about selling transformation. Your campaigns emphasize autonomy by showing how users can customize their workflow ("Work your way"), competence by highlighting skill-building elements ("Level up your productivity game"), and relatedness by showcasing the community aspect ("Join thousands of high-performers"). Your messaging doesn't push the product - it pulls people toward a better version of themselves.

On Web3 turf, marketing a DAO governance token requires understanding these three psychological needs. Your campaigns emphasize autonomy by showing how token holders shape protocol decisions ("Your voice, your protocol"), competence by highlighting educational resources and voting analytics ("Become a DeFi expert while governing"), and relatedness by showcasing the community aspect ("Join 10,000 aligned token holders building the future"). Your messaging doesn't sell tokens (or it shouldn't) - it sells membership in a movement where individual contributions create collective value.

Source: Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness by Richard M. Ryan, Edward L. Deci

3. Cognitive Load Theory

Your brain is not a computer—it has limits.

John Sweller's research shows that our working memory can only process a limited amount of information at once. When you overwhelm users with too many choices, options, or complex interfaces, their performance degrades rapidly. The key is managing intrinsic load (the inherent difficulty of the task), extraneous load (poor design that adds unnecessary complexity), and germane load (the mental effort needed to process and understand new information).

As a UX designer tackling an enterprise software dashboard, you realize that showing 47 different metrics at once is cognitive overload. Instead, you create progressive layers: core KPIs visible immediately, secondary metrics accessible through clear navigation, and detailed analytics behind intentional clicks. You use visual hierarchy, white space, and chunking to guide attention. The result? Users can actually make decisions instead of feeling paralyzed by information overload.

The same thinking should apply to everyone building in Web3. As a UX designer building a multi-chain DeFi dashboard, you realize that showing gas fees, slippage, yield rates, impermanent loss calculations, and bridge options simultaneously creates cognitive overload. Instead, you create progressive clarity: essential actions (swap, stake) visible immediately, risk parameters accessible through clear toggles, and advanced features like MEV protection behind intentional clicks. Users can execute DeFi strategies without needing a computer science degree to understand the interface.

Source: Cognitive Load Theory by John Sweller, Paul Ayres, Slava Kalyuga

4. Progressive Disclosure

Show what matters now. Hide what matters later. In some aspects similar to the previous Cognitive Load theory.

Jakob Nielsen's principle recognizes that different users need different levels of information at different times. The art is revealing complexity gradually, creating clear pathways from simple to sophisticated without overwhelming newcomers or frustrating power users. It's about creating multiple entry points and natural progression routes through your product's capabilities.

As a builder creating a video editing app, you start new users with the absolute basics: trim, crop, and export. Advanced features like color grading, audio mixing, and effects libraries are tucked behind clearly labeled sections that users discover as they gain confidence. Your interface grows with the user's skills, preventing both initial intimidation and eventual limitation. Pro users can access advanced features immediately, while newcomers have a clear learning path.

And as a builder creating a Web3 social platform, you start new users with familiar actions: post, like, follow. Crypto-native features like token-gating, NFT verification, and on-chain reputation are discovered progressively as users engage more deeply. Your interface bridges Web2 familiarity with Web3 possibilities, preventing both initial crypto-confusion and eventual platform limitation. Power users can access advanced decentralized features immediately, while newcomers have a clear onboarding path.

Source: Progressive Disclosure - Nielsen Norman Group by Jakob Nielsen

5. Goal-Gradient Effect

People speed up when they see the finish line.

First identified by Clark Hull in 1932, this effect shows how motivation increases as people get closer to completing a goal. The psychological momentum builds as the gap between current state and desired outcome shrinks. Smart designers don't just track progress—they make progress feel achievable and imminent, creating multiple finish lines rather than one distant goal.

Marketing a fitness program using this principle means restructuring how you present the journey. Instead of "Lose 30 pounds in 6 months," you create weekly micro-goals: "Complete your first week," "Hit your first 5-pound milestone," "Maintain consistency for 21 days." Your progress indicators show multiple finish lines approaching, and you celebrate each achievement. Users stay motivated because there's always a goal within reach, and the momentum carries them toward bigger transformations.

In the same logic, marketing an NFT collection using this principle means restructuring the mint journey. Instead of "Mint now and hope for utility later," you create progressive unlocks: "Mint your genesis piece," "Unlock community access at 100 mints," "Reveal trait rarity at 500 mints," "Access alpha channel at 1000." Your progress indicators show multiple milestones approaching, celebrating each achievement. Collectors stay motivated because there's always a reveal within reach, and momentum carries them toward deeper community engagement.

Source: The Goal-Gradient Hypothesis and Its Application to Learning by Clark L. Hull (1932) - See also: Why we work harder as we get closer to a goal

Today let's stop here. It's a long enough wall of text and the first five frameworks give you everything you need for summer reading and exploring if you don't know them just yet.

Till next time, let's BUILD BETTER and let's enjoy the summer! 🏖

BFG

Publishing every Tue morning UTC and occasionally over the weekends.

ICYMI: The essay that unpacked Web3 GTM for new DeFi project step-by-step just read it here...

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(1/2) The Frameworks That Built Billion-Dollar Products

BuildBetter by BFG

(1/2) The Frameworks That Built Billion-Dollar Products