Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

In the innovation book "Made to Stick", Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the human scale principle, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating curiosity gaps. Along the way, we discover that sticky messages of all kinds—from the infamous “kidney theft ring’ hoax to a coach’s lessons on sportsmanship to a vision for a new product at Sony—draw their power from the same six traits.

The innovation book's outline follows the acronym "SUCCES" (with the last s omitted). Each letter refers to a characteristic that can help make an idea "sticky":

• Simple – find the core of any idea or thoughts
• Unexpected – grab people's attention by surprising them
• Concrete – make sure an idea can be grasped and remembered later
• Credible – give an idea believability and credibility
• Emotional – help people see the importance of an idea
• Stories – empower people to use an idea through narrative

Check out more of the best innovation books here.