Seven Sins Drive Apps

A framework for building successful apps by aligning them with basic human desires and providing instant gratification through the seven deadly sins.

Core Concept

• Every successful app needs to tap into one of the seven deadly sins
• Must deliver a visceral, instant benefit that can be explained in seconds
• Short-term rewards should align with long-term value

Examples of Apps Mapped to Sins

• Tinder → Lust
• Twitter → Wrath
• Google (early) → Sloth
• Uber Eats/DoorDash → Gluttony

Key Product Requirements

• Instant Gratification

  • Must provide immediate value to users
  • Benefits should be clear within seconds
  • Example: "Earn bitcoin for submitting a form in a minute"

• Simple Value Proposition

  • Should be easily explainable
  • Clear, immediate benefit
  • Example: "A newsletter that pays you"

Exceptions to Instant Gratification

• Some products can succeed with delayed benefits if they have:
  • Strong speculative upside (like Ethereum)
  • Academic/intellectual appeal (like Roam Research)
  • But even these usually need some short-term hook
  • Must align short-term mentality with long-term vision

Implementation Strategy

• Find the visceral hook that matches your product
• Make the benefit obvious and immediate
• Ensure the onboarding delivers quick wins
• Build long-term value on top of short-term gratification