made-to-stick

SKILL.md

Made to Stick Framework

A framework for crafting ideas and messages that are understood, remembered, and drive lasting action. 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—which makes us bad at explaining our ideas to others. 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. Score any messaging (copy, presentations, campaigns, onboarding) by running the Quick Diagnostic: rate each of the six traits 1-10, then map the 6-60 total to a band (50-60 = 9-10, extremely sticky; 35-49 = 7-8, strong; 20-34 = 4-6, forgettable; below 20 = ≤3, won't stick). Always state the current score, which traits scored lowest, and the specific fix from the diagnostic's Fix column.

The SUCCESs Framework

Simple · Unexpected · Concrete · Credible · Emotional · Stories

Not a checklist—a toolkit. Not every sticky idea uses all six, but the stickiest ideas tend to use most of them—don't force all six onto a message that only needs two.

1. Simple