About this episode

Nir Eyal discusses how belief systems influence consumer behavior and marketing strategies.

I found a smiling Buddha medallion on the sidewalk on my way to the Uber, and I believed it was a sign it would be a good trip. Then I got in the car and discovered my fellow passenger was Nir Eyal — behavioral designer, Stanford lecturer, and bestselling author with a new book to promote at SXSW: “Beyond Belief.” We were both headed for the same flight. I, of course, invited him to record a podcast episode and he invited me into the United Club lounge record there! I believed in my good fortune, and belief systems turned out to be the focus of Nir’s work. “We like to say that you’ll believe it when you see it — but in fact, that’s not true. The opposite is true: you see it when you believe it.” — Nir Eyal What I captured in 20 minutes was a masterclass in consumer psychology from one of the most cited thinkers in behavioral design. And a lot of fun. Nir’s first book, “Hooked”, gave marketers and product builders a framework for engineering repeat engagement. Yup, he explains his four-step model that of why users keep returning to things like Facebook, Duolingo, Slack, and even my beloved Starbucks. His follow-up, “Indistractable,” tackled the…

People in this episode

Host: E.B. Moss

Guest: Nir Eyal

Topics covered

• consumer psychology
• behavioral design
• marketing strategies
• belief systems
• engagement
• advertising

Keywords

• behavioral design
• consumer psychology
• marketing
• belief systems
• engagement
• advertising
• Nir Eyal

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Stanford

Books & works: Beyond Belief, Hooked, Indistractable

Places: United Club lounge, SXSW, Facebook, Duolingo, Slack, Starbucks

More episodes of Insider Interviews: Media and Marketing Pros

• POV: Possible! Media & Marketing Working Together Is Cool · May 5, 2026 · 9 min
• Women Building the Future of Media: She-Cam Sessions from SXSW · March 25, 2026 · 19 min
• Changing Perceptions in CTV Advertising: Insights from Premion’s Blake Hebert · March 9, 2026 · 14 min
• Keeping Humans in Machines – POVs on AI from Baratunde Thurston and Terry Rice · March 3, 2026 · 13 min
• Why Humanity is Media’s Edge in an AI World · February 25, 2026
• The Architecture Behind Better TV Advertising · February 5, 2026 · 14 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Insider Interviews: Media and Marketing Pros podcast page.