The Irrational Mind | With Kristen Berman

Julie King is a renowned parenting expert, author, and workshop leader who has dedicated her career to helping parents communicate more effectively with their children. She is the co-author of two bestselling books: "How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen” and "How to Talk When Kids Won't Listen”.Julie joined this episode to discuss:The trick to get kids to leave the park (and your users to retain)The secret framing solution for showing kids (and users) their progressThe way to ask someone to do something that is foolproofHow to set boundaries and still acknowledge feelings (employee management 101)The psychology behind getting your kids to go to bed (or users to engage)This episode reveals why the same psychological principles that work with stubborn toddlers can transform your product strategy and team dynamics.Whether you're designing user flows, managing stakeholder relationships, or creating engagement strategies, Julie's communication framework offers valuable techniques for influencing behavior without creating resistance—critical skills for anyone building a successful product.Enjoy this episode? Rate it and leave a review. It really helps others find the podcast. Learn more about Kristen and Irrational Labs ⁠here⁠.

Christine May helped spearhead behavioral science at Noom, shaping it into an engine for user segmentation and accountability. As their former Head of Behavioral Science, she championed Noom’s “big picture” motivation model—tying everyday habits to goals—and played a role in scaling one-on-one coaching into a digital system for millions. Now, Christine helps consumer tech startups build habit-forming experiences rooted in evidence-based psychology.In our conversation, we explore:The book club principle: How to embed accountability in features customers actually wantWhy 90% of users reject direct accountability features (and how to solve this)How Noom's lengthy sign-up flow acts as a commitment filterThe counterintuitive confidence level that predicts user successWhat makes fixed-length plans more effective than endless subscriptionsHow to design rewards around behaviors instead of outcomesThe unexpected way social desirability drives product engagementThis episode is packed with practical insights on designing for sustainable behavior change, creating effective accountability systems that users actually want, and the surprising psychology behind what motivates people to stick with challenging goals.Enjoy this episode? Rate it and leave a review. It really helps others find the podcast.Learn more about Kristen and Irrational Labs ⁠here⁠.

David Gerard is one of Silicon Valley's most sought-after magicians and mentalists, performing over 90 shows annually for Fortune 500 companies and tech industry leaders. Before pursuing magic full-time, David spent 12 years in tech, starting at Google where he worked on flagship products including YouTube, AdWords, and Google Play, before leading growth and marketing initiatives at Discord and Aalto. Now, David combines his expertise in product growth with his mastery of psychological principles from magic, consulting with series A and B startups while maintaining a rigorous performance schedule that includes over 60 shows at Hollywood's prestigious Magic Castle. His unique background bridging tech and magic makes him a distinctive voice on user psychology, attention, and engagement.In our conversation, we unpack: A magician's secret for creating engaging experiences How magic shows achieve retention (and what products can learn from it) The misdirection technique that can transform user experiences What magicians know about building trust that most companies miss The surprising way performers make experiences feel personalized at scaleFrom Google to the stage, David Gerard has mastered both tech product growth and performance magic. In this episode, he reveals the psychological principles behind great magic shows and how product teams can apply them to create experiences users can't look away from. A must-listen for growth, product and design leaders looking to add a touch of magic to their user experience.Enjoy this episode? Rate it and leave a review. It really helps others find the podcast.Learn more about Kristen and Irrational Labs⁠here⁠.

Kristina Gibson most recently was the CPO at Dott, accelerating their growth to over 100M rides annually. She led the merger with TIER to form Europe’s largest e-bike and scooter operator.She is a former Director of Product at Booking.com, where she pioneered user growth strategy across global markets. As an early product leader at Lyft, she architected the company's expansion into new cities and innovative verticals.At Eventbrite, Kristina transformed the business from a US-only operation to a powerhouse platform across 20+ markets, founding and scaling teams throughout Europe and Latin America. Kristina began her career at Intuit, building international payments that transformed how small businesses pay vendors across borders. When Mint.com was acquired by Intuit, she drove their expansion into new markets. She holds five patents.In this episode, we explore:When to rely on A/B tests compared to taking bigger strategic betsThe hidden psychology behind last-minute purchase decisionsWhy showing unavailable options can drive more conversionsThe unexpected power of surfacing micro-details in product listingsHow to balance user preferences with innovation risksThis episode is packed with insights from a trailblazing product leader who has run thousands of experiments at top product growth companies. It's essential listening for teams looking to shape user behavior through thoughtful product decisions.Enjoy this episode? Rate it and leave a review. It really helps others find the podcast.Learn more about Kristen and Irrational Labs ⁠here⁠.

Joel Burgess, co-founder of Soft Rains, andDan Vader, Creative Director at Capybara Games, are the minds behind Grindstone, one of the most acclaimed indie puzzle games in recent years. Joel has worked on iconic titles like Watch Dogs: Legion and Skyrim. Dan, a long-time creative force at Capybara, has shaped the studio’s reputation with beloved games like Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP. Together, Joel and Dan bring a fresh perspective on game design, combining narrative depth with challenging gameplay mechanics to engage players at a deeper level.In this episode, we explore:Which types of game mechanics drive retentionWhat game designers know about onboarding users What game designers have learned about leaderboardsHow pricing influences user behaviorTips on simplifying complex experiences (and when to make them more complex)Loaded with actionable insights, this episode is a must-listen for growth and design teams looking to build lasting engagement through intrinsic motivation and thoughtfully designed user experiences.Enjoy this episode? Rate it and leave a review. It really helps others find the podcast.Learn more about Kristen and Irrational Labs⁠here⁠.

Trying something new is hard at the macro level. Yelp reviews reduce that uncertainty that comes with new things. But how do they help businesses achieve organic and meaningful reviews? In this episode, host Kristen Berman is joined by Akhil Kuduvalli Ramesh, VP of Consumer Product at Yelp. He explains why Yelp prefers quality over quantity when it comes to reviews and how your Yelp review creates community and helps new businesses. They also talk about high-frequency low-risk experience while taking a look at some studies and other companies’ strategies, like Spotify’s approximate nearest neighbor search. Stay tuned and learn the many features that are promoting human connection at Yelp!Jump straight into:(01:17) - Engineering behind a review: Reminders, thank you notes and opportune timing to enhance more reviews.(07:42) - Why do people write reviews? The common denominators the most frequent Yelp contributors share.(13:19) - Promoting human connection: The best hacks to make first reviews flow organically and be longer.(16:57 - Understanding search processes’ verticals for different business categories in Yelp (and how they created the reorder button). (26:15) - The perks of being a responsive business owner (and how Yelp facilitates clever questions to be answered by more than one person).(32:41) - Looking for something wildly different than ice cream: On Yelp’s target diversification and the appearance of new kinds of experiences.Episode resourcesConnect with Akhil through LinkedInYelpThank you for listening to Science of Change podcast. Reach out to Kristen through LinkedIn and visit The Irrational Labs website for more information on behavioral science. This show is presented by SetSail and produced by Kristen Berman and Studio Pod Media. The executive producer is Rachael Roberts. All episodes are written by Kristen Berman and Ying Lin with experts, script editing by Jack viewer. Special thanks to Lydia Trupe for fact checking and citations. Music and editing provided by nodalab.

In the last few years, buy now pay later has become the hottest development in the digital payment space. The flexibility of this type of models can bring many benefits for companies that know how to implement them, but the irrational decisions that can arise should also be part of a company's responsibility. In this episode, our host Kristen Berman talks with Nupur Kantamneni, responsible for Consumer Product, one of three product pillars at Affirm. We delve into the behavioral strategies that provide such a flexible business model for Affirm, as well as mental models and the positive emotions that come with free stuff. Join us and discover how loans inside Affirm are radically different from other credit companies!Jump straight into:(01:09) - Exploring how Affirm is helping users to understand the way that carts, payment methods and terms work.(07:46) - The compromise effect: The truth about comparison, decisions to save money and picking the middle options.(11:32) - Establishing mental models: The science behind the successful onboarding experiences within Affirm’s savings accounts.(15:58) - Positive emotions that come with free stuff: Why the appeal of zero interest with full transparency and no hidden cost is simply irresistible.(18:48) - Affirm two ways to make revenue: Does the ‘buy now pay later’ model encourage people to spend more?(24:13) - The challenge to set up our own payments and the alignment of incentives that lets Affirm stand out.(29:33) The opportunity to move my payment date: What are Affirm's flexibility offers that other lenders do not provide?(35:06) Virtual debit cards and the types of consumer products that Affirm is trying to offer to users and why some work and others don’t.(39:24) - Choosing priorities and Affirm’s responsibility to improve the life of its users.Episode resourcesAffirmPredictably Irrational by Dan ArielyNupur Kantamneni LinkedinThank you for listening to The Science of Change podcast. Reach out to Kristen through LinkedIn and visit The Irrational Labs website for more information on behavioral science. This show is presented by SetSail (follow on LinkedIn) and produced by Kristen Berman and Studio Pod Media. The executive producer is Rachael Roberts. All episodes are written by Kristen Berman and Ying Lin with experts, and script editing by Jack viewer. Special thanks to Lydia Trupe for fact-checking and citations. Music and editing provided by nodalab.

Let’s take a ride into some of the behavioral principles that made Lyft a trustworthy transportation solution for millions. In this episode, host Kristen Berman is joined by the almighty Kira Wampler. Kira has had a wildly incredible career launching and growing dozens of products. We talk about her time at Lyft: diving into the brand’s core philosophy of “treating better” and how rating systems and incentives took Lyft into a more human approach. We also discuss her current efforts at Redesign Health, where she's trying to drive medical adherence and design chronic care. Plus, Kira shares the process of helping caregivers’ jobs with Jasper, a smart planner for cancer care. Jump straight into:(01:09) - “We treat you better”: Kira's work approach during her first days working at Lyft and why positive interactions are actually contagious. (05:03) - The Undercover Lyft Program: A successful content experiment that got Lyft on the world's radar.(12:24) - The incentives that worked (and the ones that didn’t): On the Lyft Mentor Program and how it consolidated trust among new drivers.(26:04) - Energizing Lyft users: Implementing a tipping system for drivers and ambiguity aversion.(32:39) - A peer-to-peer ride sharing: The complexity of Lyft’s choice architecture when the app was launched.(36:15) - Redesign Health: How Kira is taking her expertise to fund the future of the healthcare sector with companies like Jasper.(43:20) - How is Jasper working to help people to take their medication regularly? Episode resourcesConnect with Kira through LinkedInRedesign HealthThank you for listening to The Science of Change. Reach out to Kristen through LinkedIn and visit The Irrational Labs website for more information on behavioral science. This show is presented by SetSail (follow on LinkedIn) and produced by Kristen Berman and Studio Pod Media. The executive producer is Rachael Roberts. All episodes are written by Kristen Berman and Ying Lin with experts, script editing by Jack viewer. Special thanks to Lydia Trupe for fact checking and citations. Music and editing provided by nodalab.

Letting a person into your home involves a careful evaluation process, but with the right behavioral principles, it can become a task that you can easily perform from your smartphone. In this episode, the talented Product Leader Jiaona Zhang shares the most significant lessons learned while being part of the Product Development team in Airbnb, such as the importance of progress trackers, real time feedback and host measurement beyond the guest reviews. Listen and learn how to build experiences that delight and bring the best out of each user!Jump straight into:(01:10) - Today’s guest Jiaona Zhang introduction.(02:30) - Consider using progress trackers: Insights from the onboarding flow design for hosts at Airbnb.(09:03) - Trying to hit the mark: The science that makes uploading photos to Airbnb a less daunting experience.(10:59) - Rapid and relevant feedback: How Airbnb achieves small incremental changes in hosts' behavior and deals with bad experiences.(17:00) - Enabling more honest reviews: The secret sauce behind the rating system development in Airbnb.(23:07) - Measurement beyond the ratings: How response time impacts the way in which the app measures each host (and how that measurement improves the host behavior).(27:47) - Carrots and sticks: The value of public recognition and enhancing the communication between guests and hosts.(32:36) - Micro learnings from setting new norms: The link between interaction and comfort (and providing guests the choice to interact).(35:38) - Everyone wants to be delighted: Lessons from Jiaona’s early gaming experience that have impacted her PM skills.(40:11) - A spirit of optimization: What change has Airbnb established over the last 10 years?Episode resourcesConnect with JZ through LinkedIn and TwitterThank you for listening to The Science of Change. Reach out to Kristen through LinkedIn and visit The Irrational Labs website for more information on behavioral science. This show is presented by SetSail (follow on LinkedIn) and produced by Irrational Labs and Studio Pod Media. Our executive producer is Rachael Roberts, all episodes are written by Kristen Berman and Ying Lin with expert script editing by Jack Buehrer. Special thanks Lydia Trupe for fact checking and citations.

Next week, behavioral scientist and co-founder of Irrational Labs Kristen Berman returns. This time, she’s sitting down with even more product pioneers and thought leaders from your favorite apps. You’ll hear conversations with guests like former Netflix product head Gibson Biddle as Kristen gets to the bottom of binge-watching. Listen to marketing powerhouse Kira Wampler breaking down how Lyft got us to ride in cars with strangers. VP of Webflow and former product leader at Airbnb explains how their review system created trust for both hosts and guests alike. And CPO Bert Lui from SetSail is changing the sales game, with an all new incentive system - rooted in none other than behavior science. And that’s just the beginning. What do these conversations tell us about our own behavior? What can we learn from the impact these apps have had on how we behave? And what tactics could be beneficial to your product? Kristen answers these questions and more with this 8-episode run taking us from February to mid April. So get ready to deep dive into The Science of Change! This show is presented by SetSail and produced by Kristen Berman and Studio Pod Media. The executive producer is Rachel Roberts. All episodes are written by Jack Bueher. Music and editing provided by nodalab.

The holidays are here and that means it’s the season for gift giving! But how can you make sure you’re giving the right gift this year? In this mini-sode, our host Kristen Berman uses behavior science to unwrap three common mistakes we make in exchanging gifts, as well as some tips on how to avoid them. Remember not all gifts are bought, sometimes we can put our creativity to work and think of something to give that will contribute to someone else's life in an unexpected way. Let's jump in!Episode resourcesThank you for listening to The Science of Change. Reach out to Kristen through LinkedIn and visit The Irrational Labs website for more information on behavioral science. This show is presented by SetSail and produced by Kristen Berman and Studio Pod Media. The executive producer is Rachel Roberts. All episodes are written by Jack Bueher. Music and editing provided by nodalab.

What is the perfect job for you? In a world with thousands of companies and millions of job seekers, what’s the most efficient way of finding your dream job? In this episode of The Science of Change, our host Kristen Berman talks to Ada Yu, Director of Product Management at LinkedIn, to understand how this platform helps people and companies find the perfect match while mitigating bias, helping seekers apply for the right openings, and making the hiring processes much easier for everyone. Job sites are marketplaces that are evolving, what might have worked yesterday to help you stand out may not do the trick next year. Jump into this conversation and learn from Ada the state-of-the-art strategies for hiring and what the difficult task of applying for a job and signing a contract will look like in the near future. Jump straight into:(00:52) - Getting from search to hire: How LinkedIn helps job seekers and companies find the perfect match with present bias and stopping cues.(08:32) - Diversity, inclusion and equity: How LinkedIn nudges diverse applicants and recruiters towards job equity. (13:51) - “Open for work” & “Easy Apply”: LinkedIn’s response to the massive layout that hit during the COVID19 pandemic. (17:45) - Cognitive overload and verified skills: Sorting applicants and job openings to showcase them in a digestible and truthful way.(24:51) - Applying, stretching and handling rejection: LinkedIn’s strategies to increase your chance of getting a job that matches your skills. (29:46) - Reshaping the workforce: Some changes we have seen in the professional world in the last years of online recruitment. (34:14) - Dip a toe and step out!: Empowering seekers to identify companies committed to diversity and reaching out to new networks.(44:07) - The future of the job market: What is market signaling and what it’s going to take to stand out in the future. Episode resourcesAdditional reading and citations. Connect with Ada through LinkedInLinkedInThank you for listening to The Science of Change. Reach out to Kristen through LinkedIn and visit The Irrational Labs website for more information on behavioral science. This show is presented by SetSail (follow on LinkedIn) and produced by Kristen Berman and Studio Pod Media. The executive producer is Rachel Roberts. All episodes are written by Jack Bueher. Music and editing provided by nodalab.

Behavior Change is hard, but if there is an area even harder to master it’s personal finances. Things like saving and building a credit score are far from our favorite activities. In this episode of The Science of Change, our host Kristen Berman talks to Product Manager and the Growth Lead for Credit Karma Money, Kyle Thibaut. Kyle and Kristen talk about getting people to save and spend, habit formation, removing friction, and overall changing people’s relationship with money; all leading to Credit Karma’s ultimate goal: automate our finances for us. Hop in and learn about this company’s behavioral science and its expertise in defaulting people into good financial behavior.Jump straight into:(01:10) - How much do you have in your emergency fund?: Credit Karma’s start as a savings account service.(10:51) - Instant Karma!: Getting people to spend money and sign up for their service with prize-linked spending. (16:49) - Sorting old obstacles for debit card users: Removing friction, setting new users up quickly, and adding digital options to the user experience.(23:13) - How paternalistic should an app be?: Helping people save money and have a great credit score.(27:36) - Multi-step flows vs. single page forms: What works better for Credit Karma data collection.(30:56) - What is your job?: How ranking by popularity can decrease time and energy spent making choices. (35:03) - What’s next for Credit Karma?: The future of money, FinTechs, and how to make financial products for today and tomorrow. Episode resourcesAdditional reading and citationsConnect with Kyle through TwitterCredit Karma Thank you for listening to The Science of Change. Reach out to Kristen through LinkedIn and visit The Irrational Labs website for more information on behavioral science. This show is presented by SetSail (follow on LinkedIn) and produced by Kristen Berman and Studio Pod Media. The executive producer is Rachael Roberts. All episodes are written by Jack Bueher. Music and editing provided by nodalab.