Every episode of the Professor Game podcast, hosted by Rob Alvarez of The Octalysis Group. Honest breakdowns of gamification, behavioral design, and the Octalysis Framework, applied to real products, retention, and engagement. New episodes weekly, plus interviews with leading experts.
Your Bio as an Origin Story: Gamifying the Job Hunt with Jade Arthur | Episode 424
If you’re considering gamification for engagement, retention, or loyalty, I’m happy to compare options with you: professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Jade Arthur reframes the job search for the gaming industry as a game with named villains (the Cover Letter Crusher, the Interview Assassin, the Bio […]
You’re Using Streaks Wrong – Here’s What Actually Works | Episode 423
Exploring useful streaks for your product or org? Let’s chat → professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Examining why streak mechanics (borrowed from Duolingo and meditation apps like Happier) frequently backfire once users miss a day, triggering the abstinence violation effect and rage-quitting. Drawing on his own […]
Quests, Self-Talk & Health: Glen Lubbert’s Stamina Lab Game of Life | Episode 422
Retention or loyalty on your roadmap? Happy to brainstorm → professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Glen Lubbert presents Stamina Lab’s solution-focused approach to behavior change, which deliberately rejects root-cause analysis in favor of asking “what kept you from doing more of the thing you didn’t want […]
Stop Shaming Your Users: Ethical Alternatives to Dark Patterns | Episode 421
Curious if Octalysis fits your engagement challenge? Quick intro chat: professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Rob Alvarez breaks down “confirm shaming,” the dark pattern where opt-out buttons are worded to make users feel stupid, guilty, or irresponsible for declining a desired action. The hook: a […]
Building Beats Playing: Matt Dalio’s Path | Episode 420
Curious if Octalysis fits your engagement challenge? Quick intro chat: professorgame.com/chat Episode Summary Matt Dalio recounts how Endless Studios spent years and millions of dollars building The Endless Mission (a hackable game designed to teach coding the way Musk and Zuckerberg learned it) […]