I’ve been thinking a lot about streaks lately. Not the “fun” kind, but the kind that quietly crush engagement. In this episode, I dig into why streaks often backfire: one missed day, the streak resets to zero, and suddenly the user’s identity (“I’m a meditator,” “I’m a language learner” or a Skool flame-bearer) collapses with it. That’s when the rage-quitting begins. The good news? Flexible streak design, recovery paths, and better messaging can completely change the retention curve. Streaks don’t need to be a time bomb, they can actually support long-term engagement when designed with human psychology in mind. What’s your experience with streaks, have you ever quit an app because you lost one?

I recently discussed this article about a school in Japan based on top of eSports on a LinkedIn post. The bottom line is that the school is for kids in Japan who can't stand the pressure of the school system (huge pressure there, much harder than most other places around the world) and eventually drop out, have seen in this school, where games, regular commercial video games, are actually a tool for learning core subjects. I'm convinced that more examples in this vein will continue to pop up, as we pretty much know the education system needs this to become more successful and really support our kids to become their best selves. How else could we extend this concept beyond education?

Ever notice how players stay stuck when the game doesn’t tell them where they’re going? Turns out… we do the same in real life. In the latest episode of the Professor Game Podcast, Glen Lubbert shared a powerful idea: 🚕 Your brain is a cab driver. If you don’t give it a destination, it just stays parked. It hit me hard because it applies directly to how we design experiences, communities, and products. Clear goals = clearer paths = more motivated players. So let’s turn this into a practical discussion for our community: 👉 What’s one goal in your current project or product that feels too fuzzy… and how could you turn it into a “clear destination” for your users? It can be big or small, the point is to sharpen it together. Drop your thoughts below. I’ll be replying to every comment and helping refine ideas so they become more actionable (and more gamifiable). Let’s level this up together!

I don't want to drown the group with messages to upsell, and though this might sound like that, it's actually more of a question. I know some of the clients already working with us are interested in getting in group calls for regular feedback on their journey and specifics, so they can benefit from others on the call and their questions. Is there something else you would expect in a premium tier from a group like this?

Hi all, I've recently recorded and posted the first real episode of my podcast -- Questify Your Life with Sierra, a Podcast that helps remind you that you get to decide when your backstory ends and your journey begins. Questify Your Life is a system I created that blends gamification techniques with positive psychology research to make life feel more fun and doable. (Kind of like playing this life as if it's a DnD Campaign or video game). I use it to design quests that focus on the goals I value, while prioritizing creativity and play. The system has three main parts: Journey, Character, and Quests. In this podcast, I am joined by Adventurous guests, read my Substack essays, and occasionally chronicle my own adventures as I apply the Questify Your Life system to my everyday life. I originally built this system during the beginning of my mental health recovery journey in 2019, and it has since helped me navigate neurodivergence, disabilities, law school, becoming an attorney, and building my own business. Link to the first episode on Youtube & Spotify. Some questions for you: What is your personal preference for how often podcast episodes come out, and how long do you like them? If you have a podcast or youtube channel, what is your favorite process for inviting people onto your show that you find interesting? Thank you for your time and attention!! Sierra