Start at the End

How to Build Products That Create Change

by Matt Wallaert

"Start at the End" (2019) presents a practical guide for developing products and services that have a meaningful impact. Rooted in behavioral science, the approach begins with a key question: What behavior do we want from our consumers? The method then reverse-engineers the steps needed to achieve that behavior.

About the Author

Matt Wallaert is a seasoned behavioral scientist and entrepreneur. With a background as the chief behavioral scientist at Microsoft and Clover Health, he has honed his approach to product design through extensive real-world experience. "Start at the End" (2019) is his first foray into authorship.

Learn a Systematic Approach to Product and Service Design

When a new product or service hits the mark, it doesn't just generate profits; it can reshape the world. Think about the iPhone's launch. It wasn't just a sales success; it revolutionized how we use mobile devices, weaving them into our daily routines in countless ways. In essence, it altered our behavior.

Behavioral change should be our primary focus when designing new products and services. Instead of simply figuring out how to sell something, we need to ask ourselves: what behavior are we aiming to influence? Or, more creatively, what new reality do we want to create?

From this perspective, we can reverse-engineer our design process. This is the essence of "Start at the End." By leveraging behavioral science, this summary outlines a structured approach to designing products and services.

In this summary, you'll discover:

• How to distill your vision of a new reality into a single, compelling statement.

• How to map out the factors that influence your potential customers' behavior.

• How to use that map to adjust those factors and create meaningful change.