Lucian Katzbach
Lucian Katzbach in conversation at the meeting table, a brick wall with sticky notes behind him A sticky note reading: playful systems, real results
Gamification for tech founders

More active users, without exploding AI costs

What if more of the users you worked so hard to win were still active on day two and you no longer had to guess what brings subscription upgrades?

  • More tractionActivation everyone actually enjoys
  • More retentionInstead of sky-high marketing costs
  • More loveMore features people love
Book a free intro call Explore the programmes
Fancy a two-minute look?

Trusted by teams from startups, SaaS & innovation

  • Müller Medien
  • ethus
  • European Games Group
  • Teslametric
  • Team!Bank (with Senacor)

Sound familiar?

This is where gamification starts.

  • People stay exactly one day – and never come back If the first visit doesn't show them what they get out of it, they're gone.
  • Heavy use at first, then a slow fade Without a reason to return, usage quietly dies down.
  • Features nobody uses Well built doesn't mean anyone understands what it's for.
  • Winning new users keeps getting more expensive People who stay cost you nothing extra. That's the cheapest way to grow.
  • Is gamification just XP and “howling owls” to you? Learn how gamification actually works - whether B2C or B2B.

What the best strategy is for getting more active users…

Ship more features?

Many let the AI build one feature after another into their product, inflating it like a balloon – but the expensive metrics still barely budge. What actually drives people is described by Yu-kai Chou's Octalysis framework.

The Octalysis framework as an octagon with its eight core drives

Every feature in your product serves one of them – or none.

  1. 1Meaning – being part of something bigger
  2. 2Progress – visibly getting somewhere
  3. 3Creativity – try something and get an answer right away
  4. 4Ownership – building something that is yours
  5. 5Social influence – role models, competition, belonging
  6. 6Scarcity – what isn't always available becomes worth more
  7. 7Curiosity – surprise holds attention
  8. 8Loss aversion – that one explains itself, doesn't it?

Once you know what keeps your users motivated for the long run, you can keep them excited for years.

My three-phase programme for measurable impact

1

Your user stories

We look at your product, how people use it and where you want to go – then design the gamification system that fits.

  • User & market analysis
  • Motivation & loop design
  • Quick-win roadmap

Result: A clear plan and a prioritised gamification strategy

2

New game mechanics

We build the mechanics that matter, test them quickly with real users and iterate on the data.

  • Ship MVP mechanics
  • Experiments & A/B tests
  • Data-driven tuning

Result: Validated mechanics that show an effect

3

Scale innovation

We scale it, turn it into a system and anchor gamification in your product and your team.

  • Feature integration & scaling
  • Team enablement
  • Long-term roadmap

Result: Lasting growth through playful systems

A system you can repeat

Build together.
Learn together.
Win together.

In my interactive workshops we work hands-on on your real challenges – with methods that are fun and still deliver.

  • Hands-on & interactive
  • For founders & teams
  • Online, or on site for an extra fee

No fluff. Just doing.

Lucian Katzbach at the flipchart explaining the loop of trigger, action, variable reward and investment while the team listens

Why gamification makes the difference

  • Gets the right people moving at the right moment.With a nudge, a reward and visible progress.
  • Turns trying it once into a habit.Recurring routines, levels and quests keep people moving.
  • Makes your product worth more.Users become fans – and fans bring new users along.
  • Moves the numbers that matter.More people who start, stay, pay and recommend you.

Projects

What I learn there goes straight back into the work with founders.

FlightRoom When was your last holiday as a boss without checking email once? FlightRoom home page

A training platform for aspiring elite teams that want teamwork reliable enough to save lives in theory.

Learn more
Haushelden.ai Do you ever repeat yourself like a scratched record? Haushelden home page

Haushelden takes the nagging off your hands – photograph the mess and your kids pitch in of their own accord.

Learn more
Dr Friedrich Fröbel on video about working together

Client story

Dr. Friedrich Fröbel

Founder of HYC, a B2C nutrition app

Problem

Dr Friedrich Fröbel came to me as a first-time founder at the early stage. He didn't know how to reach more testers, or whether and when his product could scale.

Goal

His goal was to validate the product and win his first paying customer.

Solution

With Lucian Katzbach's help, Dr Friedrich Fröbel got past the fog and finally won a paying user. Today he feels like a confident CEO.

I had hit a roadblock and could see plenty of paths ahead – just not which one was right. Since we started working together, the way forward has become much clearer.

What if you knew exactly what to do?

Let's talk in a free intro call about your product, your goals and what gamification could do for you.

  • 30 minutes of clarity
  • A read on your specific situation
  • No strings attached
Book a free intro call Looking forward to meeting you! – Lucian