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Gamification for tech founders
More active users, without howling pets
What if you could have more subscription revenue without paid ads – and never had to beg investors again?
- More tractionActivation that actually lands
- More retentionPlayful loops that keep people coming back
- More loveProduct moments people talk about
Sound familiar?
This is where gamification starts.
- People try your product – 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.
- Your product feels „okay“ Useful is good. Indispensable is better.
The core of my work
It's rarely the sales team
Most founders put more money into sales and marketing first. But usually the features aren't built around people – and anyone who tries the product without buying simply isn't getting a real problem solved. What actually drives people is described by Yu-kai Chou's Octalysis framework.
Every feature in your product serves one of them – or none.
- 1Meaning – being part of something bigger
- 2Progress – visibly getting somewhere
- 3Creativity – try something and get an answer right away
- 4Ownership – building something that is yours
- 5Social influence – role models, competition, belonging
- 6Scarcity – what isn't always available becomes worth more
- 7Curiosity – surprise holds attention
- 8Loss aversion – that one explains itself, doesn't it?
Once you know which drive works on your users, you stop building on a hunch.
My three-phase programme for measurable impact
1
Diagnose & design
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
Build & validate
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 & systemise
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
Live workshops
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
No fluff. Just doing.
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.
Haushelden – when nothing happens without mum
It drove my wife mad that the kids were only ever gaming. Haushelden came out of it.
Learn more
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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.
Still counting the ad money you burned?
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
A bit about me
Gamification designer & startup coach
For years I built products that were technical masterpieces. And people were still gone after two weeks.
For a long time I thought I was missing one more feature. Wrong. What was missing was a reason to open the thing again tomorrow.
Since I understood that, things run differently. My scrum team overtook the market leader, one marketing channel grew from four figures to seven – without anybody grinding harder.
That's exactly where I start with founders today.
