Made to Stick: Why some ideas take hold and others come unstuck - Chip and Dan Heath

CoLab Book Club - January 2026

Our #CoLabBookClub kicked off a new year of reading with Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath. This was a great choice from Ceedee, who'd read a chapter during her recent studies and couldn't put it down. We can see why!

First published in 2007, this book has stood the test of time. The Heath brothers tackle a question we've all faced: why do some ideas take hold while others fade away? Their answer comes wrapped in practical principles and memorable stories that, fittingly, really stick.

Overview

The book introduces the SUCCESs framework, six principles that make ideas memorable and impactful. Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional and Stories. Each principle is unpacked with clear examples, from urban legends to corporate messaging, showing why some communications work while others fall flat.

What makes this book special is how it practices what it preaches. The writing is accessible, full of stories that illustrate each concept and structured in a way that can easily be referenced later.

Our Key Takeaways

✔️ Stories work - Chip and Dan don't just tell us stories are powerful, they explain the mechanics behind their effectiveness.

✔️ The curse of knowledge is real - once you know something, it's incredibly hard to imagine not knowing it. We all overestimate what others understand so sticky communication requires deliberately unlearning your expertise when explaining.

✔️ We all have a guessing machine - our brains constantly try to predict what comes next. We need to break the guess with something unexpected, then fix it with meaning.

✔️ Don't bury the lead - find the core message and start there, don't bury it three paragraphs in.

✔️ The principles provide a practical checklist - each chapter ends with a "Clinic" section that discusses the ideas further, this gives a solid learning structure we can actually use.

✔️ Our small talk is set up for life - the book is full of fascinating examples and stories that work brilliantly in everyday conversations.

Who is it For?

Anyone who needs to convey a message. Senior leaders crafting strategy, trainers designing courses, developers explaining technical concepts or anyone making presentations. If you want your ideas to be understood and remembered then this book is for you.

Thank you!

Thanks to Chip and Dan Heath for this smart, practical guide. The ideas about sticky ideas have definitely stuck with us!

Big thanks to the crew kicking off 2026: Alfred Enslin, Ceedee Doyle (host), Emily Cotlier, John Allen, Paul Salmon, Pete Tansey, Peter Bink and Toni Wilson.

And if you want to see Chip Heath in action, this video is worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh887wxA99U

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