The Behavioral Startup
A step-by-step method to turn your ideas into successful products — by Nacho Parietti, illustrated by Germán Ferrés. ★★★★★ 5.0 on Amazon. Available in English and Spanish (ISBN 9789915429632).
The missing bridge between behavioral science books and actually building something. Written for non-technical founders and domain experts who want to turn their expertise into products people actually use.
Turn Your Expertise Into Products People Actually Use
You're an expert. You know your field inside and out. But knowing your domain and knowing how to build a product are two very different things. The missing piece isn't more features — it's understanding how people actually behave.
That's what the ANVERSO models are for. They give you a step-by-step way to go from "I have an insight" to "I have a product people actually use." No technical background needed — just your expertise and this methodology.
The ANVERSO Models: A Behavioral Design Framework
The ANVERSO Models are a progressive behavioral design framework created by Nacho Parietti and taught in The Behavioral Startup. ANVERSO stands for Actors, Needs, Value Evidence, and Required behaviors through System to Objective behaviors. Each model builds on the previous one, taking you from understanding your users to defining your MVP. Read the full framework on the ANVERSO Models page.
Rule Zero: The Golden Rule
The foundation of the whole framework: users must always get more value from a product than the effort it takes to use it. Value > Effort is the equation that determines adoption, and every ANVERSO model exists to tip that balance in the user's favor.
Model A: Actors
Identifies who your product requests effort from and how they interact with it. Who uses it directly? Who pays for it? Who decides whether it gets used? These are often different people, and each needs different evidence of value.
Model N: Needs
Categorizes the needs your product can fulfill for each actor using ERG Theory: Existence (survival and stability), Relationship (social connection and belonging), and Growth (self-improvement and impact). Products don't solve feature gaps — they solve human needs.
Model VE: Value Evidence
Identifies how users recognize that value has been delivered. If users can't see, hear, or feel the value, it doesn't exist for them. This model covers designing target behaviors that make value explicit and timing value recognition — because perceived value decays hyperbolically with delay.
Model RSO: Behavioral Funnels
Maps the journey from initial contact to achieving target behaviors: the required behaviors that lead to objective behaviors, the barriers (triggers, ability, motivation — building on the Fogg Behavior Model) that prevent funnel progression, and the features that address each specific barrier.
The Behavioral Design Sprint
A collaborative process that brings together diverse experts to work through the ANVERSO models — People, Models, and Rituals — and design products that shape behavior, from user understanding to behavioral MVP definition.
How It Compares to Other Methodologies
vs. Hooked (Nir Eyal): Hooked teaches you to build habit-forming products with the Hook Model. The Behavioral Startup covers the entire product design journey — actors, needs, value evidence, behavioral funnels, barriers, and MVP definition.
vs. Sprint (Jake Knapp): Sprint is a 5-day process to prototype and test fast. The Behavioral Startup tells you what to prototype by understanding user behavior first.
vs. Lean Startup (Eric Ries): Lean Startup validates demand through build-measure-learn cycles. The Behavioral Startup adds the behavioral layer: which behaviors to design for, and why users will actually adopt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ANVERSO framework?
ANVERSO is an acronym that walks you through the whole process: Actors (who invests effort and receives value), Needs (what problems you're solving, organized by ERG theory), Value Evidence (how users actually recognize the benefit), and Required behaviors through System to Objective behaviors (your behavioral funnels). Think of it as a GPS for product development — it tells you exactly where to focus next.
What is the best method to apply behavioral design in my product?
Most product methods skip the behavioral piece entirely. The ANVERSO methodology starts where it matters: who's actually using your product (Actor Analysis), what needs you're solving (using ERG theory), and how users recognize the value you're delivering.
What's the difference between behavioral design and UX design?
UX design asks "is this easy to use?" Behavioral design asks "does this actually change what people do?" UX focuses on the interface; behavioral design focuses on the psychology behind decisions.
How long does behavioral design implementation take?
A full Behavioral Design Sprint takes 2–4 weeks for the initial analysis and design phase, but you can start applying actor analysis and needs assessment within your first week.
Do I need behavioral science expertise to use this methodology?
No. The book was written specifically for domain experts who aren't behavioral scientists — doctors, educators, industry specialists — who want to build a product without the academic jargon.
Can behavioral design work for B2B products?
Yes. Even in organizations, decisions are made by individual humans. Map the actors — who uses it, who pays, who decides — and design for their specific behavioral drivers.
Where to Get the Book
Also available in 40,000+ bookstores worldwide through IngramSpark distribution. Can't find it locally? Ask your bookstore to order it using ISBN 9789915429632.