All businesses help users to achieve a goal

Variable reward is the third phase of the Hooked model, and there are three types: the tribe, the hunt and the self.

Rewards of the tribe involve the search for social rewards fueled by connectedness with other people.
These rewards keep users coming back and wanting more because our brains are adapted to seek rewards that make us feel accepted, attractive, important, and included. Examples of these kinds of rewards can be found on platforms like Facebook, Stack Overflow, or the video game League of Legends.

Rewads of the hunt is the search for material resources and information. Our need to acquire physical objects, such as food and other supplies that aid our survival, is part of our brain's operating system. This mechanism keeps us wanting and buying.

Rewards of the self is the search for intrinsic rewards of mastery, competence and completion. Here, we seek a more personal form of gratification.

Variable rewards are not a free pass. Understanding what truly matters to users is key to matching the right variable reward to their intended behavior.

Additionally, users need to maintain a sense of autonomy. If our autonomy is threatened, we feel constrained by our lack of choices and often rebel against engaging in a behavior. Experiences with finite variability become less engaging because they eventually become predictable