onboarding

Define Activation First

Answer before designing anything: - What specific action = user got value? - What % of signups currently reach it? - What's the minimum path to get there?

If you can't answer these, onboarding will optimize the wrong thing.

Measure the Funnel

Create this table for current state: | Step | Users | Drop-off | |------|-------|----------| | Signed up | 100% | - | | Step 2 | ?% | ?% | | Step 3 | ?% | ?% | | Activated | ?% | ?% |

Biggest drop-off = focus there first. Everything else is distraction.

At signup, require ONLY: email + password. Everything else: defer until after first value delivered.

For each additional field, calculate: how many users lost × LTV = cost of that field.

Segmentation Question

One question only, immediately after signup: "What's your main goal?" with 3-4 options.

Route to different: - First action to complete - Empty state messaging - Email sequence

More than 4 paths = complexity without benefit.

Checklist Pattern

Structure: - 4-6 items maximum - First item already complete when shown (quick win psychology) - Items ordered by value delivered, not logical sequence - Persists across sessions - Completion reward visible

Format: action verb + outcome ✓ "Create your first project" ✗ "Projects"

Empty State Formula

Every empty screen needs: 1. What will appear here (1 sentence) 2. Visual of populated state or example 3. ONE action button (primary style)

Pre-populated templates > blank slate.

Email Sequence

Day	Trigger	Content
0	Signup	Welcome + single quick win CTA
1	Not activated	Reminder + "here's how"
3	Not activated	Social proof / success story
7	Not activated	Feature highlight
14	Inactive	"We miss you" + incentive

Stop sequence immediately when user activates.

Tooltips vs Modals

Tooltip: single UI element explanation, non-blocking
Modal: requires decision, blocks everything
Tour: max 3-5 steps or users skip

Never repeat to returning users. Trigger contextually, not on every login.

Metrics

Track weekly: - Signup → Activation rate - Time to activate (median) - Drop-off by step - Day 1, Day 7 retention: activated vs non-activated

Activated users should retain 2-3x better. If not, activation definition is wrong.

Common Failures

Asking for info before showing value—user hasn't bought in
Tour showing everything—overwhelms, skip rate high
Same onboarding for all segments—relevance drives completion
No follow-up emails—user closes tab and forgets
Blocking features behind upgrade before value demonstrated