The first five minutes decide everything

You work hard on marketing, and someone signs up. Then what? They open the app, look around, and leave. And never return.

The problem usually isn't the product. It's that the user never reached the moment where they think: "Oh, this is what I need."

Know your value moment

Every product has a moment when the user first feels the benefit. In an invoicing tool, it's the first invoice they send. In a delivery app, it's the first order that arrives. Your job is to get them there by the shortest path.

How to shorten the path

• Remove every step that isn't essential. Each field on the sign-up form loses you people.
• Postpone settings. Let them use the product first and customize later.
• Pre-fill sample data. An empty screen is intimidating; an example teaches.
• Point to one step. One clear button that tells them what to do now.
• Follow up with those who stopped. A personal message the next day asking where they got stuck.

Measure it

Activation is often the cheapest place to improve growth, because you're working with people who already showed up. Track the share of new sign-ups who reach the value moment within their first day. That's your activation rate, and improving it often drives growth faster than any ad campaign.

Try it yourself: sign up for a new account in your product on your phone, and count the steps and minutes until you reach the value.

Idea from Lenny's Newsletter.