Understanding Onboarding Misconceptions

Many product teams have misconceptions about user activation and retention, particularly regarding metrics they rely on. For instance, the common Facebook activation metric of acquiring seven friends in ten days oversimplifies the complexities of user engagement, especially for B2B companies. Instead of fixating on predetermined metrics, teams should identify a meaningful engagement moment that requires commitment from users, serving as a better activation starting point. Additionally, onboarding should be viewed as a cross-functional endeavor rather than solely a product issue, meaning that collaboration across marketing, sales, and customer success is essential for creating realistic user expectations.