How to design a high-impact growth org for a PLG startup — Webflow & Dropbox’s Melissa Tan
Jun 8, 2023
59:40
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Quick takeaways
Webflow improved user satisfaction and progress by introducing checklists based on template choice in their onboarding journey.
Dropbox focused on product virality, referral programs, and partnerships, while Webflow prioritized understanding the user journey beyond growth experiments.
Webflow conducted user diary studies to gain insights into user frustrations and implemented checklists and user education to enhance the activation journey.
Deep dives
Providing Structure and Overcoming User Frustrations
Webflow recognized that users would become frustrated if they couldn't edit the template they had chosen, leading to a lack of progress. To address this, they introduced checklists within the onboarding journey that varied based on whether users started with a blank site or a template, ultimately increasing user satisfaction and progress.
Differences in Growth Strategy Between Dropbox and Webflow
Dropbox and Webflow both had strong bottom-up adoption and self-serve motions, but their growth strategies differed. Dropbox focused on product virality, referral programs, and partnerships, while Webflow, with a more complex product and no collaboration or network effects, prioritized understanding the user journey beyond traditional growth experiments.
Understanding User Activation and Journey Complexity
Webflow recognized that user activation in their complex product was not a linear process and required multiple sessions. To gain insights into user frustrations and roadblocks, they conducted user diary studies, observing users' actions and capturing their feedback over a two-week period. The studies revealed specific insights, such as users encountering difficulties when editing templates, leading to the implementation of checklists and focused user education to enhance the activation journey.
Importance of Metrics for Teams and Individuals
When thinking about metrics for a team or individual, it is important to focus on a maximum of two key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be optimized for. At Webflow, they have an activation PM responsible for activation rates and a monetization PM focused on conversion rates. Additionally, they set quarterly goals for initiatives like pricing changes and growth marketing for specific channels and customer acquisition cost (CAC). On a company level, a broader set of metrics is considered to ensure a holistic view of the business.
The Significance of North Star Metrics
At Dropbox, the North Star metrics differed based on the team's goals. The B2B growth team focused on driving free trials and trial-to-purchase conversion rates. Another team worked on expansions, while retention was also a key metric. These metrics were established through a process of iterating and evaluating their impact on the business. It was found that some metrics, like seat growth, were harder to influence than initially anticipated. User research and qualitative insights played a crucial role in understanding points of influence and making informed decisions about metrics.
Our guest today is Melissa Tan, GM of Self-Service and Head of Growth at Webflow and formerly Head of Growth and Monetization for Dropbox Business.
In today’s conversation, she unpacks the nuances between the two PLG businesses and how growth strategy changes for a more complex product like Webflow, including: