Engine Used: Engagement Engine
Product Type: Micro-learning platform
Industry: EdTech (Web & Mobile SaaS)
Metrics Moved: +15% DAU, 5,000+ users retained past Week 1
EdTech Platform: Fixing Onboarding Drop-Offs
The Challenge
The platform was designed to help students build micro-learning habits, but new users weren’t sticking. Over 50% of signups dropped off during onboarding, never reaching their first learning milestone. DAU fell sharply within the first 48 hours, and user activation was plateauing at low double digits. The team had tried iterating on copy and UI visuals, but nothing moved the needle.
Our Diagnosis
Our audit revealed that the onboarding flow was overloaded with friction. Users were being asked to pick interests, set preferences, and answer optional questions before even seeing value. Session data showed a spike in exits during Step 2 of onboarding, a non-essential setup screen that created cognitive drag.
Further cohort analysis showed that the small segment of users who skipped onboarding retained far better than those who followed the designed flow. The platform wasn’t failing to engage, it was failing to get to the point.
Suggested Fixes
Cut onboarding steps from 6 screens to 3 - removing or deferring all non-critical setup
Reordered flow to front-load the “first win” (accessing first course, video, or lesson) within 30 seconds
Rewrote CTA buttons and copy to highlight quick value, not personalization
Introduced in-line nudges after the first value moment to guide users through setup gradually, rather than upfront gating.
The Results
DAU rose 15% across new users
Over 5,000 additional users retained through Week 1
Bounce during onboarding fell by 28%
Time-to-value (first session to first content interaction) dropped from 2m15s → 34s