Faking Live, Winning Real
image: Coda onboarding / training program landing page
Key outcomes —
2x
activation rate
3x
monetizable behavior
Tooling used —
- Onboarding / training platforms
- Product usage & monetization data
The challenge
Product adoption rates were low. Partnering with the data team, I identified that users who activated were 80% more likely to monetize, making onboarding and activation a clear growth lever — but the existing process couldn't scale.
Strategy & execution
Validated the approach by launching live, human-led onboarding trainings to test impact on activation before investing further.
Once validated, scaled the model into a 'simu-live' format, replicating the human-led experience without the linear time cost of live-only delivery.
Aligned onboarding content directly to the behaviors data showed were predictive of monetization.
Results
Simu-live participants activated at 2x the rate and exhibited 3x the monetizable behavior of the prior year's cohort — proving a PLG-style onboarding motion could scale without sacrificing the human-led experience that drove results.