PGML: Onboarding

We aimed to simplify onboarding but faced challenges that hindered user adoption. Issues like mandatory credit card entry, an ineffective marketing survey, and unclear post-signup guidance created friction.

Through targeted improvements, we revamped the onboarding experience, resulting in increased signups, better engagement, and a more seamless user journey.

Outcome:

  • Record-Breaking Launch: Sign-ups surged to ~745 in a single day

  • Increase in Signups: Completion rate increased by 86%

  • Increased Engagement & Retention: Increasing adoption by 78%

Contribution:

  • Research

  • Concept & validation

  • Design

THE PROBLEM

PostgresML's onboarding process presented multiple challenges that hindered user adoption:

The mandatory marketing survey and credit card requirement were significant deterrents, and the initial user experience was unclear, especially for beginners.


The onboarding flow assumed an experienced user base, but in reality, many new users needed more guidance and support.

SIGN UP BARRIERS

  • Marketing survey deterred users, even with a skip option

  • Credit card requirements discouraged developers from exploring the platform

  • Users are hesitant to commit without experiencing product value

UNCLEAR INITIAL EXPERIENCE

  • Low conversion rate (from sign up to completion)

  • Dashboard provided limited guidance, leading to low activation
and utilization, high churn

  • Expectation: Experienced engineers would onboard smoothly

  • Reality: Many new users needed a more structured approach

THE DISCOVERY

Through research, several pain points were identified that contributed to user drop-offs:

Developers hesitated to commit without trying the product first, and new users struggled to understand how to get started.

These insights highlighted the need for a frictionless onboarding experience that accommodates both experienced engineers and beginners.

INSIGHTS

  • Marketing Survey & Trust Barrier: Users were reluctant to provide information upfront

  • Credit Card Hesitancy: Developers preferred free trials with no initial financial commitment

  • Lack of Onboarding Guidance: Users, especially beginners, struggled to take meaningful first steps after signing up

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

  • How to reduce friction while still gathering user insights

  • How to introduce value before requesting payment

  • How to guide both experienced and new users effectively

THE SOLUTION

We implemented several changes to improve the onboarding experience:

The marketing survey was eliminated, a free credit-based model replaced the credit card requirement, and an onboarding overview page was introduced to guide users through their first steps.

These changes created a more seamless and engaging user experience, leading to improved activation and retention.

KEY CHANGES IMPLEMENTED

  • Removed Marketing Survey: Moved to voluntary
email-based surveys

  • Dropped Credit Card Requirement: Introduced $100 in free usage credits with usage tracking notifications

  • Streamlined Signup Flow: Simplified to a two-step process (Database Name & Organization Name)

  • Improved User Experience

    • Introduced multi-org support to enhance URL structuring

    • Created an onboarding overview page with:

      1. Quick access to connection strings for
experienced users

      2. Tutorials, sample applications, and pre-loaded Notebooks for beginners

Overview

Create New Serverless Database

Create New Dedicated Database

Configuration

THE RESULTS & IMPACT

Remove friction =
Increase conversion + activation

The refreshed onboarding experience successfully lowered the barrier to entry and better guided users through the product's next steps.

LESSONS LEARNED

  • + Reducing signup friction directly impacts adoption rates

  • Offering early value encourages continued usage

  • Clear guidance post-signup improves retention and activation

KEY INSIGHTS & IMPACTS

  • Record-Breaking Launch: With marketing support, sign-ups surged to ~745 in a single day, setting an all-time record

  • Increase in Signups: The onboarding completion rate increased by 86%

  • Increased Engagement & Retention: Users engaged with and utilized PostgresML more effectively, increasing adoption by 78%. (Our activation metric was adding data to the DB)

  • Users took more product actions: uploading data, performing ML tasks like embedding, text gen