Onboarding Experiments - Case Study

01 — Problem

Students Abandoning Before the Aha Moment

More than 50% of students who registered each week abandoned the platform before experiencing Platzi's value proposition, causing the Weekly Active Students (WAS) metric to stagnate.

High Early Churn

Over half of new registrations churned in their first week, never reaching the "aha moment" that would demonstrate Platzi's learning value.

Stagnant Growth Metrics

WAS—proven to correlate directly with conversion and retention rates—remained flat despite consistent weekly registrations.

Unclear Value Path

Students struggled to navigate from registration to relevant content, taking too long to find what they were looking for.

02 — Approach

Iterative Experimentation

We ran three sequential experiments, each building on learnings from the previous iteration to optimize the onboarding experience.

Data-Driven Iteration

Each experiment was structured as an A/B or A/B/C test with clear hypotheses and measurable outcomes.

User Research Integration

Quantitative data was supplemented with qualitative interviews to understand why certain approaches succeeded or failed.

Progressive Refinement

Learnings from each test informed the next experiment, creating a compounding improvement effect.

03 — Experiment 1

Direct to Class

Testing whether immediately directing students to watch a class after registration would increase Weekly Active Students.

Problem Statement

When I finish registration and onboarding, I have to search for the course or subject I need, which takes too long to understand Platzi's offer.

Hypothesis

If we motivate students to watch a class immediately after onboarding, we will increase WAS.

Learnings

Short-Term Success Only

WAS increased in the first week after registration, but the effect didn't persist. By week two, students became inactive again.

Low Engagement Depth

Students didn't watch more than two classes of the recommended course, indicating limited sustained interest.

Unexpected Behavior

Some students were confused about why they arrived at a class immediately after registration, indicating a UX mismatch with expectations.

04 — Experiment 2

Search-First Onboarding

Testing whether giving students search functionality would help them find relevant content faster and reduce time to value.

Problem Statement

When I register, the platform asks about topics I want to learn and suggests themes, but the terminology isn't clear, making it hard to find what I'm actually looking for.

Hypothesis

If we give students the option to search for specific content instead of selecting from a list, we'll reduce time to value by helping them see relevant content quickly, impacting WAS.

Learnings

Better Initial Discovery

More students found content they were interested in initially, showing the search approach had merit.

Still Not Long-Term

The solution didn't create lasting motivation beyond a couple of classes or one course.

Need for Exploration

Taking students directly to a class wasn't expected behavior. Students wanted to explore content before committing to start a course.

05 — Experiment 3

Mission-Based Onboarding (Winner)

Testing whether gamified missions over 4 weeks would create sustained engagement and help students build lasting study habits.

Problem Statement

After starting at Platzi, I lose interest because I don't find the motivation to study consistently.

Hypothesis

If we create an extended onboarding with missions that students complete over 4 weeks, they'll stay active during weeks 2, 3, 4, and 5, increasing WAS for those periods.

Learnings

Best Results Achieved

Of all experiments, this achieved the strongest outcomes, successfully building study habits after the first month.

Gamification Works

The missions element was engaging and fun, striking the perfect balance between exploration freedom and study motivation.

Aha Moment Unlock

Students confirmed the gamified missions helped them discover Platzi's value and develop consistent product habits during month one.

06 — Impact

Significant Growth Achievement

The mission-based onboarding experiment delivered measurable improvements in student activation and retention.

2X

Growth in Weekly Active Students

07 — Key Takeaways

What I Learned

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Thinking

Early experiments showed quick wins that didn't persist. The winning solution focused on building sustainable habits over weeks, not just immediate activation.

Balance Freedom and Guidance

Students need structure (missions) but also autonomy (exploration space). Forcing them directly into content created friction; giving them a reason to engage worked better.

Iterate with User Feedback

Combining quantitative metrics with qualitative interviews revealed the "why" behind results, enabling smarter iteration.

Gamification as Motivation

Simple gamification elements (missions, badges) can provide the external motivation needed to establish internal habits.