Josh Pitzalis

Here is a quick framework to measure and improve user retention. I’ve distilled everything I know about improving retention into 9 YES/NO questions. Go through the questions below and score your product by answering the yes/no questions. For the ones you answer no to, the link will explain how to think about improving that aspect…

When people stop using a product it’s important that I understand if it’s because they couldn’t use the product, if they didn’t like it, or if I’m dealing with happy churn.  One way to gather this data is to survey people when you cancel their account. The trouble with exit surveys is they don’t account…

A good interview lasts about 15 minutes. I schedule half an hour just in case but I don’t ask for more than 15 minutes. “Can you tell me about how you first started using (the product)?“ This is one of my favourite opening questions. It gets straight to the heart of why they use the…

When I begin working with a product my primary focus is to understand how the core value proposition translates to specific actions in the product. I try and map out all the steps that lead to people becoming a habitual user. Once this initial phase of work is complete the next step is to figure…

Onboarding is a murky term. Sometimes people mean your first session with a product. Other times it refers to those popups and guided welcome tours I have to endure. Other people think of onboarding as the initial two weeks with a product, usually the free trial territory of the experience. I like to define onboarding…