The 3 key stages of SaaS user activation

Episode 71

Hey Friends,

Welcome to Episode 71 of the MarketCurve newsletter. I wrote in my earlier posts about SaaS activation rates, key metrics to track, your corresponding messaging & how you can help you users get to the AHA moment. But I missed one crucial detail - the 3 stages of user activation for your SaaS.

There are 3 key moments that constitute “activation” for your SaaS. Today we’re gonna explore that.

Let’s dive in.

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The 3 key stages of SaaS user activation

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Stage 1: Setup moments

Setup moments include questions in the account creation process that takes info from the user about mainly, their jobs to be done, and any organizational info that can help set them up for success.

For example, Hubspot CRM takes information about (a) the user role and (b) how they intend to use the platform.

Clearly defining the user role helps you zero down on your ideal customer persona & understanding their particular use-case they wish to accomplish with your product.

Stage 2: Aha moment

The AHA moment as I talked about in earlier essays is the first time the user actually experiences the product’s core value.

They have a clear JTBD(Jobs to be done) use-case in mind and this is their chance to see how your product does the job it promised. If the time-to-value is short and value is received, the user reaches the AHA moment & the promised value-delivery land.

Here you would have to define what the core JTBD here is for your product - maybe it’s recording that first podcast, or shipping that first newsletter issue.

Stage 3: Habit moments

This element defines the expected frequency at which your users keep using your product and derive ongoing value from it.

Here you track metrics like 2+ videos recorded in a week or 1 newsletter issue shipped in a week.

Based on these metrics, you can make data-driven product decisions which leads you into the next step of the user journey which is user engagement.

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Hope you enjoyed this short essay

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