📝 Why do you even need a definition of activation? • Activation is a leading indicator of customer retention. • Defining activation helps streamline efforts that improve product FTUX, which helps drive conversion. Unfortunately, many product teams struggle to define activation and default to using MAU or WAUs to indicate active customers. This approach is flawed because MAUs and WAUs do not suggest whether customers derive the promised value and therefore fail to predict long-term customer retention.
Thanks for sharing. You mention that activation is also defined as the aha moment. That doesn't have to be, no? For example, in a to-do list app, a activated user might be one that added 2 items to my to-do list but the aha moment might be after he shared it and someone checked off a task and only then I have my a-ha.
I'm curious to hear what you think as I'm working on clarifying the activated/active/aha moment for a product I'm working on (not a to do list haha).
It's actually the opposite of what you mentioned. In your example, creating a task list is the aha moment because that's what your product seems to be for.. a to-do list.
Activation comes after aha.. where you see that the customer has built a habit around the product usage. So they return to your product to add more tasks, then share it with others, then come back and check those tasks off and then add new tasks. That's when they are called as activated.
Yes, I've used 'activation is also defined as the aha moment' that's because when you are starting out your activation could just be the aha moment. It needs to evolve as the product evolves to retain retention. Hope that answers.
I'd like to run something by you once more if you done mind to make sure I understand as I still am not sure I do.
Aha = value from app.
Activated = is a set of conditions (could be a single one too). Comes after aha. A habit has been set (and to be deactivated the habit is broken, per the cadance defined in advance)
Is that true?
My main issue with the to do list and your reply is that by adding a task I don't get value yet really, it's when I check it off (and remembered to do the task) that I get value.
So aha would be checking off an item from the list.
Activated = set of habit forming behaviors (for example user shared, returns to check off more tasks, returns to add more tasks).
One user might share, another might add and a different one might only view (if I'm the one someone shared with) and it could also be that I do a mix. As long as I do those over some period of time that I think is a cycle habit (ex. Cross a task off at least one a week) then I'm activated. Otherwise I'm deactivated.
Thanks for sharing. You mention that activation is also defined as the aha moment. That doesn't have to be, no? For example, in a to-do list app, a activated user might be one that added 2 items to my to-do list but the aha moment might be after he shared it and someone checked off a task and only then I have my a-ha.
I'm curious to hear what you think as I'm working on clarifying the activated/active/aha moment for a product I'm working on (not a to do list haha).
Thanks KS again for sharing!
Hi Yoav,
It's actually the opposite of what you mentioned. In your example, creating a task list is the aha moment because that's what your product seems to be for.. a to-do list.
Activation comes after aha.. where you see that the customer has built a habit around the product usage. So they return to your product to add more tasks, then share it with others, then come back and check those tasks off and then add new tasks. That's when they are called as activated.
Yes, I've used 'activation is also defined as the aha moment' that's because when you are starting out your activation could just be the aha moment. It needs to evolve as the product evolves to retain retention. Hope that answers.
Thanks for your answer.
I misunderstood so glad I asked 🙂
I'd like to run something by you once more if you done mind to make sure I understand as I still am not sure I do.
Aha = value from app.
Activated = is a set of conditions (could be a single one too). Comes after aha. A habit has been set (and to be deactivated the habit is broken, per the cadance defined in advance)
Is that true?
My main issue with the to do list and your reply is that by adding a task I don't get value yet really, it's when I check it off (and remembered to do the task) that I get value.
So aha would be checking off an item from the list.
Activated = set of habit forming behaviors (for example user shared, returns to check off more tasks, returns to add more tasks).
One user might share, another might add and a different one might only view (if I'm the one someone shared with) and it could also be that I do a mix. As long as I do those over some period of time that I think is a cycle habit (ex. Cross a task off at least one a week) then I'm activated. Otherwise I'm deactivated.