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Glossary / Finding customers and growing / Activation rate

Finding customers and growing

Activation rate

Activation rate is the share of new sign-ups who reach the first action that shows they got real value, often called the aha moment, instead of trying once and leaving.

Also called activation

You define it for your own product, such as making a first list in a task app. A low rate means people leave before they see why the product exists. That is a different problem from nobody hearing about you, and it needs a different fix.

When this shows up

Example, not a real founder: plenty of people visit, a good share sign up, and very few come back. The sign-up flow asks for a lot of setup before anything useful happens, so most people leave before the payoff.

What to do next

Name the one action that means a new user got value. Then watch a few new users try to reach it, and note where each one stops.

Go deeper

Flat for months. Should you pivot or keep pushing?

A read on whether people find, use, return to and pay for your product, or a note when there is too little to judge.

Read the guide