Focused AuditAfter launch

Activation Audit

US$900 · one-time

What this solves

For you, the founder
People sign up, then leave before they see what the product is worth. You can see the drop in your numbers, but not the reason.
For the product
Somewhere between signup and first value, the journey asks too much or shows too little.

The question this audit answers

Why are new users failing to reach first value, and what should we change first?

Book an AuditSee a sample audit

Also available in Chinese: 中文版样本

What situation it is for

You have people arriving, but too few of them get far enough to see what the product is actually worth. The Audit covers one activation journey, end to end:

  1. Landing / Signup
  2. Onboarding
  3. Setup
  4. First meaningful action
  5. First value

It draws on:

Xero guided setup and onboarding work
MovesMethod funnel and onboarding work
Product activation and first-value design experience

What is reviewed

Value clarity

  • Does the user understand what the product does?
  • Does the user understand why they should continue?
  • Is the first value proposition clear?

Signup friction

  • Required fields
  • Account creation
  • Permissions and authentication
  • Unnecessary commitment

Onboarding

  • Guided setup
  • Progression
  • Product education
  • Empty states
  • Progressive disclosure

First meaningful action

  • Is the next step obvious?
  • Are there unnecessary decisions?
  • Does the product create momentum?

First value

  • How quickly does the user experience a meaningful result?
  • Is the value visible and understandable?

Existing evidence

If you already have it

  • Signup conversion
  • Funnel drop-off
  • Completion rate
  • Time to first value
  • Session recordings
  • Existing user feedback

One boundary worth stating: any analytics review is based only on existing data you supply. The Audit does not include analytics implementation or a full analytics consulting engagement.

What is delivered

  1. 1

    Activation journey map

    A visual map of the current journey (visit, signup, setup, action, result, first value), annotated with friction, confusion, risk and opportunity.

  2. 2

    Key findings

    Around 5 to 10 meaningful issues. Each one written as evidence, why it matters, and the recommended change. No sprawling heuristic checklist of low-priority observations.

  3. 3

    Priority recommendations

    The top 3 changes most likely to improve activation, plus secondary opportunities worth picking up later.

  4. 4

    Recommended activation flow

    A high-level direction for the improved journey: a flow diagram, annotated journey or low-fidelity wireframe. Conceptual, not production-ready UI.

  5. 5

    Review call

    A 60-minute walkthrough covering the findings, the reasoning behind them, the priorities, and the recommended next steps.

Final format: roughly 10 to 15 pages or frames, built from visual annotation, flow diagrams, screenshots and prioritised recommendations. Not a long UX report nobody reads.

What is explicitly excluded

An audit is a diagnosis, not a rebuild. So you know exactly what you are not buying, the Activation Audit does not include:

  • Full UI redesign
  • Production-ready screens
  • Full copywriting
  • Analytics implementation
  • User recruitment
  • Full usability testing project
  • Engineering implementation
  • Ongoing iteration

If the audit shows that one of these is what you actually need, I'll tell you, and there is a clear next step below.

Launch Readiness or Activation?

Before launch

Launch Readiness Audit

Is this product ready to meet real users?

Choose this if you haven't launched yet, or you're about to relaunch.

See the Launch Readiness Audit
After launch

Activation Audit

Why are new users failing to reach first value, and what should we change first?

Choose this if you're live, and people sign up but too few reach value.

You are here

Compare both audits side by side

Need help fixing it too?

If the audit shows something worth acting on, your Activation Audit fee carries forward. Book within 14 days and US$500 is credited towards a Critical Flow Sprint, or the full US$900 towards the first month of a Partnership. You keep the audit findings either way. There is no obligation to continue.

One week

Critical Flow Sprint

Sprint
US$2,500
Audit credit
−US$500
You pay
US$2,000

Ongoing

Fractional Design Partnership

First month
from US$4,000
Audit credit
−US$900
First month
from US$3,100

Book an Activation Audit

Start with a 30-minute call. Tell me where activation is leaking and we'll confirm the audit is the right scope before anything is booked.

Book an AuditCompare all three ways to work together