The first 30 seconds of any new app
The make-or-break window every app has, and the four things that fit inside it.
App retention drops sharply in the first 30 seconds. The user opens, evaluates, and either commits or deletes. Most onboarding flows lose them inside this window.
What fits in 30 seconds
A clear answer to "what does this do." Not a tour. Not a video. The first screen makes the value obvious without explanation.
One small win. The user does something - even something tiny - and feels rewarded. A first todo added. A first photo taken. A first message sent. Activation is a feeling, not a metric.
A reason to come back tomorrow. The app makes a promise about future utility. "Streak starts now." "Your daily check-in is ready in the morning." Something the user can anchor to.
What doesn't fit
A 6-step tour. Permission requests for things the app doesn't yet need. A sign-up wall before the value is shown.
The cheapest test
Hand the app to someone who has never seen it. Watch them silently. Do not explain. They tell you everything that's wrong in the first 30 seconds, by what they hesitate on or skip.
Most onboarding redesigns we ship are 90% deletion of unnecessary steps.