How we kept our onboarding drop-off under 1% (UX vs. Marketing)

Hey everyone! 👋

Coming off our launch last week, we spent some time digging into our analytics for SoundGate and one metric really stood out: our onboarding drop-off rate is sitting at less than 1%.

When we originally sat down to design that first user interaction, we spent a massive amount of time debating and refining the experience. It is incredibly tempting to use onboarding as a data-gathering exercise, but we set a few strict rules for ourselves to prevent that:

• Zero Fluff: We audited every single step. If a question didn't directly improve the user's immediate experience in the app, we cut it.

• UX > Marketing: We had tough conversations about what data helps marketing versus what the user actually needs to get started. We kept the focus entirely on the user's momentum.

• Vibe is a Feature: We didn't just want a functional flow. We wanted to show off the musicality and tone of the app from the very first tap. Onboarding shouldn't feel like filling out a tax form - it should feel like the opening track of a great album.

I’m curious how other makers and founders navigate this friction.

Where do you draw the line between gathering essential user/marketing data and keeping the initial experience completely frictionless? Would love to hear how you balance this in your own apps!