PRODUCT
How we think about activation (and why 14% matters)
Most teams measure activation. Far fewer agree on what it means — which is why the number moves and nobody knows why.
Sarah Lindqvist
Product
Activation is a definition problem
Every team we talk to reports an activation rate. Almost none of them can explain what the denominator is. One counts signups, another counts verified accounts, a third quietly excludes trials that churned inside a week. The number goes up, the number goes down, and the meeting ends without anyone learning anything.
The fix is unglamorous. Write the definition down, name the owner, and version it like code. When the definition changes, the chart gets a marker. That single habit turns a vanity metric into something you can actually argue about.
Why 14% is not a target
We publish our own figure because comparison is useful, not because it is a benchmark. Your product, your pricing, and your onboarding shape that number far more than any industry average. Treat 14% as a conversation starter, and treat your own trend line as the thing that matters.
