Eliminating Onboarding Roadblocks to Boost Participation

QLU Social is an invite-only app for professionals to build authentic, lasting networks. Events drive new users, while other features deepen relationships.

Onboarding was too long and demanding. Out of 10 invited users who said “yes,” only 2–3 finished onboarding. The process took ~2 days and multiple reminders.

Link opens in browser → download app

OTP login → full profile setup

Event page → 30s video intro

8 FTE screens → enlist in event

Profile completion

Video introduction

Long FTE

High friction was turning “yes” into “no show.”

We redesigned onboarding to get users into events first and delay extras.

Reduced input: Only name, role, photo, company after OTP

Event-first flow: New users landed directly on event page

Deferred profile: Blinking profile icon as reminder

Simplified UI: Events, profile, and messages only

Contextual FTE: Tips shown at relevant moments instead of 8 screens

Video intro removed: Planned re-entry at scale with less friction

Higher enlistment rates, fewer reminders

Faster conversion from “yes” to event join

More profiles completed post-event, nudged by contextual prompts

User feedback: “Joining the event was instant. I could focus right away and update my profile later.”

I'm Ali, a fractional product and design lead for seed to Series A AI startups. I make an AI product's output clear enough that people act on it without a manual. One AI feature I designed lifted user sessions 70%.

If you don't have a head of product or design yet, that's the gap I fill. We can start with a 4-week audit or a monthly retainer.

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