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How We Reduced Pipekit’s Onboarding Time by 75%

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How We Reduced Pipekit’s Onboarding Time by 75%

Company:

Pipekit Inc.

Duration:

2022 (3 months)

Team:

CTO and Engineering team

CTO and Engineering team

Overview

The problem: Pipekit’s onboarding flow was confusing for customers. Only 30% of users could finish the onboarding flow within 20 Minutes. Pipekit is supposed to simplify workflows for organizations, but their onboarding flow was confusing and difficult to get through.

The Goal: A customer should complete the onboarding process and run their first workflow within five minutes.

Success Metrics: Increase the number of onboarded customers, reduce time to onboard.

Deliverables:

  • A clear and efficient onboarding experience within the UI tailored for technical and non-technical users

  • An educational guide that introduces the customer to the product’s core functionalities, values, and interface

Challenge

As we approached the upcoming Beta release, it became clear that our onboarding flow needed to be both intuitive and efficient for a diverse user base. Our target was ambitious: enable any customer—regardless of technical background—to sign up and run their first workflow within five minutes.

This was a critical moment, as onboarding would define users’ initial perception of Pipekit and set the tone for their ongoing engagement.





Through customer interviews and market research, we identified three primary user types:





  • Data Scientists: Typically unfamiliar with Pipekit or Argo workflows, focused on accessing workflow data.

  • Senior Engineers: Experienced with workflows, responsible for creation and management.

  • Organization Admins: Oversee teams and permissions, occasionally manage workflows.

Discovery and Iteration

I partnered closely with our co-founder to map out the signup and workflow creation journeys, ensuring clarity for both technical and non-technical users. Early prototypes were built with engineering, and we conducted user interviews to uncover pain points. 





We quickly discovered several challenges:



  • Unclear instructions led to confusion, especially for less technical users.

  • Technical glitches and edge cases disrupted the flow.

  • Users wanted more context about what Pipekit did and how it could help them.



We iterated rapidly, refining copy, adding contextual tooltips, and streamlining steps. Competitive analysis highlighted the value of interactive product tours and personalized guidance, which we adapted to our onboarding flow. Each round of testing—internally and with our community—surfaced new insights, allowing us to address usability gaps and improve the educational value of the experience.

Solution and Impact

The final onboarding flow was shaped by continuous feedback and rigorous testing. We introduced clearer guidance, interactive walkthroughs, and educational touchpoints that addressed users’ initial questions about the product. 





As we began onboarding customers, the results were immediately positive: users were able to sign up and get started without any issues. Feedback highlighted that the process was clear, informative, and answered many of the questions users previously had about Pipekit’s capabilities.



This project stands out for its rapid iteration, close cross-functional collaboration, and direct engagement with our user community. By prioritizing user feedback and adapting quickly, we delivered an onboarding experience that not only met our goals but also set a strong foundation for customer success as Pipekit continues to grow.

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