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No Success Metric Shown = No Activation
"Progress is motivation. Without it, users disappear."
Imagine opening a new SaaS tool. You sign up, land in the app... and you’re not sure what to do next. There’s no onboarding checklist. No progress bar. No hint that you're on the right track.
So you poke around, maybe click a few things. Then you close the tab. You don’t come back.
This is exactly what happens when you don’t show users their progress toward success.
In SaaS, we call this a No Progress Shown leak.
The Leak: No Activation Milestone Shown = No Motivation
- Without a clear success metric, users have no idea what the "finish line" is.
- Users need feedback. A feeling that they’re getting somewhere.
- SaaS products that show onboarding progress metrics see 18% higher activation rates.
"No success metric = no success mindset. You need to tell users they’re winning." — Kate Syuma
The Psychology of Progress
Humans are hardwired to crave progress. According to a Harvard Business Review study, "the single most important factor in boosting emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday is making progress."
This is known as the Progress Principle.
Examples of effective progress design:
- Trello’s onboarding uses a checklist that turns green on completion.
- Duolingo shows a daily streak and progress bar.
- Linear highlights completed milestones to drive usage momentum.
When users see they are progressing, they’re more likely to stick with the product and reach value.
What Is An Activation Milestone?
A success metric (or activation milestone) is a specific action or outcome that signals a user got value from your product. Examples:
- Created a project
- Invited a teammate
- Connected an integration
- Published something
The milestone helps:
- Guide users
- Track progress
- Trigger celebration / next step
And most importantly: it gives users a reason to keep going.
Business Impact of Missing This
- Users stall during onboarding
- Lower activation = higher churn in 7-30 day window
- Drops in retention, expansion and monetization
- Poor product-led onboarding metrics
- Bad UX = fewer word-of-mouth referrals
"You don’t need complex gamification. Just show users where they are." — Ramli John
How to Spot This Leak
Use ThriveStack to audit your activation journey:
Define Activation Milestones
Setup your product’s activation journey—milestone by milestone.
Visualize Progress Visibility
Check how many flows actually show users how far they’ve come.
Run Progress Coverage Audit
See which onboarding paths lack progress indicators.
Segment by Persona / Plan
Are free users or enterprise leads missing these cues
Detect Drop-offs Linked to No Feedback
Correlate lack of success feedback with churn events.
ThriveStack Features That Help
- Define and measure user progress across onboarding.
- Progress Visibility Audit
Identify onboarding steps that lack visual feedback. - Milestone Drop-Off Reports
Track where users are abandoning before reaching success. - Cohort Funnel by Persona
Find which users fail to reach value due to unclear journeys. - In-App Journey Suggestions
ThriveStack can suggest where to add feedback (e.g. checklists, nudges). - Nudges When Success is Reached
Notify users with a celebration moment or next-step CTA.
What To Do About It
- Define First Value
What action shows that a user got value? - Make it Visible
Add inline feedback (progress bars, checklists, confirmation banners). - Celebrate It
Reward the user when they reach success—they’ll remember it. - Track & Iterate
Use ThriveStack to test changes and see what improves activation.
Conclusion Ready to Fix Your Activation Funnel?
When users don’t see progress, they don’t feel progress, and without that feeling, they lose motivation fast. The absence of a clear success metric isn’t just a UX oversight—it’s a major activation leak. Every product moment without feedback is an opportunity lost.
Whether you're a founder, PM, or growth marketer, showing users their next step—and their progress so far—is non-negotiable. Make it obvious. Make it visual. Make it count.
Progress drives momentum. Without it, users churn silently.
Start using ThriveStack to define activation milestones, visualize drop-offs, and build journeys that actually show users they’re making progress.
Get started in under 10 minutes.
FAQ
1. What is an activation milestone in SaaS?
An activation milestone is a specific action or event that proves a user has received value from your product. Examples include creating a project, inviting a teammate, connecting an integration, or publishing content. These moments signal that the user has “activated” and are key to long-term retention.
2. Why does showing progress matter in user onboarding?
Progress drives motivation. Humans are wired to crave signs of advancement (known as the “Progress Principle”). Without visible progress, users feel lost, disengage, and churn. SaaS products that show checklists, streaks, or progress bars see significantly higher activation and retention rates.
3. What happens if no success metric is shown?
If users don’t see a clear finish line, they lose motivation. This leads to:
- Higher onboarding drop-offs
- Lower activation rates
- Increased churn in the first 7–30 days
- Poor product-led growth metrics and fewer referrals
4. How can I identify if my product has a “No Progress Shown” leak?
You can spot this leak by auditing your onboarding flow:
- Are milestones clearly defined and visible?
- Do users get visual feedback (progress bar, checklist, banners)?
- Are drop-offs higher in flows where no feedback exists?
Tools like ThriveStack help run Progress Visibility Audits and Milestone Drop-Off Reports to uncover gaps.
5. What are the best ways to show progress in SaaS onboarding?
Some effective methods include:
- Checklists (e.g., Trello’s onboarding)
- Progress bars/streaks (e.g., Duolingo)
- Celebration nudges (confetti, banners, or badges)
- Milestone highlights (e.g., Linear showing completed goals)
The goal isn’t gamification—it’s clear, simple visibility that tells users they’re winning.