Competitor Onboarding Teardown
Onboarding is where 60-80% of installs churn. Steal the best.
The teardown sheet
For each competitor, document EVERY screen from cold install to first value:
| # | Screen | Type | Required | Asks for | Pattern | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Splash | Launch | - | - | Logo | 1 sec |
| 2 | Welcome | Hero | - | - | Big headline + CTA | "Get Started" |
| 3 | Quiz Q1: Goal | Choice | Yes | "What's your goal?" | 3-option | Sets up personalization |
| 4 | Quiz Q2: Experience | Choice | Yes | Beginner/Inter/Adv | 3-option | |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 12 | Notif permission | System | Skippable | Push notif perm | Pre-prompt | Custom screen explaining WHY first |
| 13 | Account creation | Auth | Required | Email + pw | Apple Sign In option | Skip = no app access |
| 14 | First value screen | Output | - | - | Personalized plan | <-- AHA MOMENT |
What to measure
- Total screens count (less = better, target <8 before aha)
- Time to aha (cold tap -> first value, target <60 sec)
- Skippable % (how many screens can user skip)
- Required asks (what's truly mandatory before value)
- Permission ordering (custom pre-prompt before system dialog?)
- Auth timing (do they delay account creation until value seen?)
Patterns to look for
Pattern A: The Cal AI Quiz (current best practice)
- 8-15 personalization questions
- Each Q justifies the next, builds investment
- Final screen: personalized plan + paywall
- Conversion: 8-15% from install to paid
Pattern B: Sample Data + Defer Setup (Linear-style)
- Show app with fake data immediately
- Hide config behind a "Customize" CTA later
- Aha = "oh I see what this looks like"
- Conversion: lower paid, higher activation
Pattern C: Single Action First (TikTok-style)
- One screen, one action ("Watch this video")
- Build habit before asking anything
- Auth deferred to point of friction
- Conversion: highest D7 retention
Pattern D: Tutorial Coachmarks (avoid)
- Step-by-step tooltips on first launch
- Users tap-skip 80% of the time
- Modern apps don't use this anymore
Document the personalization
If quiz-based, note:
- How many questions?
- What do they DO with the answers? (cosmetic? actually personalized? fake personalization?)
- Is the final "your plan" screen ACTUALLY different per user, or template?
Output template
markdown# Onboarding: [Competitor] - Pattern: Cal AI Quiz - Total screens: 12 - Time to aha: 73 sec (slow) - Required asks: email, goal selection - Permissions: notif (with custom pre-prompt screen) ## Screen-by-screen [full table] ## Personalization depth Real - 7 quiz answers feed into output plan. ## What they do well - Custom pre-prompt before notif permission (smart) - Apple Sign In as default auth (low friction) - Quiz progress bar (commitment device) ## What's broken - 12 screens is too long - Account creation BEFORE plan reveal kills 30%+ I bet - Email is required (should be Apple Sign In only) ## What to steal for our app - Quiz personalization model - Custom pre-prompt for notifs ## What to do differently - 6-8 questions max (not 12) - Show plan BEFORE asking for account - No email — Apple Sign In only
Pair with
design-onboarding-quizto design our versiondissect-competitor-appfor full app teardownmine-competitor-reviewsto find their onboarding complaints


