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Hey, {{first_name | product-preneur}}!
Onboarding shouldn't feel like a job application.
But I just watched someone go through 6 screens before they could even see the product they signed up for. Six. Screens.
Name, email, password, business goals, team size, another goal selection, and finally... maybe they get to use the thing.
By screen three, I wanted to quit. And I'm not even a real user, I'm just some bald guy tearing apart onboarding flows on a Tuesday afternoon.
Attention is scarce. Learn how to earn it.
Every leader faces the same challenge: getting people to actually absorb what you're saying - in a world of overflowing inboxes, half-read Slacks, and meetings about meetings.
Smart Brevity is the methodology Axios HQ built to solve this. It's a system for communicating with clarity, respect, and precision — whether you're writing to your board, your team, or your entire organization.
Join our free 60-minute Open House to learn how it works and see it in action.
Runs monthly - grab a spot that works for you.
Potion of the Week
The Brain Quits Before You Do
Here's what's happening in your user's head during a long onboarding flow:
Screen 1: "Okay, I'm curious."
Screen 2: "Sure, makes sense."
Screen 3: "Wait, how much longer is this?"
Screen 4: "Do I even need this product?"
Screen 5: closes tab forever
Your brain can only juggle about 7 things before it starts rage-quitting. Every extra screen, every form field, every dropdown is cognitive load piling up like laundry you keep ignoring.
And statistically? If someone doesn't convert in the first seven days, they're never coming back.
So why are we putting a obstacle course between people and their money?