filipschwarz.

About me

References

Resume

Streamlining user
activation through
self-serve onboarding

Streamlining user
activation through
self-serve onboarding

Results

-30%

Time to value for new customers

-27%

Declined customers during onboarding

1.3 to 3.7

Feature adoption in the onboarding stage

About Juni


Juni is a Swedish based financial platform built for eCommerce businesses, offering a powerful suite of banking, credit, and automation tools to supercharge cash flow management and drive scalable growth. Fresh off a Series B funding round, Juni was rapidly expanding its user base and internal operations, aiming to redefine the way businesses handle their financial needs.


Juni is a Swedish based financial platform built for eCommerce businesses, offering a powerful suite of banking, credit, and automation tools to supercharge cash flow management and drive scalable growth. Fresh off a Series B funding round, Juni was rapidly expanding its user base and internal operations, aiming to redefine the way businesses handle their financial needs.

My role


As a Senior Growth Product Designer, I led multiple initiatives to simplify user onboarding and accelerate activation and retention, laying the foundation for platform monetization. By integrating monetization strategy into the design process, I created a pricing structure that scaled from zero to become the platform’s third-largest revenue stream.


As a Senior Growth Product Designer, I led multiple initiatives to simplify user onboarding and accelerate activation and retention, laying the foundation for platform monetization. By integrating monetization strategy into the design process, I created a pricing structure that scaled from zero to become the platform’s third-largest revenue stream.

Understanding problem space

Understanding problem space

Onboarding for banking solutions can be a complex and time-consuming process. As a result, many customers abandong the onboarding process early causing an enormous financial strain on marketing budgets as well as operation costs for onboarding teams.

Onboarding for banking solutions can be a complex and time-consuming process. As a result, many customers abandong the onboarding process early causing an enormous financial strain on marketing budgets as well as operation costs for onboarding teams.

Analyzing friction points through journey mapping

Analyzing friction points through journey mapping

Apart from general UX audit, it was essential to understand friction points in onboarding and activation through the customer facing teams. I ran a series of discovery interviews and organized the findings into a User Journey map

Apart from general UX audit, it was essential to understand friction points in onboarding and activation through the customer facing teams. I ran a series of discovery interviews and organized the findings into a User Journey map

Collaborating with the data team, we analyzed user progress through the onboarding flow and identified significant drop-offs. Key findings included:
1. Unqualified/Rejected Users: A high percentage were disqualified early on.
2. Churned Users: Many abandoned the process mid-way due to unclear steps.
3. Activation Failures: Users who completed onboarding still failed to activate accounts, often due to slow approvals.

Collaborating with the data team, we analyzed user progress through the onboarding flow and identified significant drop-offs. Key findings included:


1. Unqualified/Rejected Users:

A high percentage were disqualified early on.


2. Churned Users:

Many abandoned the process mid-way due to unclear steps.


3. Activation Failures:

Users who completed onboarding still failed to activate accounts, often due to slow approvals.

Streamlining user onboarding

Streamlining user onboarding

Activation Wizard

Activation Wizard

To keep users engaged and reduce churn while waiting for approval, we introduced a wizard that let users start setting up their accounts. Inspired by platforms like Revolut, Ramp, and Hawk, these tasks helped users adopt key features early, ensuring they were ready to go as soon as approval came through.

By collaborating with the CS team and analyzing feature adoption data from existing users, we identified the key tasks in the onboarding process. The task definitions were driven by two factors: operational value for customers and business value for Juni.

To keep users engaged and reduce churn while waiting for approval, we introduced a wizard that let users start setting up their accounts. Inspired by platforms like Revolut, Ramp, and Hawk, these tasks helped users adopt key features early, ensuring they were ready to go as soon as approval came through.

By collaborating with the CS team and analyzing feature adoption data from existing users, we identified the key tasks in the onboarding process. The task definitions were driven by two factors: operational value for customers and business value for Juni.

Integrate banks and payment gateways

  • Transaction feature will display recent bank transactions from all integrated services.

  • Analytics feature and Home dashboard will showcase sections like balance charts, expenses, and revenue.

Integrate banks and payment gateways

  • Highlighting the option to start benefiting from the credit offering early would be a key driver in completing the onboarding process.

  • This approach would also allow the credit team to begin the underwriting process more quickly.

Integrate ad networks

  • Given our ICP — e-commerce businesses, dropshippers, and affiliate networks — providing a comprehensive finance overview tied to ad network performance is essential.

Connect Gmail

  • By integrating Gmail, we allowed customers to get their invoices fetched directly through the API - this would in end effect allow users to streamline their invoice payment process

Add funds


  • Topping up the account with own funds was the primary indicator of user activation.

  • However, this was dependent on their KYB status — users could only complete activation and access the full functionality of the application once KYB approval was granted.

Results

Results

The initial rollout helped us validate key assumptions through quant data in Metabase and identify friction points in the onboarding flow. We saw improved engagement with pre-approval tasks, increased adoption of key features, and clearer signals of user intent. This allowed us to prioritize high-impact improvements for the next iteration.

The initial rollout helped us validate key assumptions through quant data in Metabase and identify friction points in the onboarding flow. We saw improved engagement with pre-approval tasks, increased adoption of key features, and clearer signals of user intent. This allowed us to prioritize high-impact improvements for the next iteration.

  1. We observed a slight decrease in drop-off rates during the Activation Wizard stage.

  2. Two features stood out in terms of adoption:
    - Open Banking integration
    - Credit application

  3. The least engaged action was Adding funds the account, primarily due to:

    -Incomplete KYB approvals for many users

    -Topping up signaled full platform adoption, which not all users were ready for at that stage

We observed a slight decrease in drop-off rates during the Activation Wizard stage.

Two features stood out in terms of adoption:
- Open Banking integration
- Credit application

The least engaged action was Adding funds the account, primarily due to:

-Incomplete KYB approvals for many users

-Topping up signaled full platform adoption, which not all users were ready for at that stage

Assumption 1: Users didn’t clearly understand the value of completing these actions so early in the process.


✅ Added short videos to help users understand the value of each action
✅ Included brief descriptions to explain each step
✅ Introduced a skip option, allowing users to move past actions they weren’t ready to complete

Assumption 1: Users didn’t clearly understand the value of completing these actions so early in the process.


✅ Added short videos to help users understand the value of each action
✅ Included brief descriptions to explain each step
✅ Introduced a skip option, allowing users to move past actions they weren’t ready to complete

Assumption 2: The required actions did not align with what customers were looking for.


✅ We added more actions to get users onboarded (Connect ERP)
- To help Juni to collect more information to streamline onboarding process
- To provide additional actions that would help users speed up the onboarding process

Assumption 2: The required actions did not align with what customers were looking for.


✅ We added more actions to get users onboarded (Connect ERP)
- To help Juni to collect more information to streamline onboarding process
- To provide additional actions that would help users speed up the onboarding process

Product vision (productivity tool for finance teams)

Additional findings from Hotjar pointed towards stepping away from grid view and explore the list. This confirmed our assumptions that we set during product vision prototyping (our goal was to shift the strategy from the purely financial tool to a more productivity focus product revolving around tasks - that are easier to manage from the list.

Additional findings from Hotjar pointed towards stepping away from grid view and explore the list. This confirmed our assumptions that we set during product vision prototyping (our goal was to shift the strategy from the purely financial tool to a more productivity focus product revolving around tasks - that are easier to manage from the list.

New iterations brought promising results

New iterations brought promising results

1.2. to 3.4

Adopted features during onboarding

3x

ERP integration

MoM

-27%

Churn during onboarding stage

While the Activation Wizard helped approved customers onboard more quickly, the number of declined applicants remained the same. This put additional strain on the Operations team, who had to process users that were ultimately rejected, and led to frustration among applicants who completed onboarding steps but were later declined.

This lead us to explore options of prequalifying customers early on, so that only qualified customers were able to access onboarding flow.

While the Activation Wizard helped approved customers onboard more quickly, the number of declined applicants remained the same. This put additional strain on the Operations team, who had to process users that were ultimately rejected, and led to frustration among applicants who completed onboarding steps but were later declined.

This lead us to explore options of prequalifying customers early on, so that only qualified customers were able to access onboarding flow.

Prequalification questionnaire

Prequalification questionnaire

Inspired by market leaders like Ramp and Brex, we introduced a Prequalification Questionnaire placed before the onboarding flow to address both issue. This allowed us to evaluate applicants early in the process, reducing unnecessary strain on internal teams and improving transparency for users.

Inspired by market leaders like Ramp and Brex, we introduced a Prequalification Questionnaire placed before the onboarding flow to address both issue. This allowed us to evaluate applicants early in the process, reducing unnecessary strain on internal teams and improving transparency for users.

The questionnaire consisted of 4 basic questions to estimate the customer eligibility:

Country of registration
Website URL
Estimated annual revenue
Current liquidity

The questionnaire consisted of 4 basic questions to estimate the customer eligibility:

Country of registration
Website URL
Estimated annual revenue
Current liquidity

We split the qualification of aplicants into 3 categories:

  1. High value applicant: Deserving assisted onboarding with the support of Operations team

  2. Low value applicant: Allowing user to self-serve through our onboarding and activation flow

  3. Disqualified applicant: Not meeting criteria / Not allowed to proceed until conditions were met

We split the qualification of aplicants into 3 categories:

  1. High value applicant: Deserving assisted onboarding with the support of Operations team

  2. Low value applicant: Allowing user to self-serve through our onboarding and activation flow

  3. Disqualified applicant: Not meeting criteria / Not allowed to proceed until conditions were met

Low value applicant

High value applicant

Disqualified applicant

By this simple implementation, we’ve achieved a few very positive outcomes:

By this simple implementation, we’ve achieved a few very positive outcomes:

-27%

Declined customer during onboarding

4.2 to 4.3

Improved Trust pilot score

10x

Happier

Operations team

Turning credit demand into a curated onboarding flow

Turning credit demand into a curated onboarding flow

Following the early success of the Prequalification Questionnaire, we expanded the initiative to focus specifically on credit customers (as a main revenue driver), who represent the majority of our user base.

By discovering credit intent early, we were able to route qualified applicants into a curated onboarding flow, designed to accelerate time-to-value. This allowed us to deliver a concierge-style experience, tailored to their needs—driving faster activation, improving credit feature adoption, and enabling more efficient support from internal teams.

Following the early success of the Prequalification Questionnaire, we expanded the initiative to focus specifically on credit customers (as a main revenue driver), who represent the majority of our user base.

By discovering credit intent early, we were able to route qualified applicants into a curated onboarding flow, designed to accelerate time-to-value. This allowed us to deliver a concierge-style experience, tailored to their needs—driving faster activation, improving credit feature adoption, and enabling more efficient support from internal teams.

We introduced an additional question in the Prequalification flow to identify which features users were most interested in—helping us tailor their onboarding journey based on intent.

Country of registration
Website URL
Which features you’re interested in? (NEW)
Estimated annual revenue
Current liquidity

We introduced an additional question in the Prequalification flow to identify which features users were most interested in—helping us tailor their onboarding journey based on intent.

Country of registration
Website URL
Which features you’re interested in? (NEW)
Estimated annual revenue
Current liquidity

We've added 2 more applicant categories to the existing 3:

  1. High value applicant: Deserving assisted onboarding with the support of Operations team

  2. Low value applicant: Allowing user to self-serve through our onboarding and activation flow

  3. Disqualified applicant: Not meeting criteria / Not allowed to proceed until conditions were met

  4. High value applicant / Credit interested: Assisted onboarding with Credit focus

  5. Low value / Credit interested: Self-serve with optional Credit focus

New Prequal form addition

Based on user insights and early signals from the Prequalification flow, we formed a new assumption: offering differentiated onboarding experiences based on user type and intent could improve both feature adoption and activation rates. This laid the groundwork for the hypothesis below.

Based on user insights and early signals from the Prequalification flow, we formed a new assumption: offering differentiated onboarding experiences based on user type and intent could improve both feature adoption and activation rates. This laid the groundwork for the hypothesis below.

Prequalification flow

Hypothesis

By offering customers with tailored onboarding experience, we can achieve better feature adoption and faster activation.

What did we do?

We organized the Activation Wizard around tasks critical to both Credit application and platform activation, using feature adoption data from Metabase to assess user value. These actions were then prioritized in a clear matrix to align stakeholders and guide implementation.

We followed similiar metrics as the previous iterations (and added a new one) to validate our assumptions:

Churn / drop off in the onboarding process

No. of adopted features during onboarding

No. of customers topping up account

No. of customers with approved credit applications

I organized onboarding tasks into a matrix based on user value and adoption levels (informed by Metabase insights). This allowed us to tailor the onboarding experience to each applicant type by prioritizing actions that were both impactful and relevant.

I organized onboarding tasks into a matrix based on user value and adoption levels (informed by Metabase insights). This allowed us to tailor the onboarding experience to each applicant type by prioritizing actions that were both impactful and relevant.

Applicant with credit intent

Applicant with no (initial) credit intent

Improvements we observed for Credit applicants

-32%

Reduced churn for credit applicants

By providing clearer guidance with a focused goal—getting credit fast—we significantly reduced applicant churn during onboarding

2.4 to 3.7

Improvement in feature adoption metrics

By clearly outlining the required integrations for application completion, we saw a notable increase in feature adoption.

+24%

Improved approval rates for credit customer

By enabling customers to share their financial data through integrations, we improved approval rates and reduced underwriting time.

Opening up platform for pending applicants

Opening up platform for pending applicants

Inspiration

Inspiration

It was Revolut Business and Pleo that has inspired this initiative. We strongly believed that if some of our major competitors used this formp of user onboarding, they must be up to something

It was Revolut Business and Pleo that has inspired this initiative. We strongly believed that if some of our major competitors used this formp of user onboarding, they must be up to something

Concerns

Concerns

One key concern was that too much freedom might distract applicants with secondary features, causing them to overlook the critical steps needed to get their account up and running.

One key concern was that too much freedom might distract applicants with secondary features, causing them to overlook the critical steps needed to get their account up and running.

Implementing this approach required close collaboration with the platform team to manage user roles and permissions, as not all user types were allowed the same level of access during onboarding.

Implementing this approach required close collaboration with the platform team to manage user roles and permissions, as not all user types were allowed the same level of access during onboarding.

Since Juni didn’t offer a freemium version, we had to define the point at which an applicant became eligible for pricing consideration. Not offering freemium version was a significant blocker.

Since Juni didn’t offer a freemium version, we had to define the point at which an applicant became eligible for pricing consideration. Not offering freemium version was a significant blocker.

Status quo

Status quo

Our onboarding process was rigid, offering clear guidance but no flexibility to navigate between stages. Users were effectively stuck in a "vacuum" until completion.

Our onboarding process was rigid, offering clear guidance but no flexibility to navigate between stages. Users were effectively stuck in a "vacuum" until completion.

Original onboarding flow

'Early access framework'

'Early access framework'

To gain buy-in from stakeholders and management, I defined a framework that included essential onboarding features, 'default-enabled features,' and those with dependencies. After several discussions, I developed a list that served as the foundation for this framework.

To gain buy-in from stakeholders and management, I defined a framework that included essential onboarding features, 'default-enabled features,' and those with dependencies. After several discussions, I developed a list that served as the foundation for this framework.

What changes the new framework entailed

What changes the new framework entailed

We dramatically reduced the amount stages the applicant had to pass in order to unlock the full app experience. By prequalifying customers and collecting their personal details through Gmail sign up we’ve reduced time-to-value by 40%. The question remained what features we would surface to applicants once they enter the app experience.

We dramatically reduced the amount stages the applicant had to pass in order to unlock the full app experience. By prequalifying customers and collecting their personal details through Gmail sign up we’ve reduced time-to-value by 40%. The question remained what features we would surface to applicants once they enter the app experience.

Financial operations

Financial operations

All financial operations were locked until onboarding was complete. Whenever a feature was accessed, users were rerouted to the application process.

All financial operations were locked until onboarding was complete. Whenever a feature was accessed, users were rerouted to the application process.

Business analytics

Business analytics

Integrations were accessible from two entry points: the onboarding wizard and contextually within feature tabs as empty states.

Integrations were accessible from two entry points: the onboarding wizard and contextually within feature tabs as empty states.

Features with dependency

Features with dependency

Users could interact with these features, but their access was limited based on the stage of the application process.

Users could interact with these features, but their access was limited based on the stage of the application process.

Introducting features to boost retention

Introducting features to boost retention

Notification framework

Notification framework

One of the main concerns that - as Growth team - had to address was how we communicate with the customers and keep the engaged with the platform. Until the notification framework was rolled out, Juni was using only emails to inform customers about anything in the platform.

One of the main concerns that - as Growth team - had to address was how we communicate with the customers and keep the engaged with the platform. Until the notification framework was rolled out, Juni was using only emails to inform customers about anything in the platform.

Problem

How can we design a platform that delivers personalized notifications, categorizing them into critical and non-critical types, while ensuring users stay informed, engaged, and motivated to interact with the platform regularly?

What did we do?

We built a notification framework that categorizes updates and assigns them to distinct channels per category, with customizable settings for triggering and delivery to keep users informed without overwhelming them.

Additionally, emails were triggered from multiple sources: Mandrill, Mailchimp, Pardot and Hubspot. I collected all emails and organized them by:

- category
- responsible team
- nature of the

- message
- channel
- customizability

Additionally, emails were triggered from multiple sources: Mandrill, Mailchimp, Pardot and Hubspot. I collected all emails and organized them by:

- category
- responsible team
- nature of the

- message
- channel
- customizability

Introducting 2 notification channels

Introducting 2 notification channels

It became clear that introducing 2 more notification channels is essential to maintain clarity and bring more stucture into chaos. We’ve agreed internally that tasks and in-app notifications would help us achieve the goals.

It became clear that introducing 2 more notification channels is essential to maintain clarity and bring more stucture into chaos. We’ve agreed internally that tasks and in-app notifications would help us achieve the goals.

Tasks / Action cards

Tasks / Action cards

Action cards have been a long-awaited initiative, aimed at surfacing tasks and enriching the home dashboard with immediately actionable items that reflect the current status of the account. This initiative also laid the foundation for a productivity-focused approach, which we later presented in the product vision.

Action cards couldn't be controlled through the notification center. Instead, they were triggered by individual teams whenever an action was required.

Action cards have been a long-awaited initiative, aimed at surfacing tasks and enriching the home dashboard with immediately actionable items that reflect the current status of the account. This initiative also laid the foundation for a productivity-focused approach, which we later presented in the product vision.

Action cards couldn't be controlled through the notification center. Instead, they were triggered by individual teams whenever an action was required.

In-app notifications

In-app notifications

In-app notifications served as a supporting communication channel to provide users with non-essential information that included information such as payment confirmations, team changes, analytics trends, and more.

All in-app notifications were fully customizable (depending on the user type) in the Notification center.

In-app notifications served as a supporting communication channel to provide users with non-essential information that included information such as payment confirmations, team changes, analytics trends, and more.

All in-app notifications were fully customizable (depending on the user type) in the Notification center.

Product tours

Product tours

Product tour was another intiative I lead, to bring us on par with other market players as well, as minimize as making activation of Juni customers more product-led.

After discussing with our engineering team, it became apparent that opting for a 3rd party solution would saves a lot of engineering time, making feature teams more independent when creating feature related product tours.

Product tour was another intiative I lead, to bring us on par with other market players as well, as minimize as making activation of Juni customers more product-led.

After discussing with our engineering team, it became apparent that opting for a 3rd party solution would saves a lot of engineering time, making feature teams more independent when creating feature related product tours.

How we boosted the onboarding for new customers

1.2 to 3.7

Feature

adoption

14 to 12

Days of credit processing time

Days of credit processing time

+23%

% KYC started /

KYC approved

% KYC started /

KYC approved

-37%

-37%

CS request

processing time

CS request

processing time

Enhanced user journey

By integrating tools like a prequalification questionnaire, Activation Wizard, and in-app support, we have significantly improved the user experience. These enhancements ensure that the right leads enter the funnel and receive a tailored experience from day one, delivering the right information at the right time.

filipschwarz.

filipschwarz.

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