Strava · B2C · running and cycling app
Build one tool for in-app tips, then test removing all tips once teams overuse it
Only growth used it for ~2 years; now so widespread a removal test is running
Mixedonboardingretentionnotifications
What they did
While working on the feed, the growth team built a service for feature education: coach marks, tooltips, popups and in-app units, plus push and email, aimed at new users and win-backs/resurrections rather than daily power users. For about two years only growth used it; later every team adopted it. The activation team is now running a negative test that removes all feature education to measure its overall impact.
What happened
Adopted across teams after ~2 years; now possibly too much, prompting a removal test.
- Stage
- Scale (scaling)
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · Lessons From Building a 70 Person Growth Team — Jason van der Merwe, Strava“we built a service to allow us to do feature education. And for a few years, um, probably 2 years, no one really used it apart from growth team.”
“one of the our activation team, their test is to remove all the the feature education in a test. You know, we call those negative tests to see, you know, what is the overall impact of something.”
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- Strava: Ask new users to add a profile photo during signupLater removed; it added too much friction
- Strava: Count a new user as active once they upload one workout and follow one person in 7 days
- Strava: Get more people to share workout links, then turn link visitors into signupsDrove new registrations, guest says; base of several hundred thousand shares a month
- Strava: Show 'Follow back' on anyone who follows you, wherever their profile appearsBiggest jump in follow rate Strava has ever seen, despite data predicting little gain
- Strava: Once a quarter, let every team member run any test they want on 10% of usersSurfaced ideas data had ruled out, including the biggest follow-rate win
- Strava: Split the big weekly test review into small team meetings once it passes ~70 peopleSmall meetings work great; cross-team learning still unsolved
- Strava: Test which sport and gender appear in welcome-screen photos before signupRunners were put off by cyclist photos; women preferred seeing women
- Strava: Test the words on signup buttons, like 'Continue with' vs 'Sign up with'Copy changes had huge measurable impact; brand photos in product lowered conversion
- Strava: Keep crash-free sessions at 99.99% and ask happy users to rate the appGuest says more five-star ratings help ranking; no numbers
- Strava: Add videos to your store page that show clearly what the app doesVideos really helped, guest says; screenshot tests were hard to trust
- Strava: Test store page designs on a fake App Store web page firstTried; a lot of work, not kept
- Strava: Supply special artwork when Apple offers to feature you in a countryStrava benefits from these features; no numbers
- Strava: Start a growth team on new-user activation, then add teams where tests keep winningGrew from one team to five teams of 70+ people
- Strava: Report every test through one shared query and dashboardBecame the source of truth for nearly every experiment
- Strava: Give staff a switch to use the app as a free user
- Strava: Drive a van to local bike races and upload riders' GPS data for themHow Strava got its first cyclists; no numbers
- Strava: Launch a separate running app to win runners, then merge it with the main appHelped a lot in reaching runners, guest says
- Strava: Get pro athletes onto the app and support local running and cycling groupsMost growth is word of mouth, guest says; no numbers