Activation
Also known as: aha moment, user activation
The moment a new user first experiences the core value of the product: the aha moment that predicts retention and willingness to pay.
Activation is the moment a new user first experiences the core value of a product. It is not a single action but a threshold: at Slack it is typically defined as 2,000 messages sent within a team, at Dropbox uploading one file, at Figma sharing a design with a teammate.
Activation is the most important leading indicator for long-term retention. Users who don't activate in week 1 almost always churn within 30 days. That is why PLG teams invest heavily in the onboarding flow toward the activation moment and measure activation rate as a critical metric.
You discover your activation definition through cohort analysis: which behavior in the first 7-14 days correlates most strongly with retention and paid conversion? That behavioral threshold is your activation.