Developer Onboarding

Get developers to "Hello World" fast with optimized quickstarts, tutorials, and sample apps.

What This Skill Covers

Time-to-first-value optimization - Defining and measuring first value moments
Quickstart checklist design - Structure, progress indicators, common failures
Interactive vs static tutorials - When to use each, hybrid approaches
Sample apps and templates - Minimal, starter, and production templates
Handling onboarding failures - Error messages, recovery flows, proactive detection
Measuring activation metrics - Activation definitions, funnels, leading indicators

Key Principle

You have about 10 minutes of developer attention. Every second of confusion, every error without guidance, every unexpected requirement costs you users. Great onboarding feels like pair programming with someone who anticipated every question.

Quick Reference

Time to first value targets:

Simple APIs: <5 minutes
SDKs with installation: <10 minutes
Complex infrastructure: <30 minutes

Activation rate benchmark:

20-40% for self-serve developer products

When to Use This Skill

Designing new product onboarding experience
Improving activation metrics
Building quickstarts and tutorials
Creating sample apps and templates
Debugging why developers don't activate
Planning onboarding email sequences