| name | feature-adoption-tracker |
| description | Monitor adoption of key features across your user base, identify non-adopters of sticky features, and generate targeted in-product + email nudges. Use when the user says "track feature adoption", "nudge users to try X", "which features drive retention", or is rolling out a new feature. |
| status | new |
Feature Adoption Tracker (Retention Squad)
Continuous loop: measure which features predict retention, find users not using them, nudge, measure lift.
Triggers
- "track feature adoption"
- "why isn't anyone using "
- "nudge users who haven't tried X"
- "which features drive retention"
- "rolling out โ how do we drive adoption"
Inputs required
- Feature inventory โ list of trackable features with the event name for each
- Event data โ 60+ days of feature-use events
- Retention cohorts โ from Cohort & Churn Analyzer
- User attributes โ plan, tenure, activation status
Process
Step 1 โ Rank features by retention impact
For each feature:
- % of active users who have used it at least once
- Retention lift of users who used it vs. users who haven't (matched on tenure + plan)
- Confidence interval on that lift
Split features into four quadrants:
High adoption Low adoption
High lift โ
Sticky core ๐ก Hidden gem
Low lift โช๏ธ Table stakes ๐ด Feature bloat
Focus attention on Hidden gems โ high lift, low adoption.
Step 2 โ Identify non-adopter segments
For each Hidden Gem feature, build a segment:
- Active (used product in last 14 days)
- Has NOT used feature in last 30 days
- Matches the profile of users who normally use it (plan / tenure)
This is the nudge queue.
Step 3 โ Design the nudge
For each feature, write:
- In-app banner โ shown once, dismissible
- Empty-state nudge โ if there's a relevant empty state in the product
- Email โ sent only if in-app didn't trigger adoption within 7 days
Copy rules:
- Lead with outcome, not feature name
- Include a 1-click path to try it
- Show proof ("teams who use this get to W4 14% more often")
Step 4 โ Instrument the loop
<feature>_nudge_shown
<feature>_nudge_clicked
<feature>_first_use
Measure conversion from nudge โ first use โ second use (adoption sticks) โ retention lift vs. a held-out control.
Step 5 โ Output
Produce:
- Feature heatmap โ quadrant view of adoption vs. retention impact
- Nudge queue โ per-feature, per-user list (CSV)
- Copy spec โ in-app + email for each feature
- Measurement plan
Output artifacts
feature-adoption-heatmap.html
nudge-queue.csv
nudge-copy.md
Handoff
- Nudges โ product (in-app) + Lifecycle Email Designer (email)
- Adoption lift results โ Performance Reporter
- Features in the "bloat" quadrant โ consider deprecating (feed to product PM)
Example call
"Analyze our feature usage in events.csv. Find which features are 'hidden gems' โ low adoption but strongly predict retention โ then give me a nudge queue for Pro-plan users who haven't used our integrations feature."