# App Shapes

Use this reference when the product shape changes how activation, retention, or monetization should be interpreted.

## SaaS Productivity or Workflow Product

Look for:

- setup without meaningful use
- meaningful use without second session
- solo usage vs team adoption
- feature usage that correlates with repeat workflows

Ask:

- What is the single biggest drop between signup, setup, first meaningful action, and second session?
- Do users reach value quickly and leave because the workflow is complete, or because the value is shallow?
- Does collaboration, sharing, or team setup materially improve retention?

## Content or Community Site

Look for:

- read without subscribe
- subscribe without return
- read without contribute
- contribute once without repeat contribution

Ask:

- Which acquisition paths produce repeat readers instead of one-session visitors?
- Why are readers not becoming repeat contributors?
- Does engagement deepen after following, replying, saving, or joining a thread or community?

## Marketplace or Transactional Product

Look for:

- browse without inquiry
- inquiry without transaction
- first transaction without repeat transaction
- supply-side and demand-side activation moving at different speeds

Ask:

- Is the bottleneck on supply creation, demand matching, or transaction completion?
- Which side of the marketplace is value-constrained?
- Do successful first transactions lead to durable repeat behavior?

## Ecommerce or Conversion-Heavy Site

Look for:

- landing without product engagement
- product engagement without cart
- cart without checkout completion
- first purchase without repeat purchase

Ask:

- Where is the biggest conversion leak between landing and purchase?
- Is the leak a traffic quality issue, a merchandising issue, a checkout issue, or a post-purchase value issue?
- Which cohorts show strong first purchase but weak repeat purchase?

## AI Product

Look for:

- prompt or upload without useful output
- useful output without follow-through
- one-off generations without repeat workflow use
- user delight that does not become habit

Ask:

- Are users getting one-off value without becoming retained users?
- Does generation accelerate a larger workflow or substitute for it?
- Do users revise, share, export, or build on outputs, or just sample them?

## Common Failure Modes

- "Too expensive" with weak usage often means low perceived value, not pure price sensitivity.
- Heavy onboarding activity with weak return usage often means first value is shallow.
- High surface activity with weak repeat value can mean the product is used as a disposable tool, not a durable workflow.
- Missing events are part of the story, not an excuse to skip the analysis.