Order-aware offers
Routed every entry point through order-bucket logic so each store sees the right offer first.
Product-led growth · PushOwl × Brevo
Turn first use into first win.
Simplified onboarding that reduces confusion, ships a first win, and builds trust across email, SMS, and push.
Trial architecture
Pricing paths
AI bundles
Managed services
AI creatives for first win
Prefilled copy, images, and guardrails so the first campaign ships with confidence.
Discounted trial fallback
A quiet safety net that appears only after stall signals-never the headline.
Managed setup plan
People-led outcomes with a defined scope, tight SLA, and capped weekly slots.
+35%
Revenue lift
+23%
Top-funnel lift
+15%
Conversion rate
Order-aware trials that ship a first win
I rebuilt PushOwl’s PLG surface so merchants see the finished experience first—the UI shows the right plan, AI help, or people-led path before we ever talk pricing.
- Routed every entry point through order buckets so a 50-order store never reads 10k-order copy or discounts.
- Shipped AI creatives and quiet fallbacks that manufacture the first campaign, then offer discounted trials or managed setup only when a user stalls.
Why this work mattered
"Merchants weren't afraid of price-they were afraid of wasting time."
Trials felt scary ("will I be charged?"), slow ("too many steps"), and the same for every store. I rebuilt them to be clear, fast, and sized to each team.
I anchored on three levers that balance trust with first wins:
- Fair price entry with a discounted trial fallback that appears only after stall behaviour.
- AI creatives that manufacture the first campaign and shorten the blank-page moment.
- Managed setup plan near our upper tier for teams who want outcomes, not knobs.
North stars: start more trials, get to first send sooner, keep trial value per signup steady, and reduce refund anxiety.
Every offer routes through order-bucket logic so a 50-order store never sees the same headline as a 10k-order brand.
Three offers, one backbone
⚡
AI creatives for a first win
More
Day-2 sends with templates
- Promise Go from blank page to ad-ready in minutes. We prefill images, text, and settings so your first push/email can ship today. You can edit anything before sending.
- Where it lives BFCM tab, onboarding tiles, and "Create" screens with one-click templates tuned to each vertical.
- UX choices Prefilled copy blocks, safe defaults, and a preview + "launch now" state to keep momentum.
- Success signals More trials shipping a campaign within two days and shorter time-to-first-campaign medians.
- Experiments Template granularity, a Day-2 "outcome receipt," and draft-to-launch nudges when work sits idle.
- Guardrails Count only sent campaigns and keep frequency caps locked in by default.
💸
Discounted trial fallback
Fewer
billing questions after copy change
- Promise We start with a simple trial. If you pause, we surface a discounted option once so you can try without money stress. No surprise charges. Cancel in two clicks.
- Where it lives Topbar "Try free trial" chip after stall signals and a secondary CTA on pricing.
- Trigger logic Closed the trial modal, sat in settings without starting, or returned within a couple of days without progress.
- Success signals More hesitant stores starting trials while trial value per signup holds steady.
- Experiments Surface order, empathetic copy framing, and exposure caps (once per user per month).
- Guardrails Cap by order bucket, log every exposure, and roll back if value signals dip.
🤝
Managed setup service
Bigger
stores booked consults when we showed capacity
- Promise Prefer outcomes, not knobs? We'll set up core automations, ship one campaign, and hand you a two-week plan. Limited slots keep quality high.
- Where it lives BFCM tab with a capacity ribbon, pricing page panel, and a post-install banner for large stores.
- Scope Core automations, one managed campaign, KPI review, and a clean handover checklist.
- Success signals Qualified consults booked, managed starts converting to higher plans, and satisfaction staying high.
- Experiments Dynamic capacity ribbons, ROI proof tiles vs calculators, and whether to start with a free review or paid credit.
- Guardrails Weekly intake caps, crystal-clear scope, and SLAs that protect both teams.
Make the trial feel safe
Every touchpoint reminds people they stay in control while we chase a first win.
💰
Money clarity
Charged only after 14 days through Shopify. You can cancel anytime-link visible on every trial page.
↩️
Cancel path
Cancel in two clicks with a confirmation stub before billing.
🛡️
Default-safe sending
Caps, guardrails, and "safe send" presets ship with every offer.
✅
Inline checklists
"What you'll launch today" cards keep scope explicit and calm.
🚀
Migration lane
Brevo users get a guided import so they never rebuild from scratch.
📊
Value receipt block
We ship this by Day-2 so teams see progress without guessing:
- Messages sent
- Subscribers captured
- Revenue assisted
Meet intent when it spikes
Each surface is a gentle nudge layered on top of the trust work-not a pop-up trap.
01
Pick up where you left off
The nav chip shifts between default, "discount available," and "resume your draft" so stores can jump back in without hunting.
02
Unblock the moment you try
A lightweight modal appears when someone explores AI creatives or automations without starting the trial, clarifying cost and next step.
03
Ship something today (BFCM templates)
A seasonal tab bundles countdown, AI templates, and the managed card with capacity so "I'll do it later" becomes "I shipped today."
Increase trial avenues by order bucket
Four cohorts, one system. Each store gets a primary offer and a secondary path tuned to their reality.
0–100 orders
Promise: Launch your first campaign today with AI creatives.
Primary: AI Bundle trial with outcome-first language.
Secondary: Fair trial leading to a discounted fallback if you pause.
Watch: First campaign inside two days, unsubscribe safety, support load.
101–2,000 orders
Promise: Standard trial first, discounted only if you stall.
Primary: Standard trial path.
Secondary: Discounted trial fallback when hesitation shows.
Watch: Trial value per signup, steady revenue quality.
2,001–10,000 orders
Promise: Self-serve plus AI assist; managed teaser after a win.
Primary: Standard trial with AI creatives surfaced inside "Create."
Secondary: Managed teaser that appears once a first win ships.
Watch: Day-2 ship rate and healthy escalations to managed.
10,000+ orders
Promise: People-led setup with a tight SLA.
Primary: Managed setup plan near our upper tier.
Secondary: Self-serve trial stays available but not primary.
Watch: Consult bookings, plan upgrades, and same-day time-to-value.
How the system flows
1
PLG Ideas Doc
Design → Test →
Run Experiment
▼
2
Analyzing Experiment Data
A structured approach: ideate, execute, and analyze to continuously improve the PLG strategy.
Prove value, guard quality
Instrumentation
Segment trials by order bucket × UTM × offer type (primary, fallback, AI, managed) × surface (modal, topbar, feature, pricing, seasonal).
What moved
Trial starts moved up meaningfully in the two smallest buckets and more trials shipped a campaign within two days.
Quality holds
Trial value per signup held steady while refund questions dropped after money copy changes.
Dashboards
PostHog for experiments, Metabase for revenue cohorts, Intercom for qualitative tags, and Canny for qualitative themes.
Keep the wins, own the misses
Worked
- Fallback as a safety net lifted starts without conditioning every cohort to wait.
- AI Bundle turned blank-page fear into same-day shipping.
- Managed lane gave big stores a certainty path with a clear SLA and capacity caps.
Broke / Learned
- One path for all cohorts created friction-order buckets fixed it.
- Hiding billing details spiked refunds; explicit copy fixed churn.
- Auto-enable without safe defaults flooded support; paired guardrails kept trust.
What I'd ship next
Show what you achieved by Day-2 (subs, sends, est. lift)
- → A live module with clear caveats around assisted revenue.
Turn on a safe starter preset during trial
- → Auto-enable essentials with a single preset so stores feel progress without risking their list.
Adjust which offer you see by season and store type
- → Run an offer matrix that blends seasonality, vertical, and order bucket to keep routing sharp.
Managed “audit to plan” flow: templatize scope, slot scheduling, and follow-through so ops keep pace with demand.
Risks I'm owning
- Discount conditioning: Guarded by exposure caps, trial value monitoring, and LTV deltas.
- Support load: AI + auto-enable paired with safe defaults and in-product guidance.
- Seasonality bias: Maintain evergreen templates and adjust measurement windows.
- Attribution honesty: Show assumptions; no over-claiming trial revenue.
What I learned
"PLG isn't about free trials, it's about removing friction until the first success feels inevitable."
A three-offer system (AI creatives, discounted trial fallback, managed setup) routed by order bucket and activated through lightweight nudges made PushOwl trials feel trustworthy and fast to value-lifting trial starts, first wins, and paid conversion without leaking trust or margin.
The best growth doesn't come from aggressive tactics-it comes from designing systems that help users win faster than they expected.