Our best-performing onboarding step was the one we almost deleted.

We had a 6-step onboarding. Usage data said step 4 — "connect a data source" — had the highest drop-off. 43% of users abandoned there. It looked like the obvious thing to cut.

We ran a holdout test instead. One group got the full flow. One group skipped step 4 entirely.

Full flow activation: 38%
Skipped step 4 activation: 26%

The step with the worst drop-off was producing the best outcomes for the people who got through it. We were measuring completion and calling it value. The step was hard, and the people who did the hard thing were the ones who stuck.

We kept the step but added a "skip for now, remind me later" option with a 24-hour follow-up. Activation rose to 44%, higher than either version.

What step in your onboarding has high drop-off that you have never actually tested removing?