What is time to value (ttv)?
The time it takes for a new user to experience the first meaningful value from your product. Shorter is better - every minute of delay increases drop-off risk.
Why it matters
Long TTV kills activation. Users decide quickly whether something is worth their time. Products with fast TTV (seconds to minutes) retain much better than those requiring hours or days of setup.
How to improve
Remove signup friction. Pre-populate data where possible. Guide users to value immediately. Consider templates, wizards, or concierge onboarding. Defer non-essential setup.
Related playbooks
Onboard users personally
Get on a call with every new user. Yes, every one. Seems crazy, but it works better than any automated flow.
Ask what they care about upfront
New users have no history. Ask them what they're into so you can show relevant stuff immediately.
Want to improve your time to value (ttv)?
Get experiment recommendations tailored to your specific metrics.