Essay · 10 min read

Is Your Website a Leaky Bucket? 4 Scenarios for User Retention

Andrew Chen Free Intermediate

Chen frames the exact trap you are in: pouring signups into a bucket that leaks, where more acquisition just wastes more water. He lays out scenarios that separate an onboarding leak from a deeper product leak, which is the fork in your question. It is the reason 'fix activation before you touch acquisition' is the right order of operations.

• Acquisition is pointless until the bucket stops leaking
• You cannot A/B test or notify your way out of bad retention
• Diagnose whether the leak is early activation or ongoing value