saasmeister

I launched my first SaaS startup, and it skyrocketed

Then User Onboarding killed it.

I started out building the product myself because I needed a solution that didn’t exist. After months of hard work, trial, and error, I finally launched my MVP.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to validate the idea.

And it took off.

Business owners, developers, marketers, and designers from all over the world bought my little WordPress plugin.

But I made one critical mistake: I underestimated the power of User Onboarding.

Here’s what happened:

- I spent hours giving demos, explaining how the product worked.
- 50% of my users were inactive after signing up, and I didn’t know why.
- Support tickets piled up because I had no help section and no onboarding strategy.

The cracks widened. 

I burned out trying to keep up with support, bug fixes, and constant customer hand-holding. 

Eventually, I had to pull the plug.

It was a painful lesson, but it changed my career.

After going back to UX consulting for a few years, I realized these same problems were everywhere in the SaaS world:

- No solid onboarding strategies.
- High churn and inactive users.
- Missed opportunities to turn signups into paying customers.

I knew I could help.

Today, I specialize in User Onboarding for SaaS businesses with 2M+ ARR, helping them turn signups into paying users.

I do this by crafting personalized onboarding experiences that are truly tailored to their users.

If that sounds good, here are 3 ways I help founders and B2B SaaS companies:

→ Get an Onboarding Audit: Actionable insights and fix your low-hanging fruit.
→ Plan an Onboarding Sprint: Redesign your onboarding in just 4 days.
→ Book a 1:1 Coaching: Solve your biggest onboarding challenge in a focused session.

Done with losing users? Let’s turn them into paying customers.

Check out my Featured section 💪

Product-Led Growth for B2B SaaS

ProductLed

ProductLed Implementer

The best UX

The community is a source of inspiration for passionate UX professionals who aim to push boundaries and create the best possible user experiences. Together, we elevate ideas, share knowledge, and explore innovative approaches. Let’s combine our creativity and share our passion for excellence in UX, because we believe that true greatness is achieved when we grow together.

Founder

Roelof Otten - Freelance UX Designer

As a freelance UX Designer I helped organisations like Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs to redesign their internal and external applications.

Freelance UX Designer

DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs)

As a Senior UX Designer, I was responsible for the complete redesign of the registration application used by special education students to register for their exams.

UX Designer (freelance)

Kadaster

As a Senior UX Designer, I contributed to various internal and external products, ensuring seamless collaboration by facilitating workshops that actively involved the business in the design process.

Key Projects:
- Redesign PDOK Storingsoverzicht
- Redesign BAG Viewer
- Conceptual Design Geo-dataplein
- Redesign Kadaster-Online
- Development of the Design System

UX / UI Designer (via Arcady)

Arcady

Through Arcady I worked as a Senior UX Designer for different clients like: Kadaster, Uitgekookt and SevenStars. 

Key Projects
• Optimalisation of online en offline identity
• Front-end development of Werkenbij.arcady.nl 
• Redesign corporate website Sevenstars.nl

UX / UI Designer

Uitgekookt.nl

During my time as a Senior UX Designer at Uitgekookt, I was hired to optimize their checkout flow. This work closely aligns with what I specialize in now. I analyzed the entire flow, identified opportunities to streamline the process, and created space for delivering more value.

UX/UI Designer (Via Arcady)

TVM verzekeringen

Projecten
• Mijn.tvm.nl (UX Research & UX Design)
• Fastlane (UX Research & UX Design)
• Doorontwikkeling Design System

User Experience Designer

Dynoments

Founder @ Dynoments

⚡️Freelance UX Designer voor SaaS oplossingen // Founder van The best UX

In 2021, I launched my first SaaS startup, and it blew up quickly.

But then the lack of a solid Product-Led Growth strategy killed it.

It was a WordPress plugin that added a unique feature to Elementor.

I built it because I needed it myself.

Soon, business owners, marketers, and designers worldwide started buying it.
It took off, but I made one critical mistake:

I completely ignored how to scale with PLG.

Here’s what happened:

- I relied only on demos instead of self-serve growth
- 50% of users became inactive after signing up
- Support tickets piled up without a proper help system

In other words, the product wasn’t set up to grow by itself.

- The cracks widened.
- Bug fixing drained my time.
- And eventually, I had to pull the plug.

Painful lesson. But it shaped everything I do today.

I went back into UX consulting, and realized most SaaS products face the exact same issues:

- Signups, but no conversions to paid
- High churn and inactive users
- Growth too dependent on sales and support

That’s when I knew: the key is Product-Led Growth.

Now I help SaaS founders and B2B companies implement PLG strategies that drive sustainable growth.

If that sounds good, here are 2 ways I help:

→ PLG Audit: Actionable insights to fix your low-hanging fruit
→ 1:1 PLG Coaching: Solve your biggest growth challenge in a focused session

Done chasing signups that never convert? Time to let your product drive growth.

DM me for more info.

SaaS Founder: “I don’t know what to post.”

Here's how to fix that

Most SaaS founders overthink posting on LinkedIn.

They try to find:

- The perfect subject 
- The perfect hook. 
- The perfect visual.

The result?

They never start, or they do start, but stop only after a view weeks.

Why is that?

They never built a system.

A system helps you create content, and keeps you consistent.

That's why you need to use:

The SaaS Content OS.

It helps you go from: “No idea what to post” → “I know exactly what to post”

This is how it works:

1. Know your ICP 

Who are you talking to? 
What are their pains? 
What do they want? 
What makes them say: “This founder gets me.”

When you know this, your posts stop sounding the same as everyone else's.

2. Use 3 Content pillars.

- Industry
- Product
- Business

Each post links your reader’s problem to your solution.

3. Every pillar has a sub pillar:

- Industry → Trends, insights, market opinion.
- Product  → Updates, wins, client stories.
- Business  → Founder life, team stories, Lessons.

4. Rotate, don’t reinvent
Rotate these sub pillar with different angles by:

- Calling out a bad practice
- Sharing a contrarian take
- Showing a personal shift

You don’t need 100 ideas, you need 3 angles.

Repeat them as your company grows.

That's how you start posting on Linkedin, and staying consistent.

Are you a SaaS founder struggling with LinkedIn? Drop me a DM. 

Happy to share what’s worked for me and probably will work for you too.

Roelof Otten 

60% of welcome emails get opened.|

Yet 90% of SaaS still get them wrong.

When I try a new product, I always look for the welcome email.

Why?

Because it sets the tone.

And because of the average open rate, it's the best chance to help new users.

In my view, a great welcome email should:

- Introduce the founder(s).
- Help users get started fast.
- Show users they made a good choice.

But too often I see this:

- No help or next step.
- Too much push to upgrade.
- Or even worse, no email at all.

What a waste.

That first email can do so much:
→ Start the onboarding journey
→ Train users to open your emails
→ Show the real value of your product

So how do you write a great one?

Here’s the structure I use:

1. Warm welcome
A short message from the founder or CEO.

2. What to expect
Tell users what will happen in the trial or the first steps.

3. Reassure
Remind them why your product is a good choice.

4. First step
Guide them to take action right away.

5. Offer help

Add a link to support or a demo call.

That’s it.

A simple email that builds trust and gets users moving.

Don't waste your best email.

Make it count.

LinkedIn is a waste of time for SaaS founders.

But not if they do it like this ↓

Most SaaS founders I talk to tell me the same 3 things: 

“I don’t know what to post.”

“I don’t have time to post.”

“I'm not getting 0 leads.”

Here’s the truth: 

You don’t need more posts. You need a system.

When I work with SaaS founders as a PLG implementer, I'm not helping them with PLG alone. 

Most of the time, I help them with LinkedIn as well.

Why?

Because it's a goldmine for getting noticed and getting leads. 

So I help them build their content strategy. 

I use this simple funnel as a backbone. 

- TOFU
- MOFU
- BOFU

Here’s what it actually looks like:

TOFU (Top of Funnel) – Awareness 
→ Share your market POV. 
→ Comment on new trends. 
→ Show your thinking, not your product. 

(This builds visibility.)

MOFU (Middle of Funnel) – Authority 
→ Post “how we did X” breakdowns. 
→ Share how your product solves real problems. 
→ Give actionable advice your ICP can use tomorrow. 

(This builds credibility.)

BOFU (Bottom of Funnel) – Conversion 
→ Share client wins + before/after stories. 
→ Share proof, not promises. 
→ Drop specific offers. 

(This builds leads.)

Combine this funnel with the cheatsheet I've shared earlier, and you have a solid approach to start with. 

If you’re posting randomly, you’re not building a brand.

You’re feeding the algorithm.

Build a funnel instead. It compounds.

If you’re a SaaS founder trying to figure out LinkedIn, DM me. Happy to help you get started.

Helping B2B SaaS become Product-Led and scale beyond $1M ARR

99% of SaaS founders are commenting wrong.

It's wasting their biggest growth channel.

When I talk to SaaS founders, I always hear the same thing:

“I don’t have time to post.”

Fair. 

Creating posts takes time.

Time that most SaaS founders and their teams want to spend on building the product and growing the business. 

That's why I always ask this question:

"Do you comment on posts then?"

They do, but when I look at the comments they place...

Let's just say it's a waste of time.

Most founders treat comments like small talk.

“Thanks for sharing.” 

“Great post.” 

Or even worse: rephrasing what’s already in the post.

That’s not engagement, that’s noise.

Here’s the truth: 

Commenting is the new posting.
 
Every time you comment, you’re showing up in someone else’s feed for free.

So make it count.

Here’s how to write comments that actually grow your reach ↓

1) Personal experience: 
“Before we built [product], we saw the same issue…” 

2) Insight: 
“60% of their time went to chasing docs, not analysis.” 

3) Result: 
“Visibility alone dropped follow-ups by 80%.”

 4) Question: 
“Curious if you’ve seen the same pattern?”

That’s a mini-post. 

And that’s how you build authority.

Comment better. 

Win bigger.

Still showing 8+ features per pricing plan?

Please stop doing that.

Too many SaaS companies overload their pricing plans with features.

I’m talking about 8, 10, and sometimes even 15 features per plan.

Now imagine you're a potential customer.

You land on that pricing page. 

10s of features per plan are thrown at you.

So many features, so much noise.

You go through each plan, but can't find out which one is for you.

Cognitive overload kicks in. 

You don't have time for this crap. 

You just want to move forward.

So instead of signing up...

You go straight to the close button, searching for a better solution.

Bye, bye potential new users.

So why does this still happen?

Most teams haven’t done the hard thinking. 

They don’t truly understand:

- What features drive value.
- Who their ideal customer is.
- That more isn’t always better.

And even if they do, they just mess up the overall visual presentation. 

So instead of attracting more users, they end up pushing them away.

Here’s how I would fix that:

1. List your pricing plans.
   
2. Show per plan for who it works best.
   
3. Pick the top features that matter most to that user.
   
4. Got more than 5? Trim it down.
   
5. Higher plans? Start with: “Everything from the previous plan, plus…”
   
"And what about all our other valuable features?"

Thanks for asking. 

Below your pricing tiers, you add a comparison table.

Not above. 
Not in the middle. 
Below.

Why? 

Because most users only compare a few features.

The table is there for those who want all the details

Try it.

Cleaner layout, clearer value. 

And likely, more signups.

Because when users understand faster, they decide faster.

PS. Need help? I offer a Product-Led Audit that covers this and much more. 

Just send me a DM with "AUDIT", and I'll share the details.

Most SaaS founders tell me the same thing: 

“I don’t know what to post on LinkedIn.”

Here’s the truth → You’re overcomplicating it.

I post 5x per week. 

And last quarter alone, 17 SaaS founders booked calls with me from LinkedIn. 

- Not from cold DMs. 
- Not from ads. 
- From posts.

When we get on calls, we talk about PLG funnels… but LinkedIn always comes up. 

They want to know:

- What should I post?
- How often should I post?
- Do I need fancy visuals?

Here’s the simple posting system I give them:

The 3 Buckets Rule:

1. Founder POV / Market POV → Build awareness. 
Share lessons + strong opinions. “Ship features or build distribution? 90% of founders pick wrong.”

2. ICP Pain Posts → Build trust. 
Talk about the exact problems your ICP faces. “Most SaaS teams wait too long to track activation. That’s why churn spikes.”

3. Solution / Proof → Drive action. 
Show how your product or clients solved it. “Here’s how a customer cut churn by 30% using [your product].”

That's it. 

They don't have to go full force with 5 times a week.

Just start with 3.

That’s just one way to get noticed outside your bubble.

If you’re a SaaS founder and stuck on LinkedIn right now start with these 3 buckets. 

Run it for 4 weeks. 

See what happens.

If your onboarding is just a sequence of videos, it’s not onboarding; it’s a punishment.

I’ve lost count of how many times I signed up for a promising new tool… 

Only to be hit with 20 “quick” tutorials before I could do anything.

Guess what I did? 

Closed the tab. Never came back.

And I’m not alone. 

Studies show 70% of users drop off during onboarding if they don’t hit a meaningful milestone within minutes.

That’s the real problem: 

Onboarding isn’t about teaching. 

It’s about delivering the first win fast enough that the product teaches itself.

Here’s how to fix it:

1. Define the ultimate goal 
Not “learn the product.” But “create a first design,” “send a test message,” or “automate one task.”

2. Work backwards from that outcome 
Map only the critical steps that get a user to that goal.

3. Design the 7-minute win 

Every great product has one:

• Slack → sending your first message
• Canva → publishing your first design
• Zapier → automating your first workflow. 
  
Your tool should have its own.

4. Prototype → test → iterate 
Test with 5 real users. Watch where they stumble. Cut the friction until they hit that aha-moment without needing you.

Videos? 

Use them sparingly, as companions, not crutches.

Because if your onboarding takes longer than the first win, your users are already gone.

Need help finding your product’s 7-minute win? I'm just a DM away.

SaaS founders tell me they’re too busy to post.

Here’s why that’s good news.

When I talk to SaaS founders, they always ask about my LinkedIn:

→ Who makes your posts?
→ How often do you post?
→ How much time do you spend there?

Most SaaS founders think:

LinkedIn = posting.

But posting only gives you reach spikes.

It doesn’t compound.

Here’s what compounds → conversations.

If you want LinkedIn to bring you inbound leads, spend your time like this:

1. Reply to comments like mini-posts.
A thoughtful 3-line reply builds more trust than 3 separate posts.

2. Comment on posts your ideal buyers already read.
10 smart comments a week put you in 100+ feeds without writing a single post.

3. Connect with people who engage.
That turns “likes” into leads.

80% of my LinkedIn time goes to comments.

20% to posts.

That’s where most of my pipeline comes from.

Do this over time, and it builds up.

As a SaaS founder, think of it this way:

Posting is optional.

Commenting is compounding.

Low activation. High churn. And no idea why?

Let’s fix that... for free.

I’ve reviewed 40+ SaaS onboarding flows in the past year. 

And in nearly every case, activation issues came down to the same 3 leaks:

1. No clear definition of the ultimate win 
2. No fast path to a same-day win 
3. No habit loop that brings users back

When those exist, churn doesn’t start after 30 days… 

It starts the moment someone signs up.

So this month, I’m running 3 free onboarding assessments for SaaS companies doing $500K+ ARR.

TOTALLY FREE!

Yeah, pretty nuts, I know. 

Here’s what you’ll get: 

→ A fresh, external perspective on your onboarding 
→ A short audit revealing your 3 critical activation leaks 
→ A 30-minute call to walk through findings + next steps

Here’s how it works:

1. DM me your website URL 
2. I’ll ask a few quick context questions 
3. Then we’ll schedule your session

Only 3 spots available this month. 

If your activation or churn metrics hurt, this is your fastest diagnostic.

DM me your URL, let’s fix what’s breaking growth.

Everyone is trying to automate the sh*t out of LinkedIn.

- Using GPTs
- Outreach tools
- Growth/Like pods

Aren’t we just more interested in getting authentic advice and real human connections?

Just wondering…

My content makes/saves SaaS founders 1000s of euros.

Here’s a story.

Recently, a SaaS founder told me: 

“We fixed our onboarding because of your post. Thanks a lot!”

One post. 

Free advice. 

And it directly improved their signup flow.

Then he asked me: 

“If you give everything away, how do you make money?”

Here’s the answer:

Most of my posts fix visible leaks, the quick wins. 

But the hidden leaks in SaaS onboarding are much bigger:

1. Dev is too busy to fix onboarding properly.
2. CS has no system to re-engage churned users.
3. Users don’t reach the “aha moment” fast enough.

These aren’t solved with a single tip. 

They need a framework.

That’s where I step in. 

I use my 4R Onboarding Framework:

1. Review the entire signup flow (find hidden leaks).
2. Reduce friction before the “aha moment.”
3. Reward early actions to boost activation.
4. Re-engage users who drop off before paying.
   
I don’t just give advice. 

I design, build, and test onboarding systems until they hit conversion targets.

And here’s the real win: 

Those quick wins from my posts create the budget to hire experts like me. 

Which then unlocks the next stage of SaaS growth.

Free advice + expert execution = faster scaling.

PS. If your trial-to-paid rate is stuck under 15%, DM me. 

I’ll show you what’s really holding your onboarding back.

Most SaaS leak $$$ in their Product-Led motion 

Here's how I fix that

A client came to me for a PLG audit. 

They felt their product-led growth “wasn’t working.”

Here’s what I found in 10 minutes:

• 1,000+ monthly visitors
• Signup rate below 2%
• 1,500 active users
• 80% stuck on free forever
  
Classic case of what I call The PLG Money Leak.

Why? 

Because most SaaS teams think “free plan + product tour = growth.” 

But here’s the truth:

- A free plan isn’t a growth engine. It’s a filter.
- A product tour isn’t onboarding. It’s noise.
- A user wants value instantly. Or they're gone.

The 3-step PLG Money Leak Test I run:

1. Map the aha moment.
2. Check if free users can realistically reach it.
3. Measure how many convert at that exact point.
   
This client failed step 2. 

Most of their free users never even saw the core value.

So we ran a full audit:

- Kick-off call
- Deep dive into every funnel touchpoint
- 60+ fixes with video breakdowns

Now, they have a clear path to:

→ Higher signup rates
→ Fewer freeloaders
→ More revenue from the same traffic

If you’re a SaaS founder or tech leader, and you're ready to fix those leaks.

Send me a message with PLG and I’ll share how I’d apply the full audit to your case.

40–60% of your signups never return. 

(It’s killing your SaaS)

When I ask founders: 

“How many inactive users do you have?” 

9 out of 10 don’t know.

They track MRR, churn, and signups. 

But not the silent killer: 

inactive users.

Intercom found that 40–60% of SaaS users sign up and vanish. 

When I run PLG audits, it’s almost always ~50%.

Why? 

Because most products fail at onboarding. 

They don’t:

• Provide value in the first 7 minutes.
• Remove friction in setup.
• Map a reactivation loop.
  
Let’s break down the first one: 

Time to Value.

In every SaaS I review, I run a 3-part onboarding test:

1. Can a new user set up in <5 minutes?
2. Can they achieve a personal win in <7 minutes?
3. Do they get nudged to share that win with their team in <24 hours?
   
Quick wins = activation.

Your “7-minute wins” could be: 

→ Connecting a social account. 
→ Creating their first project. 
→ Inviting a teammate.

The key isn’t just speed. 

It’s giving them a win that feels worth coming back for.

PS. If you’re tired of losing half your signups, I run a PLG Audit that also maps your onboarding leaks and gives you the exact playbook to fix them. 

DM me “Audit” and I'll tell you everything about it.

The worst PLG advice you can give someone?

I’ll go first:

“Add an email confirmation to the signup”

It will break the flow, and most users probably never receive this email or forget about it. 

You should definitely try it.

Your turn:

The worst PLG advice you can give someone…

Your SaaS homepage isn’t working.

Here's how to fix that.

Many SaaS founders have the same problem.

They don’t know how to:

→ Say what their product does 
→ Keep people on the page 
→ Get visitors to sign up

I’ve looked at 100s of SaaS homepages. 

The good ones all follow a simple structure.

I call it the SCORE framework.

It’s easy to use. 

And it works.

Here’s what SCORE means:

S – Spotlight 
Say what you offer. Say who it’s for.

C – Challenge 
What problem does your user have? What gets better when they use your product?

O – Opportunity 
What's the outcome of using your product? Here you can connect features to outcomes.

R – Reassurance 
Take away fear. Show testimonials, logos, or answers to big questions.

E – Engage 
Give people a reason to sign up now. Make it feel safe, easy, and an absolute no-brainer.

Use this, and you’ll get more signups.

Need help fixing your homepage? 

Send me a DM with “Homepage” and I’ll share how I can help.

Taplio

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