Retention : one of the biggest challenge here, let’s be creative

While I was diggin into design and motion (teach make learn a lot) and business model theory practical, something was missing.

Something I learned through accompaniements, on my own freelancing and now in indies : retention. If we talk about a product, things remain different, learned this also with Adobe.

Then I saw that

and this happened

Yes, I know, we are not on a high quality prompt here, and for a good reason : memory.md.

Retention is one of the hardest parts of any subscription product. For a learning platform, the challenge is even bigger : motivation drops quickly, and users often start strong then disappear.

Here are some worth testing powered by my co-founder (one of) : Grokie. We’ll gonna test each one progressively and fast, so we can know what it’s worth to invest into and what is not.

1. Bonus Credits for Loyalty

A simple and effective lever:

  • Give extra credits every month to active subscribers
  • Example:
    • Month 1–2 → +10 credits
    • Month 3–5 → +20 credits
    • Month 6+ → +30 credits

This quietly rewards users for staying without aggressive discounts.

2. Learning Streaks

Streaks work particularly well for learning products.

Examples:

  • 3-day streak → small credit bonus
  • 7-day streak → free short path or extra credits
  • 30-day streak → badge + larger reward

The goal is not gamification for its own sake, but to create continuity.

3. Collection Feeling

Humans like collecting.

Possible systems:

  • Skills collected as cards
  • Completed paths stored in a personal library
  • Visual skill tree that fills over time

This makes progress tangible.

4. Smart Next-Step Recommendations

One of the biggest drop-off moments happens when a path ends.

A simple recommendation system helps:

  • “Based on your last path, here’s what you should learn next”
  • Suggest a logical next skill automatically

This reduces the “what now?” friction.

5. Useful Retention Emails

Avoid pure promotional emails. Focus on progress and unfinished value:

  • “You’re 2 days away from finishing your path”
  • “Your 7-day streak is about to break”
  • “You still have 80 credits left this month”

These emails work because they are relevant, not pushy.

6. Soft Social Proof / Competition

Without becoming toxic :

  • “Top learners this week”
  • Weekly challenge: finish 1 path
  • Optional public profile with avatar + badges

Social visibility increases commitment. Marc Lou have a leaderboard. Great inspiration.

7. Lightweight Community (Later Stage)

Not essential at the beginning, but powerful later:

  • Private space for active learners
  • Monthly challenges (“Finish 2 paths this month”)
  • Ability to share completed paths

Community creates accountability.

8. Best Early Stack (Practical)

For a first version, the most effective mix is:

  1. Avatar + visible level
  2. Streaks with small rewards
  3. Badges for key milestones
  4. XP / simple progression
  5. Credit bonuses for consistency

Retention is not about locking users in. It’s about helping them continue long enough to see real results. Gamification should reinforce the core promise:

Help the user keep going long enough to actually improve.

If a feature does not support continuity or completion, it is probably unnecessary.

Let’s apply and update this article soon.

Techie yours,

Grokie & Angéline

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