ReferralCandy, a leading referral marketing SaaS for SMBs, experienced a plateau in trial-to-paid conversion rates. Data analysis indicated new users often failed to fully activate the core referral program features during the initial onboarding period, leading to churn.

Tarun spearheaded a data-driven optimization of the user activation funnel. This involved: Analyzing user behavior patterns within the onboarding flow (leveraging AI tools for segmentation and drop-off point identification). Designing and A/B testing a revamped, interactive onboarding experience with clearer CTAs for referral campaign setup. Implementing personalized email nurture sequences (using marketing automation) triggered by user progress, offering tips (potentially AI-suggested) to encourage activation. Collaborating with product teams to refine UI elements based on test results.

This growth strategy led to significant improvements, including a 25% increase in the trial-to-paid conversion rate.

FirstBase.io, simplifying US market entry for global founders (YC W21), aimed to improve lead quality and conversion rates. Their marketing reached a broad international audience, but lacked focus on the highest-potential founder segments, leading to inefficient spend and lower conversion.

Tarun implemented a data-driven audience segmentation strategy to identify and activate high-value founder groups. Key actions included: Analyzing user data (signups, website behavior) enriched with third-party info to pinpoint key attributes (origin country, funding stage, industry). Developing detailed personas for top segments (e.g., "Bootstrapped LATAM SaaS Founder," "Funded EU Fintech Entrepreneur"). Executing rapid A/B tests on landing pages and ad creatives tailored to these personas across targeted channels (niche communities, precise LinkedIn Ads). Automating personalized onboarding email sequences based on the identified segments to improve relevance.

This targeted approach significantly boosted lead quality and efficiency, resulting in a 60% increase in Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) from the top 3 identified segments.