If you acquire 1,000 users this month, but 900 of them leave next month, you are running on a treadmill. Most companies obsess over "Top of Funnel" (Acquisition) while ignoring the "Leaky Bucket" (Retention).
Cohort Analysis: The Truth Serum
You can't fix retention by looking at averages. You need Cohort Analysis. This groups users by when they signed up (e.g., "Jan 2024 Cohort") and tracks their behavior over time. It answers questions like: "Are the users we acquired in February sticking around longer than the ones from January?"
SQL for Stickiness
We write complex SQL queries to visualize your retention curve:
- Day 1 Retention: Does the user come back the next day? If not, your onboarding is broken.
- Day 30 Retention: Is your product a habit? This predicts long-term success.
- Feature correlation: "Users who use Feature X in the first week are 3x more likely to retain."
Case in Point
"A mobile app had a flat user growth curve despite increasing ad spend. Cohort analysis revealed that their Day 30 retention had dropped from 20% to 5% after a UI update. They rolled back the update, and growth resumed."
Fix the Bucket First
Don't pour more water (ad spend) into a leaky bucket. Patch the holes first.
Need an Expert?
Stop guessing. Let our team architect the perfect solution for you.
Book Strategy CallRelated Reading
- Autonomous AI Agents The future of automation beyond Chatbots.
- Monolith First Strategy Why microservices might kill your startup.
- Modern Data Pipelines Airflow, Prefect, and robust orchestration.
- Office Automation ROI Stop manual data entry today.
- The Vanity Metrics Trap Focus on revenue, not just likes.