THE CHALLENGE
The growth team's understanding of new merchant onboarding was surprisingly shallow—we had limited qualitative data on what new merchants actually struggled with or needed. While we had recently launched new onboarding features, they were difficult to track through standard analytics, and we lacked insight into the broader onboarding experience.

THE WORK
I designed and deployed a research study with 48 new merchants using UserTesting tools. The study combined usability testing of recently launched features with broader questions about onboarding pain points and "wishlist" features. By framing it as usability validation for new features, I was able to include strategic questions that uncovered much deeper insights about the entire onboarding journey—what overwhelmed new merchants, where they got stuck, and what would actually help them succeed.

IMPACT
The study became the richest source of qualitative data on new merchant onboarding the team had at that point, informing roadmap prioritization for years to come. It demonstrated how strategic research design—asking the right questions at the right time—can unlock insights that shape product direction far beyond the original scope.