GROWTH PATTERN

Adding Activation to NestJS + MongoDB Apps

NestJS + MongoDB handles authentication well, but there's a critical gap: you can't automatically detect when a user transitions from 'signed up' to 'actually using your product.'

NestJS + MongoDB

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What's Missing in Standard NestJS + MongoDB Architecture

NestJS + MongoDB creates user sessions, but lacks the infrastructure to detect when users first achieve value in your application without custom implementation.

Standard NestJS + MongoDB Flow vs Optimized Skene Flow

Standard Flow
1

User signs up via authentication

2

User record created in MongoDB

3

No automatic trigger - manual follow-up required

Skene Flow
1

Watch MongoDB 'users' table for new signups using collection.find()

2

Detect when user completes first key action (e.g., connecting their first integration) using MongoDB queries

3

Trigger activation email sequence via Resend with personalized onboarding

4

Track activation completion and send milestone emails

Visual comparison of the flows:

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How Skene Fixes This

The Skene setup for NestJS + MongoDB watches MongoDB events and triggers activation workflows when users hit key milestones. It uses collection.find() to send personalized onboarding sequences that guide users to their first value moment.

Implementation Comparison

Using Skene Infrastructure

Install via Prompt

cursor.mdc
@task: Initialize Skene.
@action: Analyze my local code, validating subscription via `npx skene login`, and generate `skene.config.ts` to implement the Activation Loop pattern for NestJS + MongoDB.

Copy Skene Prompt for Cursor

Generated skene.config.ts

skene.config.ts
// skene.config.ts - The Automated Way
import { defineLoop } from '@skene/sdk';

export default defineLoop({
  type: 'activation',
  opinion: 'Detect when users complete their first key action and trigger personalized onboarding',
  steps: [
    {
      trigger: {
        type: 'database',
        table: 'users',
        event: 'insert'
      },
      condition: {
        type: 'query',
        query: `SELECT * FROM user_actions WHERE user_id = $1 AND action_type = 'first_project_created'`,
        timeout: '5m'
      },
      action: {
        type: 'email',
        provider: 'resend',
        template: 'activation_welcome',
        personalization: {
          name: '{{user.name}}',
          activationLink: '{{user.activation_link}}'
        }
      }
    }
  ],
  recovery: {
    retries: 3,
    backoff: 'exponential'
  }
});

Frequently asked questions