Skene
PLG playbook

Product-led growth (PLG) for B2B

A B2B PLG motion that uses product signals to route the right accounts to the right level of human touch.

Start freePLG basics

Last updated:

What “PLG for B2B” means

Product-led growth (PLG) for B2B means users reach value through the product first, and your team uses product signals (fit + usage) to decide when and how to add human touch for expansion.

Summarize this playbook with LLMs
Open in ChatGPTOpen in Perplexity
Fit checklist
  • A meaningful subset of users can start without a meeting.
  • You have one primary activation milestone per core workflow.
  • There’s a natural expansion path (seats, projects, usage).
Not a fit (usually)
  • Your product is sold only via long RFP cycles with no self-serve path.
  • Outcomes are mostly delivered outside the product (services-heavy).

How to implement PLG for B2B (7 steps)

  1. Define a self-serve wedge: one workflow a user can complete without a meeting.
  2. Pick one activation milestone for that wedge (first success outcome).
  3. Instrument the wedge journey with a stable event schema and a few key traits.
  4. Build a PQL rule combining ICP fit + milestone completion.
  5. Route accounts: self-serve nurture for low-intent, sales assist for high-intent.
  6. Align packaging so upgrades unlock governance/collaboration as usage grows.
  7. Review weekly: where users drop, where sales wins, and refine signals.

Common pains

These are the recurring bottlenecks we see when teams try to “do PLG” for B2B without a stable model and measurable milestones.

  • Marketing brings leads, but sales can’t prioritize them well.
  • Trials don’t convert because onboarding is generic.
  • Product and sales disagree on what “qualified” means.

Activation milestones

Define activation as a small set of outcomes that predict retention or upgrade. Avoid generic “logged in” style events.

  • First setup complete.
  • First core workflow completed.
  • Second session within a short window (early habit signal).
Example

Activation definition: An account is activated when it completes the wedge workflow and returns for a second session within 7 days.

Time-to-value target: Under 1 day for the median successful account

First success event: wedge_workflow_completed

Expansion trigger: team_invite_sent or usage_threshold_reached

Instrumentation notes

Ship PLG as a system: events and traits stay stable while copy and templates evolve.

  • Define account-level traits (role, company size) alongside events.
  • Use a small, stable event schema shared across teams.
  • Route sales outreach from product signals, not pageviews.
Example event schema
  • signup_completed
    User finishes signup.
    Properties: acquisition_source, role, company_size
  • wedge_workflow_started
    User begins the self-serve wedge workflow.
    Properties: workflow
  • wedge_workflow_completed
    User completes the wedge workflow outcome.
    Properties: workflow, time_since_signup_seconds
  • repeat_session
    User returns and uses the product again within the target window.
    Properties: days_since_signup

Pricing and packaging

  • Use packaging to clarify what “success” looks like at each tier.
  • Design upgrade prompts around limits users actually hit.
Upgrade trigger examples
  • Repeat success (habit) + need for collaboration or governance.
  • Usage threshold reached on the wedge workflow.
  • Multiple stakeholders involved → sales-assist expansion.

Common mistakes

  • Copying B2C growth tactics without considering account dynamics.
  • Using MQL logic where product signals should drive prioritization.

How Skene supports this motion

Skene turns your codebase into onboarding journeys, milestones, and analytics. This lets you ship PLG mechanics without wiring everything by hand.

Start freeHow Skene works

Frequently asked questions