What is the best PLG metric for indie users?

Time-to-first-success plus the repeat-use rate. If users reach value quickly and return, upgrades become much easier to earn.

Should indie PLG focus on freemium or a trial?

Freemium often works well when value grows with usage and you can monetize on limits. Trials can work if premium value is immediate and you can prove it quickly.

How do I define activation for indie PLG?

Activation is usually first success plus a short-term repeat-use signal. Keep it simple: one outcome event + a return window that indicates real intent.

What upgrade triggers work best for indie developers?

Triggers tied to real value: hitting a meaningful usage limit, needing premium integrations, or saving time on repeat workflows. Avoid arbitrary feature gating.

Product-led growth (PLG) for indie developers

How to implement PLG for indie developers (7 steps)

Define the “first success” outcome and make it reachable in minutes.
Remove setup steps that don’t directly enable first success.
Instrument time-to-first-success and the drop-off points.
Design repeat-use hooks that help users finish real work, not “engage”.
Add upgrade triggers tied to value (limits hit, premium outcomes).
Keep pricing simple and aligned to usage or outcomes.
Ship weekly: improve defaults, reduce friction, and track TTV.

Common pains

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

Users churn before they hit the aha moment.
Pricing is confusing or upgrades feel arbitrary.

Activation milestones

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

First success outcome completed (the “aha” moment).
Second session / repeat use.
First limit hit or premium feature used (upgrade trigger).

Example

Activation definition: A user is activated when they reach first success and returns for a second session within 7 days.

Time-to-value target: Under 10 minutes for first success

First success event: first_success_completed

Expansion trigger: plan_limit_hit or premium_feature_used

Instrumentation notes

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

Instrument the “first success” milestone and measure time-to-value tightly.
Track upgrade triggers (limits hit, premium usage) as explicit events.

Example event schema

first_success_completed
User completes the first meaningful outcome.
Properties: time_since_signup_seconds
repeat_session
User returns within target window.
Properties: days_since_signup
plan_limit_hit
User hits a limit that blocks progress.
Properties: limit_name, limit_value

Pricing and packaging

Keep plans simple. Make the paid plan a clear continuation of value.
Monetize on usage/outcome that correlates with success, not random features.

Upgrade trigger examples

Hit a value-aligned limit during real usage.
Need premium integrations/features that save time.
Consistent repeat use indicates willingness to pay for speed or scale.

Common mistakes

Overbuilding onboarding instead of removing setup friction.
Optimizing signups without improving first success.

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 free How Skene works