Latenode is a B2B SaaS startup that enables businesses to automate workflows (similar to n8n). As a relatively new and less established product, it needed to build trust, convert users into paying customers, and help them understand a technically complex product. One of the main tools for achieving this was the onboarding email sequence.

As part of a small team working in a fast-changing environment, I found several issues with the existing onboarding emails.
The most critical problem was that the email sequence no longer matched the user journey.

Originally, the product flow was:

Sign up → 14-day free trial → Add a payment card → Purchase a plan

The first onboarding emails were therefore focused on encouraging users to add a payment card.

Later, the product flow changed to:

Sign up → Add a payment card → Start a 14-day free trial → Automatic subscription unless the card is removed

However, the email sequence was never updated.

As a result:

• users who had already added their payment card continued receiving multiple emails asking them to add one;
• email conditions and goal checks were no longer aligned with the new flow, causing users to exit the sequence unpredictably before seeing the onboarding content, product value, or promotional offers;
• the business lost important activation touchpoints.

There were additional issues:

• emails were sent from different senders (brand account, customer success lead, CEO) with inconsistent tone and styling;
• layouts were visually weak and difficult to scan;
• copy relied heavily on generic AI-generated text, without addressing customer pain points, use cases, or clear value propositions.

At the same time, there was a separate two-email campaign targeting users who had signed up but had not started the free trial. While this sequence better reflected the new user journey, it conflicted with the main onboarding campaign, resulting in users receiving overlapping emails. Its final email also offered a 90-day free trial without requiring a payment card, which proved economically inefficient.

The objectives were to:

• increase the number of users adding a payment card and starting the 14-day free trial;
• improve product activation and encourage users to start using the platform;
• reduce churn after the free trial and increase first-time payments.

1. Pre-trial sequence

This sequence targeted users who had signed up but had not yet added a payment card or started their free trial. Its objective was simple: encourage users to add their card and activate the trial.

Rather than using a generic "Start your free trial" message, I based the communication on previous user research. Earlier, I conducted interviews with customers and learned that many were owners of small businesses (typically 1–5 employees, often family-run), primarily in e-commerce—ranging from beverage stores to industrial spare parts suppliers. Most were already familiar with automation and valued Latenode mainly because of its pricing model: users paid only for runtime rather than per operation.

During the interviews, I asked users to describe Latenode in five words. One response stood out:

"My lowest-cost, hardest-working employee."

This insight became the foundation for one version of the campaign.

Another important value proposition was the AI Node, which helped users complete automation workflows even when they lacked coding experience.

Based on these insights, I ran an A/B test.

• One version targeted technically experienced users and focused on product capabilities and features.
• The second targeted business owners and managers, presenting automations as additional "team members" that could reduce workload.

Across both versions, every email demonstrated practical use cases by showing the results of ready-made automation templates. I also introduced a warmer tone, subtle humor, and occasional pop-culture references to make the communication feel more approachable.

2. Onboarding sequence

The second sequence started after users had added a payment card and activated their 14-day free trial. Its objective shifted from acquiring the trial to helping users experience value quickly and convert into paying customers.

The emails guided users through the product step by step, explained the core concepts, introduced simple automation scenarios, and gradually encouraged them to build more advanced workflows that solved real business problems. The goal was to help users create automations they would continue using beyond the trial period.

Across both sequences, I also:

• redesigned the email layouts for better readability;
• improved CTA hierarchy;
• added more links encouraging product exploration;
• increased awareness of product capabilities;
• created additional engagement touchpoints, even for users who were not yet ready to actively use the platform.

Pre-trial sequence. The redesigned pre-trial campaign achieved a 13.5% conversion to starting the free trial. Notably, this outperformed the previous multi-email sequence, despite the earlier campaign including a founder email offering a significantly more generous 90-day free trial without requiring payment card details.

Onboarding sequence. The onboarding campaign achieved a 23.3% conversion from free trial to first payment.

The sequence was later expanded with personalized content as Latenode developed user enrichment capabilities that enabled more relevant messaging.

Beyond onboarding, I also established a regular product communication program to keep customers informed about new features, product updates, and pricing changes—something the company had not previously maintained. This created consistent touchpoints with users throughout their lifecycle instead of communicating only during onboarding.