Employment Hero had a growth problem. Free users came to solve one thing, but hit the entire platform at once. Near-zero self-serve conversion. Full sales dependency. To understand why, I interviewed drop-offs and found a clear signal: users who completed 3+ setup tasks converted at 3x the rate. They weren't upgrading for features. They were upgrading to keep their work.
I designed a 5-stage conversion journey built around intent, not features:
Underpinning the journey were 6 design principles that became the shared decision-making language across product, engineering, and growth for 3 markets.
The result: self-serve conversion moved from near-zero to a viable revenue channel, reducing reliance on sales-assisted conversion and lowering *CAC. The framework outlasted the project.
*Customer Acquisition Cost: the total spend to gain a new paying customer.