[Animats]

From the article: "After new users sign up to a website or app, they are often dropped directly into a home screen. ... This is a big missed opportunity. This moment is a chance to ... ask important questions, and personalize their experience. ... They will then be more likely to tell their friends about you. When combined with analytics, the onboarding process presents an opportunity to learn vital details about your users ... and increase retention and conversions."

So this isn't for the user's benefit.

[rgbrenner]

personalize their experience ... They will then be more likely to tell their friends about you. ... increase retention and conversions.

So this isn't for the user's benefit.

non-sequitur

If something is increasing retention; and creating more satisfied customers (so much so they are telling other people about you)... then it is benefiting the user. Actions clearly indicate it's benefiting the user.

[kareemm]

> So this isn't for the user's benefit.

I think it is. You're understanding what problems they need solved so you can do that for them (and thus increase retention and conversions).

[ObserverEffect]

Exactly. Plus you can improve the user's experience by helping them find and understand the things they are looking for in your app :)

[stephengillie]

This kind of response makes me think of the mandatory training missions that have started populating the introductory levels of many videogames - Even though movement is the same as every other game, we're going to spend 10 minutes to teach you how to walk around and shoot your gun.

[icebraining]

I think those are fine, as long as you can skip them.

[stephengillie]

Increasingly, the option to skip is removed. If you want to play a game with your friends, you have to spend 10 minutes doing what the game tells you to do.

[skizm]

Just because something benefits one party, doesn't mean it can't benefit both parties.