Onboarding
Etymology
From the nautical phrase "on board," welcoming someone aboard a ship, extended to welcoming them into an organization. Human-resources culture coined the noun late in the twentieth century, and software borrowed it for a user’s first experience. The image of stepping safely onto a moving vessel is apt.
noun · /ON-bor-ding/
The process of bringing a new employee, user, or customer up to speed so they can be productive.
What it names
Those crucial first days or clicks that decide whether someone stays and thrives or quietly gives up.
Example
Their product was powerful, but clumsy onboarding meant half of new users never returned.
Related idea
Onboarding is the welcome that reduces early loss; attrition is the loss that good onboarding prevents. Investing in the first week is usually cheaper than replacing the people a bad first week drives out.