Improve the initial experience for new account holders by reducing friction, removing unnecessary steps, and making it faster and clearer to get started.

User story

As a new account holder,
I want to get started immediately without unnecessary decisions or distractions,
so that I can quickly explore or contribute in a way that feels simple and relevant to me.

Problem

Newcomer onboarding today is fragmented and introduces unnecessary complexity at key moments:

• Users are asked to make decisions (for example, topic selection) before they understand their goals
• Key UI elements can feel overwhelming or distracting
• Onboarding steps are not clearly tied to immediate user value
• The experience does not adapt well to different types of users (readers vs. contributors)

Goal

Create a more seamless onboarding experience that:

• Helps users get started quickly with minimal upfront decisions
• Reduces cognitive load and interface complexity
• Aligns onboarding steps with clear, immediate value
• Supports flexible paths based on user intent and behavior

Related Metrics:

• Reduced time from account creation to first meaningful action
• Increased activation rates (for example, first edit or key interaction)
• Improved clarity and ease of use in early sessions
• Fewer drop-offs during onboarding steps
• Higher second-week retention

Scope

This parent task brings together efforts that simplify and modernize onboarding.