Refer for Cash
How I designed and launched an MVP referrals program, tackling trust and incentive challenges to drive engaged users.
The Challenge
Imagine for a moment that you were interested in launching a new low-cost acquisition strategy — Referrals — but you had previously launched a referrals program, incentivizing users to refer your premium membership product, but it failed.
Without strong incentives, without targeting the right audience, without creating a meaningful experience, adoption was low.
This time, you want to leverage a proven in-app feature Earnings, where users could make real money through playing games and downloading apps. The goal is to create a referral system that incentivizes sharing and sustains engagement.
As Staff Product Designer and Design Manager, I led the design execution and strategy for this initiative. I managed an intern and senior designer, ensuring our process incorporated structured research, process optimization, and scalable design solutions within a fast-moving, delivery-focused team.
My Role
Defined the strategy and led execution across design, engineering, and product.
Drove A/B testing and research to optimize conversions.
Led stakeholder alignment and scaled the design process for future referral programs.
Key Insights
Early K-Factor was lower than expected (2% vs. 20% goal), but 40x prior referral iterations.
User trust and incentive alignment emerged as key success factors for referrals.
Testing showed engaged users who “earned” were X% more likely to refer successfully.
Process & Decisions
1. Identifying the Problem with the MVP
Referral friction was reducing conversion. We aimed for 20% K-Factor but achieved 2%. Additionally, our target was 3,000 new engaged users, but only 775 converted to earning.
2. Designing Solutions
Proposed, designed, and ran a Hotjar survey targeting users who exited the referral homepage without sharing their link. Found that users who didn't share either (1) didn't know anyone to refer or (2) hadn't had time yet.
Developed a project plan including:
A content discovery test to refine how benefits/incentives were communicated.
A qualitative test of an enhanced MVP with features addressing survey insights.
3. Measuring & Iterating
The project plan was designed to validate potential improvements, but further analysis was cut short due to role termination before execution.
Despite this, early research provided valuable direction for refining future referral strategies.
Approach & Contributions
The product team had a predetermined vision, but there was no clear understanding of how users would engage with referrals or what incentives would drive adoption. I pushed for structured research and competitive analysis, guiding the team to refine our approach based on real user behaviors rather than assumptions.
I led the design effort, ensuring strategic alignment across teams while balancing execution speed and quality. My contributions included:
Managing & Coaching Design Talent
I led a diverse group of interns, mid-level, and senior designers, directly managing the intern and senior-level designer. I provided mentorship, process guidance, and performance feedback. When the senior designer struggled to advocate for time and quality, I coached him on project structuring and trade-offs, though ultimately, I had to take over his responsibilities.
Driving Research & Strategy
I initiated and oversaw a competitive analysis of referral incentives across similar industries, conducted by our PD intern. This strategic research informed our incentive models and reward structures, ensuring alignment with industry best practices.
Validating Design Decisions Through Research
Given time constraints, I developed a lean, impact-driven usability testing strategy, leading two rapid usability tests to:
Assess whether users could find and understand the referral program.
Identify what would drive referred users to take action.
Advocating for Critical UI Enhancements
I identified and advocated for an overlooked high-impact referral entry point that was initially deprioritized. I built a strong case for its inclusion, and once launched, it became the highest-converting entry point in the entire referral experience.
Challenges & Constraints
Lack of Research Time
The team prioritized speed over deeper user insights. I worked within this constraint by running targeted usability tests to catch major issues.
Difficult Product Partners
The product team did not see design as a strategic partner, which made it difficult to push for certain improvements. I had to navigate trade-offs while still advocating for key UX enhancements.
My Report’s Performance & Transition
Midway through the project, my senior designer departed the team, despite our best effort to coach him through challenges. I had to balance mentoring him while also preparing to take over his work.
A Skeptical User Base
Testing revealed that many users wouldn’t share referrals unless they trusted the platform. This wasn’t an issue design alone could fix, so I escalated this insight to the team responsible for platform trust and acquisition.
MVP Launch & Learnings
2.2% k-factor (vs. 20% goal) → This was significantly lower than the target, indicating that referral motivation wasn’t strong enough in the initial design.
774 monthly earners (vs. 3K goal) → The program drove engagement, but traction was lower than expected.
The Highest-Converting Entry Point Came From a UI Element I Advocated For → While referrals overall underperformed, the entry point I pushed for had the best conversion rate of all referral touchpoints.
Key Takeaways & Next Steps:
While the MVP didn’t hit its original goals, it was never intended to be the final version. The company culture prioritized launching fast and iterating, and the next phase was expected to address why users weren’t sharing.
My main observation was that the team wasn’t investigating the root cause of low sharing. I had begun setting up a more structured approach to post-launch iteration before my time at the company ended.