24 Jun 2026
Launching Akeneo's First Free Trial
I designed Akeneo's first Product-Led Growth motion and accelerated product adoption through an optimized free trial experience.
The Challenge
Creating a product-led entry point for a sales-led business
Akeneo had always relied on a traditional sales-led motion.
Prospects couldn’t experience the product before engaging with Sales, limiting self-discovery and slowing acquisition.
The Approach
What we did
Coordinate the product experience and GTM execution
Although I initially joined the initiative to work on product activation, I quickly became responsible for coordinating the overall product experience and go-to-market execution.
Design the activation funnel
I designed the activation funnel, optimized the registration experience, and defined the onboarding journey that guided users from sign-up to their first “Aha!” moment.
Remove the blank canvas effect
To eliminate the “blank canvas” effect, I worked with my Product Marketing teammates and the Product team on pre-loaded demo datasets that allowed users to immediately experience the value of the platform instead of starting from an empty catalog.
Connect product, marketing and sales
Beyond the product experience, I developed website messaging, automated lifecycle campaigns, Product Qualified Lead criteria, executive reporting and sales enablement to ensure Product, Marketing and Sales operated as one cohesive growth engine.
The Outcome
Results
€8M+
ARR generated within three years
25%
Contribution to new business
First PLG motion
Established Akeneo's first Product-Led Growth motion
Self-serve acquisition
Created the foundation for scalable self-serve acquisition
Key Takeaway
A successful free trial is about guiding prospects to value as quickly and frictionlessly as possible.
A successful free trial isn’t simply about giving users access to a product.
It’s about guiding prospects to experience your product’s value as quickly and as frictionlessly as possible.