Sample data
Seeding a new account with realistic sample data beats an empty state: the user lands in a populated workspace they can explore and edit, so the product's value is legible before they've created anything themselves.
The funnel ends on a populated sidebar plus an AI recap of exactly what was built and where to start — a map, not a blank canvas.
Seen in Notion → Onboarding flow →
Onboarding ends in a finished base — three linked tables with sample rows — a working relational database the user owns from minute one.
Seen in Airtable → Onboarding flow →
Figma drops new users into a fully-built practice file — real frames, text, and components to poke at — so the tool's value is legible before they create anything.
Seen in Figma → Learn the basics flow →