Four Ideas
Directional shifts for Ari onboarding, not a feature list.
Proposed Experience
Click through the proposed onboarding and post-onboarding flow.
Before we get into anything practical — what’s life looking like for you right now? Even the non-medical stuff helps me understand what you’re actually dealing with.
Here are a few places we could start:
- What appointments are coming up
- Insurance headaches you're dealing with
- School paperwork that's piling up
- Medications and refills to track
- Anything else that's been stressing you out
| Medication | Dose | Frequency | Prescriber |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keppra | 250mg | 2x daily | Dr. Patel |
| Singulair | 4mg | 1x daily | Dr. Kim |
| Melatonin | 1mg | Bedtime | Dr. Patel |
This is what users see today after completing the 4-screen signup. It’s open-ended — “what’s life looking like?” Most users don’t know what to say. User B immediately asked “what can you do?” Nasha called it exhausting.
Also note: the label says “iMessage” but this was tested on Android. This should show the actual channel (web/SMS/voice).
Replace the open-ended question with specific, actionable starting points. Each maps to a validated capability.
Key additions:
- “Brain dump” is first — lowest friction, highest context capture. Voice is the unlock.
- “What can Ari do?” directly solves User B’s cold start problem.
- “Give me a call” — not currently on the roadmap, but realistic. On Habit Coach, outbound calls get dramatically more engagement than text. An AI that calls YOU and walks you through getting started would be a massive differentiator.
These only work on web — on SMS, Ari sends the same greeting but ends with “You can type, or just send a voice note” since cards aren’t possible over SMS.
This is the magic moment. 47 seconds of unstructured voice becomes a structured, actionable plan. The user thinks: "this thing actually understands my situation."
The connection asks (calendar, MyChart) come AFTER value - not before. Ari earned the right to ask.
This is also where the "post-onboarding, not more onboarding" principle pays off: we didn't gate anything on connecting a portal. The user is already signed up, already chatting, and now sees why connecting more data would help.
Voice is the highest-bandwidth input. Suggested topics lower the "what do I say?" barrier without being prescriptive. The transcript in the reveal proves Ari actually listened.
Solves User B's cold start: "what can you do?" These are real wins from the internal testing board. Social proof builds confidence before the user commits to trying anything.
IEP extraction was one of the top-validated capabilities (75% Able in testing). The upload zone makes it tangible and immediate.
Uses the zip code we already collected during signup. No new information needed. This is the "earn the right to ask" principle in action: we give value before requesting anything.
Lauren's idea from the transcript: photo your med bottles, get a shareable list. In the ER when a doctor wants to start a new med, you ask "is this safe with her current meds?" and get an instant answer.
Not currently on the Ari roadmap but realistic to build. On other products, outbound AI calls get dramatically higher engagement than text. An AI that calls YOU and walks you through getting started would be a massive differentiator in this space.
After Day 1
Retention is the Q2 metric. Here’s how Ari stays useful between sessions.
Day 1: First proactive text
Day 3: Recovery or momentum
I prepped a symptom summary for Olive’s appointment on Tuesday. Tap to review before you go. [link]
Hey [name], I noticed you signed up but we haven’t really gotten started. Here’s one thing I can do right now: I looked up benefits Olive may qualify for in Maryland. Want to see? [link]
Week 1: Invite your care team
Weekly: Proactive summary
✅ Submitted Jan speech therapy claim to Surest
🔎 Found 2 new clinical trials for [condition]
📅 Neurology appt prep ready for Tuesday
→ See full details [link]
Ongoing: Contextual nudges
First 50 users: Concierge follow-up
For the first 50 alpha users: a human from Citizen Health calls after 3 days to check in, gather feedback, and help with anything Ari couldn’t handle.
The Onboarding Skill Problem
The current onboarding skill tries to do too much in a single conversation.
Ari’s onboarding skill is well-intentioned — it tries to deeply understand the user in the first conversation. But when you break it down, it asks 20 questions before delivering any value. That’s not onboarding. That’s an intake form disguised as a chat.
| # | Question |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tell us about yourself or your loved one as a person. What are they like outside the medical stuff? |
| 2 | What is the diagnosis, or suspected diagnosis? |
| 3 | What symptoms matter most right now, and what does day-to-day life actually look like? |
| 4 | How long have you or they been dealing with this? |
| 5 | Is there anything that makes the situation especially unusual or complicated? |
| 6 | Tell us everything that’s on your plate right now. |
| 7 | What feels urgent or time-sensitive right now? |
| 8 | What feels most stressful, frustrating, or emotionally heavy right now? |
| 9 | Are there things you think you’re supposed to do, don’t fully understand, or haven’t had time to figure out yet? |
| 10 | Is there one thing that would be a quick relief if someone handled it? |
| 11 | Do you already have any relevant documents ready, like a bill, EOB, denial letter, IEP, lab result, medication bottle photo, or portal login? |
| 12 | Is there anything sitting in MyChart or another portal, or any doctor/insurance/pharmacy call you’ve been putting off? |
| 13 | What medications are in the mix right now? |
| 14 | Are there symptoms you want tracked over time, like seizures, sleep, or behaviors? |
| 15 | Do you have an upcoming appointment we should prep for? |
| 16 | Are school supports, accommodations, or an IEP part of what you need help with? |
| 17 | Are insurance issues, denied claims, or bills part of what you need help with? |
| 18 | Do you need help finding benefits, waiver programs, or respite support? |
| 19 | Do you want help with research, clinical trials, or understanding reports? |
| 20 | Who are the doctors, specialists, therapists, or other providers involved? |
A different approach
Most of these are good questions. But asking all 20 in a single text conversation is exhausting — User A powered through it but User B hit a wall immediately, and Nasha said the open-ended approach was “exhausting.”
Instead, these questions can be answered naturally through post-onboarding mini-experiences:
The user answers the same questions — but in context, when it matters, after Ari has earned their trust. Not all at once in a wall of text.
Deep Dive — All Ideas, Rankings & Flow Diagrams
Onboarding Ideas
17 ideas for making Ari’s onboarding unforgettable.
“Meet the newest member of your medical team”
Intro screen positioning Ari as a team member, not a tool.
Concierge onboarding call
Time-limited “book a 15-min walkthrough” for first 50 alpha users. Learning mode, not scaling mode.
Hybrid web→chat entry
Web screens for education (60s), then drop into chat for the relational part. Bridges the web-vs-text divide.
“Pick Your Chaos” cards
6 plain-language cards instead of a blank chat: “Insurance is a nightmare,” “School paperwork is endless,” “Nobody has the full picture,” “I can’t keep track of everything,” “Are we missing benefits?,” “I need answers about our condition.”
Suggested reply cards in chat
ChatGPT-style quick actions, persistent in empty/new-chat states.
Recent wins board
Real anonymized examples from other families with “try this for yourself” buttons. Privacy controls for sharing level.
Capability reveal
Short, visual “what Ari can do” — not a wall of text. Could be animated cards or a quick carousel.
Portal connection reveal
Connect MyChart/FollowMyHealth → Ari instantly surfaces unread messages, meds, upcoming appointments. The “connect your checking account” moment. User B and Nasha both asked for this unprompted.
ZIP-to-entitlements instant reveal
Enter ZIP + condition → see state programs you probably qualify for. Uses data they already gave us. Farid loves this one.
Voice brain dump
60s recording → structured plan card with clickable next actions. Works great for “power user” parents, fails for cold-start users. Make it an option, not a gate.
Contact card via SMS
At end of onboarding, Ari texts a real iOS/Android contact card. Tiny effort, high “Ari is a person” signal.
“While you were away” dashboard
Log in and see background work: portal checks, new research, sent letters, completed tasks. Communicates value even when user isn’t actively chatting.
Proactive next-step suggestions
Ari suggests based on what it already knows. Nasha’s feedback: “It has enough info to suggest things.” When user says Stanford → offer portal. When it drafts an email → offer to send it.
Deep links from SMS → web
Text notifications as hooks into richer web experiences. “I found something — tap to see details.”
Multi-caregiver invite
“Invite your co-parent / nanny to also talk to Ari” as late-onboarding step + organic growth loop.
Failed onboarding recovery
“Ari noticed you tried to connect — want to try again?” follow-up text. Nasha tried 10+ times over 2 days.
Pricing/paywall placeholder
Clear insertion point for an upgrade moment without breaking flow. Paid tier coming but nothing built.
Wow Moments
The 6 strongest moments, ranked by evidence and impact.
Portal Connection Reveal
User B transformed from “what do you do?” to full engagement. Nasha confirmed. Recurring engagement hook.
Daily School Digest
Daniel’s ADHD son digest. Proven, recurs daily, killer demo artifact.
Actionable Bureaucracy Win
Nasha’s Regional Center call script + IHSS letter. Tangible real-world value.
Insurance Code Translator
Daniel’s $200/visit catch. Emotional + concrete.
Brain Dump → Plan
User A’s 30-item dump. Powerful when it works, gated on user readiness.
Community Data Reveal
User C asked “do you have data from other families?” Future killer feature.
Onboarding Flows
Three distinct paths for different user entry points.
Flow A: “Pick Your Chaos” (web-first)
New users choose from relatable pain-point cards, get guided through a first magic trick, then graduate into the full chat experience.
Flow B: “Brain Dump” (voice-first)
Users tell Ari everything that’s piling up — voice or text — and get a structured action plan back instantly.
Flow C: “Inbox Ari” (existing user fast-path)
Users who already have records in the system get a personalized, data-rich experience from the first click.