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ContactOut·7 min readScaling ARR from $4.5M to $13M by redesigning activation and trust
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Role
Head of Product Design (Player-Coach)
Scope
Led redesign across Chrome Extension, Search Portal, and company-wide rebrand. 4 core SaaS products across acquisition, activation, and retention.
Team
Led and mentored product designers. Worked cross-functionally with PMs, engineers, growth, and leadership (2x Co-CEOs). Fully remote team across 6 countries.
Timeline
~3.5 years (Dec 2021 – Jul 2025). Continuous iteration across product and growth experiments.
Scale
Users: 400K → 4M. ARR: $4.5M → $13M.
10×
user acquisition
82.8%
activation rate
13×
organic conversion
Executive Summary
I led a redesign of ContactOut's product and brand to fix a core growth constraint: users were required to commit before experiencing value.
Despite strong acquisition through SEO and Chrome installs, conversion remained low because trust was not established early.
I introduced a value-first activation system across the Chrome extension, search portal, and brand, enabling users to verify data quickly and build confidence through repeated success.
Result:
Despite strong acquisition through SEO and Chrome installs, conversion remained low because trust was not established early.
I introduced a value-first activation system across the Chrome extension, search portal, and brand, enabling users to verify data quickly and build confidence through repeated success.
Result:
- 13× increase in organic conversion (0.5% → 6.5%)
- +21.5% onboarding conversion
- +90% directory conversion
- ARR scaled from $4.5M → $13M
- Users grew from 400K → 4M
High-intent users dropped off because the product required commitment before proving value
ContactOut operated in a highly competitive B2B data market (e.g. ZoomInfo, Apollo), where trust and perceived data accuracy directly determine conversion and retention.
ContactOut attracted high-intent users:
This pointed to a deeper issue: users weren't just dropping off. They were unable to trust the product quickly enough to continue.
ContactOut attracted high-intent users:
- Recruiters and sales professionals
- Searching for emails and phone numbers
- Sign up before seeing meaningful results
- Navigate fragmented flows across web and extension
- Trust a product that felt generic
This pointed to a deeper issue: users weren't just dropping off. They were unable to trust the product quickly enough to continue.
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Insight
Users only trust the product after verifying data accuracy themselves through repeated success
Through behavioral analysis and user testing, a consistent pattern emerged:
Users:
This meant the core problem was not onboarding friction, but a failure to design for trust-building behavior.
Even with a simpler onboarding flow:
Users:
- Search their own profile
- Check colleagues
- Validate accuracy through repetition
This meant the core problem was not onboarding friction, but a failure to design for trust-building behavior.
Even with a simpler onboarding flow:
- Users would still hesitate
- Trust would still be unproven
- Gated value too early
- Did not encourage repeated validation
- Treated surfaces as separate experiences
I reframed onboarding into a trust-building system driven by repeated value
Instead of optimizing onboarding completion:
→ I redefined success as time-to-value + repeated success
I introduced a value-first activation model:
→ I redefined success as time-to-value + repeated success
I introduced a value-first activation model:
- Deliver value earlier
- Reduce reliance on full onboarding
- Guide users toward meaningful actions
- Product → faster access to value
- UX → repeated validation loops
- Brand → reinforce credibility
I reframed onboarding into a trust-building system driven by repeated value
Instead of optimizing onboarding completion, I redefined success as time-to-value plus repeated success. I introduced a value-first activation model: deliver value earlier, reduce reliance on full onboarding, guide users toward meaningful actions. Redesigned the Chrome Extension to reduce time-to-first-success. Repositioned the Search Portal as the primary activation surface. Led a full rebrand to strengthen perceived trust and differentiation. Unified the experience into a single loop: Search, Reveal, Verify, Repeat, Trust, Convert.
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Translating a trust-first strategy into tangible changes across the product
1
Chrome Extension — Reducing time-to-value to drive first success
The Chrome extension was the highest-usage surface and the primary driver of activation, yet users were failing to reach their first successful outcome.
This mattered because without an early success moment, users had no reason to trust the product or continue using it.
I redefined the goal: → Guide users to their first successful contact reveal as quickly as possible.
Led redesign to:
This mattered because without an early success moment, users had no reason to trust the product or continue using it.
I redefined the goal: → Guide users to their first successful contact reveal as quickly as possible.
Led redesign to:
- Simplify onboarding
- Remove unnecessary steps
- Increase information density within constrained UI
- Guide next-best actions
Step 1 image
2
Search Portal — Converting intent into immediate value
The search portal represented the highest-intent entry point — yet it was underperforming.
This mattered because it represented the highest leverage entry point — users were already expressing intent, but the product was not capitalizing on it.
I repositioned it as: → Primary activation surface, not a passive tool.
Changes:
This mattered because it represented the highest leverage entry point — users were already expressing intent, but the product was not capitalizing on it.
I repositioned it as: → Primary activation surface, not a passive tool.
Changes:
- Search-first interaction
- Pre-filled intent
- Streamlined reveal flow
- Guided actions
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3
Rebrand — Strengthening perceived trust and differentiation
As product changes improved value delivery, perception became the next constraint.
The existing brand weakened credibility and made the product feel interchangeable despite strong data quality.
This mattered because in a data-driven product, perceived trust directly influences whether users are willing to engage and convert.
I repositioned brand as: → A conversion lever, not visual polish.
Led:
The existing brand weakened credibility and made the product feel interchangeable despite strong data quality.
This mattered because in a data-driven product, perceived trust directly influences whether users are willing to engage and convert.
I repositioned brand as: → A conversion lever, not visual polish.
Led:
- Full visual identity system
- Mascot + personality
- Product + marketing consistency
- Aligned 2 Co-CEOs + leadership
- Rolled out across remote org
Step 3 image
4
Activation Loop — Designing a repeatable trust-building system
While each surface improved independently, trust was still fragmented across the experience.
This mattered because trust is built cumulatively — not in a single interaction, but through repeated successful outcomes.
I unified the experience into a single loop:
→ Search → Reveal → Verify → Repeat → Trust → Convert
Reinforced through:
This mattered because trust is built cumulatively — not in a single interaction, but through repeated successful outcomes.
I unified the experience into a single loop:
→ Search → Reveal → Verify → Repeat → Trust → Convert
Reinforced through:
- Nudges
- Incentives
- Consistent flows
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System Summary
Growth accelerated when product, behavior, and perception were designed as one system
These changes revealed that the real leverage came not from individual improvements, but from how the system worked together.
Search Portal captured high-intent demand
Chrome Extension delivered immediate value and first success
Brand reduced hesitation and increased perceived credibility
This mattered because each layer removed a different form of friction:
→ Users entered with intent
→ Experienced value quickly
→ Built trust through repeated success
→ Converted with higher confidence
→ Returned and reinforced the loop
Growth accelerated not because each part improved, but because they worked together.
Once these elements were aligned, the impact became visible across the entire funnel.
Search Portal captured high-intent demand
Chrome Extension delivered immediate value and first success
Brand reduced hesitation and increased perceived credibility
This mattered because each layer removed a different form of friction:
- Search removed effort
- Product removed uncertainty
- Brand removed doubt
→ Users entered with intent
→ Experienced value quickly
→ Built trust through repeated success
→ Converted with higher confidence
→ Returned and reinforced the loop
Growth accelerated not because each part improved, but because they worked together.
Once these elements were aligned, the impact became visible across the entire funnel.
System-level redesign unlocked conversion, activation, and sustained revenue growth
The redesign drove a 13× increase in organic conversion, but more importantly, the gains came from fixing the core trust gap in the product experience, not incremental UI improvements.
Conversion and Activation: Trust unlocked progression across the funnel
- Organic conversion increased 13x (0.5% to 6.5%)
- Onboarding conversion improved +21.5%
- Directory conversion increased +90%
Users no longer needed to take a leap of faith. They could verify value before committing.
Usage Growth: Faster time-to-value increased repeat behavior
- Chrome Extension DAU: ~27K (+45% YoY)
- Search Portal DAU: ~6.7K (+76% YoY)
Activation was no longer a one-time event, but a repeatable behavior loop.
Business Impact: Trust-driven activation translated directly into revenue
- ARR grew from $4.5M to $13M
- Users scaled from 400K to 4M
- NPS of 88 and employee satisfaction scores of 95%
Fixing activation unlocked monetization across the entire funnel.
Result image 1
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Result image 4
What I took away
Trust, not usability, is the primary driver of conversion in data products.
I initially approached this as a usability problem. But the real constraint was trust. Users don't convert because flows are smoother. They convert when they believe the product is reliable.
Design must enable users to prove value to themselves, not just understand it.
I initially approached this as a usability problem. But the real constraint was trust. Users don't convert because flows are smoother. They convert when they believe the product is reliable.
Design must enable users to prove value to themselves, not just understand it.
Brand is a functional lever that directly influences behavior.
The rebrand was not cosmetic. It changed how users evaluated the product. A stronger brand reduced perceived risk, increased willingness to engage, and made the product feel credible before interaction.
Perception shapes behavior before interaction even begins.
The rebrand was not cosmetic. It changed how users evaluated the product. A stronger brand reduced perceived risk, increased willingness to engage, and made the product feel credible before interaction.
Perception shapes behavior before interaction even begins.
System design creates outsized impact compared to feature optimization.
The biggest gains did not come from improving individual features. They came from aligning how users enter (Search), how they experience value (Extension), and how they perceive trust (Brand).
When product, behavior, and perception reinforce each other, growth compounds.
The biggest gains did not come from improving individual features. They came from aligning how users enter (Search), how they experience value (Extension), and how they perceive trust (Brand).
When product, behavior, and perception reinforce each other, growth compounds.
"Bar none the best UX/product/design person I've ever worked with. Activation and conversion rates improved 3-4x. A WEAPON."
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Jeff Deutsch
VP Growth & Marketing
"Smart, thoughtful approach to work. Great at coaching and motivating his staff. A secret weapon to any high growth team."
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Santosh Sharan
Co-CEO
"The most versatile and dedicated person I've had the pleasure of working with. His impact extended far beyond his direct responsibilities."
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Albert Jou
Head of Engineering
"The best coach, mentor, and leader I've ever had. He actually listens when you talk and brings out your thoughts in a way that makes it super clear."
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Rahul Ranganathan
Product Manager
"Exceptional as a designer and exceptional as a design leader. He taught me how to think, not just how to design."
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Muskan Bhargava
Product Designer
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