Loomstead found the step where sellers stalled and lifted conversion 14 points

Loomstead's marketplace depended on sellers listing their first item. Half of new sellers signed up and never listed anything, and the team had four competing theories about why.

The funnel report showed the drop but not the reason — so the roadmap argument ran for two quarters.

Trace unified their product, marketing and payment events into one funnel model and compared cohorts at each step.

Sellers who reached the photo-upload step converted at 71%; those who bounced on the pricing field converted at 34%. The step, not the intent, was the problem.

First-listing conversion went from 48% to 62% in one sprint. The two-quarter roadmap argument ended in an afternoon because the data named the step.

• 14-point lift in first-listing conversion
• Ad-hoc funnel requests down to near zero
• Photo requirement redesigned, not removed