Dev Corner is a behind the scenes look at what Schematic's engineers are building and why. We share the technical decisions, unexpected challenges, and lessons learned along the way. It's a window into how the platform evolves — one feature at a time.
Onboarding That Works with Youssef
Before Schematic existed, Youssef Salah was already building with its founders. “I was working with the Schematic team even before they made Schematic,” he said. He was the first engineering hire, and just like in past roles, he brings a deep understanding of both product polish and technical rigor.
In this post, we'll dive into how Youssef reimagined Schematic's onboarding experience and why that work matters. A confusing flow or missing context can mean the difference between a new user getting to "aha" or giving up entirely.
The Two Goals of Onboarding
Onboarding typically has two, often conflicting, goals:
1. Help users quickly understand what the product does.
2. Help them set it up for their own use case.
The first challenge was helping users understand the product. Most users aren't familiar with billing terminology, and Without the right context, it's easy to get lost. To fix this, Youssef pushed to include sample data that shows how everything fits together. Instead of starting from a blank slate, users now see a working example as soon as they land in the product.
The second challenge was setup. Once users understand how the pieces fit together, they need to create their own. That means defining entitlements, tying them to features, and linking those features to plans. Youssef reworked the onboarding flow to guide users through that exact sequence, turning an abstract model into a clear, step-by-step path.
"It pushes you toward the important stuff. Create entitlements, tie them to features, then link that to a plan."
That kind of guided onboarding helps users build confidence. Instead of dropping them into an empty dashboard, it gives them a clear path forward. Each step reinforces how the product works while helping them shape it to fit their own use case.
"I kind of treat it as my baby. I definitely love trying to push the customer to the right place they need to go."
A Shift in Perspective for an Engineer
Before joining Schematic, Youssef had worked on plenty of frontend systems, but never directly on pricing. That changed quickly.
"As an engineer and a product designer, I never really touched the pricing part at other companies," he said. "I just turned stakeholder ideas into working features." At Schematic, pricing isn't a minor detail. It's the core of the product. Everything centers on how companies define, package, and charge for their software. That focus changed how Youssef approached his work. Building UI wasn't just about visuals anymore. It was about making the business model clear and usable.
"The most important part isn't the product. It's how you make money," he said. "And if you're doing it incorrectly, then you're in a complete mess."
What's Next?
Youssef's next projects are all about expanding and refining the core product experience. He's working on a new company profile page, along with updated forms for creating entitlements and plans, including a new preview mode that gives users more confidence before they hit save. As always, the goal is to make powerful concepts feel intuitive, and help teams move from setup to value as quickly as possible.
