# Defer the account until the user has something to save

- Category: product
- Author: Andrei Statescu (https://indie.md/people/andrei-statescu/)
- Source: https://indie.md/events/indie-tm-13-timisoara-july-2026/
- Canonical URL: https://indie.md/advice/let-them-listen-before-they-log-in/

Naramine's beta asked for an account before the first listen, and the room unanimously voted that wall down: installing an extension is already a commitment, and demanding registration before the product has demonstrated anything doubles the drop-off at the exact moment of maximum skepticism. The replacement pattern is an anonymous ID created silently on first use, Firebase-style, which accumulates listening progress from the first play, followed by a "create an account to save your progress" prompt that appears only once there is progress worth protecting, or when money changes hands. That prompt converts because it offers the user protection for something they now own, instead of demanding tribute for something they have not yet received. Audit your own funnel for identity demands that arrive before value does, and move each one to the moment it genuinely serves the user; the database can wait longer than your drop-off rate can.