The Problem
The Problem statement
Boost Mobile could not scale ODA or Free Trial without Port After Activation. Port-in customers who started on a temporary number had no clean way to keep their real number, and Care relied on a brittle backend workaround that recreated accounts. We limited ODA to new-number customers and put Free Trial on hold, which made the gap impossible to ignore.
No Port After Activation, no scale for On-Device Activation or Free Trial.
Intro story time
I first learned about the dependency while working on ODA. There was a brief forty eight hour window to port, then no path to port after activation. As Free Trial planning began, the need became clear.
The Research
Competitive analysis
I ran a competitive analysis of T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon, mapping entry, verification, review, confirmation, and where pricing appears. Competitors often offer a short online window free, charge by phone, and charge after the window. I presented options to the business, and we decided to offer Port After Activation for free to reduce friction and gain an edge.
Offer PAA free to gain a competitive edge.
Stakeholder interviews
I met with CXO and Care to see the operational reality. Their workaround recreated accounts and required new emails, billing, and addresses. I also spoke with Engineering about feasibility and maintenance. We aligned on a single self-serve path in Line Details that removes re-creation and reduces re-entry work for customers.
Replace account recreation with one self serve path
Risk review
I partnered with the Fraud team to explore abuse scenarios and safe limits since this functionality was going to be offered. We set daily, weekly, and monthly attempt caps so honest users can retry while the business stays protected, with clear messages when limits are reached.
Defining Scope
Once aligned, I defined scope with the product manager. I created the user flow based on the porting framework from Unified Activation, then produced the screens. Scope covered entry and end points, maintenance, and error handling.
The Designs
UI Design
The experience lives in account context. Entry begins in Line Details with “Bring your number.” Users enter their current number and required port details with concise guidance and inline validation. A review step builds confidence before submit. Confirmation sets expectations and next steps while the change is underway. Error and retry paths are fail safe, not dead ends. Patterns from Unified Activation carry over so it feels familiar and simple. Components and content variables drive screens and copy so updates are fast and consistent.
design system
I built a pattern library on top of our design system so every screen state lives as a reusable component with variants for entry, input, review, confirmation, and error or retry. Copy, instructions, and error text are driven by content variables, which means I can update the language once and see it propagate everywhere. This also supports AEM authorability, so authors can adjust microcopy without design rework. The result is faster iteration, consistent UI, cleaner handoff to engineering, and simpler QA because the same components and variables power the whole flow.
Testing
We did not run formal user testing before launch because timelines were tight, so I set clear analytics goals and instrumented the funnel at entry, input, review, and confirmation with success criteria, drop-off alerts, and error buckets. I aligned Engineering, CXO, and Fraud on a rapid iteration plan after launch, including weekly reads of the funnel and fast copy changes through AEM if friction appeared. Some projects make moderated testing difficult because of access, privacy, or schedule constraints. In those cases I adapt by reusing proven patterns, adding guardrails, and shipping with measurement so we can learn quickly without gambling the experience.
Conclusion
the impact
- Strategic enablement: Unblocks ODA and makes Free Trial viable instead of on hold.
- Conversion lift: Projected 2%–5 % trial to paid once PAA is available to trial users.
- Operational efficiency: Replaces account recreation in CXO with a simple self-serve path.
- Customer experience: Reduces friction at the commitment moment with clear entry, review, and confirmation.
- Competitive stance: Offering PAA free lowers friction where some carriers charge.
next steps
- Monitor the funnel at entry, input, review, and confirmation to spot drop-offs.
- Tune copy fast via AEM authors for instructions and error messages.
- Refine guardrails with Fraud as real patterns emerge.
- Share learnings with CXO and Engineering to keep the path consistent across channels.
reflections
One missing capability can stall multiple launches. I learned to reuse proven patterns, add guardrails with Fraud, and ship with measurement so we could iterate quickly. Partnering closely with CXO and Engineering replaced a brittle workaround with a durable self-serve path.
in conclusion
I learned how to move fast to remove a dependency without sacrificing quality.
