It’s a funny paradox.
We’ve worked with Pendo for over four years, and one of their core missions is helping SaaS companies drive higher adoption of their own platforms. Here’s the twist: the way Pendo achieves this is by first getting its customers to adopt the Pendo platform. In other words, Pendo has to model the very behavior it’s trying to enable, guiding customers through onboarding, nudging them toward valuable features, and proving the ROI of engagement. It’s a kind of meta-adoption loop: a company dedicated to solving adoption challenges must first solve its own.
Why SaaS Adoption Is Hard
It’s often said that 80% of customers only use about 20% of the features in the software they buy. That means most companies are leaving value—and money—sitting unused on the table. Not because they want to, but because adoption is harder than it looks.
The reality is, everyone is juggling competing priorities: multiple projects, meetings, managing teams, putting out fires. Add to that the fact that the average worker is interrupted every 13 minutes and may not return to the same task for another 25, and it’s easy to see why mastering new software doesn’t rise to the top of the list.
On top of the time crunch, there are hidden features, steep learning curves, and the challenge of proving clear ROI. Together, these obstacles create friction that keeps users from getting the most out of even the best platforms.
Even with powerful tools like Pendo, adoption doesn’t just happen on its own. Without intentional onboarding, training, and guidance, customers can still fall short.
How Pendo Makes Adoption Easier
At its core, Pendo is a platform designed to help SaaS companies understand how their products are used and how to increase adoption. To do this, Pendo offers a set of tools that make it easier to track user behavior, guide customers through key moments, and learn directly from feedback.
- Pendo Analytics shows how users interact with a product. It highlights which features people use most, where they drop off, and how they move through the app, making it easier to spot patterns and opportunities for improvement.
- Pendo Guides let teams add tips, walkthroughs, and messages directly inside the product. Guides appear at the right time, such as during onboarding or when someone tries a new feature, so users can learn as they go without extra training.
- Pendo Listen helps teams collect and organize feedback in one place. It makes it simpler to see what customers are asking for, validate ideas before building, and prioritize improvements based on real needs.
Pendo’s tools are powerful, and that is one reason we enjoy working with them. However, like any platform, the real value comes from knowing how to adopt and apply it effectively.
The Missing Link: Expert Guidance
Adopting Pendo reflects the same challenge every SaaS company faces with its own product: the tools are powerful, but value only comes when people know how to use them. Many teams want the insights and impact Pendo offers but lack the time or experience to fully integrate it into their workflows.
This is where expert guidance changes the equation. Onboarding, training, and consulting are not just “extras”. They are the bridge between investing in a tool and realizing measurable outcomes.
- Onboarding: Monarch accelerates time to value by helping organizations implement Pendo in a way that aligns with their business goals.
- Training: We equip teams with the skills and confidence to make Pendo a daily habit rather than a tool that sits unused.
- Consulting: We partner on strategy to ensure Pendo insights directly drive customer engagement, retention, and growth.
Having completed more than 400 Pendo projects, Monarch has seen firsthand what separates companies that struggle with adoption from those that thrive. The difference is rarely the tool itself. It is the presence of a clear strategy, the right enablement, and leadership committed to building adoption into the culture of the organization.
That is why we believe adoption should be viewed not as a one-time project but as an ongoing discipline. With the right guidance, Pendo becomes more than a platform. It becomes the foundation for creating customer experiences that scale.
If you want to see what that looks like in practice, download our guide to learn how we help companies turn Pendo into a growth engine.
