
Cohort Analysis
Turn cohort CSVs or exports into retention curves, adoption trends, and segment insights with optional pandas scripts and charts.
Overview
Cohort Analysis is an agent skill for the Grow phase that analyzes retention and feature adoption by cohort from structured engagement exports.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/phuryn/pm-skills --skill cohort-analysisWhat is this skill?
- Accepts CSV, Excel, or JSON with cohort identifiers, time periods, and engagement metrics
- Validates data quality, missing values, and summarizes cohort sizes and date ranges
- Computes retention rates, drop-off patterns, feature adoption across cohorts, and MoM or period changes
- Optional Python analysis with pandas and numpy when you request scripts
- Retention heatmaps, cohort progression lines, and adoption comparison visualizations
- 3-step workflow: read and validate data, quantitative analysis, visualizations
Adoption & trust: 1.1k installs on skills.sh; 12.3k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You have user event or signup cohort exports but no clear picture of which cohorts retain, where drop-off happens, or how adoption differs by segment.
Who is it for?
Solo founders reviewing monthly retention after launch, comparing feature rollout cohorts, or investigating churn spikes with exported analytics.
Skip if: Pre-product idea validation with no usage data, or teams needing real-time warehouse BI instead of episodic cohort reviews.
When should I use this skill?
Analyzing user retention by cohort, studying feature adoption over time, investigating churn patterns, or identifying engagement trends.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You receive validated retention metrics, trend visualizations, and segment-level insights you can act on in lifecycle and product iterations.
- Retention and adoption metrics by cohort
- Heatmaps and line or comparison charts
- Optional pandas analysis scripts
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Cohort analysis is shelved under Grow because it answers whether users stick and adopt features after launch, not whether the initial idea is worth building. Analytics is the canonical subphase: the skill ingests engagement data and outputs retention heatmaps, trend lines, and period-over-period comparisons.
How it compares
Structured cohort retention workflow from files—not a live analytics MCP connector or generic spreadsheet tips.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is cohort-analysis for?
Indie builders and small teams with cohort export files who need retention heatmaps, adoption trends, and interpretable summaries without hiring a data analyst.
When should I use cohort-analysis?
In Grow when analyzing retention by signup week, studying feature adoption after a release, investigating churn patterns, or identifying engagement trends across segments.
Is cohort-analysis safe to install?
The skill processes data files you provide locally in the agent context—avoid uploading secrets or PII you do not need; review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing.
Workflow Chain
Then invoke: customer journey map
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Cohort Analysis
# Cohort Analysis & Retention Explorer ## Purpose Analyze user engagement and retention patterns by cohort to identify trends in user behavior, feature adoption, and long-term engagement. Combine quantitative insights with qualitative research recommendations. ## How It Works ### Step 1: Read and Validate Your Data - Accept CSV, Excel, or JSON data files with user cohort information - Verify data structure: cohort identifier, time periods, engagement metrics - Check for missing values and data quality issues - Summarize key statistics (cohort sizes, date ranges, metrics available) ### Step 2: Generate Quantitative Analysis - Calculate cohort retention rates and engagement trends - Identify retention curves, drop-off patterns, and anomalies - Compute feature adoption rates across cohorts - Calculate month-over-month or period-over-period changes - Generate Python analysis scripts using pandas and numpy if requested ### Step 3: Create Visualizations - Generate retention heatmaps (cohorts vs. time periods) - Create line charts showing cohort progression - Build comparison charts for feature adoption - Visualize drop-off points and engagement trends - Output as interactive charts or static images ### Step 4: Identify Insights & Patterns - Spot one or more significant patterns: - Early churn in specific cohorts - Late-stage engagement changes - Feature adoption clusters - Seasonal or temporal trends - Highlight surprising findings and deviations - Compare cohort performance to establish baselines ### Step 5: Suggest Follow-Up Research - Recommend qualitative research methods: - Targeted user interviews with churning users - Feature usage surveys with engaged cohorts - Session replays of key interaction patterns - Win/loss analysis for high vs. low retention cohorts - Design follow-up quantitative studies - Suggest A/B tests or feature experiments ## Usage Examples **Example 1: Upload CSV Data** ``` Upload cohort_engagement.csv with columns: cohort_month, weeks_active, user_id, feature_x_usage, engagement_score Request: "Analyze retention patterns and identify why Q4 2025 cohorts underperform compared to Q3" ``` **Example 2: Describe Data Format** ``` "I have monthly user cohorts from Jan-Dec 2025. Each row shows: cohort date, user ID, purchase frequency, and support tickets. Analyze which cohorts show best long-term retention." ``` **Example 3: Feature Adoption Analysis** ``` Upload feature_usage.xlsx with cohort adoption data. Request: "Compare adoption curves for our new feature across cohorts. Which cohorts adopted fastest? Any patterns?" ``` ## Key Capabilities - **Data Reading**: Import CSV, Excel, JSON, SQL query results - **Retention Analysis**: Calculate and visualize retention rates over time - **Cohort Comparison**: Compare metrics across cohort groups - **Anomaly Detection**: Flag unusual patterns or drop-offs - **Python Scripts**: Generate reusable analysis code for ongoing analysis - **Visualizations**: Create heatmaps, charts, and interactive dashboards - **Research Design**: Suggest targeted follow-up studies and interview approaches - **Statistical Summary**: Provide quantitative metrics and correlation analysis ## Tips for Best Results 1. **Include time dimension**: Provide data across multiple time periods 2. **Define cohort clearly**: Make cohort grouping explicit (signup month, feature launch date, etc.) 3. **Provide context**: Explain product changes, launches, or events during the period 4. **Multiple metrics**: Include retention, engagement, feature usage, revenue, etc. 5. **Sufficient data**: At least 3-4 cohorts for meaningful pattern identification 6. **Request speci