How AI Accelerates Data Analysis and SaaS Automation
Luiz D'Elboux explains how artificial intelligence is used to map retention events and test messaging in digital products.
In a conversation on Marketing - The Podcast, Luiz D'Elboux explains how AI analyzes vast datasets to uncover retention correlations in SaaS. He details how mapping activation milestones enables automated workflows and faster messaging tests.
In a conversation with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast, Luiz D'Elboux discussed using artificial intelligence for cohort analysis and process automation across tech and SaaS companies. The full episode also covers other topics related to applying AI in today's market.
Cohorts and Data Complexity in Digital Platforms
Dividing customers into cohorts—groupings based on signup dates, behaviors, or specific tiers—generates substantial amounts of data when paired with products offering multiple interaction pathways. D'Elboux notes that gaming and traditional SaaS platforms, such as GoDaddy, handle add-on purchases, upgrades, subscription renewals, and security activations. Without technological support, this complexity makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly which channels, campaigns, or keywords produce users with higher post-14-day retention.
"You look at which keyword is generating the user who has a higher post-14-day retention rate compared to another keyword. You quickly start dealing with massive volumes of data to analyze," D'Elboux says.
Identifying Causality and Value Delivery
Applying AI allows teams to process this data volume to identify correlations explaining why certain customers remain active on the platform. D'Elboux emphasizes that the process involves mapping events that show a user has gained real utility from the tool—what he calls value delivery.
"At GoDaddy, it was heavily tied to SaaS publishing, such as sending the first email, receiving the first email, or how many emails a user received in their inbox per month—all fully anonymized, of course," D'Elboux explains. According to him, understanding causality between the time it takes to send a first business email, schedule meetings, and software usage time helps steer marketing and sales goals.
Onboarding Automation and Testing Speed
Once critical milestones are defined—such as publishing a website early in the user lifecycle—AI enables automated support cadences. If a user fails to complete a step tied to long-term retention, the system triggers automated messages or routes the account to a customer support agent.
Technology also transforms how activation communications are validated. "To run one of these tests, you used to need two or three months. With AI, you run multiple tests every week, dramatically accelerating your learning velocity and your ability to deliver a better product, service, or feature to the customer," D'Elboux highlights.
Bridging IT and Communications
In the video above, D'Elboux and Bruno explore the framework connecting data processing to campaign execution. Bruno notes that the pipeline starting with technical infrastructure and data lake storage—complying with anonymization and data privacy regulations like LGPD—is refined and structured in BI dashboards so marketing teams can make cohort-targeted messaging decisions.