Notion has become the go-to workspace for millions of users worldwide, blending docs, wikis, and project management into one platform. But as it expanded deeper into the enterprise market, the company faced a familiar challenge: how to onboard large organizations efficiently while keeping adoption high.
The Challenge
Enterprise deals often involved dozens of departments, each with different needs. Notion’s team found that:
- ⏳ Onboarding stretched out as teams worked in silos.
- 📉 Adoption slowed when departments didn’t communicate with one another.
- 📥 Cold outreach to executives rarely translated into strong, lasting usage.
To scale enterprise adoption, Notion needed a way to connect internal champions across teams and make onboarding a shared effort rather than a fragmented one.
The Networking Shift
Notion leaned into a network-driven growth model—using warm connections and internal champions to build bridges across departments.
What They Did
- Identified Champions: Early power users inside organizations introduced Notion to other teams.
- Facilitated Cross-Team Intros: Notion created programs that encouraged departments to share best practices with one another.
- Community Playbooks: Resources from Notion’s global community were used as onboarding templates, making rollout smoother.
The Results
Within just a few quarters, Notion reported:
- ⏱ 35% faster enterprise onboarding, as internal champions sped up adoption.
- 🌐 Stronger cross-department collaboration, with entire companies standardizing on Notion.
- 🚀 Higher renewal rates, since employees felt ownership of the tool from the start.
Enterprise leaders shared that Notion’s approach didn’t feel like software being “forced” on them. Instead, it felt like a natural extension of how teams were already working together.
The Takeaway
Notion’s success highlights a key truth: enterprise adoption isn’t about forcing processes—it’s about empowering networks. By nurturing champions and connecting teams, Notion turned onboarding into a collaborative experience that scaled seamlessly.
