The Tines University Strategy: How Free Education Drives Demand Gen Brilliance

Disclaimer: The analysis below represents my personal observations and thoughts about Tines University's approach to growth. I'm not affiliated with Tines. This post reflects my own perspective on their strategy, not their official positioning or thinking.

TL;DR: Tines University isn't just a training site – it's a powerful sales funnel delivered through free education that attracts high-intent leads, creates power users, and converts learners into customers without feeling like sales.

"Just get me more demos," sales teams demand. So marketing creates more ads, the website gets more pop-ups, and salespeople pound LinkedIn harder.

Meanwhile, Tines (a no-code security automation platform founded by Eoin Hinchy) quietly built something different: a free university that teaches people how to use their product.

Boring, right? Who cares about another documentation site?

Except it's not boring. It's brilliant.

And it perfectly reflects Tines' core values of "speed, simplicity, and soundness" that Hinchy mentions as central to their culture.

And...

it's probably generating millions in pipeline while their competitors are still fighting for attention in crowded inboxes and busy newsfeeds.

Let's break down exactly why Tines University is a masterclass in modern B2B SaaS growth.

1. Turning curiosity into high-intent leads

Tines University brings in exactly the right people without feeling like marketing.

Think about it – someone who signs up for training is:

• Already interested in solving a problem (automation)
• Willing to invest their time (higher intent than just browsing)
• Self-qualifying (they're literally learning if the product fits their needs)

While most companies gate ebooks few people read, Tines gates actual education that people want.

What makes this approach exceptional?

Their sign-up is frictionless – users can browse content before committing. They don't ask for your firstborn child and DNA sample just to view a tutorial ??. And the content is genuinely useful, teaching automation principles that apply even beyond their product.

As users progress through courses, Tines captures valuable intent data. Someone who completes the "Phishing Response Automation" module is clearly working in security operations – far more revealing than simply knowing their job title.

The certification hook is particularly clever. People value credentials and will work to earn them, even from newer platforms. This creates deeply educated leads who often proudly display their certification on LinkedIn, creating free word-of-mouth marketing.

Compared to traditional lead generation tactics, this approach builds a pipeline of warmer prospects who already understand the product. The sales team isn't starting from scratch; they're talking to people who've already spent hours with Tines.

2. Turning learners into active users (without handholding)

Tines University embodies product-led growth to an extreme – the education IS the onboarding.

Most SaaS companies still rely on sales demos followed by more implementation calls. Tines takes a radically different approach:

1. Let users learn at their own pace through Tines University
2. Encourage them to build actual workflows as they learn
3. Guide them to experience "aha!" moments on their own

Every lesson in Tines University pushes users to try something in the actual product. This isn't "watch a video, forget everything" learning – it's hands-on practice that builds muscle memory and confidence.

Why it's genius:

Each 30-minute learning module is a perfect onboarding session that scales infinitely. A traditional implementation consultant might handle 3-4 customers a day. Tines University handles thousands simultaneously.

The seamless flow between learning and doing means users build real workflows during trial periods. By the time they finish basic training, they've already implemented something useful – not just watched someone else do it.

This solves the biggest problem in SaaS: getting users to actually use the product. Research shows formal training increases product adoption by 38%. Tines builds this into their core experience rather than treating it as an afterthought.

3. Creating a user experience that keeps people coming back

Let's be honest – most software training is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Tines takes a different approach, creating an experience that keeps users engaged:

• Clear skill paths from beginner to expert (with visual progress tracking)
• Bite-sized modules (~30 minutes each) that fit into busy schedules
• Interactive components that encourage active learning
• Achievement-based progression with certification as the reward

This structured approach creates powerful behavioral hooks. Seeing that progress bar at 80% creates an itch to complete it. Earning a certification after finishing all modules provides a clear goal.

What they're getting right:

The microlearning design (short, focused modules) prevents overwhelm and fits into real work schedules. Users can complete a lesson during lunch rather than blocking off a full day.

The focus on hands-on practice means users actually retain what they learn. A TSIA study found 87% of well-trained customers can work more independently – meaning fewer support tickets and more self-sufficient users.

By structuring education like a mini-accreditation program, Tines keeps users hooked from start to finish. A user who completes all modules isn't just educated – they're now deeply invested in the product (having spent hours in its ecosystem).

This isn't just good UX. It's psychology in action.

4. Converting education into revenue (without feeling sleazy)

Tines University's most brilliant aspect might be how it nurtures prospects toward conversion without traditional sales tactics.

Every lesson subtly showcases the product's value. Users learn not just how to use Tines, but why it matters for their workflows. By the time they finish training, they're often pre-sold on the ROI.

The conversion techniques at work:

Strategic calls-to-action are woven throughout the learning journey. After completing modules, users see natural next steps – whether scheduling a demo or starting a trial. Because these prompts come after delivering value, they feel helpful rather than pushy.

The self-qualification mechanism is particularly smart. Users who complete advanced courses or certification demonstrate serious interest. Sales reps can focus on these high-potential leads rather than cold calling everyone.

Most importantly, by the time sales engages, the prospect already has a proof of concept from their training. The conversation shifts from "Should we buy Tines?" to "How do we deploy Tines more broadly?" – a much easier sell.

This shortens sales cycles dramatically. When users understand the product and have seen it work, the purchasing decision becomes obvious.

5. Building a community moat that prevents churn

Customer education doesn't stop at conversion – it continues to drive retention and expansion revenue.

Tines University anchors a broader community strategy, including:

• A Slack channel where trained users can connect
• Public certification that creates product champions
• Continuous learning paths that keep users engaged
• Proactive enablement that prevents frustration and churn

Why this matters for retention:

Certified users often become internal advocates, recommending and defending the product within their organisation. They've attached part of their professional identity to the platform.

Continuous education keeps the product fresh. New courses on advanced features or integrations give existing customers reasons to re-engage and derive more value.

Most importantly, educated users are simply more successful. They use more features and encounter fewer obstacles, reducing the risk they'll abandon the product. Research shows companies with strong customer education see a 22% increase in retention rates.

In effect, Tines has created a community moat – a network of knowledgeable users who support each other and champion the product. This makes it much harder for competitors to lure customers away.

What we can learn from Tines University

The genius of Tines' approach is treating education as a core growth strategy, not just a support function.

Most companies bolt on training as an afterthought, created by customer success teams as a reactive measure. Tines makes it central to their growth engine – a deliberate path from awareness to advocacy.

Here's what any B2B SaaS can take away from this approach:

1. Start with education, not pitching. Free your knowledge and watch qualified leads come to you.
2. Design onboarding as self-service education. Scale your implementation through structured learning paths.
3. Build behavioral hooks into learning. Progress tracking, certifications, and micro-wins keep users engaged.
4. Let the product sell itself through guided discovery. If users see value during training, sales conversations become easier.
5. Extend education beyond conversion. Continuous learning drives retention and prevents churn.

In a world where most companies rely on brute-force sales tactics, Tines shows that education-led growth can create better outcomes for both the company and its customers.

It's not just about selling a product; it's about creating capable, confident users who stick around.

Imagine if more companies approached sales this way – teaching instead of pitching, enabling instead of convincing. We'd all be better off.

What do you think? Has your company experimented with education-led growth? Share your experiences in the comments.

Words by Margo Mulvihill , who believes the best sales pitch is barely a pitch at all and that digital marketing done right powers the most genuine customer connections.

Want to learn more about Tines ? Check out this fantastic interview between the founder Eoin Hinchy and Gary Fox , where Hinchy shares how he grew Tines from 5 people to 170+ and raised close to $100 million while building a "generational company" from Dublin. Thanks as ever Gary for great interviews and bringing great businesses to the fore!

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