Why We Made Jira Login Mandatory for New Signups
Sometimes the best growth decision is to reduce signups. Here's our honest take.
November 25, 2025 • Baloon Team
Today we shipped a change that might seem counterintuitive for a startup: we removed Google signup for new users.
The new signup flow now requires Jira authentication. No Google. No GitHub (for signup). Just Jira.
Existing users can still sign in with Google or GitHub - we're not locking anyone out. But new users? They need to have Jira.
The Problem: Ghost Users
1+
Ghost user from Google signup every single day
Here's what was happening: People would see Baloon, think "this looks interesting," sign up with Google in 2 seconds, poke around for 30 seconds, and leave forever.
They never connected Jira. They never tried the actual product. They just... existed in our database as a "user" who would never convert.
What Changed
❌ Before
• Sign up with Google ✓
• Sign up with GitHub ✓
• Sign up with Jira ✓
Result: Easy signups, low conversion
✅ After
• Sign up with Jira only
• Sign in with Google/GitHub (existing users)
Result: Fewer signups, higher intent
The Logic
Baloon is a Jira-to-AI connector. If you don't have Jira, you literally cannot use the product. So why were we letting people sign up without it?
By requiring Jira signup, we're ensuring that:
1. Every new user actually has Jira - The core requirement for using Baloon
2. They're already authenticated with Jira - One less step in onboarding
3. They understand what they're signing up for - A Jira integration, not a generic AI tool
4. Our metrics become meaningful - A signup now means something
Right or Wrong Decision?
🤔 We're genuinely asking: Is this the right call? We'd love to hear your thoughts. Are we being too restrictive? Or is this exactly what B2B products should do?
Arguments FOR this decision:
• Filters for users with genuine intent
• Reduces noise in analytics
• Makes onboarding smoother (already connected to Jira)
• Clearer product positioning
• Less support overhead from confused users
Arguments AGAINST this decision:
• Reduces top-of-funnel signups
• Some users might want to explore first
• Adds friction (Jira OAuth is more steps than Google)
• Might miss users who would've connected Jira later
What We're Watching
We're going to track a few things over the next few weeks:
• Signup volume: Expected to drop (that's okay)
• Activation rate: Should increase significantly
• Time to first task: Should decrease
• User feedback: Are people frustrated or relieved?
If the numbers show this was a mistake, we'll iterate. That's the beauty of building in public.
The New Flow
Here's what new users see now:
Signup page: One big blue "Sign up with Jira" button. That's it. Clean, clear, no distractions.
Signin page: Jira button prominently at top, with Google/GitHub below for existing users. Plus email/password for those who need it.
The visual design now shows the Jira → Baloon → PR flow, making it immediately clear what the product does.
💬 We'd Love Your Feedback
Is this the right call? Have you made similar decisions in your product? Let us know on our support page or on Twitter.