New Traceo users signed up, created a workspace, and landed on a dashboard showing all zeros across every metric. No requirements, no coverage, no pipeline data. The product looked broken or empty, creating an immediate activation barrier.
Instead of a blank workspace, new users now choose from 5 themed template spaces (Fintech, HealthTech, EdTech, Logistics, SaaS). Each template seeds 13 requirements spanning all 6 pipeline stages with realistic statuses, giving the dashboard immediate life: non-zero totals, ~62% coverage, active pipeline stages, and open issues to explore.The seeding happens atomically inside the workspace creation database transaction. If any requirement fails to insert, the entire workspace creation rolls back — no orphaned empty workspaces.
Template selection over random assignment: Users who choose their template feel ownership over the workspace context. A PM exploring Traceo can pick “SaaS Space” and see requirements that match their mental model. Random assignment feels arbitrary and disconnects the user from the example data.13 requirements per template: Enough to populate every pipeline stage (L1 through L4) with 2-3 items each, creating a dashboard that looks active without feeling overwhelming. Status variety (draft through verified) creates a realistic coverage percentage.Same-transaction seeding: Atomic with workspace creation. No separate API call, no race condition, no empty-state flash. The first dashboard render always has data.
