Applied to lifecycle · Re-engaging the Audience You Already Have
Lifecycle Re-engagement System
Lifted Uniswap Hook Incubator enrollment from a projected 77 to a final 135 (75% lift), by designing a four-segment behavioral re-engagement campaign tailored to each lapsed-cohort segment's actual blocker.
Audience
Lapsed cohort applicants
Segments
Four behavioral cuts
Shipped
8 emails, 2 per segment
Result
77 projected → 135 enrolled
Problem
Uniswap Hook Incubator 9 was a technical program for Solidity developers building on Uniswap v4 hooks. Enrollment had a hard deadline, the curriculum was demanding, and the audience was narrow.
Prior cohort outreach had been broad, with the same email blast going to anyone who had ever interacted with the program. Open rates read as healthy and conversion read as flat, because the message landed for nobody specifically.
The opportunity sat with a population that had been ignored entirely. People who had engaged with prior cohorts but been rejected, accepted-but-not-enrolled, started-but-not-finished, or only completed the async course already knew what Hook Incubator was. They needed a different reason to come back than the same general invitation.
Approach
I split the prior-cohort audience into four segments based on what they had actually done.
Rejected ApplicantsThey applied to a prior cohort but were not accepted. The implicit blocker was that their previous application had not cleared the bar at the time. The message acknowledged this directly, framed the rejection as cohort-fit rather than capability, and noted that returning applicants are reviewed seriously when their experience or DeFi project portfolio has developed.
Accepted Non-EnrolleesThey were accepted but did not confirm. Their blocker was usually timing, workload, or life events, not capability. The message led with "you already cleared the bar," kept reapplication low-friction, and asked openly what had held them back.
Non-GraduatesThey started and did not finish. Their blocker was capacity. The message acknowledged the difficulty of the program, kept the tone non-judgmental, and emphasized that returning students are reviewed favorably and have context most new applicants do not.
Async ParticipantsThey completed the self-paced version of the v4 hooks course. Their blocker was perceived redundancy. The message focused on what the live cohort offered that async did not: live workshops, office hours with Uniswap Foundation engineers, peer cohort, and a 3-week capstone hookathon.
Each segment got two emails, sent one week apart, both landing before the March 29 application deadline. Subject lines, preview text, opening hooks, and CTAs were segment-specific. The two-email cadence let the first send land the differentiated value proposition and the second create deadline urgency without repeating content.
Result
Campaign outcome
75% conversion lift over projected baseline.
Projected enrollment77
Final enrollment135
Other variables remained in play (curriculum updates, market timing, partner amplification), but the inflection was visible and concurrent with the campaign launch.
The campaign, in production
Eight emails shipped across four segments. The first email in the most tonally distinctive segments (Rejected Applicants and Non-Graduates) is open below. The rest expand on click.
Segment 01 · Rejected applicants
"Cohort fit, not capability. Your portfolio may have changed since last time."
Tone: respectful, constructive, door-open. A rejection from a selective program should feel like feedback, not a dead end.
FromAtrium AcademySubjectUHI9 applications are open. You should apply again.PreviewDevs who didn't get in the first time have gone on to graduate. Here's why.
Hi [First Name],
You applied to the Uniswap Hook Incubator before and we weren't able to offer you a spot. We want to be upfront about why we're reaching out now.
Our cohorts are small and we optimize for a specific mix of experience, DeFi depth, and builder orientation. That mix changes every cohort. Devs who weren't the right fit for one round have gone on to get accepted and graduate in later ones.
Since your last application, the program has also grown. Seven completed cohorts. Nearly 500 graduates. Over 500+ hooks shipped. Tom Wade, a UHI alum who created flaunch.gg, is now the Lead Instructor.
UHI9's hookathon theme is "The Yield-Protected AMM," focused on impermanent loss protection and sustainable onchain yield for LPs. Think IL-insurance hooks, YieldBasis-style fixed-income systems, delta-neutral hedging, fee-smoothing mechanisms.
If your Solidity experience or DeFi project portfolio has developed since last time, that matters in the review.
Tuition is still fully covered by the Uniswap Foundation. Applications close March 29.
If you've been building on v4 on your own or through our async course in the meantime, mention it in your application. We notice that.
Best, Atrium Academy
Email 02One week left for UHI9 applications
FromAtrium AcademySubjectOne week left for UHI9 applicationsPreviewYour DeFi portfolio may have changed since last time. That matters in the review.
Hi [First Name],
Quick note: UHI9 applications close March 29.
A few things worth knowing if you're considering reapplying:
We weigh returning applicants seriously. Strengthening your DeFi project portfolio or completing our free async v4 hooks course between applications makes a real difference in the review process.
UHI9 runs for nine weeks, led by Tom Wade (creator of flaunch.gg, UHI alum turned Lead Instructor). The program includes weekly live workshops, office hours with Uniswap Foundation engineers, and a 3-week hookathon on the theme of "The Yield-Protected AMM." You'd be building hooks that tackle impermanent loss and LP yield, with Uniswap, Unichain and Atrium funding the prize pool.
"You already cleared the bar. Reapplying takes a few minutes."
Tone: curious, low-pressure, door-open. These applicants qualified but something got in the way. Keep the relationship warm.
Email 01We held a spot for you before. UHI9 is now open.
FromAtrium AcademySubjectWe held a spot for you before. UHI9 is now open.PreviewYou already cleared the bar once. UHI9 is open and you'd need a quick reapply.
Hi [First Name],
You were accepted to a previous cohort of the Uniswap Hook Incubator but didn't confirm your enrollment. Life happens, and we get it.
We're writing because UHI9 is open, and your previous acceptance tells us you're already the kind of builder this program is designed for.
Here's what's changed since your last acceptance: the program now runs nine weeks instead of eight. Tom Wade, who went through UHI as a student, built the Internal Swap Pool hook for his capstone, and created flaunch.gg, is now the Lead Instructor. Several cohorts have completed. Nearly 500 graduates have shipped 420+ hooks, and several projects (Semantic Layer, Levery, LP Hub) have raised funding or deployed on mainnet.
UHI9's hookathon theme is "The Yield-Protected AMM," focused on impermanent loss protection and sustainable onchain yield. If you've been thinking about IL-insurance mechanisms, delta-neutral hedging, or fee-smoothing hooks, this is a strong prompt for it.
Tuition is still covered by the Uniswap Foundation. You'd need to reapply, but the process is straightforward.
If something specific held you back last time (timing, workload, uncertainty about the program), we'd genuinely like to hear about it. Just reply to this email.
Best, Atrium Academy
Email 02March 29 is the UHI9 application deadline
FromAtrium AcademySubjectMarch 29 is the UHI9 application deadlinePreviewYou've been accepted before. Reapplying takes a few minutes.
Hi [First Name],
Last note from us on this: UHI9 applications close March 29.
You've already been accepted to UHI once, which means you cleared the bar. Reapplying takes a few minutes and your previous application context is on file.
What you'd get in UHI9: nine weeks of live instruction with Tom Wade, weekly office hours with Uniswap Foundation engineers, a curated peer group of experienced Solidity devs across 50+ countries, and a 3-week hookathon where you ship a capstone hook and present it on Demo Day.
The hookathon theme is "The Yield-Protected AMM." IL protection, sustainable LP yield, delta-neutral hedging, YieldBasis-style fixed-income systems. Sponsors include both Uniswap and Unichain.
The hookathon has awarded $235K+ in prizes across seven cohorts. Tuition is $0.
"The foundation you built is real. Returning students are reviewed favorably."
Tone: supportive, non-judgmental, practical. They started something hard and didn't finish. The worst response is making them feel like they failed.
FromAtrium AcademySubjectYour path back to UHIPreviewThe foundation you built is real. Returning students are reviewed favorably.
Hi [First Name],
You started the Uniswap Hook Incubator and know firsthand how intense it is. Not finishing doesn't mean the experience was wasted. The foundation you built is real.
We're reaching out because UHI9 is open, and we weigh returning students favorably in the application review.
A lot has happened since your cohort. The program is now nine weeks with Tom Wade as Lead Instructor. (Tom went through UHI as a student, built flaunch.gg on top of his capstone hook, and came back to teach.) Several cohorts have shipped 420+ hooks total. Alumni like the Levery and LP Hub teams have taken their capstone projects into production and raised funding.
The UHI9 hookathon theme is "The Yield-Protected AMM." The focus is impermanent loss protection and sustainable LP yield: IL-insurance hooks, delta-neutral hedging, YieldBasis-style fixed-income systems, fee-smoothing mechanisms. Impermanent loss is still one of the biggest barriers to LP participation, and hooks can change that.
You already know the curriculum structure and the community. Coming back means picking up where you left off, with a fresh cohort and a new capstone opportunity.
Tuition is still $0, covered by the Uniswap Foundation.
And if the live cohort format wasn't right for your schedule, our async v4 hooks course covers the full curriculum at your own pace.
Either way, you're still part of this community.
Best, Atrium Academy
Email 02UHI9 closes March 29. Returning students welcome.
FromAtrium AcademySubjectUHI9 closes March 29. Returning students welcome.PreviewYou already have context on v4 that new applicants don't. That's an advantage.
Hi [First Name],
Short version: UHI9 applications close March 29. We want you to know that returning students are genuinely welcome and reviewed favorably.
You already have context on v4 architecture and hook design patterns that new applicants don't. That's an advantage in the program, and in the hookathon.
This cohort's hookathon theme is "The Yield-Protected AMM." If you have an idea for a hook that tackles impermanent loss or builds sustainable yield for LPs, UHI9 gives you nine weeks of structured support and a team of peers to build it with. Sponsors include both Uniswap and Unichain.
Tuition: covered by Uniswap Foundation. Led by Tom Wade.
"You've finished the async course. Here's what the live program adds."
Tone: encouraging, pathway-oriented. They have demonstrated interest and initiative. The email bridges them toward the full live program.
Email 01You finished the async course. Here's what the live program adds.
FromAtrium AcademySubjectYou finished the async course. Here's what the live program adds.PreviewThe live program adds what async can't: live sessions, a peer cohort, and a hookathon.
Hi [First Name],
You've done the Uniswap Hook Course, which means you already have a working understanding of v4 architecture and hook design patterns.
The live Uniswap Hook Incubator takes that foundation further. Here's what it adds that the async course can't:
Weekly live workshops and coding sessions with Tom Wade, a UHI alum who built flaunch.gg and now serves as Lead Instructor. Multiple office hours per week with Uniswap Foundation engineers and v4 code contributors. A curated peer group of 100+ experienced Solidity devs across 50+ countries. And a 3-week hookathon where you build a capstone hook, compete for prizes, and present on Demo Day in front of investors and protocol teams.
UHI9's hookathon theme is "The Yield-Protected AMM." The focus: impermanent loss protection and sustainable onchain yield for LPs. Builders could create IL-insurance hooks with automated rebalancing, YieldBasis-style fixed-income systems, delta-neutral hedging mechanisms, or cross-pool hedging routers. Potential sponsors include Ethena, Pendle, Morpho, and Chainlink.
The hookathon is what makes UHI different from a course. Past capstone projects have turned into funded companies. Semantic Layer raised VC. Levery closed an angel round. LP Hub deployed live pools on mainnet.
UHI9 is open now. Your async course completion will be considered in the application review.
Tuition is covered by the Uniswap Foundation. Applications close March 29.
Email 02UHI9 applications close March 29. Your async work counts.
FromAtrium AcademySubjectUHI9 applications close March 29. Your async work counts.PreviewMost applicants start cold on v4. You're not. Applications close March 29.
Hi [First Name],
One more note on UHI9: applications close March 29, and your completion of the async v4 hooks course is a real signal in the application review.
Most applicants are starting cold on v4. You're not. You already know the architecture. The live program gives you the structured environment to build something on top of it, with weekly feedback, a peer cohort, and a hookathon that has paid out $235K+ in prizes across seven cohorts.
UHI9's hookathon theme is "The Yield-Protected AMM," focused on impermanent loss protection and sustainable LP yield. If you've been thinking about IL mitigation or onchain yield mechanisms since finishing the async course, this is the place to build it.
Nine weeks. Led by Tom Wade (creator of flaunch.gg). Free tuition via Uniswap Foundation.
The audience already existed. Lifting conversion meant naming each segment's blocker before writing a single message.
What I would do differently
The lapsed-cohort audience (rejected applicants, accepted non-enrollees, non-graduates, async participants) is a recurring asset, but I treated it as a one-shot campaign target. Every cohort produces more of each segment, and the segment definitions stay stable across cohorts. If I built this again, I would set it up as an evergreen lifecycle program with continuous audience tagging from the moment someone applies, drops, or completes the async path, and segment sequences that update based on what worked, so each new cohort launch starts from the system rather than from scratch.
The segment work compounds across cohorts, while a one-shot campaign captures that value only once.
Want to talk?
If you have a dormant audience that is bigger than you think, message me.
LinkedIn is fastest. Happy to hear what you're working on.
