Feature flags and the illusion of release adoption

Rollout tools make it easy to declare victory when a flag reaches full exposure. Platform adoption asks a harder question: of the users who could see the change, how many completed the new path, and did they keep doing it?

Pair flag exposure with activation and retention cohorts for at least two weeks after the ramp completes. If activation stays flat while support tickets about the old path continue, the release did not land—even if the flag board is green.

Document a kill or simplify criterion before the rollout. Without it, teams keep polishing a surface nobody chose.