Sample data or a starter template is available for empty states

A brand-new account with zero content looks broken. Users cannot evaluate the product when every screen is empty, so they abandon before creating enough data to see value — the cold-start problem the user-experience taxon warns about. Sample data or starter templates short-circuit that: a new account lands with 1-2 example projects already populated, the UI immediately looks alive, and the user can explore real workflows before committing the effort to create content from scratch.

Seed each new account with 1-2 example records on signup. Create src/lib/seed.ts with a seedUserData(userId) function and call it from your post-signup handler so a fresh account lands with sample content already visible. Flag these as sample so you can offer a "clear sample data" action once the user creates their own.

export async function seedUserData(userId: string) {
  await db.project.createMany({
    data: [
      { userId, name: 'Example Project', template: 'starter' },
      { userId, name: 'Demo Dashboard', template: 'demo' },
    ],
  });
}