Why Opal Stopped Chasing Revenue – Kenneth Schlenker, Opal

After reaching $10M ARR on a hard paywall, Opal made the core product free ('truly freemium') so free users become the marketing. Success measured by install LTV plus overall free+paid retention. Freemium unlocked a new segment (high school and college students, now ~2/3 of DAUs) who spread it among classmates and family, and later pulled Opal into schools. Guiding test for where to draw the free line: would a non-payer recommend the app? If not, give away more; avoid a free tier that feels like a capped trial.

Core feature is 'blocks' (scheduled app blocking, e.g. social media 9-10am Mon-Fri, or open limits like Instagram 10 opens/day). Tested free allowances from 1 block (too restrictive) up to several; measured two things together: LTV of installs (conversion and payment) and overall retention of free plus paid users, looking for the point where both rise. Landed on 3 free blocks; power users who want more pay.

Harvard-Westlake emailed after its students, asked how to handle a state phone ban, recommended Opal. Built Opal for Schools: students install Opal; on campus banned apps are blocked while approved apps (texting parents, ChatGPT, calculators, educational apps) stay open; after school students keep using it for sleep schedules and focus timers ('bell to bed'). Charges schools a per-student fee priced below alternatives, since the brand and family reach is worth more than the fee. A dedicated head of Opal for Schools (Andy Bennett) partners with schools, presents at events like SXSW EDU and talks to press.

A friend sent the founder an organic video (by a filmmaker, which had gone slightly viral) that looked like an Opal ad but wasn't. A team member (Marjorie) DM'd the creator asking to license it; he turned out to be an Opal user inspired by the app and agreed. The ad is literally the organic video with the Opal logo attached. Since then Opal repurposes more organic creator videos and commissions new ones, helped by many filmmakers/designers already being users.

Found a TikTok creator (Olivia) who mentioned Opal in a video and hired her onto the team. She runs 'Olivia Unplugged', a creator account (not the Opal brand account) making educational content on screen time and focus, from making friends offline to bedtime routines. Opal is mentioned in videos and linked in bio.

Opal counts its own kind of streak: the more you focus, the more the streak grows. Shown as a custom animated flame (not an emoji), with Opal gemstones unlocked at streak milestones.

The whole experience revolves around gemstones (the name Opal is a calming gemstone). When users pass a milestone (e.g. a number of days using the app) they are granted a new gemstone and tap to crack it open to reveal its color and shape. Took a few weeks of investment despite not being measurable and competing with more urgent features and bug fixes.

Bought a large billboard in New York with the message 'Scrolling Kills', intentionally without clear attribution (no opalapp.com or 'get Opal'). Intended as a brand statement; the phrase is now tied to Opal in search (scrollingkills.us).

Made PSA-style stickers reading 'Scrolling Kills' that deliberately do not mention Opal, and distributed thousands to customers and users to spark the conversation.