Elevate · B2C · brain training app
Make the free version thin so almost everyone has to start a trial
Big jump in trial starts, but lower user affinity, per co-host
Mixedpaywall
What they did
At Elevate, about seven or eight years ago, the team settled on a model where users had to start a trial or the experience would be 'pretty bad', partly because non-paying users generated many support tickets.
What happened
A 'big rocket in trials' but, in the co-host's view, less affinity overall.
In their words
Sub Club by RevenueCat · How Freemium Can Outperform Free Trials – Shaun Steingold, Momentum Labs“we eventually settled on, "Hey, like you have to start a trial or the experience is going to be pretty bad." And the upsides and downsides of that, like we get a big rocket in trials and all this stuff, but I think just in general like less affinity.”
Related topics
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New tactics from the week's founder interviews, each linked to where it was said.
More from Elevate
All 5 Elevate tactics- Soft launch a rough version on Android and watch replays of every user~500 downloads a day; learned a lot without needing scale
- Email your previous app's users when you launch a new oneA small but meaningful early boost, per the cohost
- Run sales and discount promotions once someone can own themCohost calls it a huge unlock; no numbers
- Send reminders as local notifications that users can't switch off
More from this episode
- Momentum Labs: Buy apps ranked #3-5 in their category and move them up 2-3 spotsRevenue grew 50-200% per acquired app, not 5-15%
- Healthi: Let free users read the community, but only paying members can postTrolls and bullies left overnight; users now name the community as what they love
- Momentum Labs: Skip the free trial; give a useful free version with a clear limit insteadGuest says trials never beat plain freemium in his or mentored apps; no numbers
- Momentum Labs: Fix a bought app's store listing once, then mostly leave it alone
- Healthi: Charge $30 a year and offer a free version where rivals charge $230-400Guest calls it the 'sweet spot' of Healthi's success; no numbers
- Healthi: Add paid coaching and an online store of branded diet products
- Fitbod: Give three free workouts with every feature unlocked, no trial signupHost loved it and now pays $50-60 a year; one user's experience