Opal · screen time and focus app
Test how many app blocks free users get; settle where free users still love it
3 free blocks gave free users a great experience while power users still pay
Workedpaywallexperimentation
What they did
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.
What happened
Three free blocks is enough for a great free experience while power users convert.
- Stage
- scale
“I think the core is to experiment and measure two things. The LTV of installs, how people are converting and paying, and also to measure the retention overall, free plus paid.”
“Turns out that three is enough for free users to get a great experience. They can actually really use that app, try out a few different things, and then also really power users that are convinced will pay because they want more.”
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More from Opal
All 10 Opal tacticsMore from this episode
- Opal: Drop the hard paywall and give the core app away for freePaying share of users fell 20% to 9%, but organic growth, 1M+ DAUs and revenue rose
- Opal: Sell the app to schools as a phone policy after students asked for itGrew from one school to many US high schools; front-page LA Times coverage
- Opal: License a stranger's viral video about phone overuse and run it as your adSeen by dozens of millions; still running 1-2 years later
- Opal: Hire a user who posted about you to run her own educational channel for you0 to ~700K followers and millions of views in a few months
- Opal: Add focus streaks with an animated flame and gemstone rewards at milestonesBiggest win of the year for retention and growth; no numbers
- Opal: Let users tap to crack open a gemstone when they hit a focus milestoneThe app's most loved moment; users remember it and talk about it
- Opal: Buy a New York billboard saying "Scrolling Kills" with no app linkNo effect on downloads or revenue; helped close one school deal
- Opal: Hand out thousands of "Scrolling Kills" stickers that don't mention the app