1、 1 Why Free Software?You are the product vs You stick to the product Either way,John Ruskin was right:if somebody offers to buy you lunch,theyll want something out of it.These days,we understand the trade-offs in free digital products that monetize our attention.We get incredible search,social and e

2、ntertainment services without spending a penny.But we give corporations our personal data with far-reaching implications(witness The Social Dilemma and The Age of Surveillance Capitalism).You are the product is mostly a consumer-facing business model.For the companies listed in this handbook,its a d

3、ifferent story.B2B software companies offer free trials or free-forever options in the hope that you stick to the product.Its about acquiring users through the Product Led Growth model;and then converting free users to paying customers over time.2 It goes like this:give access for free help users le

4、arn the product give them value quickly build habits that make the product sticky get them to upgrade when they hit the free tier limits.Of course it also helps to generate lots of data from and about users;but its usually to drive the product roadmap rather than target you with ads.Free trial vs Fr

5、eemium is an important distinction.Free trials give access for a limited period(7-30 days usually).Freemium(free-forever price tiers)give access to the product with no time limit.Features and/or usage is restricted;paid upgrades unlock more benefits.Freemium models done right generate more value on

6、both sides of the equation,as users have more time to embed the product in their own work.HubSpot gives free access to its CRM platform for up to 1 million records and limited access to its sales and marketing automation features.Mailchimp gives free access for up to 2,000 email subscribers.Both com