ValidationEmerging Pattern

Validate willingness to pay separately from product-market fit using free users

Q: How many founders have validated "validate willingness to pay separately from product-market fit using free users"?

1 founder has proven this pattern works. Examples include Julian (Gravel).

Getting users to use a free product validates it works, but doesn't validate they'll pay. After proving product value with free users, add paid subscription and immediately test paid ads.

When to use

After getting initial free users and validation that product works, before investing heavily in paid acquisition

Don't do this

Scaling ad spend on a free product assuming users will convert

1 Founder Who Did This

Gravelby Julian

Launched free on Reddit, got thousands of users, then added subscription and ran first ad

Result:Got first paid subscriber within 10 minutes of activating ads

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