Frances Diazon

I've been building Android apps since 2016, and for most of my apps, I never relied heavily on paid user acquisition.

ASO was enough.

Over the years, I learned how to find search intent, optimize metadata, target the right keywords, and iterate based on what users were actually searching for.

At one point, I was able to get hundreds of thousands of organic downloads in a relatively short period of time without spending much on ads.

When launching a product, offering a free plan feels like the obvious choice. More users, more feedback, lower friction. But at the same time, charging from day one gives you a completely different signal. People who pay often use the product differently, give different feedback, and help you understand what they truly value.

The challenge is that both approaches seem to make sense.

A free plan can help you grow faster. Charging early can help you validate faster. There probably isn't a universal answer and it depends on the product, the market, and what you're trying to learn first.

AI can get a website to a convincing first draft quickly. The final pass is usually different: a headline needs more contrast, a section needs clearer hierarchy, an image needs replacing, or the closing CTA needs a more deliberate treatment.