Mark Miller

Quick poll for founders (and anyone who tests out new SaaS tools): do you ask for a credit card upfront, or let people straight in?

We went with requiring a card for k dlo. The thinking was pretty simple: fewer signups overall, but higher intent people actually kick the tires instead of bouncing after two minutes. Without a card, you get a flood of accounts that log in once and ghost.

But I m genuinely torn here. A card wall definitely kills casual curiosity, especially when you're an unknown product. On the flip side, no-card trials often just give you vanity metrics that don't convert.

Two quick questions:

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.