We Hit 45k in LTD revenue and kinda made a mistake.
Hi Yall, Rishi here with Sinosend.
WeTransfer is the GOAT, but their recent terms changes, non-stop ads, and regional blocks in Asia were a dealbreaker for our business. That's why we built Sinosend, a compelling alternative to the grandaddy's of the file transfer industry.
The $45k Mistake & The Pivot
To validate our product and find Product-Market Fit (PMF), we ran a Lifetime Deal (LTD) campaign. The results were fantastic: over 50 five-star reviews and good enough cash injection We were almost certain we had something here.
But that upfront cash made us lazy. We were relying on a sugar rush, not sustainable growth. The truth is, storage and egress costs are astronomical when you're managing hundreds of terabytes (TB) of user data. We realized quickly that the LTD model is a cash-flow cliff, not a sustainable bridge.
Now, we are executing a full, intentional pivot to a subscription model to build a scalable foundation.
🔑 The Brutal Lessons We Learned
If you're considering an LTD, here are the three major truths we discovered:
LTD is a Data Validation Tool, Not a Business Model: The money proved people have the problem and love the solution, but the unit economics are unsustainable. Use the LTD phase to gather PMF data, then move on.
The Cost of "Unlimited" is Infinite: We grossly underestimated the long-term cost of offering large, lifetime storage allowances. It’s a ticking time bomb that will eventually destroy your margin. Measure, then meter.
LTD Customers Are Your Best MRR Advocates: Our transition strategy is to leverage our happy LTD users to drive referrals for the new recurring plans. They are our evangelists.
Shameless Plug: Our Next Chapter is Live!
I’m here to learn from other founders who have made this tough LTD-to-MRR bridge, and since this is the self-promotion forum:
We are officially launching the new Sinosend.com—complete with sustainable, value-based subscription tiers—and our Product Hunt page is live today!
Check us out: Sinosend.com
Upvote our launch: Product Hunt Launch Link
Ask me anything about the LTD unit economics, why we chose to pivot now, or our file-transfer tech stack. I'll be in the comments all day
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