Mark Cole

I'm seeing more products launch on Product Hunt that require payment to actually use any features. No free trial, no freemium tier, just a download that leads straight to a paywall.

Part of me thinks this makes sense. If your product has real value, why give it away? People on Product Hunt understand they're looking at premium tools. Plus offering free access can attract users who will never pay anyway.

But I also see the argument for temporary free access during launch. Product Hunt users want to actually try what they're upvoting. How can they give meaningful feedback or become advocates if they hit a paywall immediately?

About 4 months ago, I asked for beginner tips on Raycast so that I could start trying it out. I'd heard some people talk about how helpful it was, but just downloading it, I didn't really know where to start or how to get the most out of it.

Well, 4 months later, it is an integral part of my workflow now. I'd actually say it's one of the most impactful apps I use (the other being @Aqua Voice) in terms of really improving my overall work. I use it now for so many things every day, and I've gotten it set up to be incredibly fast and efficient for what I need. I think I would feel very slow and disorganized going back to not using it.

Tons of great products that we know and use everyday are the result of pivots. You know, sometimes the original idea just isn't working and you have to find a new niche and quick, other times you stumble on a use case that changes the whole game.

Have you ever pivoted? What's the story behind it? How successful was the pivot? I'd love to hear your stories, and potentially feature them in our newsletters!