# PDR 003: Keep validation free, then charge subscriptions

- HTML version: https://robbiepalmer.me/projects/personal-finance-app/pdrs/003-free-validation-then-subscriptions
- Project: Personal Finance App
- Status: Accepted
- Opened: 2026-01-11
- Decided: 2026-01-11

## Context

The project needs genuine use and candid feedback more than early subscription
revenue. Charging the first small cohorts would slow that learning. Permanent free
access for everyone would leave the product dependent on advertising, referrals,
or another subsidy. Financial-product commissions would conflict with advice that
users can trust.

## Decision

Offer the complete product free while the founder, partner, and invite-only
cohorts validate it. Those early adopters keep lifetime free access in return for
the usage evidence and feedback that shape the product.

After product fit, charge new users through subscriptions. Do not sell financial
products for commission, use referral payments to rank recommendations, or add
artificial account limits to the validation product.

Usage will determine which advanced capabilities belong in paid tiers. This
record does not commit to a price or to a particular paid feature.

## Consequences

The early cohorts can test the whole product without a paywall distorting which
features they use. Publishing the lifetime-free promise before paid tiers avoids
changing the terms for people who supplied the first evidence.

The project must fund early operation without customer revenue and keep the free
cohort small enough to support. Subscription demand remains unproved until the
product reaches users outside that cohort.

## Alternatives considered

### Charge every user from the first release

This could test willingness to pay earlier. It was rejected because the first
cohorts are small, known participants whose detailed use is worth more than their
initial subscription revenue.

### Fund a permanent free product with referrals or advertising

This was rejected because revenue tied to financial-product promotion would put
the product's incentives in conflict with the user's decisions.

## Related records

- Project: [Personal Finance App](https://robbiepalmer.me/projects/personal-finance-app.md)

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