I think we often forget that we pay up front for a lot of things before we get them, it's more common than we realise. There are different reasons we pay up fr

I think we often forget that we pay up front for a lot of things before we get them, it's more common than we realise. There are different reasons we pay up front for things. Some times it's because of exclusivity as a guarantee on limited space - like with concert tickets, holidays, transport, events services like catering and venue hire. We expect to pay up front to guarantee a spot at that time & date. Other times it's for early-access or preferential treatment. For example pre-orders like books & DVDs, early access to games, DLC & kickstarter exclusive rewards. The second route fits the software model better. If you discuss business problems with people they may insist that they have a particular pain point. Getting them to put a price on that pain being solved makes them consider the value of it. If a solution is truly needed they will be convincing you to build it by putting their money upfront. In return they can help shape the product and features and get either a preferential rate or level of support. Pre-selling can be win-win.