I am involved with a number of products which range between paid-only, freemium and free, so I'm familiar with the pros/cons. I know both sides of the equation

I am involved with a number of products which range between paid-only, freemium and free, so I'm familiar with the pros/cons. I know both sides of the equation but was offering comment on one half. The author appears to have a freemium product in their portfolio, and acknowledges there can be reason for that. Countless established or major players (Dropbox, Basecamp, Trello, etc) seem to make use of the freemium angle. Suspect there's something in that and that a free tier is a necessary evil at times.