3 ms·

It should be illegal to offer 'free forever' plans and tiers. No company is actually capable of delivering on that promise. It's not a mistake if its blatantly

by Sevii 3y ago

It should be illegal to offer 'free forever' plans and tiers. No company is actually capable of delivering on that promise. It's not a mistake if its blatantly obvious at the beginning that your company is unlikely to last forever.

prmoustache 3y ago
On the other hand, there is a saying (at least a french version of it): "Promises only bind those who believe in them."
selcuka 3y ago
> It should be illegal to offer 'free forever' plans and tiers. No company is actually capable of delivering on that promise. It is perfectly possible if your marginal cost is low/zero. The value of a product has nothing to do with its cost. The paying customers on higher tiers will easily subsidise the free for life plans. If you have no paying customers, well, then your product is at the end of its life anyway. I, for example, am a paying customer of JetBrains tools and all I get is to be able to download updates. It would probably cost them a few cents a year if they stopped charging me and provided updates for free, forever.
- jjav 3y ago
  > It should be illegal to offer 'free forever' plans and tiers. No company is actually capable of delivering on that promise. > It is perfectly possible if your marginal cost is low/zero. No, simply because no company or product is going to be around "forever". It's an impossible promise.
  - selcuka 3y ago
    > No, simply because no company or product is going to be around "forever". It's an impossible promise. Real world customers are actually smarter and they don't take words literally. They know that contracts don't mean anything once one of the parties is not around. By the same logic making annual contracts should also be illegal because there is no guarantee that your company or product will be around until next year.
    - matwood 3y ago
      > They know that contracts don't mean anything once one of the parties is not around. Contracts also mean little if no money changes hands and both parties have zero liability. They mean about the same as the pinky promise made in first grade to be friends 'forever'.
ipaddr 3y ago
2600 mag has been offering them for 30/40 years. Laracasts did and probably still does. Stay away if it's paid from VC money.

by Sevii 3y ago

prmoustache 3y ago

On the other hand, there is a saying (at least a french version of it): "Promises only bind those who believe in them."

selcuka 3y ago

> It should be illegal to offer 'free forever' plans and tiers. No company is actually capable of delivering on that promise. It is perfectly possible if your marginal cost is low/zero. The value of a product has nothing to do with its cost. The paying customers on higher tiers will easily subsidise the free for life plans. If you have no paying customers, well, then your product is at the end of its life anyway. I, for example, am a paying customer of JetBrains tools and all I get is to be able to download updates. It would probably cost them a few cents a year if they stopped charging me and provided updates for free, forever.

jjav 3y ago
> It should be illegal to offer 'free forever' plans and tiers. No company is actually capable of delivering on that promise. > It is perfectly possible if your marginal cost is low/zero. No, simply because no company or product is going to be around "forever". It's an impossible promise.
- selcuka 3y ago
  > No, simply because no company or product is going to be around "forever". It's an impossible promise. Real world customers are actually smarter and they don't take words literally. They know that contracts don't mean anything once one of the parties is not around. By the same logic making annual contracts should also be illegal because there is no guarantee that your company or product will be around until next year.
  - matwood 3y ago
    > They know that contracts don't mean anything once one of the parties is not around. Contracts also mean little if no money changes hands and both parties have zero liability. They mean about the same as the pinky promise made in first grade to be friends 'forever'.

ipaddr 3y ago

2600 mag has been offering them for 30/40 years. Laracasts did and probably still does. Stay away if it's paid from VC money.