It's very hard to just shut off the lights on a free service or otherwise take away features to create a premium tier. I can't even think of a viable way to do

It's very hard to just shut off the lights on a free service or otherwise take away features to create a premium tier. I can't even think of a viable way to do it. Do you set a time table? 60 days and your account goes dark if you don't pay? I don't think I would be over estimating to say they could easily lose 50% or more of their users in one day Even people who would be willing to pay would have an intense feeling of bait & switch. It would be a disaster.