This works incredibly well on me. I often use free or open source versions of tools and just ignore the nagging prompts about licenses. Then over time, if I like it enough that I eventually end up getting a license for it. I think the ability for me to see the value in something first before committing helps a lot. The free version sort of builds a reservoir of good will that eventually pushes me over to just paying for a license.

Exactly the idea.

Agreed. The friction i have towards buying things i like is very low. As an Apple user i mistakenly convince myself that paying helps get better products[1], and so i don't mind buying products i like. However i have a ton of friction buying products when i don't know that they'll solve my problem. I judge them harshly on that first-buy.

[1]: A semi humorous jab at Apple.

And while easy to cancel subscriptions theoretically let you try and get out, the reality is often that something else comes up, maybe you'll try it next month, you're still not sure, you forget about it, and before you know it you've paid quite a bit.

Yea i don't like subscriptions either. For me though i look at it as a long term purchase and i don't like that.

I don't mind licenses like JetBrains though. Ie purchase a year of updates, but it'll keep working regardless. Subscribe to Own also seems decent.. not sure i've used one though.

I'm curious if there are any podcasts/blogs/books which give "pricing ideas/strategies" based on a "risky" premise like this: keep it very simple and don't worry about theft, because enterprise customers won't steal, and the math works out.

Here's an excerpt of their pricing terms:

Do I need a paid subscription to use the images on Docker Hub for commercial use? Images on Docker Hub can be used for commercial use, as long as Docker Desktop is properly licensed. Paid subscriptions are needed for commercial use of Docker Desktop at organizations with more than $10 million annual revenue OR more than 250 employees.

Companies can also get in trouble for not buying it, you could have an employee turn into a whistleblower for a lawsuit, to which they would get a % of.

New revenue stream!

This is how Oracle was born

WinRAR?

And mIRC.

For a while, I got around the nag by just never closing mIRC. :-D

After almost 20 years of using it, though, I thought "You know...this guy deserves his $20" and paid for it.

Sublime Text too

I still don't know how that dude makes money. People use my software multiple times a day, so the nag is quite annoying. I need WinRar once in a few months, maybe.

I stopped pretty much since 7zip been a thing

Government and corporate licenses, mostly.

Corporate.

Though if my memory servers me right one time I bought it for a staff of the site which has.. quite dubious legal position by hosting the abandonware. Of course it was technically a breach of contract because there were multiple people who could use it, it was still one legal license more.

Reminds me of old shareware games too. A good practice. Glad the model works for you!

"Nagware"

Accurate.

Winrar

Stop making homophobic and transphobic posts.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34402242