Re:Claude's API now supports CORS requests, enabling client-...
by pzo on Friday August 23, 2024 @05:42PM
(#41333362)
I think with some good UX that people suggested in different post (such as OAuth etc) it could work even with non tech savy users. Similar deals happens very often e.g. when you are renting or leasing a car you still have to pay yourself for gas. Same with renting long term for accomodation you pay utilities yourself.
TypingMind.com is a "bring you own API key" (obviously, being a LLM frontend), that's also successfully monetizing users. The secret is that it's actually a very good product; until recently, it was far ahead of the official tools (I mean, they had plugins for like half a year before OpenAI started talking about "GPTs"), so paying for the license feels worth it (definitely was, when TypingMind was strictly better than ChatGPT Plus subscription).
It's also not a subscription - another reason "bring your own keys" apps are interesting, because you likely already have a paid subscription with the API vendor; adding another one on top of that needs some good justification.
Anyway, "bring your own key" users are a different market from general audience, and unlike the latter, it isn't already saturated with fly-by-night garbage and scam extensions, so you can both charge more for that feature, and have smaller costs marketing it.