How a company introduces upgrades and addresses different user segments can significantly impact the user experience.

Our product was launched in June 2023, and we only share periodic product update summaries by email. Last holiday season, we simply communicated the value and benefits of upgrading in a straightforward email. We offered a modest end-of-the-year discount for those interested but didn't push or guilt anyone into purchasing. To our surprise, we saw a noticeable increase in users choosing to pay for the full year upfront without asking us any questions. And better yet, our existing daily active users (DAU) improved.

This case is against dolts on social media who post memes comparing free users with pro or higher tier subscribers. Often, they do not give free users any respect. If you are such a maker, you could simply save resources by choosing not to provide priority support for free users - and not shame them.

Furthermore, chasing wild metrics and following SaaS gurus' advice does not always align with providing a good user experience and satisfying users. While growth is important, respecting and understanding your actual users should come first.

image: remix of a flork.