Why I made my product free for most of the world

My last startup was successful, with an exit to a FANGMA company. One of the reasons we made it was because we figured out how to focus on a specific type of customer. In 2009, I read this amazing post by one of my favourite VCs, Mark Suster wrote an insanely influential piece that I have taken to heart for many years: Most Startups Should Be Deer Hunters (https://bothsidesofthetable.com/most-startups-should-be-deer-hunters-7fdecf58f4f6)

The gist of the article is this:

• Don't hunt rabbits (consumers), because they're hard to catch and have no meat on them.
• Don't hunt elephants (big enterprises), because it takes the entire company to slay and you'll be dealing with the carcass forever.
• DO hunt deer (small-medium businesses), because a single sales person can take down a deer, and there is plenty of meat to go around.

Today: my latest startup is called Please Sign Me (https://pleasesign.me). We're making it easy to collect digital signatures without leaving Google Docs. And we made it free for anyone with a Gmail account.

We made it free for Gmail users because of the above philosophy. I want to provide value to everyone while still focusing on my core business. There are so many other alternatives too, that convincing your average individual to pay us is an exercise in futility.

Not to mention, the amazing utility of a truly free digital signature product with built in network effects. Each signature request a Gmail user might send will reach someone who has never heard of us, and that person might have a business need.

So we're focusing on businesses! Businesses clearly find value in paying for products like Google Workspace. This also helps us narrow our field of view and hone in on the type of customer we want. Here's an example of what I'm thinking my ideal customer is:

1. They pay for Google Workspace as a company
2. They sell something, or enter into contracts on a regular basis.
3. They care about security and the chain of custody for their data.
4. They're probably already a DocuSign, HelloSign, or other signature app customer.

With this focus, it's easier to identify customers, and even find partners (such as resellers), who also target these customers.

So yeah, we're giving it away for free to most of the world, because they'll find value in what we provide, and in turn I'm confident we will reap rewards.

If this resonates with you, please check us out: https://pleasesign.me