Novel Mage
Co-Author, Editor, Proofreader All in One AI, Done Offline
I'm building an AI writing app, and one decision has generated more debate than anything else: Lifetime pricing.
Almost everyone told me recurring subscriptions would make more money. We chose the opposite. I'd rather optimize for long-term trust than maximize monthly revenue.
Would you ever launch an AI SaaS without subscriptions?
Most founders say directories are a waste of time.
I'm going to find out.
Over the next few weeks I'm submitting Novel Mage to 100 startup directories and tracking everything:
• Approval rate
• Backlinks
• Traffic
• Signups
• SEO impact
• Which directories are actually worth the effort
I'll share all the numbers publicly even if the results are terrible.
Has anyone here done something similar?
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1
One thing I'd pay attention to is the directories that send almost no traffic initially but keep sending a few qualified visitors every month. Those often end up being more valuable than the ones that create a one-day spike and then disappear. Looking forward to seeing that part of the data.
1 Comment
I don't think the interesting decision is subscriptions vs. lifetime. It's what that choice forces you to optimize for. Subscriptions reward continuous value. Lifetime pricing forces you to earn trust upfront because you only get one chance to justify the purchase. That's a very different company to build.