Strava's Free Trial Screen That Doesn't Smell Like Bullshit

It's been the week of sandstorms up in here. Nobody died, well at least in my house.

But there's a little bit of that stressy depressive going on because if you've ever been to Arizona in the summer, that seasonal depression is totally backwards for us compared to the entire world, where everybody wants summer to last forever. We want it to end.

That's kind of the area of life and my mindset that I am working in and also thinking about: what can solo founders do with their product that they may have forgotten to increase their revenue? And I want to know if this is something that you've thought of or forgotten, so let me know by replying.

First time reading?

Have you ever looked at a free trial and thought, "I don't know about this. I don't trust these guys. It kinda smells a little like bullshit up in here"?

That's exactly the feeling Strava is fighting when you tap into the Strava + Runna trial. And they handle it right. You're scared of getting hit with $100+ you didn't see coming, so the screen lays it out plain:

Are you about to get shysted out of your money, or is it clear they're working with you so you can try this and bail if you want to?

The biggest reason people don't start a free trial isn't the price. It's the fear of forgetting to cancel and getting your card charged behind your back. Screens like this kill that fear before it ever stops the signup. So steal it.

Whether it's your trial screen or your cancellation flow, offer people this same kind of clarity, just make it yours. And when you build it, keep the copy plain. Give it the mom test: if your mom can't read it and get it in five seconds, it's too complicated.

That clarity is doing something specific. It creates the certainty effect plus a loss aversion aimed right at the surprise, not the charge itself. People don't fear the charge. They fear an unknown, uncontrolled one. Turning "maybe you'll get charged and forget" into "you'll be charged exactly this amount on this date, and we'll remind you" removes the ambiguity, and the ambiguity was the whole problem, not the price tag.

I've watched a lot of solo founders and startups only build the "get them in" moment, cramming people through a tight hallway until it's clogged up like your toilet. Nobody builds the moment that removes the fear of being trapped. That's the gap.

The move to steal this week: put your exact charge date, the exact amount, and what they're getting, right on your trial signup screen, or your downgrade screen. Tell them you'll remind them yourself. That's you taking ownership of the moment instead of leaving them to wonder, a partnership instead of a trap. Removing the fear of being trapped gets more people to actually start, or stay.

Quick recap: people don't run from a free trial because of the price. They run because they don't trust it yet. Give them the exact date, the exact amount, and tell them you'll remind them, and you take away the one thing that was actually stopping the signup.

Go look at your own trial screen, or your cancellation flow, right now. Does it say the exact charge date and amount, or does it just say "free trial" and hope nobody asks questions?

👋 I’ll see ya next week! — Dana

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