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两年前，我们决定测试一个想法。如果我们构建一个小的原生 Trello 插件——简单、干净，并且完全依赖于市场，会怎么样？它能变成一个小生意吗？它可以成为副业项目的模式吗？它很快就起飞了。30,000+ 安装量，数千名日常用户，而今天——超过 500 个付费客户。听起来不错，对吧？其实不然。从好的方面来说——Trello 是一个公平的生态系统。即使是小型开发者也能被发现。没有降权，没有对“大玩家”的隐藏推广。干净的 UI 指南，无缝集成，没有中间人，没有 30% 的佣金。只需连接 Stripe 即可开始。这是一个打磨精致迷你产品的完美游乐场。但随后现实出现了。我们定价很简单：每个工作区 10 美元。统一价格。无限人数，无限项目。听起来很公平？事实证明，即使是每月 10 美元也是一个巨大的障碍。当它是免费的时候，增长迅速而稳定。团队每天使用我们数月，有时甚至长达一年，留下反馈并传播喜爱。但当开始收费的那一刻，许多人一夜之间消失了。即使是拥有 30 多个用户的公司也更喜欢笨拙且无人支持的产品，而不是支付 2-3 杯卡布奇诺的费用。事情是这样的：对我们来说，支持免费用户很难保持动力——特别是如果你是自力更生的话。付费客户会给你带来活力。免费用户则不会。今天，该项目有 500 个付费客户，我们很乐意为他们提供支持。这个插件可以自给自足。这始终是一个实验。而期望与现实之间的差距才是它有价值的原因。我最大的教训是？尽早收费。一旦人们习惯了“免费”，这就会成为基线。后来要求付费感觉就像背叛。从悖论上讲，预先收费（在短暂试用期后）比免费使用一年后更容易。那么，Trello 插件能成为真正的生意吗？是的——如果生意指的是一个能够维持自身、服务数百个快乐客户并带来一些现金的副业项目。但如果你期望它成为一个独立的 SaaS 公司，那就不行了。但这没关系。有时候，最大的胜利不是收入——而是教训。你是否也面临过免费用户的相同困境？你如何处理的？分享你的经验——我很乐意交流心得。

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Two years ago we decided to test an idea.What if we built a small native Trello power-up — simple, clean, and entirely dependent on the marketplace? Could it turn into a small business? Could it be a model for side projects?It took off fast. 30,000+ installs, thousands of daily users, and today—over 500 paying customers.Sounds good, right? Not really.On the bright side — Trello is a fair ecosystem. Even small developers get discovered. No downranking, no hidden boost for “big players.” Clean UI guidelines, seamless integration, no middlemen, no 30% commission. Just connect Stripe and go. A perfect playground for a polished mini-product.But then reality set in.We priced it simply: $10 per workspace. Flat. Unlimited people, unlimited projects.Sounds fair? Turns out even $10/month was a huge barrier.When it was free, growth was fast and constant. Teams used us daily for months, sometimes a year, leaving feedback and spreading love. But the moment billing kicked in, many vanished overnight. Even companies with 30+ users preferred something clunky and unsupported over paying the cost of 2–3 cappuccinos.Here’s the thing: for us, it’s hard to stay motivated supporting free users—especially if you’re bootstrapped.Paying customers energize you. Free users don’t.Today the project have 500 paying customers, and we’re happy to support them. The power-up pays for itself. It was always an experiment. And the gap between expectations and reality is what made it valuable.My biggest lesson? Charge early.Once people get used to “free,” that becomes the baseline. Asking for money later feels like betrayal. It’s paradoxically easier to charge upfront (after a short trial) than after a year of free use.So, can a trello power-up be a real business?Yes — if by business you mean a side project that sustains itself, serves a few hundred happy customers, and brings in some cash. But not if you expect it to become a standalone SaaS company.And that’s okay. Sometimes the biggest win isn’t revenue — it’s the lessons.Have you faced the same wall with free users? How did you handle it? Share your experience—I’d love to compare notes.

3 万免费用户的经验告诉我：每月收费 10 美元的策略