This isn't a debate about whether to offer a trial period or how of one to offer. This is a debate about forcing people to give you payment info for a free trial.
Requiring a credit card for a free trial is a technique to trick people into paying for a subscription when they normally wouldn't have chosen do do so after the trial period.
Not taking VC funding doesn't make this kind of dark pattern any less scummy. Fundementally you are trading some voluntary customers (people who don't like these tactics) or involuntary customers (distracted, busy or lazy people who forget to cancel.) When I see a company that does this, it tells me that they care about extracting value from the market than providing value to customers.
I completely agree. Requiring credit card info for a free trial often feels like a dark pattern designed to trap users into paying. I’m taking a different approach with my product by offering a 3-day free trial that doesn’t require a card, and a 14-day free trial for serious users. I want users to try it without any pressure or tricks and make a decision based on the value they experience, not because they forgot to cancel.
