https://openexchangerates.org was running as a free, no-signup-required ad-hoc currency API for about 8 months before a friend of mine kicked my ass and made me install a signup. I spent months playing with PayPal, test accounts, sandboxes, writing features nobody has yet used - but ultimately, when I put a "pay now" button on, I got my first subscriber the same day.
The old advice rings true: the hardest thing was asking for money. People were happier to pay than get it for free, because it ensured this service they needed and loved would still be around, and its developer could eat :)
The service really only grew thanks to the feedback of those early (and future) paying customers, too. They have asked the hardest questions, requested the most useful features, etc. - that has shaped the product and business more than anything.
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https://openexchangerates.org was running as a free, no-signup-required ad-hoc currency API for about 8 months before a friend of mine kicked my ass and made me install a signup. I spent months playing with PayPal, test accounts, sandboxes, writing features nobody has yet used - but ultimately, when I put a "pay now" button on, I got my first subscriber the same day.
The old advice rings true: the hardest thing was asking for money. People were happier to pay than get it for free, because it ensured this service they needed and loved would still be around, and its developer could eat :)
The service really only grew thanks to the feedback of those early (and future) paying customers, too. They have asked the hardest questions, requested the most useful features, etc. - that has shaped the product and business more than anything.