Pre-revenue pricing decisions shape post-revenue economics more than most founders realize. Free tiers, POCs, and design partnerships are pricing tools, not sales tools, and they have to be designed with conversion mechanics, time limits, and success criteria built in from the start. Most early-stage legal tech vendors get this wrong.
This article examines pre-revenue structures, why free tiers in legal tech mostly don't work, and how POCs and pilots are the conversion-killer most vendors run. Plus, a look at design partner economics, the logo-tax trap, the pricing precedent problem, and how to convert design partners and POC users.