Why Does DNSimple Still Require a Credit Card?

On the show, DNSimple never had a free tier. Anybody who used DNSimple had to pay, and fifteen years later a new user still cannot start without committing to putting a card on file.

The decision followed a startup already run on a free model for a long time. On the show, a heavy discount for certain people might be offered, or credit for an extended tryout, but everybody had to put a credit card in. Running the business meant investing time, with infrastructure that had to stay in place. When the product brings value and the customer sees the value, the customer will commit to putting a card on file. A free product only asks for time. An hour on the weekend to play is a different leap from being willing to put a card in and potentially pay a few dollars. Without knowing early that customers make the leap, there is no way to know whether DNSimple has the potential for a successful business.