u/papertraillog

Missed out on 175 users. Moving to ‘Freemium’ model has made a big difference. (no promote)

Hi!

I launched my first app in January as paid only. I got lucky with a mid-viral social media post about it and got 132 downloads in 3 weeks. Massive win, I was so excited, but only a few subscribed. Even though I offered a 2-week free trial it still wasn’t working.

Early April I switched gears and now tons of features are free forever, but only limited entries for a few features if not paid. I’m still averaging 3-5 signups a day from marketing (huge deal to me!) and at least 1 person subscribe a week after they that hit that entry limit.

It’s a huge bummer though because at least 175 of those sign ups are still in my database/never deleted the app. But because they never passed the paywall and got the pop-up to accept notifications, there’s no way for me to let them know that they can now access the app for free unless I emailed each of them individually, which would probably go to their spam folder anyway. HUGE loss, much regret.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 1 day ago

Missed out on 175 users. Moving to ‘Freemium’ model has made a big difference. (no promote)

Hi!

I launched my first app in January as paid only. I got lucky with a mid-viral social media post about it and got 132 downloads in 3 weeks. Massive win, I was so excited, but only a few subscribed. Even though I offered a 2-week free trial it still wasn’t working.

Early April I switched gears and now tons of features are free forever, but only limited entries for a few features if not paid. I’m still averaging 3-5 signups a day from marketing (huge deal to me!) and at least 1 person subscribe a week after they that hit that entry limit.

It’s a huge bummer though because at least 175 of those sign ups are still in my database/never deleted the app. But because they never passed the paywall and got the pop-up to accept notifications, there’s no way for me to let them know that they can now access the app for free unless I emailed each of them individually, which would probably go to their spam folder anyway. HUGE loss, much regret.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 1 day ago

Missed out on 175 users. Moving to ‘Freemium’ model has made a big difference. (no promote)

Hi!

I launched my first app in January as paid only. I got lucky with a mid-viral social media post about it and got 132 downloads in 3 weeks. Massive win, I was so excited, but only a few subscribed. Even though I offered a 2-week free trial it still wasn’t working.

Early April I switched gears and now tons of features are free forever, but only limited entries for a few features if not paid. I’m still averaging 3-5 signups a day from marketing (huge deal to me!) and at least 1 person subscribe a week after they that hit that entry limit.

It’s a huge bummer though because at least 175 of those sign ups are still in my database/never deleted the app. But because they never passed the paywall and got the pop-up to accept notifications, there’s no way for me to let them know that they can now access the app for free unless I emailed each of them individually, which would probably go to their spam folder anyway. HUGE loss, much regret.

I see posts here that say they aren’t getting subs for their paid apps so wanted to share my experience.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 1 day ago

I really hope this isn’t a ridiculous question. One example: on my website I have a short “founder story” section, but then I have a “contact us” form for user support. It feels.. I suppose inauthentic because obviously there is no “us.” I worry that it’s a confusing message, but it also feels weird to say “me,” or have my outlook email signature “Sincerely, [App name] Team.”

Am I supposed to have a founder story section but present the app publicly as if I have team? Is that completely obvious to other solo founders? Am I overthinking it?

I’m finally at a place where I can put more into marketing, but I need to figure this out. Any advice is appreciated. 🙏🏽

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 7 days ago

Since launch I’ve been running search ads in the App Store. What’s worked for me is splitting the keywords up by intent/bid price.

First example my product name/niche is set to Exact
**including misspellings! - app is called Traily, but people have searched Trailee, Tralee, Traly

Low intent (lower bid) terms like notes, calendar, journal, etc.

This screenshot is stats from yesterday.

Exact match:
• “manager”
• 1 install
• CR 14.29%
• Spend $3.20

High intent:
• “Traily work incident log” (I promote on socials)
• 2 installs
• CR 40%
• Spend $6.91

Mid intent
• “tracker”
• 1 install
• CR 20%
• Spend $2.20

Total since Feb 1:
• 85 installs
• CR 20.73%
• CPA $4.69

Am I thrilled about 4 installs yesterday? YES! Keyword ads have been a simple, mid-effort marketing tool. I review daily, look at search terms, tweak. I usually get at least 1 install a day. In my niche and first-time dev, I’m happy. Hope this helps someone. Still learning as I go.

u/papertraillog — 9 days ago

When my employment ended I wasn’t worried at all about getting an attorney because I’d saved everything over 2 years. I wanted it all perfectly organized (chef mentality) with every single thing (I thought) an attorney would obviously need before I started reaching out to them.

After countless hours a day over approximately 3 weeks, I’d obsessively organized over 4500 “items.”
Folders, subfolders, with subfolders.

Gut-punch reality:
• I reached out to over 40 attorneys.
• Less than 10 asked for evidence/attachments before consultation.
• I got 5 offers. Only 1 asked for attachments.
• The attorney I originally chose only asked for a paystub.
• The attorney I hired 2 months later didn’t ask for anything, was incredible, and got it resolved successfully in only a few months.

I want to mention that putting everything together was a wildly painful task I don’t think enough people talk about. I had to relive it all, including the things I’d forgotten. All of it unnecessary at that stage. Worse - plenty of it completely irrelevant and not even “evidence” of anything illegal.

The message here is NOT to stop documenting, but be organized from the start.
It’s also not, ‘attorneys that don’t want to review anything up front are bad.’ It could simply be because it isn’t necessary yet.

Research your rights. Seek legal advice. Save yourself time.

Live & learn!

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 9 days ago

When my employment ended I wasn’t worried at all about getting an attorney because I’d saved everything over 2 years. I wanted it all perfectly organized (chef mentality) with every single thing (I thought) an attorney would obviously need before I started reaching out to them.

After countless hours a day over approximately 3 weeks, I’d obsessively organized over 4500 “items.”
Folders, subfolders, with subfolders.

Gut-punch reality:
• I reached out to over 40 attorneys.
• Less than 10 asked for evidence/attachments before consultation.
• I got 5 offers. Only 1 asked for attachments.
• The attorney I originally chose only asked for a paystub.
• The attorney I hired 2 months later didn’t ask for anything, was incredible, and got it resolved successfully in only a few months.

I want to mention that putting everything together was a wildly painful task I don’t think enough people talk about. I had to relive it all, including the things I’d forgotten. All of it unnecessary at that stage.

The message here is NOT to stop documenting, but be organized from the start.
It’s also not, ‘attorneys that don’t want to review anything up front are bad.’ It could simply be because it isn’t necessary yet.

Live & learn!

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 9 days ago
▲ 40 r/EEOC

When my employment ended I wasn’t worried at all about getting an attorney because I’d saved everything over 2 years. I wanted it all perfectly organized (chef mentality) with every single thing (I thought) an attorney would obviously need before I started reaching out to them.

After countless hours a day over approximately 3 weeks, I’d obsessively organized over 4500 “items.”
Folders, subfolders, with subfolders.

Gut-punch reality:
• I reached out to over 40 attorneys.
• Less than 10 asked for evidence/attachments before consultation.
• I got 5 offers. Only 1 asked for attachments.
• The attorney I originally chose only asked for a paystub.
• The attorney I hired 2 months later didn’t ask for anything, was incredible, and got it resolved successfully in only a few months.

I want to mention that putting everything together was a wildly painful task I don’t think enough people talk about. I had to relive it all, including the things I’d forgotten. All of it unnecessary at that stage.

The message here is NOT to stop documenting, but be organized from the start.
It’s also not, ‘attorneys that don’t want to review anything up front are bad.’ It could simply be because it isn’t necessary yet.

Live & learn!

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 9 days ago
▲ 4 r/indie_startups+1 crossposts

Hi!

I experienced retaliation at work last year and then started navigating the legal process for the first time. I’d never spoken to an employment attorney, didn’t know many rights, nothing about agencies etc..

I felt confident at first because I knew I had two years of evidence, but it was in my notes app, email, photo gallery, Instagram messages, word docs, on and on.
The entire process of organizing, building timelines, known what to say/not to say to attorneys, what form is for what, and log my health, journal, and hundreds of uploads. Nightmare.

So I started building Traily simultaneously, started as a coping mechanism and turned into a real, used product. Which still blows my mind because solo/first time dev!

Everything in one place. Everything automated and synced. Everything you actually need when things are off or escalating. Employees only.

Finally resolved my legal battle, so now I get to market more freely. Woo!

u/papertraillog — 10 days ago

Before we get to speak to the Employment Lawyer, we usually have to pass the phone screen. What to expect & some tips I learned the hard way.

First the simple questions before you get into the details of your situation.

  1. ⁠Your full name
  2. ⁠Name of employer
  3. ⁠Current employment status (l
  4. ⁠Exact dates of employment.
  5. ⁠Job title (& job responsibilities, ex. ‘manager’)
  6. ⁠Hourly wage or salary
  7. ⁠Sometimes, “Have you had any prior write ups?”

After that you’ll hear something like, “tell me a little bit about your situation.” Think less ‘story time’ more ‘presenting a report.”

Ex:
• Incidents/Legal claim:
• Date(s) & Frequency of Incidents:
• Who Did It /Title):
• Reported To (Who/When):
• Outcome After Initial Report:
• Any Witnesses (Titles):
• Evidence available:
Current status:

If you already have something pending with an agency, like a filed EEOC charge or RTS letter, let them know.

“Emotional” piece..
Out of all the initial screens I had, not a single one asked me about the emotional impact. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter, but unless it’s wildly serious, it’s pretty much already assumed that we’re sad and angry lol.

They won’t always schedule these intake calls ahead of time. After you submit your web form, your phone might ring at any time. I had one call 15 minutes after I reached out.
If I didn’t have at least 20 minutes of uninterrupted time in a quiet place, I just let it go to voicemail and called back asap.

• Take notes during
• Don’t forget to breathe. Seems like a silly point, but when anxious we tend to speak fast and run out of breath. You likely will not get to say everything you want to say so don’t try to rush it all in.
• Thank them for their time & confirm next steps.

Really the only thing we can control is our delivery. In the beginning I learned that once a door closed, it stayed closed. If a firm denies it’s alright, just reflect on how you can convey the information better and try another one.

Quick bummer reality check though.. not everyone has a case, just a shitty boss.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 10 days ago
▲ 23 r/EEOC

First the simple questions before you get into the details of your situation.

  1. ⁠Your full name
  2. ⁠Name of employer
  3. ⁠Current employment status (l
  4. ⁠Exact dates of employment.
  5. ⁠Job title (& job responsibilities, ex. ‘manager’)
  6. ⁠Hourly wage or salary
  7. ⁠Sometimes, “Have you had any prior write ups?”

After that you’ll hear something like, “tell me a little bit about your situation.” Think less ‘story time’ more ‘presenting a report.”

Ex:
• Incidents/Legal claim:
• Date(s) & Frequency of Incidents:
• Who Did It /Title):
• Reported To (Who/When):
• Outcome After Initial Report:
• Any Witnesses (Titles):
• Evidence available:
Current status:

If you already have something pending with an agency, like a filed EEOC charge or RTS letter, let them know.

“Emotional” piece..
Out of all the initial screens I had, not a single one asked me about the emotional impact. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter, but unless it’s wildly serious, it’s pretty much already assumed that we’re sad and angry lol.

They won’t always schedule these intake calls ahead of time. After you submit your web form, your phone might ring at any time. I had one call 15 minutes after I reached out.
If I didn’t have at least 20 minutes of uninterrupted time in a quiet place, I just let it go to voicemail and called back asap.

• Take notes during
• Don’t forget to breathe. Seems like a silly point, but when anxious we tend to speak fast and run out of breath. You likely will not get to say everything you want to say so don’t try to rush it all in.
• Thank them for their time & confirm next steps.

Really the only thing we can control is our delivery. In the beginning I learned that once a door closed, it stayed closed. If a firm denies it’s alright, just reflect on how you can convey the information better and try another one.

Quick bummer reality check though.. not everyone has a case, just a shitty boss.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 10 days ago
▲ 13 r/u_papertraillog+3 crossposts

you aren’t documenting enough. There’s a reason why in toxic relationships we say “I have the receipts!” You kept the texts & you have the proof that you aren’t crazy. The same applies to a toxic/hostile work environment.

If your job has you second-guessing yourself constantly, questioning your competency when you are performing well, or making you question your memory, start writing things down. At the very least you’ll keep your sanity. At most, you’ll see a pattern and take action.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 11 days ago

Hi! Has anyone here done this? I assume the chances of getting featured are low, but wondering if anyone has had success. I’m thinking it wouldn’t hurt to try.

I think I have an interesting story behind the development. Averaging 2-3 sign ups/5 downloads a day (a lot in my mind!) since launching in February. I’m finally coming up in ai search engines a lot more often and higher ranked. Churn rate isn’t horrible, crash rate still 0%. I don’t know how much that all factors in though, first-time dev.

Anyone have any suggestions or experience with nominations?

Thank you!

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 11 days ago

Hi! Have any ladies here done this? I assume the chances of getting featured are low, but wondering if anyone has had success. I’m thinking it wouldn’t hurt to try.

I’m averaging 2-3 sign ups/5 downloads a day (a lot in my mind!) since launching in February. I’m finally coming up in ai search engines a lot more often and higher ranked. Churn rate isn’t horrible, crash rate still 0%. I don’t know how much that all factors in though, first-time dev.

Anyone have any suggestions or experience with nominations?

Thank you!

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 11 days ago
▲ 13 r/EEOC

It didn’t matter the time of day, I wasn’t able to schedule anything through the portal, and when I called the number it just kept ringing.
My nearest office allows walk-in interviews so I went in a few days after filing the inquiry and was lucky enough to speak with an investigator directly. He said he actually just had a cancellation, we did the interview 3 days later & I filed the charge immediately after.

I do think I got lucky and had a right place/right time experience, but I would still recommend just going in. Super early, dressed professionally, documentation ready, and just see what happens.
He told me that particular office was booked out 4 months and the other nearest us was 8 months out!

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 12 days ago
▲ 15 r/startups_promotion+8 crossposts

Hey everyone! I built Traily for those of us who are in hostile or toxic work environments and either don’t know where to start, or are ready to take the next step.

It was created from lived experience that forced me to navigate the confusing world of employment law, alone. I had 2 years of Notes, emails, screenshots. Turns out that wasn’t a paper trail, it was a mess.

Use forms that are designed to log what’s relevant, store evidence that’s auto-organized, monitor your mental health, and access tons of various legal resources.
I reached out to over 30 attorneys in 2 weeks, that was not fun to keep up with... so I added an attorney status tracker too.

Traily is AI-free. It’s not a chat bot to vent to, it’s undeniable proof of your experience. A clear timeline. A private Paper Trail that builds itself.

The Highlights:
• Every entry is date-stamped to the minute. Locked and PDF emailed to you. This provides an external, third-party timestamp that proves you didn't edit the log.
• Automated Everything: All entries sync together & populate into a chronological timeline, case summary, and legal roadmap.
• Wellness Integration: Document the mental and physical impacts. Free access to an affordable therapy resources, and a Mood Tracker.
• Stealth Mode: A one-tap "Screen Decoy" to switch to a neutral screen if someone walks by your desk.
Access legal aid & step-by-step EEOC processes.
• No ads or affiliate marketing. Traily is meant to empower employees, not take advantage of them.

Latest update: Added dual-timestamping that tracks the duration of an entry. This makes it hard to say you didn’t just copy/paste, and protects you against claims that a log was "AI-generated" or faked.

Traily - Work Incident Log
Available for iOS
Free to download and unlimited access to many features.
$9.99/mo for unlimited timeline entries.

u/papertraillog — 11 days ago

Hi! So many people I’ve worked with have this issue & it’s almost always because they’re talking too much. This is what consistently worked for me and others, and the typical process.

• Web submission form first always! Concise, facts only, timeline. Save it in your phone after you submit so you’re prepared when they call. Do not follow up. They’ll call, they’ll send an email declining, or they’ll never respond. Don’t take it personally.

• Phone intake process. Be concise, be polite, answer the questions they are actually asking. They’re trained to listen for keywords, not how you feel about the situation. Don’t follow up, don’t cry.

• Whe you have the actual consultation, think of it sort of like you’re pitching a sale. Here’s the product (your claims,) heres why you should trust me (you’re polite, professional, not going to be a pain in the ass/overly-emotional client,) here’s why you want it (your *clear* timeline & written evidence = clear damages.)

• Highly recommend contingency attorneys.

• Do NOT recommend pre-litigation attorneys/contracts.

If you do get a bite, go with your gut. Any attorney that talks over you or cuts you off, sends spammy automated texts, offers a contract without even speaking to you, has a rude receptionist or paralegal, or you just have hesitation about the fit 🚩🚩🚩 It’ll only get worse.

It’s true you just might not have a case, but very possible you’re either over explaining or giving what *you* think are important details but that from a legal standpoint, just aren’t. Practice your pitch out loud. If you can’t do it alone in 15 minutes or less, you’re probably not ready for a consultation.

Dont give up right away though. When my journey first started I reached out to 28 attorneys within 2 weeks, got 5 offers but they all felt off. After a lot of trial & error, I hired a solid one week 3. For my second case I retained an even better one in 10 days.

Oh, and I recommend doing this with Morgan & Morgan first. Not because they’re great or will take your case, but because it’s great practice lol. They do this exact process, but be ready, because they’ll usually call in less than 24 hours.

Good luck, and I’m sorry you even have to deal with this in the first place.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 16 days ago

Hi! So many people I’ve worked with have this issue & it’s almost always because they’re talking too much. This is what consistently worked for me and others, and the typical process.

• Web submission form first always! Concise, facts only, timeline. Save it in your phone after you submit so you’re prepared when they call. Do not follow up. They’ll call, they’ll send an email declining, or they’ll never respond. Don’t take it personally.

• Phone intake process. Be concise, be polite, answer the questions they are actually asking. They’re trained to listen for keywords, not how you feel about the situation. Don’t follow up, don’t cry.

• Whe you have the actual consultation, think of it sort of like you’re pitching a sale. Here’s the product (your claims,) heres why you should trust me (you’re polite, professional, not going to be a pain in the ass/overly-emotional client,) here’s why you want it (your *clear* timeline & written evidence = clear damages.)

• Highly recommend contingency attorneys.

• Do NOT recommend pre-litigation attorneys/contracts.

If you do get a bite, go with your gut. An attorney that talks over you, sends spammy automated texts, offers a contract without even speaking to you, has a rude receptionist or paralegal, or you just have hesitation about the fit 🚩🚩🚩 It’ll only get worse.

It’s true you just might not have a case, but very possible you’re either over explaining or giving what *you* think are important details but that from a legal standpoint, just aren’t. Practice your pitch out loud. If you can’t do it alone in 15 minutes or less, you’re probably not ready for a consultation.

Oh, and I recommend doing this with Morgan & Morgan first. Not because they’re great or will take your case, but because it’s great practice lol. They do this exact process, but be ready, because they’ll usually call in less than 24 hours.

Good luck, and I’m sorry you even have to deal with this in the first place.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 16 days ago

Hi! So many people I’ve worked with have this issue & it’s almost always because they’re talking too much. This is what consistently worked for me and others, and the typical process.

• Web submission form first always! Concise, facts only, timeline. Save it in your phone after you submit so you’re prepared when they call. Do not follow up. They’ll call, they’ll send an email declining, or they’ll never respond. Don’t take it personally.

• Phone intake process. Be concise, be polite, answer the questions they are actually asking. They’re trained to listen for keywords, not how you feel about the situation. Don’t follow up, don’t cry.

• Whe you have the actual consultation, think of it sort of like you’re pitching a sale. Here’s the product (your claims,) heres why you should trust me (you’re polite, professional, not going to be a pain in the ass/overly-emotional client,) here’s why you want it (your *clear* timeline & written evidence = clear damages.)

• Highly recommend contingency attorneys.

• Do NOT recommend pre-litigation attorneys/contracts.

If you do get a bite, go with your gut. An attorney that talks over you, sends spammy automated texts, offers a contract without even speaking to you, has a rude receptionist or paralegal, or you just have hesitation about the fit 🚩🚩🚩 It’ll only get worse.

It’s true you just might not have a case, but very possible you’re either over explaining or giving what *you* think are important details but that from a legal standpoint, just aren’t. Practice your pitch out loud. If you can’t do it alone in 15 minutes or less, you’re probably not ready for a consultation.

Oh, and I recommend doing this with Morgan & Morgan first. Not because they’re great or will take your case, but because it’s great practice lol. They do this exact process, but be ready, because they’ll usually call in less than 24 hours.

Good luck, and I’m sorry you even have to deal with this in the first place.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 16 days ago
▲ 51 r/EEOC

Hi! So many people I’ve worked with have this issue & it’s almost always because they’re talking too much. This is what consistently worked for me and others, and the typical process.

• Web submission form first always! Concise, facts only, timeline. Save it in your phone after you submit so you’re prepared when they call. Do not follow up. They’ll call, they’ll send an email declining, or they’ll never respond. Don’t take it personally.

• Phone intake process. Be concise, be polite, answer the questions they are actually asking. They’re trained to listen for keywords, not how you feel about the situation. Don’t follow up, don’t cry.

• Whe you have the actual consultation, think of it sort of like you’re pitching a sale. Here’s the product (your claims,) heres why you should trust me (you’re polite, professional, not going to be a pain in the ass/overly-emotional client,) here’s why you want it (your *clear* timeline & written evidence = clear damages.)

• Highly recommend contingency attorneys.

• Do NOT recommend pre-litigation attorneys/contracts.

If you do get a bite, go with your gut. Any attorney that talks over you, sends spammy automated texts, offers a contract without even speaking to you, has a rude receptionist or paralegal, or you just have hesitation about the fit 🚩🚩🚩 It’ll only get worse.

It’s true you just might not have a case, but very possible you’re either over explaining or giving what *you* think are important details but that from a legal standpoint, just aren’t. Practice your pitch out loud. If you can’t do it alone in 15 minutes or less, you’re probably not ready for a consultation.

Oh, and I recommend doing this with Morgan & Morgan first. Not because they’re great or will take your case, but because it’s great practice lol. They do this exact process, but be ready, because they’ll usually call in less than 24 hours.

Good luck, and I’m sorry you even have to deal with this in the first place.

reddit.com
u/papertraillog — 16 days ago