The fight for democratizing subscription services

As an Indie Maker whos focus is in Internet-related startups I have been an avid user of dozens of SaaS products. I love them. I love discovering new ones each day on Product Hunt and learning the ropes and seeing the benefits they can bring to me as an individual or the use cases for business, that I can take advantage of.

I want to try them all, I want to use them all, but of course, there is one thing stopping me from doing so… my bank account. I’m not alone in this of course, there are hundreds if not thousands other makers out there that would like to keep their burn rate down but still have access to the tools they need that increases their chance to succeed. But my main concern when thinking about this are the hundreds of thousands out there in developing nations who are just starting their journey on the internet. These are the people who need access more than anyone else!

Some of the services I use range from $5 a month all the way up to $300 per month. My personal stack of SaaS products run in the amount of $540 per month! Some of these services are “must haves” but a lot are simply “want to haves”. As an entrepreneur looking to start a business, I know the advantages that these tools can bring me and how useful they are to have in my arsenal but the realist in me also knows that the burn rate they bring is simply unsustainable.

With the majority of these subscriptions I have, I began to notice that I hardly ever use them to their full capacity, whether that is to the imposed limitations of a certain plan, (eg — 10 projects in total allowed and I only use 3 or 4, or certain requests allowed per month of which I only meet 10 to 50%). This leads me to often find myself in drawn-out conversations both through email and through calls, communicating my circumstances to some of these companies, asking if they are able to offer me a different pricing plan than what is offered on their website. More than not, we are able to negotiate a plan that works for both of us but the process of doing so is arduous and time-consuming, even for someone who has done this multiple times.

I have often wished that there was a way for me to share these costs with other users in need of the same service, in the same boat as me, who;

I wouldn’t have a clue on where to start to find someone who matches those 3 criteria and who is willing to share a subscription.

Therefore, I am creating a platform to solve this problem and I am truly excited by the prospect and benefits that a platform like this could bring to the countless others who may be in the same boat. Not to mention the global reach it could have and the impact on developing nations in particular!

The way I see this project, fundamentally, is that the platform is a service that acts as the middleman between the user and the SaaS company’s pricing plan. No longer do these plans have to be set in stone and lose customers simply because there appeared to be no other pricing solution to meet their need. Why not let the users determine their own plan?

Account sharing has always had a stigma attached to it by businesses. Understandably so, as it has always been seen that this is a potential loss of revenue. This thought pattern is often detrimental, as the biggest part of getting a sale for a product, is testing it. Someone sharing an account is doing just that, they are testing it. Albeit for free, but nevertheless, they are using it and are therefore a more qualified lead than just a visitor. They clearly have the need of the service or they wouldn’t go through the effort of sharing an account with someone. There is simply a boundary that is stopping them from making the commitment themselves and more often than not, that is the price. Instead of punishing that potential user by blocking them from account sharing, offer them an alternative.

There are also a multitude of other benefits for the service provider that can be gained by adopting an account sharing perspective.

These days we get into cars with total strangers, sleep in houses of people we have never met and even lend money to others across the globe. Entirely based on trust. Why shouldn’t we also extend that to sharing subscriptions?

These things bring collaboration to a new level and a further sense of community that is often lacking in today’s world. If you recognized the 3 examples I gave above then you should be aware that trust is quickly becoming the most valued, global currency and reputation (those 5 stars next to a username) is the one empowering it.

Step 1

Show the SaaS companies that there is a demand for this.

That this should be the mentality that is adopted when starting a business and the controls and securities that it requires are incorporated from the inception rather than an afterthought.

Step 2

Get the SaaS companies involved and behind the project.

Without getting the companies themselves involved it simply won’t be possible. There are too many risks associated with sharing accounts that if not addressed on the company's side, would warrant a disaster which is not good for anyone. There are legalities to worry about, data breaches and overall security risks that all need to be addressed. These can all be overcome through communication, determination and working towards a single goal to democratize the SaaS model.

I feel we are the most suited target group to get a project like this off the ground. We are a small, devoted, inspired and motivated community. In the time I have been committed to my “journey” I have come across such amazing people and seen such acts of kindness that it always spurred me on towards my next goal. I feel this is my next goal and I truly hope that Oxus can be the platform that changes the way subscriptions are handled. If you are interested in the fight for democratizing subscription services, as a user, or as a business, I encourage you to get in touch with me.

For those reading who either work at a SaaS company or know someone who might be the one to make a decision on whether to join this movement, please get in touch! You will forever be remembered as the leaders in this movement!

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