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Free pilots do not convert
Unpaid pilots get less attention and seldom become purchase orders.
Why free fails
With no money at stake, calendars slip, users ghost, and "we liked it" replaces a commercial decision.
Paid diagnostic pattern
One pattern from the source session and Startup Bible: a meaningful paid diagnostic (tens of thousands of dollars, well above a token fee) with criteria, stakeholders, and the decision path in the agreement. The high conversion claims for that pattern come from the session, not from a public study.
What a paid pilot gets you
A paid pilot buys the customer's attention, gives them a reason to finish, and keeps the commercial conversation continuous with the pilot.
Claims and patterns on this page are paraphrased from practitioner session notes and the Startup Bible (Pilots that convert). See Sources.