ADR-001 — Preview → Purchase (not freemium)

Status: Accepted · Date: 2026-06-02

Context

The original model gave away the full digital book free, then tried to monetize print + a monthly subscription. All four research reports independently flagged this as the core economic mistake — freemium converts ~2–3% [FACT — RevenueCat], and a free full book hands away the cheapest-to-copy part of the product while leaving CAC to outrun thin POD margins.

Decision

Monetize via Preview → Purchase + Year-by-Year Progression (not freemium): - Free preview ~20% — cover, contents, preface, first 3–4 pages (the hook). No free finished book, ever. - Digital edition = the paid conversion event (low cost → real margin from order one). - Physical edition = upsell keepsake (higher AOV). - Pricing: bundle-anchored, volume-rewarded (single underpriced; AOV target $40–75 [ASSUMPTION]). - Progression is MVP core — school-year plan + season pass + Bridge packs drive repeat across grades/seasons.

Rationale

A single one-off book barely clears cost and only acquires the customer; margin comes from low-cost digital entry + physical upsell + repeat. The research's #1 "what must be true" condition is free preview, never a free finished book, with AOV anchored by bundles and a genuine repeat engine. The hinge metric to validate is preview→paid ≥6% (kill freemium entirely if <3%).

Source / evidence

• Project-Objective.md §9, §12
• Research_Synthesis.md §2, §12, §13, §18 — [FACT] freemium ~2–3%; [ASSUMPTION] preview→paid 6%
• Research synthesis summary · Business model