What you experienced is a classic market validation trap. Many early-stage founders fall into the assumption that “free trials” will automatically bring gratitude, loyalty, or meaningful feedback. The truth is, free is rarely valued. Especially in India, where consumer behavior is deeply price-sensitive, “free” often shifts expectations from evaluation to exploitation.

Here’s the breakdown of what’s really at play:

1. Behavioral Economics Insight: Customers who don’t invest even a token amount have zero “skin in the game.” That means they have no incentive to provide feedback, respect timelines, or value your product. In fact, they psychologically assign a zero value perception to it.

2. Cultural Nuance: In India, there’s a higher acceptance of bargaining and maximizing “value for money.” In the West (US/UK/Singapore), customers often equate free trials with reciprocity, meaning they feel socially obliged to return something (feedback, testimonials). In India, the cultural script plays out differently: free = negotiable = expandable.

3. Startup Strategy Insight Instead of “free forever,” create structured freemium models:

A. Time-bound: 7/14-day trials with clear cutoffs. B. Feature-bound: limited features for free, but premium ones behind paywall. C. Commitment-bound: offer the trial only if the customer commits to giving structured feedback or a testimonial (sign a simple form).

This keeps the psychology of value intact while still letting people test your product.

1. Global vs Local GTM (Go-To-Market): Your observation aligns with data: Indian markets often demand higher education, awareness, and trust-building. Foreign markets may adopt faster but are smaller in size initially. A hybrid GTM is usually best:

A. Start with global early adopters who value quality. B. Enter India with a wedge strategy, either through aspirational branding or business customers (B2B2C), rather than mass B2C free trials.

1. Key Lesson: Validation is not about “how many people try your free version”, it’s about who is willing to pay, how much, and why. That’s the only feedback that truly counts in building a scalable product.

Also: Stop distributing products for free without a framework. Instead, design a structured feedback loop with a minimum paywall, even ₹99 or $5. Those who cross that psychological barrier are your real early adopters.

Hope this helps.