Chapter 1: The Subscription Dilemma

We invest in data, news, and applications—often little by little, paycheck by paycheck. But the question arises: is this model sustainable?

Imagine using your finger to hammer a nail into a wall—of course, you wouldn’t! Tools are essential for efficiently completing tasks and achieving our goals. Just like a Genie, tools adapt to our desires as we create. I’m not talking about a simple screwdriver; I refer to the ever-changing technology available online. The digital era is undoubtedly thrilling. Who knows? Soon we might have an app that mimics a hammer to drive nails into our fences.

It sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Rather than buying a hammer or screwdriver, we might just download their app and pay a subscription fee. Yet, these business models could drown us in a sea of digital clutter. I find myself wondering how we arrived at this point. Are we already ordering essentials like butter and milk through agricultural apps? This brings to mind my friend Edith.

Applications proliferate like light through a prism, scattering into numerous functions—though not necessarily with colorful outcomes. This is significant, especially if you’re as meticulous as my friend Edith, who tracks every expense, identifying her precise needs while indulging selectively.

For me, on the other hand, managing my subscriptions and purchases feels overwhelming. I keep track of them in a designated email folder, which is a tedious task, particularly since I’m an apps enthusiast, always eager to try even the most obscure tools. Unlike Edith, I occasionally find it challenging to engage the logical side of my brain when a new tool piques my interest. My emotions often take over, leading me to impulsive decisions.

Many of my expenditures feel justified, like when I listen to music while working or enjoy audiobooks during morning walks. I often snap numerous photos, editing them later in Photoshop. When writing, as I am now, I rely on Grammarly to catch typos and grammatical mistakes—an invaluable tool I can’t imagine doing without. Like my antivirus software, I’ve subscribed to it automatically.

Beyond that, I use cloud-based Word and have a subscription to various publications. “The New York Times” finds its way into my inbox mainly for its insightful essays, and the introductory offer was too tempting to pass up. However, I am aware that the subscription fee will quadruple soon—a crucial detail to keep in mind.

Can businesses thrive with competitive introductory prices or temporary offers? I doubt it, given that we eventually have to eliminate subscriptions or services due to rising costs, reduced features, or budget constraints. Grammarly, however, will remain a constant for me. But can companies enhance subscriber retention?

Before we delve into that, let's explore the evolution of the web and its functionalities over the years. In the 1990s, while singing along to Prince’s “Celebrate Like It’s 1999,” we could still download programs like Adobe Photoshop directly onto our hard drives. Data storage and processing happened locally, not in the cloud. Adobe software was expensive, but if you registered it, it was yours, along with free upgrades.

On New Year's Eve 2000, the anticipated apocalypse didn’t occur—the world continued. Programs transitioned from physical CDs to downloadable software. User-friendly interfaces allowed us to navigate the web more easily, especially with automated services tailored for bloggers and website owners. By around 2010, broadband and mobile internet usage surged. In 2012, Google Drive and Dropbox revolutionized cloud storage, enabling data access from virtually anywhere. This trend spurred tech companies to develop comprehensive ecosystems around cloud services, such as Microsoft’s Office 365 and Google’s G Suite.

Software as a Service (SaaS) emerged, including Adobe’s subscription model, where access to software is tiered based on user needs. Whether you write code, compose music, design, edit photos, or create websites, there's likely a SaaS solution available for you.

If you subscribe to platforms like Medium, news services, Apple Music, or Amazon Prime—offering in-depth content, learning resources, or tools for creative expression—know that the options are virtually endless. Yet, none of this can function without reliable internet or WiFi, which may falter during outages or if bills are unpaid. Let’s consider how this narrative might unfold.

Recently, Apple’s actions have caused a stir in the payments sector, sparking discussions about fairness and competition due to high fees on external payment systems. An article by Mike Masnick emphasizes the resurgence of piracy, highlighting the challenges faced by streaming platforms amid a multitude of subscription services.

How might applications adapt to serve the public better? What if we could subscribe to various vendors for a single flat fee? Imagine a site offering apps from different providers, categorized into newspapers, magazines, creative software, and educational resources. This could only happen if companies agree to collaborate on pricing and create a unified tiered system—excluding Apple, of course. Amazon does offer discounted books and magazines for subscribers.

Some SaaS providers have already started implementing usage-based pricing models, where costs align with actual service usage rather than a fixed fee. While not yet the norm, it’s a step towards flexibility.

AI and machine learning could enhance SaaS applications, leading to more personalized and adaptive subscription models.

Read or Die: Publication Rules

Updated January 2024 Guidelines

As I sift through my subscription folder, I feel overwhelmed, akin to facing a multi-headed beast. Even Prometheus would struggle to tackle them all—one at a time. I invite you to share your experiences with me; your comments could either uplift or resonate with my struggles. :)