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Tip: Instead of giving a percentage discount on long- term plans, offer a free month

Source: Growth Bites

Long-term subscription plans help with cashflow and boost revenue. It's common practice to incentivize these with a percentage discount, but you can get more takers by offering dollars or free months.

When LOLA offered a percentage discount for a 6-month plan, people selected it roughly 8.5% of the time. That's not bad. But when they offered dollar discounts, that number increased to 19.5%. And when they offered it in terms of free months, it increased to 22.94%. The value of ten dollars is easy to understand, as is the value of getting a month for free. But a percentage doesn't feel as solid, and it requires customers to do the math themselves. That little bit of friction had a big impact for LOLA. It should be noted that LOLA creates physical products, but this trend should translate to other types of subscriptions as well.

What’s trending?

The future is calling: Will traditional industries answer AI’s call?

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When you think of integrating AI, the usual suspects come to mind—marketing, social media, software development, content creation, video, graphic design, gaming, media… you know what I am trying to say.

But what about the traditional industries, the ones your parents or grandparents built? Those with long histories, where change feels slow? Do they even know AI exists? What would they think if they knew how it could change their world?

It might not seem like AI has a place in those industries at first, but trust me—it does. The impact might not be immediate, but it’s coming, and when it does, it’ll disrupt these fields in ways they never saw coming. Think back to when the internet and computers were first introduced—how many doubted they’d ever catch on? Remember when hospitals used to log everything manually? It took years to shift to electronic health records, but now it’s the norm. Or schools—grading went from stacks of paper to e-grades. Change didn’t happen overnight, but when it did, it was impossible to imagine going back. And we can go on with similar examples, but the main point here is that we need to try something new—even if we don’t fully trust it at first—to move forward and grow.

Let’s take a closer look at these industries, their thoughts on AI, and what can happen in the future. 👇

From $0 to $500M ARR: Lessons in Pivoting, Customer Focus, and Scaling Fast

Source: Demand Curve

How do you go from an unclear idea to building the fastest-growing software company in history? Wiz’s journey to $500M ARR in under five years is a masterclass in adapting, learning, and scaling with intention.

Here are some key lessons from their growth journey, shared by WIz’s CMO, Raaz Herzberg.

Lesson 1: Pivot When It’s Not Working. Always

Wiz’s initial focus on network security lacked clarity and excitement. Despite weeks of customer calls, feedback was polite but vague, and even the team wasn’t clear on what they were building.

The turning point? When Raaz, the product manager, admitted, “I don’t understand what we’re building.” It led to a critical team discussion. This honesty revealed the need for a sharper focus and uncovered cloud security as the right direction.

The team shifted to cloud security, where they had expertise and saw stronger customer pull—questions about pricing, POVs, and deeper engagement validated the move.

Lesson 2: Growth is Messy—Learn by Doing

Wiz achieved millions in ARR before hiring their first salesperson. The founders and early team members handled every aspect of the sales process themselves—closing deals, drafting contracts, and onboarding customers. This hands-on approach gave them invaluable insights into what worked and what didn’t. When they finally brought in a sales team, they had a clear playbook to share. Raaz emphasized that relying on outside hires to “fix” a process you don’t understand yourself is wishful thinking.

Lesson 3: Build a Culture of Openness and Impact

One of Wiz’s defining traits is its culture of openness. Employees at all levels are encouraged to ask tough questions, challenge ideas, and contribute to decision-making. Raaz’s admission that she didn’t understand the product wasn’t seen as a failure—it was welcomed as an opportunity to rethink the company’s direction. Additionally, Wiz’s founders prioritized impact over hierarchy, creating a flat organizational structure where titles mattered less than driving results.

Lesson 4: Leadership is About Adapting to the Heat

At Wiz, leadership wasn’t about rigid roles—it was about adaptability. When the company struggled with customer awareness, Raaz, a product leader, stepped into the marketing role despite having no prior experience. She spent a weekend learning everything she could about marketing and took bold risks (like creating unconventional booths at trade shows) to make Wiz stand out. This decision wasn’t based on a traditional path but on her ability to step into the “heat” and solve the company’s most pressing challenge.

Great leadership is about putting the right people in the right places, even if it means stepping outside your comfort zone.

Thank you for reading! ✌️

We look forward to sharing more with you next week. Stay tuned!

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