Mastermind.fm

Welcome to Episode 9 of Mastermind.fm! Last week Jean and James began a multi-part series discussing different WordPress business models. Episode 8 tackled  free and premium business models, and this week we continue with a discussion of licensing strategies, the freemium model, productized service model, and membership model. Recurrent vs. Lifetime License Models The topic of conversation turns first to recurrent versus lifetime license models. Recurrent licenses typically require annual renewal to continue receiving basics like product support and updates, whereas lifetime licenses are exactly what the name implies. Jean and James point out that WordPress plugins typically favor recurrent licensing while most themes choose lifetime licenses. James parses the reasoning behind that split in fairly simple terms. If you have recurrent expenses that customers benefit from, a recurrent payment structure ensures that you always have the income to provide those benefits. It also establishes a sustainable business