Jason M. Lemkin argues free pilots are a trap that undervalue your work and stress your team. Instead, charge a fair rate, even $5k-$10k a month for three months. A paid pilot signals you understand enterprise risk and can double your conversion odds.
And you don't need to do free pilots. Free pilots are a horrific idea in the Enterprise. They're terrible for both sides. If you can't budget five or ten grand a month for three months for a pilot, it is not important to you. It is simply not important. So that's the mistake startups make. They give away these free pilots and it's stressful. No. Create a program that is fair to both sides and has limited risk, and I think your conversions will double in the startup and the enterprises will immediately know. This is the type of startup I want to work with. They understand risk in the enterprise, and most founders do not understand risk in the Enterprise. They do not get it. They do not understand it. The perfect pilot, I think, can double the odds the startup gets the deal and can double the odds that.
