Here's a product truth that hits hard: if your paying users get a worse experience than those who pirate your stuff, you've already lost.

Think about it. When the free, unauthorized version actually works better—fewer bugs, no annoying restrictions, smoother interface—what incentive does anyone have to pay? You're literally punishing loyalty.

This applies to everything from software to blockchain applications. Build something people want to pay for because it's genuinely better, not because you've locked features behind paywalls while the core experience suffers.