Comment by johnnyanmac

>had he charged for recurring licenses, would fewer people have signed up? would his subscriptions also be drawing down?

History says yes, and no. Much easier to retain periodic payment on a few engaged businesses than to continually look for people willing to make a one time payment. Especially in professional software.

The premium model just doesn't work unless you stay very lean. Workers need to be continually paid, even if you make your entire audience happy once.