Blogs

Why to use ToBeWise™ This 5-star app is completely free to use, ad free, spam free, and your usage data is never sold, period. So you can feel safe that your privacy is assured. The content of the app is a carefully curated collection of the wisdom of the ages,...

On the surprising lightness of being completely free…

We started out to build an app that would help people
get their thinking to support a successful life and business.

Although the app was not intended to be a money making adventure;
the idea was to see if maybe it could support itself enough
to cover the costs of upkeep
(programming, website hosting, bug fixes, etc).

For the last couple of years ToBeWise™
came in two versions: Free and Pro.
The Free version was advertising supported.
The Pro had some extra features. was ad-free, at a price of $2.99,

It was this pricing scheme that positioned the app as a business.
A way to get a user’s money, either by paying for it,
or subjecting them to advertising in the app.

The disconnect with a business model for a free gift
kept me from doing much with it.
I was uncomfortable selling an app for 2 or 3 bucks,
first of all because it was supposed to be a gift,
and also because I didn’t need the money.cc
And I was uncomfortable giving an app away that
used advertising to convert users’ attention into money.
Additionally, there was the option to get Free users to upgrade to Pro for money.

From the users’ perspective, I could imagine them
feeling cheap by getting the Free version,
or feeling wary of buying the Pro version, even for only a couple of dollars.
And the ambivalence probably led to abandoning the decision completely.

The solution was most interesting:
Remove the Free version and make the Pro version Free with no ads.
(Thanks, Steve!)

At first I just couldn’t understand the suggestion.
After all, we already had a Free version,
so why make the Pro free, and eliminate the Free version.
In the end, you still have a Free version…

It was only after doing it that it became clear.
The simplicity of only one version,
and the complete detachment from any profit motive
gave me a totally different perspective,
and it energized me.

If there was never any intention to make money on the app,
then why did we charge anything at all?
We got started down the wrong path,
using an app model that was designed for profit making businesses.

Having only one version:
1. reduces user confusion and anxiety at the point of downloading,
2. eliminates the discomfort with being sold something,
3. possibly increases the likelihood that it will be downloaded.
4. eliminates buyer remorse if the app is disappointing, or not used.
5. increases likelihood that it will be recommended to others.

More importantly,
I feel a lot more positive about recommending the app now,
since there is no way I can profit from sharing it.
It’s truly a gift.

Download now!

Enjoy.
And then share it with a friend…

In a delightful article by Wait but Why? the Goal of Wisdom is seen as the very best we can do in our short stay here on earth. It's a step in the right direction, for sure. Check out the article, here. Enjoy!

Monday, March 13, 2017 To my friends and family:   For most of the last year, I've been creating a gift for you, in the form of an app for your smartphone or tablet... It's called ToBeWise (all one word). It's free, as gifts should be, and contains the wisdom of...

A good friend, Greg Voisen, has done over 600 podcasts over the years, featuring authors whose recent books have a mind/body/soul/self-help theme, and they are all featured on his website at InsidePersonalGrowth.com. Every once in a while he does one on a software...

ToBeWise is my System for Success in Life and Business. I've spent the best part of the last 12 months consumed with the idea, design, and development of this product. TeleMagic was a good thing, but I would prefer ToBeWise to be my Legacy. And now, ToBeWise is better...

ToBeWise™ - The Right Words at the Right Time™ To inspire, motivate, and educate…  designed for people who are driven to succeed in Life and in Business. Learn on demand from 900+ of the greatest minds in history, as they share their wisdom on almost 200...

If only there were an app that would start us on the path of Success in Life and in Business... That thought has occupied my mind for a long time, starting 31 years ago. For much of the past year, I've been working on just such a thing, and it's now available for...

Version 1.2 fixes a bug in Facebook posting. If you haven't done it already, download the latest version now and share your favorite quotes to friends on Facebook.    

The bulb logo.