There seem to be two different philosophies about early monetization.

One argues that you should start charging as soon as possible. Even getting a single paying user for a few dollars is considered a meaningful signal.

The other approach is to first get exposure, gather feedback from real users, and only then plan monetization more carefully.

I tend to lean toward the latter.

If you're currently running a product for free, I’d be curious to hear about it. What is the product, why are you keeping it free for now, and what are your plans for monetization (when/how)?