Why?<p>Not to be intentionally blunt, but your argument seems to be structured around attaining the highest userbase possible, rather than the highest revenue possible.<p>The natural followup is that a higher userbase begets a higher revenue, but why -- and how? I think that's certainly true with companies such as Facebook or Pinterest, where a) higher userbase equals stronger value proposition and/or b) advertising is a primary revenue source, but neither of those seem applicable to Instapaper.<p>Frankly, I don't think Instapaper needs to revolve around a Freemium model at all. It's a high-quality, standalone app. I don't understand the trend in the tech world that tends to demonize paying up-front for an app (and hell, Instapaper's online version is free); frankly, I'd rather know what I'm paying up front than be saddled with IAPs or subscriptions down the line.