By Jason Fried · world.hey.com · @jasonfried on X · LinkedIn
Jason Fried reports the results of an experiment where a free event charged a refundable $100 admission, returned at the door to attendees who showed up. Of 55 paid signups, 50 attended, a 90% show rate, compared with 45% for a prior free event that drew more signups. The no-show money ($500) will be donated. Fried acknowledges the sample is small but argues the signal is strong enough to repeat the approach. For product and event builders, it is a concrete example of how a small commitment cost can convert signups into real attendance, with the caveat that the evidence is limited to one comparison.
01Key takeaways
- A small refundable commitment can sharply raise the show rate of signups.
- Fewer signups with higher attendance can beat a larger, leaky free list.
- Measure show rate, not just registration volume, when judging event success.
- Redirecting no-show deposits to charity can make a commitment mechanic feel fair.
- Treat small-sample results as a signal worth testing again before generalizing.
02Key sections
- The experiment
- A free event was reframed with a $100 refundable deposit, returned in person to anyone who showed up. The setup turned attendance into a financial commitment.
- Results compared
- The paid version had fewer signups but far more attendees and double the show rate of the earlier free event. Attendance per signup rose sharply.
- Money to charity
- Unclaimed deposits from no-shows will be donated, making the experiment's leftover value go to a cause.
- Caveats and next steps
- Fried admits the sample is small but sees enough signal to run the format again at the next event.
- The experience itself
- Beyond the numbers, handing out $100 bills at the door created smiles and a shared memorable start to the day.
03From the post
“Yesterday I wrote about a free event we were throwing which cost $100 to attend, but the full $100 was refunded at the door if you showed up. I said I'd share the results. Ok, so the event was this morning. It went incredibly well. Here are those results: 55 people paid $100 to attend. 50 of those people showed…”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.