Horse Republic: Transition to Freemium/Premium Model

1. Context Industry: Sports / Equestrian community Product: Horse Republic mobile app (iOS / Android) Target audience: B2C – Riders, stable owners, and equestrian enthusiasts User base: 80,000+ users at the time of the project Timeline: 2021 Background: Originally 100% free, the app aimed to transition to a freemium/premium model to secure more sustainable monetization, reduce reliance on in-app advertising, and offer new services to users. 2. Team & Organization Structure: Startup-mode feature team Team: 1 founder (CEO), 4 developers, myself as the Lead Product Designer My role: UX/UI lead across the entire app Responsible for the freemium strategy, product design, and also communication: visual assets, microcopy, social media posts, and in-app content Acted as a bridge between product, dev, and the brand ambassadors (highly engaged users) 3. Goals & Challenges Business objectives: Launch a paid premium offer within a previously free app Reduce pressure on the sales team (primarily selling ads) by creating a stream of recurring revenue through usage UX/UI challenges: Integrate premium seamlessly and naturally, without frustration or usage disruption Clarify the value proposition of the premium offer within existing user flows Adapt flows to different user types (general public vs. stable owners) Secondary goals: Create a B2B version of the premium offer for establishments (stables) Launch an ambassador program to support adoption and advocacy 4. Methodology Approach & key steps: UX audit: Identified pain points, blocked or non-monetized usage patterns Benchmarking: Looked at freemium community & sports apps (Strava, Decathlon Coach, etc.) User research: Interviews with a panel of engaged ambassadors Collected qualitative insights on expectations, frustrations, and perceived value Incorporated direct feedback from the founder, who maintained daily contact with users User flows & UX: Redesigned key screens: profiles, directories, stables Created clear, high-impact wireframes and UI, visually highlighting premium features Focused on legibility, showcasing benefits, and strong call-to-action hierarchy Testing: Rapid iteration cycles with the dev team Live feedback and qualitative user testing Design system: Adapted the brand system to include premium-specific visual elements: icons, badges, color variants 5. Results & Impact Quantitative results: Achieved the target of 100 premium users within the first 3 months Launched a new B2B monetization stream: premium plan for stables (highlighted listings + exclusive features) The app regularly ranked in the Top 100 sports apps on the App Store at the time Qualitative results: Excellent adoption by brand ambassadors, who helped promote the feature organically within the community Clear improvement in user understanding of the premium offer (confirmed via feedback and increased click-through rate) Successful launch of the partner stable program, featuring enriched profiles, notification tools, and a dedicated interface for managing their presence on the app