Premium added recurring access while listeners continued buying coins to unlock individual episodes. That constraint shaped the model, the touchpoints, and the placement of Premium beside coin packs.

India accounted for 94% of active subscribers. A third of Indian subscribers have re-subscribed at least once, and repeat subscribers drive almost half of India subscription revenue.

I reduced a complex product model to a few choices in the final UI. I joined Pocket FM in October 2024, when listeners bought coin packs and spent them to unlock episodes. Coin purchases generated most of the revenue.

Premium

1. 1Just an Old BookEpisode 1, already included
2. 2Daily QuestLock point10Episode 2, requires 10 coins
3. 3Military School10Episode 3, requires 10 coins
4. 4Ability Level10Episode 4, requires 10 coins
5. 5No Ability10Episode 5, requires 10 coins
6. 6Result10Episode 6, requires 10 coins
7. 7Same Ability10Episode 7, requires 10 coins

One day of listening = 60 coins.

6 episodes × 10 coins. More episodes mean more coin spend.

Users kept asking for subscription. They wanted more access, less friction, and a value story they could understand mid-listening. The business needed recurring revenue. I had to design one Premium model that served both while keeping the listener promise and the revenue model separate. The constraint was firm: Premium could not reduce coin sales. A generous plan would collapse the coin economy. A restrictive plan would stall conversion.

There was no prior subscription product. I started from zero.

User researcher Rachit Jain ran interviews with R2+2nd renewal cancellations. I joined the plan and calls. Users described an unexpected bank debit: "Bina puchhe paisa kaat liya." About one in five renewal attempts also failed.

Listeners converted at access and payment decisions. In cancellation interviews, they described weak consent and low benefit visibility after signup. I used both signals to move V2 away from more promotion.