For founders

Credits, and staying in charge of what you spend

See what something costs before it runs, and never meet a bill you did not choose.

What it is

Work here is metered in credits: a research section, a notebook answer, a concept run, a deck. Anything that spends them shows you an estimate before it starts, and you are charged what the run actually costs rather than what we quoted, so most runs come in under the top of the estimate. The estimate is a forecast and not a cap, so a run that turns out much larger than expected can land above it.

Economy mode

When you care more about the balance than the depth, turn on Economy mode in the header. It caps every generation across your account to a lighter setting that spends fewer credits and finishes sooner. Turn it off when you want the full depth back; it is one switch, and it applies until you change it.

Boosts and automatic top-ups

A paid plan comes with an allowance that refreshes every billing cycle. Before you subscribe you get a free first look at your idea, which costs you nothing and uses no credits, and when you do subscribe, your first project is set up for you without spending any credits either, so your full allowance is still there when setup finishes. When you want more than your allowance, buy a one-time boost in the size that suits you, from 500 credits up to 5,000, or set an automatic top-up so your chosen size is bought whenever you run low. Automatic top-up is off until you turn it on and needs a card on file, so nothing is ever bought on your behalf by surprise, and every purchase sends a receipt.

Keeping a published page live

A test page or app you publish comes with a monthly traffic allowance. If a lot of people visit and it reaches the limit, the page shows a short holding message to new visitors instead of running up a bill you did not agree to. If you would rather it stayed live, turn on Keep my pages live in billing and we buy one traffic pack for that page and email the receipt. That is one pack per page per billing cycle, so a page that stays very busy can still reach its limit and show the holding message. It is off by default and needs a card on file.

Invite a founder, you both get credits

Share the referral link from your account settings. When someone signs up with it and goes on to subscribe, you each get 100 bonus credits. We reward up to 10 invites a month, and past that your invitee still gets theirs. It is the cheapest way to top up, and it works best with the founders you would have told about this anyway.

Common questions

Will I be charged more than the estimate?

Usually not, but the estimate is a forecast rather than a cap. You are charged what the run actually costs, and most runs finish inside the estimate, so you often pay less than the top of it. A run that turns out much larger than expected can land above it. Nothing runs without you choosing it.

What happens when I run out?

The next action stops and tells you, rather than quietly billing you for more. A run already under way finishes and is charged for what it used, which can leave you a little below zero, and that is what the next action reports. You can buy a boost then and there, or turn on automatic top-up so it does not happen again.

Do my credits expire?

On a paid plan your allowance refreshes each billing cycle. Boost credits sit on top of your allowance and expire 90 days after purchase, and expiry only ever removes what is above your monthly allowance, so it never takes you below it.

Try credits, and staying in charge of what you spend

Describe your idea and see it stated back, with the three riskiest assumptions in it and your first three steps. Free, no credit card. Subscribe when you want the full research, your prototype and your live page.

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