Subscriptions

Simple, easy to understand and entirely opt-in, a subscription could unlock Hypothesis features that a user could not previously access. These features include:

• Real-time prediction insights: subscribers can see real-time outcome probabilities on a given prediction after they have submitted their answer.

• Criteria-based filters: these filters allow a subscriber to view a more granular breakdown of a question’s resolution probabilities based on predictor demographics and Foresight percentiles.

• Increased Context posting allowance.

• Special roles on the Hypothesis Discord: Subscribers receive an invite to the official Hypothesis Discord, where they can chat directly with the Hypothesis team, submit feature requests and learn more about what goes into running Hypothesis

A subscription-based revenue stream could allow Hypothesis to refrain from selling user data in ways media platforms have done for years. This increasingly-popular model for mobile apps is backed by data, with mobile subscription app engagement globally, as measured by the conversation rates of people installing and eventually paying subscriptions for apps growing by 32 percent in 2018. Apps with a mid-range subscription price between $7 and $20 perform best in install-to-subscription rates and cost-to-acquire per subscriber. This could be Hypothesis' target price range.

An additional subscription tier could cater to institutional and enterprise clients who are interested in leveraging the platform to gain unique, customizable, real-time insight into current events across the globe, as well as institutions looking to leverage the platform for real-time machine learning and predictive analytics research & development. These clients can work one-on-one with the Hypothesis team to extract maximum value out of the platform, but never at the expense of user privacy or experience. The Hypothesis Pro feature set could include:

• Custom-authored questions specific to client interest: these questions function the same as normal questions, but the client has access to all relevant (but anonymized) input and output data. The client can serve questions to users according to a variety of metrics, including:

  • Demographics

  • User interest

  • Performance filtered by topic, accuracy, demographic

• Access to Foresight API: Due to the real-time nature of active custom questions, a client may want the ability to plug a question’s fluctuating inputs and outputs into an existing dataset or program. This ability would be enabled through Foresight API. In a scenario where a third party might want to publish a question on their own platform, Foresight API would also make this possible. Additionally, a client may want to give their users access to their real-time Foresight and Insight ratings within the context of their own platform, like a job board or social network, for example. Foresight API would provide this functionality.

The enterprise tier would require a monthly or yearly subscription commitment, as well as additional payments for certain enableable features and per-question targeting parameters.

The custom question becomes a powerful tool toward a variety of ends, including research & development, forecasting and polling. Foresight API would integrate Hypothesis into the wider web, further incentivizing participation from users, publishers and businesses.