“When the consumption is not variable subscription works extremely well when the consumption is variable or unpredictable it works horribly bad.”

Subscription Fit Test: Predictable Consumption = Great Subscription; Variable = Terrible

Phil uses cat litter, coffee, and daily lunch as the ideal subscription products: consumption is predictable, so the product arrives reliably and never piles up. Meal kits fail as subscriptions because life gets in the way. The same logic applies to software and apps — subscriptions work when users engage on a regular cadence driven by a recurring need or habit. Before deciding between subscription and a-la-carte, map your typical user's actual consumption frequency.