What common mistake do early-stage founders make when attempting to monetize developer platforms?

Founders often erect aggressive payment gates far too early before developers have experienced the core product epiphany. If you demand a credit card before a developer can execute their first hello-world function or run an initial benchmark, they will simply close the browser tab. You must provide a frictionless path to instant value, cultivate developer love, and monetize naturally as their production traffic expands.