Locked top matches
A few top matches locked in the free feed, with the score left visible so people knew what they were missing.
- 1 in 2
- Purchases came through a locked card (first two months)
- 9.4%
- Of people who clicked a lock bought within 7 days
Problem
The free feed showed all 50 matches, with every score and every apply link. There was nothing to upgrade for.
The paid plans launched the same night as the lock, so the two had to ship together.
First try
The first version put a frosted veil over the whole card, score included. It made the free feed look worse, not the upgrade look better.
You cannot sell what nobody can see.
Before, Jul 27 2024
v1, Jul 28 2024
The fix
Keep the score sharp, blur only what you would click through for, and name the plan that unlocks it. The lock took the logo slot so the card still read as a card.
It shipped the next day.
v1, Jul 28 2024
v2, Jul 29 2024
The 2026 version keeps the same rendering with a solid button. The lock now picks 8 of 20 cards by a hash of the job id, so the locked cards are no longer the top scores. A locked 83 sits under an open 86.
Copy
The button copy changed a few times. Every version named what the click unlocks.
- Jul 2024Upgrade to view this Top Match JobFirst version
- Jul 2024Buy Coffee plan to viewNames the plan
- Sep 2024Reveal job postingFor users with referral credits
- Aug 2025Pay $2.99 to view all matchesPrice in the button
- Aug 2025 onGet Coffee to reveal this jobCurrent
Result
In the first two months, 51 of the 104 purchases came from people who had clicked a locked card in the previous 7 days, and 9.4% of everyone who clicked one bought. The lock became the main door into the paywall.