I Turned Off Thousands in MRR This Week

Last Thursday, I sent an email to every SimpleDirect Financing customer telling them the service is now free. Then I went into Stripe and turned off all the auto-renewals.

High four figures of MRR, gone.

SimpleDirect Financing was my first real business — started in college, 5-6 years ago. Feels like decades.

I remember the early months where we made nothing, where my co-founders and I would grind on things that made no sense to anyone else.

That business taught me everything. But it also became something I didn't want to run anymore.

The Monaco Wake-Up Call

Last September, I was in Nice, visiting Monaco. Should have been a good trip.

Instead, my phone wouldn't stop ringing.

We had a partnership manager who worked directly with contractors. Anyone could call him anytime — 5 AM, didn't matter.

Then he took our monthly pay and just stopped working. Literally. Customers would call him and he'd say "go find George."

So they did. I'm standing in Monaco and calls are flooding in. Homeowners demanding answers. Salespeople who never got trained. Chaotic. Constant.

I came back and let him go the first day. But the behavior didn't stop. People still called. I spent weeks trying to redirect everyone to proper support channels.

The Real Problem

This business used to matter financially. Now it mostly mattered emotionally — and not in a good way.

I want calm. Optionality. The freedom to make decisions in peace, not to be needed and demanded everywhere, all the time.

SimpleDirect Financing wasn't that. It was the opposite.

So last Thursday, I made it free.

The Email I Sent

This is the actual email that went out:

Subject: Update: SimpleDirect is now free

Quick update on your SimpleDirect account.

Starting today, SimpleDirect is free. We turned off your billing — no more charges.

If you're mid-subscription, don't worry. This is a courtesy for all existing customers. You use SimpleDirect for free, forever.

What's changing: Support is now self-serve. Use the chat bubble or email support@getsimpledirect.com. No more phone support. No more dedicated account manager. Your team handles customer questions directly. We're one email away if you need anything.

What we're adding: Automatic email reminders so customers finish applications. Status updates to your inbox. 24/7 AI chat for homeowners.

What you're saving: SimpleDirect: $0/year (was $1,499)

Same platform. Same financing options. It just runs on its own now.

George

I didn't get a single response. Which was good.

The Trade

I traded revenue for peace.

High four figures per month — gone.

A chapter I was holding onto for no good reason — closed.

In return: no more random calls, no more being the escalation point, more loyal customers (we're now free while competitors charge $1,500+), and a business that runs itself.

I'll take that trade.

FInal Thoughts

I've been building for 6 years. Somewhere along the way, the question changed from "how do I grow this?" to "what kind of business do I actually want to run?"

Some businesses you scale. Some you sell. Some you simplify until they stop needing you.

This one needed to stop needing me.