Jason Fried

August 28, 2026

$5300 in $100s: The verdict

Yesterday I wrote about a free event we were throwing which cost $100 to attend, but the full $100 was refunded at the door if you showed up. I said I'd share the results.

Ok, so the event was this morning. It went incredibly well.

Here are those results:

55 people paid $100 to attend. 50 of those people showed up. That's a 90% show-rate, which is exceptionally high for a free event. We will donate the $500 from no-shows.

The last event we threw didn't have the $100 price of admission. 84 people said they'd attend that free event, but only 38 actually showed up. That's only a 45% show-rate.

So this latest event had fewer absolute signups (55 vs. 84), but more people actually attended (50 vs. 38). And the show-rate was double (90% vs 45%). I'd say it's a win for everyone.

Yes small sample sizes here, but plenty of signal. We'll do it again at the next Breakfast with Basecamp event. And bottom line: It's just fun to give out $100 bills at the doors. Lots of smiles and an unusual shared experience is a great way to start the day.

-Jason

About Jason Fried

Hey! I'm Jason, the Co-Founder and CEO at 37signals, makers of Basecamp and HEY. Subscribe below to follow my thinking on business, design, product development, and whatever else is on my mind. Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.