---
title: Sell free products
date: "2002-06-19T12:00:00Z"
categories:
  - links
wp_id: 1314
description: I highlight Joel Spolsky's strategy regarding free products, where companies commoditize complements to drive sales of their own goods. It explains the economic logic behind giving away software to sell more hardware or services.
keywords: [joel spolsky, complementary goods, pricing strategy, commoditizing complements, business models, software economics]
---

Joel on why companies try to [sell free products](http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/StrategyLetterV.html). (To sell more complementary products, to spare you the suspense.)