I didn't say free services are a mistake. I said that the “free model” in the particular case of a service where you’re giving away bandwidth and storage space is a bad plan. “Free model” referring to a 100% free service that gains value by accumulating data rather than a revenue stream.

As for the lack of paid options, they are on the way. I made the decision to launch with this option and many others in the spirit of what I say in “Don’t be afraid to launch.”

I've posted your comment and this follow up in the article comments: http://bradt.ca/archives/developing-sharurl-lessons-learned-...