What I'd try next for time-to-value is adding a step in free customers setup where they identify some emails or email addresses that need follow-up. That way, AutoPest can send some emails on Day 1, Minute 1.

You might ALSO be having a hidden issue for AI-based communication tools that I'm also facing in my startup. Many people are not used to having AI "represent" them, write for them, to a specific person. They're perfectly OK with having AI write a blog post, but having AI respond to Susie about the real estate deal in Tampa feels risky. Even if it's a very simple well-bounded response that seems safe to programmers like you and I.

The strategies there would be either a user-education strategy (say, DRIP emails on how your emails are polite and can't cause trouble), a testimonial strategy (see, it worked for all these people), or a strategy where they can see how AutoPest would have responded to their inbox over (say) the last month without actually sending any emails.

Another related issue - people are reluctant to turn on a product all at once. My friend has a Shopify plugin with this issue; it improves sales but it had to be turned on across the whole store at once. She added a feature so new customers could turn it on for just one page first and feel the first value there at much lower perceived risk. The analogue for you would be turning on AutoPest for (say) internal emails at their company vs. with clients. Or turning it on for a short list of "friendly" emails they supply.

Love the AutoPest name, it's unforgettable. In the medical field the abbreviation for follow-up is "F/U" which would also be a funny and memorable name, if you hadn't also found one :-)

Keep us all updated, love the building in public journey!