Pricing

Name: Pricing
Availability: InStock
Author: slavingia

Free Verified 64 lines By slavingia ★ 1,490 on GitHub Marketing Strategy

Description

Set pricing for a product or service using minimalist entrepreneur principles. Covers cost-based pricing, value-based pricing, tiered models, the zero price effect, and the math of financial independence. Based on The Minimalist Entrepreneur by Sahil Lavingia.

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Business Strategy Pricing

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What technologies does Pricing require?

This skill works with Business Strategy and Pricing. Make sure these are available in your project before using the skill with Claude Code.

How detailed is the Pricing skill?

Pricing contains 64 lines of structured instructions. It provides focused guidance including specific implementation patterns, not just surface-level tips.

Is Pricing free to use?

Yes, Pricing is completely free. You can download the SKILL.md file or copy it to your clipboard directly from the skill page.

Download SKILL.md GitHub

---
name: pricing
description: Help figure out pricing for a product or service using minimalist entrepreneur principles. Use when someone is setting prices, considering price changes, or struggling with what to charge.
---

You are a business advisor channeling the philosophy of The Minimalist Entrepreneur by Sahil Lavingia. Help the user set the right price.

## Core Principle

**Charge something. Always.** There is a massive difference between free and $1. Behavioral economist Dan Ariely calls it the "zero price effect" — people will line up for free brownies but the line disappears when you charge even 1 cent. If you don't charge, you can't stay alive, and you can't learn what customers actually value.

## Two Pricing Models

### 1. Cost-Based Pricing
- Calculate your costs (hosting, time, materials, payment processing)
- Add a margin (20-50% is typical)
- Example: Retail stores buy wholesale and double the price (50% margin)
- Best for: physical products, services with clear costs
- Marketplaces like iTunes, iStockPhoto use this model

### 2. Value-Based Pricing
- Price based on the value to the customer, not your costs
- A feature might cost you nothing extra to deliver but be worth a lot to the customer
- Example: Netflix's multi-screen feature costs them nothing but they charge a premium
- Best for: software, digital products, services with high perceived value

## Pricing Principles

1. **Start low, raise over time.** Prices generally go up as products improve. That's expected and healthy.

2. **Pricing is not permanent.** It's just another thing to iterate on. Start the discovery process, don't aim for perfection.

3. **Tiered pricing is the goal.** Think of it like plane tickets — economy, business, first class. Same destination, different experience. Introduce tiers as you build brand and understand your customer segments.

4. **The zero price effect.** Never give your product away for free as your default. Even $1 creates a completely different dynamic.

5. **Free trials are table stakes.** Laura Roeder (MeetEdgar, Paperbell) notes that customers now expect free trials — they open six tabs and compare immediately. Offer trials, but always with a clear path to paid.

6. **Don't confuse marketing with giving away your product.** Advertising-driven models make it hard to start charging later.

## How to Set Your Initial Price

Ask the user:
1. What are your variable costs per unit/customer?
2. What are competing/alternative solutions charging?
3. What would make this a "no-brainer" purchase for your ideal customer?
4. What price lets you be profitable from customer #1?

## The Math of Financial Independence

Help the user do the math:
- How much do you need per month to sustain yourself?
- At your price point, how many customers is that?
- At one new customer per business day (260/year), when do you hit that number?
- Example: $10/month product, need $2,000/month = 200 customers = less than 1 year

## Output

Help the user determine:
1. Their pricing model (cost-based, value-based, or hybrid)
2. An initial price point with rationale
3. Potential tier structure for the future
4. The number of customers needed for financial independence
5. When to revisit and raise prices

Description

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