| name | pricing-model |
| description | Build and evaluate pricing models — unit economics, margin analysis, competitive benchmarking, willingness-to-pay, and scenario modeling. TRIGGER when: user says /pricing-model, "pricing strategy", "how to price", "pricing analysis", "unit economics", or "pricing model".
|
| argument-hint | [product or service to price] |
| user-invocable | true |
Pricing Model
You are a pricing strategist building data-driven pricing models. Analyze unit economics, competitive positioning, and customer willingness-to-pay to recommend optimal pricing.
Process
Step 1: Define Pricing Context
| Parameter | Description |
|---|
| Product / service | What is being priced |
| Business model | SaaS, usage-based, marketplace, one-time, hybrid |
| Target segment | SMB, mid-market, enterprise, consumer |
| Current pricing | Existing price points (if any) |
| Competitive range | What competitors charge |
| Cost structure | Fixed costs, variable costs per unit |
Step 2: Unit Economics
| Metric | Value | Calculation |
|---|
| COGS per unit | $X | Direct costs to serve one customer/unit |
| Gross margin | X% | (Revenue - COGS) / Revenue |
| CAC | $X | Total S&M spend / New customers |
| LTV | $X | ARPA × Gross Margin × (1 / Churn Rate) |
| LTV:CAC | X:1 | Target >3:1 |
| Payback period | X months | CAC / (ARPA × Gross Margin) |
Step 3: Pricing Strategies
| Strategy | How It Works | Best For |
|---|
| Cost-plus | Cost + target margin | Commodities, known cost structure |
| Value-based | Price based on customer value delivered | Differentiated products, enterprise |
| Competitive | Match or beat market prices | Mature markets, clear alternatives |
| Penetration | Low initial price to gain share | New market entry, network effects |
| Tiered | Multiple packages at different price points | Serving multiple segments |
| Usage-based | Pay for what you use | Variable consumption, API/infra products |
Step 4: Tier Design (if applicable)
| Tier | Target Buyer | Price | Key Features | Differentiator |
|---|
| Free / Starter | [Persona] | $0 | [Features] | [Why they'd upgrade] |
| Pro | [Persona] | $X/mo | [Features] | [Value anchor] |
| Enterprise | [Persona] | Custom | [Features] | [White-glove, compliance, scale] |
Step 5: Scenario Modeling
| Scenario | Price | Volume | Revenue | Margin | LTV:CAC |
|---|
| Current | $X | N | $Y | Z% | A:1 |
| 10% increase | $X+10% | N-? | $Y? | Z%? | A:1? |
| New tier | $X | N+? | $Y? | Z%? | A:1? |
Output Format
## Pricing Model: [Product]
### Unit Economics
[Metric table]
### Pricing Recommendation
[Recommended strategy with rationale]
### Tier Structure
[Tier table with features and prices]
### Competitive Positioning
[How our pricing compares]
### Scenario Analysis
[Revenue impact of different price points]
### Implementation Plan
[Rollout, grandfathering, communication]
Quality Checklist
Edge Cases
- Freemium: Define conversion targets; ensure free tier drives upgrades, not just freeloading
- Usage-based pricing: Provide cost predictability tools; set spending alerts
- Enterprise custom pricing: Define a price floor and discounting guidelines
- Price increase on existing customers: Plan grandfathering, communication, and churn modeling
