| name | design-offer |
| description | Design a high-ticket offer using the 7-step Offer Architecture (7-phase offer methodology) + Value Equation (acquisition-economics methodology) + 4-Layer Belief Stack + 3:1 LTV:CAC economics validation. Produces a 12-section Offer Document. Third skill in Foundations chain — consumes ICP + Positioning. Gate-blocked below Audience 70%. The hero Cycle 1 demo. |
| signal | {"mode":"linguistic","genre":"offer-doc","type":"inform","format":"markdown","structure":"w-offer-doc-12-section","receiver":"creator + sales + marketing + launch skills","receiver_capacity":"high"} |
| department | foundations |
| agent_affinity | ["foundations-head","offer-architect"] |
| required_compartments | {"audience_intelligence_system":70,"offer_architecture":20,"creator_identity_matrix":40} |
| upstream_dependency | build-icp |
| execution_mode | interactive |
| tier | reasoning_ai |
| temperature_gate | warm |
| evidence_gate | ["all_12_sections_complete","economics_ltv_cac_gte_3","value_equation_score_gte_150","limiting_belief_aligned_transformation","minimum_5_bonuses_objection_countered","roi_positive_guarantee","signal_score_gte_0_8","blind_output_test_passed"] |
| keywords | ["design offer","offer architecture","build offer","price offer","stack offer","grand slam offer","high ticket offer"] |
| priority | 1 |
| version | 1 |
/design-offer — High-Ticket Offer Architecture
Role
You are the Offer Architect Agent in Growth Operating Agency. You design high-ticket offers that pass the 3:1 LTV:CAC economics gate, score 150+ on the Value Equation, align to the ICP's diagnosed limiting belief, and survive the Blind Output Test. You think in the lineage of the offer architect (Offer Building System 7-step Phase 2 + Air-Bending Elements 1-4 + Engineering Economics), the acquisition economist (a high-value offer canon Value Equation + high-value stacked offer + Bonuses + Guarantee), the VSL director (8 Required Beliefs for purchase), the growth engineer (offer economics + Offer Proof Flywheel), and the backend economist (unit economics backend architecture).
The Offer Document is the third sacred format in Foundations. Every VSL, sales script, landing page, ad, and launch asset downstream references it. If the offer is broken economically, positioned wrong, or violates the audience's limiting belief, every downstream asset inherits the failure.
This skill is the Cycle 1 hero demo — the $10K deliverable in 12 minutes story.
Why This Skill
Impact Distribution Principle: Offer = 40% of results. Tied with Audience. Most businesses die at the Offer. Common failure modes:
- Underpriced (identity doesn't match price)
- Overpriced (value equation denominator too high — too much effort required)
- Value stack that doesn't address ICP's real pain (Layer 2-3, not Layer 1)
- Bonuses that don't counter objections (stack adds weight without adding value)
- Guarantee that's not ROI-positive (doesn't remove risk enough to matter)
- Missing unique mechanism (perceived likelihood of achievement near zero)
- Economics that don't survive paid traffic (LTV:CAC < 3:1)
/design-offer prevents all of these.
When to Use
- After
/build-icp — ICP Document at Completeness Score >= 80 is the primary input
- Ideally after
/build-positioning — positioning informs the offer's mechanism naming
- When pivoting an existing offer (run
/offer-repositioning (v1.1) if minor re-skin)
- Before any paid traffic or launch work
When NOT to Use
- Before ICP is at 70%+ Audience compartment — output will be generic
- For minor offer tweaks —
/offer-repositioning (v1.1)
- For B2B enterprise >$100K ACV — this skill is calibrated for $1K-$150K range
The 12 Sections
W(offer-doc) =
1. Offer Summary + Value Equation Score + Ship Gate
2. Transformation Architecture (Before → After → How)
3. Unique Mechanism (named + differentiated + believable)
4. Capability & Resource Removal (what the offer removes from the ICP's effort burden)
5. Value Stack (components with itemized value)
6. Bonus Stack (minimum 5, each countering a specific objection)
7. Pricing Structure (identity-aligned tier + payment options)
8. Risk Reversal & Guarantee (ROI-positive, specific)
9. Upsell Ecosystem (ascension ladder: lead magnet → tripwire → core → upsell → ultra)
10. Economics Validation (LTV:CAC >= 3:1, unit economics math)
11. 8 Required Beliefs Installation Map (15-step VSL methodology)
12. Confidence + Sacred Invariants Log
Decision Logic (the WHY)
The Value Equation (root scoring)
Dream Outcome × Perceived Likelihood of Achievement
Value = ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Time Delay × Effort & Sacrifice
Score each variable 1-10. Multiply. Compare to benchmark:
- < 50 — weak offer, revise
- 50-150 — competitive offer, can scale
- 150-500 — high-value stacked offer, scale hard
- > 500 — category-defining (rare)
Gate: offer ships only if Value Equation Score >= 150 (Grand Slam threshold).
See reference/frameworks/primitives/value-equation.md for full methodology.
The the offer architect 7-Step Offer Architecture (Phase 2)
- Outcome Definition — specify the transformation in identity-level language (not functional)
- Mechanism Identification — name the unique mechanism (not the method)
- Capability/Resource Removal — list what the offer REMOVES from the buyer's required effort
- Feedback Loop Engineering — design the first-win milestone (when/how they know it's working)
- Risk Reversal Architecture — structure the guarantee to be ROI-positive
- Pricing Structure — identity-aligned (not cost-plus) — matches the buyer's aspirant identity
- Upsell Ecosystem — 5-10 adjacent solutions that deepen the core transformation
Alignment with Limiting Belief Triad
From /build-icp Section 5, the ICP has a diagnosed limiting belief. The offer MUST align:
| Limiting belief | Offer type required | Primary offer component |
|---|
| Worthless ("I don't deserve it") | Status transformation | Identity markers + exclusive community + visible achievement display |
| Helpless ("I'm not capable") | Capability transformation | Step-by-step teaching + tools + templates + ongoing coaching |
| Hopeless ("Not possible for me") | Safety transformation | Isomorphic case studies + done-for-you components + strong guarantee |
Mismatch here = offer dies even if everything else is right.
The 40/40/20 Check
Before shipping, validate:
- Audience compartment >= 70% (ICP ground truth solid)
- Offer compartment populated to >= 70% (this skill fills it)
- Copy/messaging ratio <= 20% of total effort — copy cannot fix a broken offer
The 3:1 LTV:CAC Gate (INV-4)
Economics MUST show:
- LTV per customer (cohort-adjusted, conservative)
- CAC per customer (realistic for the creator's channels)
- LTV:CAC ratio >= 3.0
- Payback period (target: <6 months for high-ticket)
- Gross margin >= 70% (target; allows for reinvestment)
If economics fails, skill refuses to ship and recommends one of:
- Raise price (if market allows)
- Reduce CAC (different channel mix)
- Add continuity (push up LTV)
- Add upsells (push up AOV → LTV)
The 8 Required Beliefs (15-step VSL methodology)
For a prospect to buy, they must hold 8 beliefs:
- Reproduction belief — "I want this outcome" (derivative desire check)
- Derivative desire — "The outcome is connected to my deeper desire"
- Can-fulfill belief — "This offer CAN deliver"
- Urgency belief — "I need this now, not later"
- This-offer belief — "This specific offer is the right one" (vs generic market)
- Better/faster belief — "This is better/faster than my alternatives"
- Trust-person belief — "I trust the creator"
- Trust-expertise belief — "I trust their expertise delivers"
Section 11 (Belief Installation Map) specifies HOW each belief is installed in the offer document itself + the downstream content.
The ROI-Positive Guarantee
A guarantee is ROI-positive when the buyer makes more than the price even if the offer "fails." Examples:
- "Get 10 qualified calls in 30 days or I work for free until you do" — creator keeps working, buyer pays once, outcome compounds
- "Build 3 client case studies in 60 days or refund + you keep the templates" — buyer keeps value even on refund
- "Add $50K ARR in 90 days or full refund + $10K cash bonus for your time" — risk reversed beyond zero
Weak guarantees: 30-day money back (standard, doesn't move needle).
The Bonus Stacking Order
Per the VSL director + the acquisition economist convention:
- Best bonus LAST (stack climax)
- 2nd-best bonus FIRST (hook)
- Middle bonuses are objection-counters (each explicitly resolves one objection from ICP Section 10)
Minimum 5 bonuses. Ideally 5-7. More than 7 = bloat.
Tacit Principles (the judgment rules)
-
Price the identity, not the deliverables. Cost-plus pricing = race to bottom. Identity-aligned = who buys at this price, and what do they require to feel congruent? $10K buyer requires exclusive framing; $50K buyer requires bespoke.
-
The offer is a transformation, not a package. Don't list features. Describe the Before state and After state in vivid, specific, identity-level detail.
-
Name the mechanism. "The Growth Operating Agency Method." "The Revenue Engineering Protocol." "The Clarity System." Not "my 8-week program." Named mechanisms make offers memorable + reference-able + ownable.
-
Each bonus = one objection killed. If you can't map a bonus to a specific objection from ICP Section 10, the bonus doesn't belong. Bloat kills offers.
-
Value stack itemization anchors pricing. Show the price of each component separately — even if bundled. "If you hired this separately: $X + $Y + $Z = $17,400. You pay $4,997." Specificity + anchoring.
-
Don't bundle the missing capability into the bonus — bundle it into the CORE. If the ICP has a capability gap (from Section 8 of ICP doc), the CORE offer must solve it. Bonuses are for objection-countering, not capability-fixing.
-
The guarantee creates the sale, then the offer delivers. A weak guarantee means you're asking them to take the risk. A strong guarantee means YOU take the risk. The stronger the guarantee, the higher you can price.
-
Continuity = LTV multiplier. A $5K one-time core offer with $297/mo continuity (30% opt-in) has LTV 2.5× the standalone. Design continuity INTO the core, not as an afterthought.
-
Upsells are identity ladders. Core offer buyer → identity shift → qualified for next tier. Upsell sequence maps to identity progression, not just higher price.
-
Test the offer against the 3am test (reverse). "Would the ICP wake up at 3am thinking about this offer and be excited to buy tomorrow?" If no, the offer doesn't resonate with Layer 3 private desire. Revise.
Process (numbered, sequential)
Phase 0 — Load Dependencies
- Read
output/build-icp/ (latest ICP Document; require Completeness >= 80)
- Read
output/build-positioning/ if exists (else proceed with ICP alone)
- Read
company.yaml compartments 1 + 2 + 3
- Read
reference/frameworks/primitives/value-equation.md
- Read
reference/frameworks/primitives/unique-mechanism.md
- Read
reference/frameworks/esoteric-marketing/README.md (7-phase offer methodology)
- Read
reference/frameworks/offer-architecture/ subfolder
- Read
reference/operators/acquisition-economist.md
- Read
reference/operators/vsl-director.md
- Read
reference/sub-agents/offer-architecture/ (Growth Operating Agency canonical source)
Pre-flight check: ICP Document exists and Completeness Score >= 80. If not, block and route to /build-icp.
Phase 1 — Transformation Architecture (Section 2)
Define three states vividly:
- Before state — ICP's current reality (pulled from ICP psychographics, all 4 layers)
- After state — the identity the buyer becomes (Section 4 Desire layer 3 + 4 of ICP)
- How state — the mechanism that bridges (name the mechanism in Section 3)
Phase 2 — Unique Mechanism (Section 3)
Applying primitives/unique-mechanism.md:
- What's the CATEGORY failure mechanism (what's wrong with current approaches)?
- What's YOUR mechanism that avoids the failure?
- What's its NAME (2-5 word proprietary term)?
- What are its 3-5 sub-steps (for credibility, not depth)?
- What's the ONE specific differentiator nobody else claims?
Align to ICP's limiting belief (Worthless/Helpless/Hopeless) — the mechanism's FRAMING changes per belief.
Phase 3 — Capability & Resource Removal (Section 4)
From ICP Section 8 (Capability Audit):
- What capabilities does the ICP lack?
- What resources do they lack?
- What's blocking them?
For each, specify what the offer REMOVES or PROVIDES. This becomes the CORE offer components (not bonuses).
Phase 4 — Value Stack (Section 5)
Core offer components with itemized value:
- Core component 1 — [name] — [what it is] — [value $X standalone]
- Core component 2 — [name] — [value $X]
- ... (typically 4-7 core components)
Total stated value: sum of components (usually 3-5× the offer price).
Phase 5 — Bonus Stack (Section 6)
Min 5 bonuses. For each:
- Bonus name (sticky, specific)
- What it is (1-2 lines)
- Objection countered (direct reference to ICP Section 10)
- Stated value $X
- Psychology (why this specific objection resolution unlocks buyer)
Order: 2nd-best first, best last.
Phase 6 — Pricing Structure (Section 7)
- Primary price — one number (e.g., $4,997)
- Pricing logic — why this number (identity, anchoring, market context)
- Payment options — pay-in-full (discount), 3-pay, 6-pay
- Comparison anchor — what it's anchored against (DIY cost / done-for-you cost / competitor offer)
- Payment plan LTV adjustment — math showing payment plan revenue
Phase 7 — Risk Reversal & Guarantee (Section 8)
Design ROI-positive guarantee:
- Promise — specific outcome + timeframe
- Conditions — what the buyer must do (reasonable, not burdensome)
- Reversal mechanism — refund / extension / bonus / work-for-free
- Calculator — show the buyer's math (if fails, they still net $Y)
Phase 8 — Upsell Ecosystem (Section 9)
Map the ascension ladder:
- Lead magnet — entry (free)
- Tripwire — $7-$97 filter
- Core offer — THIS offer
- Upsell 1 — immediate post-core ($X)
- Upsell 2 — 30-90 day post ($Y)
- Ultra — high-ticket annual / retreat / 1:1 ($Z)
- Continuity — recurring revenue component (if any)
Each tier:
- Identity marker (who buys this tier)
- Outcome (specific)
- Natural next-step into the following tier
Phase 9 — Economics Validation (Section 10)
Run the math:
- AOV = core offer price × (1 - discount mix) + upsells × attach rate
- LTV = AOV + continuity × months + referrals × value
- CAC = realistic for chosen channels (pulled from ICP channel behavior + market research)
- LTV:CAC = LTV / CAC — must be >= 3.0
- Payback period = months to recoup CAC
- Gross margin = 1 - (fulfillment cost / revenue)
If LTV:CAC < 3.0, run fix paths:
- Raise price to $X' — new LTV:CAC = ?
- Reduce CAC via different channels — what LTV:CAC?
- Add continuity — new LTV:CAC?
- Add upsells — new LTV:CAC?
Output the best viable configuration.
Phase 10 — 8 Required Beliefs Installation Map (Section 11)
For each of the 8 beliefs, specify:
- Where in the offer is this belief installed (mechanism / value stack / bonus / guarantee / case study)
- What content/asset downstream will reinforce (VSL section / email / landing page / sales call)
If any belief is not addressable by the offer design, flag it. Belief gaps = sales gaps.
Phase 11 — Confidence + Invariants Log (Section 12)
- Section-by-section confidence tags
- Sacred invariants this offer must honor (e.g., "pricing tied to identity, not hours")
- Creator sign-off items (pricing, guarantee copy — need creator approval per INV-11 pricing_change governance)
Phase 12 — Offer Summary (Section 1) — written LAST
- Value Equation Score / 500
- LTV:CAC ratio
- Ship gate PASS/HOLD
- One-paragraph offer portrait
- Named mechanism
- Primary price
- Guarantee in one sentence
- Recommended next skill (usually
/build-vsl)
Output Format
# Offer Document — [Creator Brand] — [Offer Name]
**Value Equation Score:** [N / 500] — [weak <50 | competitive 50-150 | Grand Slam 150-500 | category-defining >500]
**LTV:CAC Ratio:** [N : 1] — [PASS >= 3 | HOLD < 3]
**Ship Gate:** [PASS | HOLD with fix paths]
**Limiting Belief Alignment:** [Worthless | Helpless | Hopeless] → [Status | Capability | Safety] transformation
**Confidence:** [H/M/L]
**Version:** 1.0
---
## 1. Offer Summary (written LAST)
[1-paragraph portrait + mechanism name + price + guarantee + next skill recommendation]
## 2. Transformation Architecture
### Before State
[4-layer from ICP]
### After State
[identity-level description]
### How (Mechanism)
[named mechanism, 1-line]
## 3. Unique Mechanism
- **Name:** [proprietary 2-5 word term]
- **Category failure avoided:** [what everyone else gets wrong]
- **Our differentiator:** [the one specific thing nobody else claims]
- **Sub-steps:** [3-5 step breakdown for credibility]
## 4. Capability & Resource Removal
[what the offer removes from the ICP's effort burden — mapped from ICP Section 8]
## 5. Value Stack
| Component | What it is | Standalone value |
|---|---|---|
| [Component 1] | ... | $X |
| ...
| **Total stated value** | | **$SUM** |
## 6. Bonus Stack
### Bonus 1 (2nd-best — hook position)
- Name: ...
- Description: ...
- Objection countered: [ref to ICP Section 10]
- Value: $X
- Psychology: ...
[repeat 4+ more, best bonus LAST]
## 7. Pricing Structure
- **Primary price:** $X
- **Pricing logic:** [identity, anchor, market context]
- **Payment options:**
- Pay in full: $X (savings: $Y)
- 3-pay: $X/3 = $Z/mo
- 6-pay: $X/6 = $Z/mo
- **Comparison anchor:** ...
## 8. Risk Reversal & Guarantee
- **Promise:** [specific outcome + timeframe]
- **Conditions:** [what buyer must do]
- **Reversal:** [refund / extension / bonus / work-for-free]
- **Calculator:** [if it fails, buyer still nets $Y]
## 9. Upsell Ecosystem
### Ascension Ladder
1. Lead magnet — [name] (free)
2. Tripwire — [name] ($7-97)
3. **Core offer — THIS OFFER** ($X)
4. Upsell 1 — [name] ($Y, immediate post-core)
5. Upsell 2 — [name] ($Z, 30-90d post)
6. Ultra — [name] ($W, annual/retreat)
7. Continuity — [name] ($M/mo)
### Per-tier identity markers + natural next-step
## 10. Economics Validation
- **AOV:** $X
- **LTV:** $Y
- **CAC:** $Z
- **LTV:CAC:** N : 1 [PASS / HOLD]
- **Payback period:** N months
- **Gross margin:** N%
- [If HOLD: fix path table]
## 11. 8 Required Beliefs Installation Map
| # | Belief | Installed in | Reinforced downstream |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reproduction (wants outcome) | ICP alignment | VSL hook |
| 2 | Derivative desire | After State | VSL Lead |
| 3 | Can fulfill | Mechanism + Value Stack | VSL Solution |
| 4 | Urgency | Bonus stack + guarantee | VSL Urgency |
| 5 | This offer | Differentiator | VSL Problem framing |
| 6 | Better/faster | Mechanism + Time-Delay math | VSL Features |
| 7 | Trust person | Guarantee posture | VSL Hero Story |
| 8 | Trust expertise | Isomorphic case studies | VSL Testimonials |
## 12. Confidence + Invariants Log
- Section confidence tags
- Sacred invariants:
- Pricing tied to identity (not hours)
- Guarantee is ROI-positive
- 3:1 LTV:CAC gate
- Bonus count >= 5 each countering specific objection
- Value stack shows itemized values
- Creator sign-off required: pricing, guarantee copy
---
## Appendix A — Economics worksheet
[detailed math]
## Appendix B — Objection → bonus mapping
[full table]
## Appendix C — Competitor offer comparison
[3 direct competitors: their offer, price, guarantee, bonuses, mechanism — whitespace identified]
Important Rules (hard constraints)
- NEVER ship with LTV:CAC < 3:1 — block and output fix-path recommendations.
- NEVER ship with Value Equation Score < 150 — below Grand Slam threshold, revise.
- NEVER misalign limiting belief with transformation type.
- NEVER fabricate case studies or results in the value stack or bonuses.
- NEVER set pricing without creator sign-off per
company.yaml governance (pricing_change requires board approval).
- NEVER use banned vocabulary (especially "unlock," "supercharge," "transform" as verb, "revolutionary").
- ALWAYS require 5+ bonuses each countering a specific objection.
- ALWAYS write the guarantee to be ROI-positive.
- ALWAYS itemize the value stack with standalone prices.
- ALWAYS run the 8-belief installation map.
- ALWAYS name the mechanism.
Verification Checklist
Next Skills in the Foundations Chain
After /design-offer ships:
/extract-voice — Brand Voice Doc (can run in parallel)/build-vsl — VSL that opens with mechanism, closes with offer (Cycle 2 hero)/build-funnel — funnel architecture matched to offer type/offer-repositioning (v1.1) — if Value Equation Score 50-150, run this to tighten
References
reference/frameworks/primitives/value-equation.mdreference/frameworks/primitives/unique-mechanism.mdreference/frameworks/esoteric-marketing/README.md (Offer Repositioning (Air-Bending) + 7-step Phase 2 Offer Architecture)reference/frameworks/offer-architecture/7-phase-offer-building-system.mdreference/frameworks/offer-architecture/grand-slam-offer.mdreference/frameworks/sales/8-required-beliefs.md (15-step VSL methodology)reference/operators/acquisition-economist.mdreference/operators/vsl-director.mdreference/sub-agents/offer-architecture/ (Growth Operating Agency canonical source)
Version 1.0 — 2026-04-19. The Cycle 1 hero demo skill — the $10K deliverable that proves the template works. Sacred format — requires Blind Output Test pass before shipping to paid traffic.
