Agent skill · business finance · slavingia
pricing
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.
Why this skill is useful
Provides specific pricing strategies and models that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
About 2k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-04-14. 9,770 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
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. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills slavingia/pricing