From pde
Analyze monetization strategy, pricing models, and revenue potential for a product. Use when: (1) choosing a revenue model for a new product, (2) designing pricing tiers, (3) benchmarking against competitor pricing, (4) estimating unit economics, (5) evaluating willingness to pay. Triggers on 'monetization', 'pricing strategy', 'revenue model', 'how to charge', 'pricing tiers', 'unit economics', 'willingness to pay', 'monetization analysis'.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/pde:monetization-analysisThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Produce a structured analysis of revenue model options, pricing strategy, and unit economics projections for a product.
Produce a structured analysis of revenue model options, pricing strategy, and unit economics projections for a product.
Evaluate which model fits the product. Score each on a 1-5 scale for fit:
| Model | Best For | Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS subscription | Recurring value, software tools | Predictable revenue, requires retention |
| Usage-based | Variable consumption, APIs | Scales with customer, harder to predict |
| Freemium | Large market, viral potential | Conversion rate is critical metric |
| Marketplace/platform fee | Two-sided markets | Need both supply and demand |
| One-time purchase | Standalone tools, templates | Simple but no recurring revenue |
| Licensing | Enterprise, white-label | Higher deal size, longer sales cycle |
| Hybrid | Complex value chains | Combines models (e.g., subscription + usage) |
| Factor | Question |
|---|---|
| Value alignment | Does pricing scale with the value customers receive? |
| Simplicity | Can a customer understand what they'll pay in 10 seconds? |
| Predictability | Can you forecast revenue reliably? |
| Competitive fit | How do competitors charge? Would deviating confuse the market? |
| MVP feasibility | Can you implement this model in a 2-4 week MVP? |
Use WebSearch to research competitor pricing:
"{competitor}" pricing — direct pricing pages"{competitor}" pricing plans OR tiers — tier structure"{product category}" pricing comparison — aggregated comparisons"{competitor}" vs "{competitor}" pricing — head-to-headsite:g2.com "{product category}" pricing — review site dataBuild a competitor pricing table:
| Competitor | Model | Lowest Tier | Mid Tier | Top Tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Name] | [Type] | $[X]/mo | $[X]/mo | $[X]/mo | [Key differentiator] |
The value metric is what you charge for. It should:
Common value metrics:
Methods to estimate WTP:
Design 3 tiers with clear differentiation:
| Aspect | Starter | Pro | Team/Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Individual / tryout | Power user / SMB | Teams / larger orgs |
| Price anchor | Low barrier | "Most popular" | Premium |
| Feature gating | Core only | Full features | Full + collaboration + support |
| Value metric limit | Low cap | Higher cap | Unlimited or custom |
| Support | Self-serve | Priority / dedicated |
| Metric | Formula | Target |
|---|---|---|
| ARPU | Monthly revenue / paying customers | Based on tier distribution |
| CAC | Marketing + sales cost / new customers | < 1/3 of LTV |
| LTV | ARPU x avg customer lifespan (months) | > 3x CAC |
| Payback period | CAC / ARPU | < 12 months |
| Gross margin | (Revenue - COGS) / Revenue | > 70% for software |
Model three scenarios:
| Scenario | Monthly customers | ARPU | MRR | ARR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | [X] | $[X] | $[X] | $[X] |
| Base | [X] | $[X] | $[X] | $[X] |
| Optimistic | [X] | $[X] | $[X] | $[X] |
Identify and assess:
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price too high (low conversion) | A/B test, validate in Stage 3b | ||
| Price too low (unsustainable) | Monitor unit economics, plan price increase | ||
| Wrong value metric | Watch usage patterns, be ready to pivot | ||
| Free alternatives emerge | Differentiate on quality/support/integration | ||
| Churn exceeds projections | Retention focus, onboarding investment |
Write the analysis to the product's PDE spec directory using the template at ../pde/assets/templates/monetization-analysis.md. The analysis feeds into Stage 2 (Filter criterion 5: clear monetization) and Stage 3b (pricing tier validation).
Creates, edits, and optimizes skills for Claude Code, including drafting, evaluating with test prompts, iterating on performance, and improving skill descriptions for better triggering accuracy.
npx claudepluginhub difflabai/marketplace --plugin pde