Skill: ivangdavila/monetize (version 1.0.2)

--- name: "Monetize" description: "Pricing, launch, and revenue strategies for indie products, SaaS, mobile apps, and creators. Concrete prices, not theory." --- ## How This Works Tell me what you're building and your situation. I'll give you specific prices, a launch plan, and templates you can use today. No "it depends." No theory. Decisions made for you. ## Load the Right Guide | Situation | Read | |-----------|------| | Mobile app | `mobile-apps.md` | | SaaS/subscription | `saas.md` | | Content/creator | `creator.md` | | Need pricing math | `pricing.md` | | Ready to launch | `launch.md` | | Need copy/templates | `templates.md` | | Real success patterns | `success.md` | ## Universal Truths **You're probably underpriced.** Data across 25K+ companies shows the median leaves 30% on the table. Price higher than comfortable, validate with real sales. **Packaging > Pricing.** How you bundle features matters more than the number. Get packaging right first. **10 happy customers who'd recommend > 100 customers.** Quality matters more than quantity. **Charge from day one.** No "free beta." If people won't pay $1, they won't pay $100. Credit cards validate, promises don't. **Build for yourself first.** You should be user #1. If you don't need it, you'll quit when it gets hard. ## Unit Economics (Know These) Before pitching anyone (VCs, partners, yourself): | Metric | Target | How to Calculate | |--------|--------|------------------| | LTV:CAC | >3:1 | Lifetime value ÷ acquisition cost | | Payback | <12 months | CAC ÷ (monthly revenue × margin) | | Gross margin | >70% | (Revenue - variable costs) ÷ revenue | | Monthly churn | <5% | Lost customers ÷ start customers | **If you can't answer these with data, you're not ready.** ## Red Flags - Building for months without $1 of revenue - "I'll figure out pricing later" - Free tier has >90% of the value - Discounting to close every deal - No idea who your best customers are - Copying competitor prices without understanding why

path: creator.md
content: # Creator: Turn Audience Into Money

## The Math First

| Your Numbers | Target |
|--------------|--------|
| Followers → Email list | >10% conversion |
| Email list → Buyers | >2% per launch |
| Average order value | Track and increase |

Example: 10K followers → 1K email → 20 buyers at $100 = $2K launch

**If your funnel math doesn't work, no amount of "engagement" fixes it.**

## What to Sell (By Stage, Not Followers)

### Stage 0: Pre-Audience (0-500 followers)
**Goal**: Validate someone would pay
- UGC for brands: $150-500/video (no audience needed)
- Services: Your skill applied (not taught)
- **Don't sell courses yet** — no credibility

### Stage 1: Small but Engaged (500-5K)
**Signal**: >5% engagement OR >50 DMs/week asking for something
- Workshop: $47-97 (validate with 30+ attendees)
- Templates/resources: $19-29
- First sponsors: Accept product or $200-500 to build portfolio

### Stage 2: Validated (5K-25K)
**Signal**: Already sold something to >100 people
- Course: $197-497 (wait for 500+ waitlist)
- Sponsors: $500-2,500/post
- Community: Not yet (requires time you need for content)

### Stage 3: Creator Business (25K+)
**Signal**: >$10K/month consistently
- High-ticket: $1,997-4,997 (cohort or coaching)
- Membership: Now, with content system
- Equity/licensing: Take meetings with startups

## Sponsorship Rates

**Base CPM by niche:**
- Finance/B2B: $50-80
- Tech: $30-50  
- Lifestyle: $15-25
- Entertainment: $8-15

**Formula:**
```
Rate = (Avg Views × CPM ÷ 1000) × Engagement Multiplier

Multipliers:
- Engagement >5%: ×1.5
- Dedicated video: ×2.5
- 60-sec read: ×1.5

Example: 25K views × $40 CPM × 1.5 = $1,500
```

## How to Get 2-3x More From Sponsors

Never sell just one post. Sell a package:

| They Ask | You Offer | Rate Multiplier |
|----------|-----------|-----------------|
| 1 post | Post + 3 stories + link 7 days | ×1.5 |
| Integration | Integration + dedicated + whitelisting | ×2.5 |
| 1 video | Video + short + community post | ×2 |

**Script:**
> "My base rate is $X, but for best ROI I recommend [package]. This gives [specific benefit]. Does that fit your goal?"

## Membership Tiers (What Works)

Don't sell content. Sell **access**.

| Tier | Price | What You Really Sell |
|------|-------|---------------------|
| Community | $9/mo | Chat + people like them + belonging |
| Access | $49/mo | Access to YOU: AMAs, responses, early looks |
| Inner Circle | $199/mo | Direct access: DMs, feedback, monthly calls |

**Reality:**
- 80% stay tier 1-2
- Cap tier 3 at <50 people (your time is finite)

## Course Launch (Quick Version)

**Pre-launch:**
1. Waitlist with 500+ signups
2. 3 free content pieces on topic
3. Email sequence: 5 emails over 7 days

**Launch week:**
- Day 1: Open cart everywhere
- Day 3: Testimonial email
- Day 5: FAQ/objections
- Day 7: "48 hours left"

**Pricing:**
- Mini-course (2-3h): $97
- Flagship (5-10h): $197-297
- Premium + community: $497-997

## The Test Before Any Product

Don't build a 10-hour course without validating.

1. Post: "Thinking of creating [thing]. 🙋 if interested"
2. <20 responses = no traction, pivot
3. >50 responses = DM 10: "Would you pay $X?"
4. 3+ yes = open pre-sale with 50% early bird

## Platform Rule

**No platform should be >50% of your revenue.** But don't diversify too early — dominate one first.

Email is the only asset you truly own.


path: launch.md
content: # Launch: Ship and Get Paid

## The Reality

Launch is not a moment. It's a habit.

One launch reaches ~10% of potential audience. Ten launches reach 65%. Launch the same product multiple times per year.

## Minimum Viable Launch

1. Post on Twitter/X: "I made X. Here's the link."
2. Post on relevant community (Indie Hackers, subreddit, HN)
3. Email your list (even if it's 50 people)

That's it. Stop overcomplicating.

## Launch Again Every Time

- New feature → launch
- Hit a milestone → launch
- V2 → launch
- New integration → launch
- Price change → launch

## Pre-Launch Validation (Before Building)

The only real validation is money.

1. Find 5 people with the problem
2. Ask how they solve it now and what it costs
3. Offer to solve it manually (no product yet)
4. If they pay → you have a business
5. If not → you don't

50 "I'd pay for this" = ~3-5 actual sales. Intentions ≠ credit cards.

## Founding Member Offer

What works:
- **40-50% off** (not free forever — that's a trap)
- **Real limit**: "First 100" that's actually 100
- **Extra value**: Direct access, input on roadmap, badge
- **Lock-in**: "Keep this price while subscribed"

What to avoid:
- Unlimited lifetime deals (destroys future pricing)
- Fake scarcity (people can tell)
- Countdown timers that reset

## Email Templates

### The Only Email That Matters (Launch Day)

```
Subject: I made a thing

Hey,

Built [product] because I needed it myself.

It [one sentence outcome].

If you have [problem], maybe it helps: [link]

If not, no worries.

[name]
```

Simple. Personal. Not salesy.

### Follow-Up (Day 3)

```
Subject: Quick question

Hey [name],

Did you get a chance to try [product]?

If anything's confusing or you have questions, just reply.

[name]
```

### Final (Day 7, if deadline exists)

```
Subject: [Price/offer] ends tomorrow

Hey [name],

Tomorrow the founding rate ends.
After that: $X → $Y

If you're on the fence, try it.
30-day refund, no questions.

[link]

[name]
```

## Social Post

```
🚀 [Product] is live

Built this because I needed it.

[One sentence what it does]

First 100 founding members: 50% off forever

[link]
```

## Post-Launch Week

| Day | Priority |
|-----|----------|
| 1-3 | Reply to EVERY message within 1 hour |
| 4-5 | DM non-openers: "Did you see this?" |
| 6-7 | Collect testimonials from buyers |
| 8+ | Ship visible improvement, launch again |

## What Doesn't Work

- 30-day email sequences for a $29 product
- "Teaser → Problem → Solution → Proof" theater
- Counting down to deadlines that aren't real
- "Last chance" emails you send every month
- Spending more time on launch than on product


path: mobile-apps.md
content: # Mobile Apps: Real Monetization

## Choose Your Model

| Model | Best For | Reality Check |
|-------|----------|---------------|
| Subscription | Recurring value, habit apps | 2-5% free→paid conversion typical |
| IAP consumables | Games, AI credits | High volume needed |
| IAP unlock | One-time features | Declining, but works for pro tools |
| Paid upfront | Strong brand, niche pro | Hard to compete with free |
| Ads | Millions of users, low engagement | $0.50-10 CPM, often disappointing |

**Default to subscription** if your app provides ongoing value. But know: the "78% of App Store revenue is subscriptions" stat includes Netflix and Spotify. Indie reality is harder.

## Pricing That Makes $10K/month

The math most people get wrong:

| Price | Apple Cut | You Get | Users Needed for $10K/mo |
|-------|-----------|---------|--------------------------|
| $2.99/mo | 15% | $2.54 | 3,937 active subs |
| $4.99/mo | 15% | $4.24 | 2,358 active subs |
| $9.99/mo | 15% | $8.49 | 1,178 active subs |
| $6.99/week | 15% | $5.94 | ~420 active subs* |

*Weekly has higher churn but much higher ARPU. The "secret" of top-grossing apps.

## Weekly Pricing (The Uncomfortable Truth)

Top indie apps often use weekly:
- Impulse purchase (feels small)
- Filters to high-intent users
- Higher churn but 3-4x ARPU

**Structure that works:**
- $6.99/week (impulse buyers, ~40% of revenue)
- $9.99/month (comparison anchor)
- $59.99/year (best value, ~50% of revenue)
- $149.99 lifetime (whales, ~10% of revenue)

## Paywall Placement

| When | Conversion Rate |
|------|-----------------|
| First screen | 1-2% (too aggressive) |
| After value demo (3-5 screens) | 4-6% |
| When limit hit ("3/3 uses today") | 6-10% |

**Rule**: Show paywall AFTER the user experiences value. Not before.

## Paywall That Converts

Structure:
1. **Benefit headline** — "Unlock unlimited [thing]" not "Go Premium"
2. **3-4 outcomes** — What they GET, not feature list
3. **Social proof** — "Join 50,000+ users"
4. **Price** — Highlight annual, show per-day ("$0.27/day")
5. **CTA** — "Start Free Trial" not "Subscribe"
6. **Skip option** — Visible but subtle

Copy that works:
- ✗ "Upgrade to Premium"
- ✓ "Never miss a workout again"
- ✓ "Edit photos like a pro"

## Introductory Offers (Critical)

Set up in App Store Connect → Subscriptions → Intro Offers

| Offer Type | Best For |
|------------|----------|
| Free trial (3-7 days) | Complex apps needing time to show value |
| Pay up front ($0.99 first week) | Simple apps, filters tire-kickers |

**Optimal setup:**
- Weekly: 3 days free OR $0.99 first week
- Monthly: 7 days free OR $1.99 first month
- Annual: 7 days free OR $9.99 first year

## RevenueCat Setup (Correct)

```dart
// pubspec.yaml: purchases_flutter: ^6.0.0

// Initialize
await Purchases.configure(
  PurchasesConfiguration('appl_your_key')
);

// Get offerings for paywall
final offerings = await Purchases.getOfferings();
if (offerings.current != null) {
  // Show paywall with offerings.current.availablePackages
}

// Make purchase
try {
  await Purchases.purchasePackage(package);
} on PurchasesErrorCode catch (e) {
  // Handle: userCancelled, paymentPending, etc.
}

// Check access anywhere
final info = await Purchases.getCustomerInfo();
bool isPro = info.entitlements.all['premium']?.isActive ?? false;
```

## A/B Testing

| Test | Impact | Min Sample |
|------|--------|------------|
| Paywall timing | ±50% revenue | 1,000/variant |
| Trial length | ±30% conversion | 1,000/variant |
| Price point | ±40% revenue | 2,000/variant |
| CTA copy | ±15% | 500/variant |

**Don't bother**: Button colors, icon changes.

## Platform Differences

| | iOS | Android |
|---|-----|---------|
| Commission | 15% (<$1M), 30% | 15% (first $1M), 30% |
| Trial | 3-30 days | Min 3 days |
| Grace period | 16 days | 30 days |
| Refunds | Apple decides | User gets 48h |

**Action**: Set maximum grace period on both. Free retention.


path: pricing.md
content: # Pricing: Get a Number, Not Theory

## The Simple Method (Works)

1. Set a price that makes you slightly uncomfortable
2. Offer to 10 real people
3. 0 buy → lower price OR fix value proposition
4. 2-3 buy → probably right
5. All buy immediately → raise price

Surveys lie. Credit cards don't.

## Value-Based Discovery (5 Questions)

In customer conversations:
1. "What problem does this solve for you?"
2. "How do you solve it today? What does that cost in time/money?"
3. "If this saved you X hours/week, what would that be worth?"
4. "What would you compare this to?"
5. "What would make it worth double?"

Use their answers to anchor your price to value they stated.

## The Math That Matters

### LTV (Lifetime Value)
```
SaaS: LTV = (Monthly × Margin) ÷ Churn
Example: $50 × 80% ÷ 5% = $800

E-commerce: LTV = Order Value × Frequency × Lifespan
Example: $75 × 4/year × 3 years = $900
```

### Payback Period
```
Months = CAC ÷ (Monthly Revenue × Margin)
Example: $200 ÷ ($50 × 80%) = 5 months
Target: <12 months
```

### LTV:CAC
```
Ratio = LTV ÷ CAC
Example: $800 ÷ $200 = 4:1
Target: >3:1
```

## Pricing Power

Your price is sustainable if you have:
- **Lock-in**: Data, integrations, workflows built on you
- **Switching costs**: Learning curve, migration pain
- **Network effects**: More users = more value

Without these, you compete on price. With them, you set price.

## Tier Structure (The Decoy Trick)

Three tiers work. Make the middle tier a decoy that pushes to the one you want:

| | Starter | Pro (DECOY) | Team |
|---|---------|-------------|------|
| Price | $19/mo | $49/mo | $59/mo |
| Core features | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Key feature | Limited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Team features | — | — | ✓ |

Pro at $49 makes Team at $59 look like obvious value.

## Annual vs Monthly

- Discount: 15-20% (2 months free)
- More than 20% devalues the product
- Frame as savings: "$99/year (save $79)" not "17% off"
- Default UI to annual, monthly as alternative
- Target mix: 60% annual, 40% monthly

## When to Raise Prices

- Demand exceeds your capacity
- Support is overwhelming
- LTV:CAC > 5:1
- 6+ months since last raise
- Customers stop complaining about price

## What to Avoid

- **Copying competitor prices** without understanding their costs/value
- **Psychology tricks as strategy** — $9.99 vs $10 is 2% of the equation
- **Surveys to set price** — people don't know what they'd pay
- **Discounting to close** — trains customers to wait for deals
- **Grandfathering everyone forever** — creates pricing debt


path: saas.md
content: # SaaS: Subscriptions That Scale

## Freemium vs Trial

No universal rule. Consider:

| Factor | → Freemium | → Trial |
|--------|------------|---------|
| Network effects | Strong | Weak |
| Time to value | <5 min | >30 min |
| Viral coefficient | >0.5 | <0.3 |
| Sales cycle | Self-serve | Touch needed |

**The real question:** Do free users CREATE value for paid users?
- Yes → Freemium (Slack, Figma)
- No → Trial (Superhuman, Linear)

## Tier Structure

Three tiers. Make the middle one a decoy.

| | Starter | Pro | Team |
|---|---------|-----|------|
| Price | $29/mo | $79/mo | $99/mo |
| Core features | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Limits | Low | High | Unlimited |
| Key differentiator | — | Main feature | + Team features |

Pro at $79 makes Team at $99 obvious value.

**Per-seat?** Only if value scales with people. If not, usage-based or flat.

## Value Metric Selection

**Test:** If customer doubles the metric, do they pay 2x AND feel good about it?

| Metric | Works For |
|--------|-----------|
| Per seat | Collaboration (Slack, Notion) |
| Per usage | APIs, infrastructure (Twilio) |
| Per feature | Horizontal (Zapier) |
| Flat + overage | Predictable + growth (Intercom) |

## Annual vs Monthly

- Discount: 15-20% (more devalues)
- Frame as savings: "$79/year (save $79)" not "17% off"
- Default UI to annual
- Target: 60% annual, 40% monthly

## Enterprise Readiness

**Don't build enterprise features until enterprises ask.**

When they do, minimum requirements:

| Feature | Why |
|---------|-----|
| SSO (SAML) | Security compliance |
| SCIM | Auto user provisioning |
| Audit logs | Who did what, when |
| Role-based access | Admin/Member/Viewer |

**If they ask for SSO, price floor is $1,000/month.** They can pay it.

## Expansion Revenue

Target: Net Revenue Retention >110%

| Tactic | When to Trigger |
|--------|-----------------|
| Seat expansion | Team invites increase |
| Usage upsell | 80% of limit |
| Tier upgrade | Request Pro feature |

**Automate:** Emails at 70%, 90%, 100% of limits.

## Churn Prevention

**Warning signs:**
- Login <1x/week
- Core features unused
- Support tickets spike then silence

**Actions:**
- Health score alerts to CS
- Offer "pause" instead of cancel
- Exit survey with retention offer (meaningful, not desperate)

## Quick NRR Formula

```
NRR = (Start MRR + Expansion - Contraction - Churn) ÷ Start MRR

Target: >110%
Great: >120%
```

## What to Avoid

- Pricing tables copied from competitors without understanding why
- "Contact us" as the only enterprise option (lazy)
- Free tier that's 90% of the product (no urgency)
- Discounting to close every deal (trains customers)
- Grandfathering everyone forever (pricing debt)


path: success.md
content: # Success Patterns (And Failures)

## Timeline Reality

Most indie products take 12-18 months to reach $10K/month. Some take years. A few hit it in months. Survivorship bias makes you think everyone's path is fast.

**For every success story, ~50 similar products died under $100/month.**

## What Actually Works

### 1. Build For Yourself

You should be user #1. If you don't need it, you'll quit when it gets hard.

- Scratch your own itch
- Your frustration = fuel
- You understand the problem deeply
- **Test**: Would YOU pay for this?

### 2. Ship Fast, Iterate Faster

MVP in 2-4 weeks. Not 6 months.

- Zero tests in v1 (controversial but real)
- "Ugly but works" is fine
- First 10 customers don't care about polish
- Speed of learning > quality of code

### 3. Launch Multiple Times

One launch ≠ success. Launch the same product 5-10x per year.

- New feature = new launch
- Milestone = launch
- V2 = launch
- Different audience = launch

### 4. Price High, Serve Fewer

Counter-intuitive: raising prices 5x, losing 80% of customers, and DOUBLING revenue.

- $97/mo customers need LESS support than $9/mo
- Higher prices attract serious buyers
- Sell to SMBs and prosumers, not bargain hunters

### 5. Speed Is a Moat

Reply in <5 minutes. Build features live on calls. Ship what they ask THIS WEEK.

- Set alerts for niche keywords (Twitter, Reddit)
- Personalized Loom for every signup
- Look like a 10-person team as a solo founder

### 6. Charge From Day One

No "free beta." No waitlist that goes nowhere.

- If they won't pay $1, they won't pay $100
- Payment = commitment
- Pre-sell before building when possible

## What Doesn't Work

| Trap | Why It Fails |
|------|--------------|
| Paid ads early | No product-market fit = burning money |
| 12-month roadmap | Ship what they need this week |
| 95% test coverage | Speed wins early; tests come later |
| Huge markets | Compete with funded startups? No. |
| Waiting to be "ready" | Build while learning |
| Generous free tier | No urgency to upgrade |
| "Validating" with surveys | Promises ≠ payments |

## The Uncomfortable Formula

**Months 1-3**: MVP + launch (HN/ProductHunt) + first 10 paying customers

**Months 4-6**: SEO/content + referrals + iterate on feedback

**Months 7-12**: Raise prices + premium features + scale what works

**Daily work (variable, not a "routine"):**
- Some days: 12 hours debugging one issue
- Some days: 0 hours, doing nothing
- The only rule: ship something this week

## Stack Products, Not Features

One product = one income stream. Ten products = ten chances.

- Build variations: same tech, different niche
- Failed products get sold or become content
- 10 small products > 1 "big bet"

## The Mindset Difference

**Builders who struggle:** "Let me learn everything about monetization, then I'll launch."

**Builders who succeed:** "Let me put a payment link up and see what happens."

The best monetization strategy: stop reading about monetization and put a buy button on your site today.


path: templates.md
content: # Templates: Copy, Edit, Use

Replace [BRACKETS]. Keep it simple.

## Pricing Page

```
[PRODUCT] — Simple pricing

"[Specific result quote]" — [Customer name]

[NUMBER] people already use [Product]

─────────────────────────────
FREE — $0/mo
[One-line value]
• [Core thing you get]
• [Limit]
→ Start Free

─────────────────────────────  
PRO — $[X]/mo (or $[Y]/year — save $[Z])
★ Most popular
[One-line value]
• Everything in Free
• [Pro benefit → outcome]
• [Pro benefit → outcome]
→ Start Free Trial

─────────────────────────────
TEAM — $[A]/mo
[One-line value]  
• Everything in Pro
• [Team benefit]
• [Support level]
→ Talk to Us

─────────────────────────────
✓ Cancel anytime
✓ 30-day money back
```

## Tier Comparison

```
| Feature | Free | Pro | Team |
|---------|------|-----|------|
| [Core feature] | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| [Limited thing] | [X]/mo | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| [Pro feature] | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| [Team feature] | — | — | ✓ |
| Support | Docs | Email | Priority |
```

## Launch Email (Simple)

```
Subject: I made a thing

Hey [name],

Built [product] because I needed it myself.

It [one sentence outcome].

If you have [problem], try it: [link]

If not, no worries.

[your name]
```

## Follow-Up (Day 3)

```
Subject: Quick question

Hey [name],

Did you get a chance to try [product]?

If anything's confusing, just reply.

[your name]
```

## Last Chance (Only If Real Deadline)

```
Subject: [Offer] ends tomorrow

Hey [name],

Tomorrow the founding rate ends.

After that: $[X] → $[Y]

If you're on the fence, try it.
30-day refund, no questions.

[link]

[your name]
```

## Social Post

```
🚀 [Product] is live

Built this because I needed it.

[One sentence what it does]

First 100 people: 50% off forever
→ [link]
```

## Sponsorship Pitch

```
Subject: [Your channel] × [Their brand]?

Hi [name],

I run [channel] — [one line what it is].

[X] subscribers, [Y]% engagement, mostly [demographic].

Looking for sponsors for [content type].

Past partners: [Brand 1], [Brand 2]

Happy to share our media kit.

[your name]
[channel link]
```

## Price Increase

```
Subject: [Product] pricing update

Hey [name],

On [date], prices change:
[Plan]: $[old] → $[new]

You're locked at $[current] forever.
No action needed.

Thanks for being early.

[your name]
```

## Cancellation Survey

```
Before you go — one question:

What would have made [Product] worth keeping?

□ Lower price
□ Feature I needed: ___
□ Didn't have time to use it
□ Found something else: ___
□ Other: ___

[optional] Anything else?

Thanks for trying [Product].
Your data stays here for 90 days if you change your mind.

[your name]
```

## Grandfather Announcement

```
Subject: You're locked in ✓

[name],

Prices go up [date].

Your price never changes.

Thanks for believing early.

[your name]
```


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)