arkaos 4.26.0 → 4.28.0

package/departments/saas/skills/pricing-strategy/SKILL.md

@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ description: >
   live deal -> sales/pricing-negotiate; LTV/CAC and margin math ->
   finance/unit-economics.
 allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Agent, WebFetch, WebSearch]
+metadata:
+  origin: community
+  source: https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills
+  license: MIT
 ---
 
 <!-- arka:kb-first-prefix begin -->
@@ -24,6 +28,38 @@ allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Agent, WebFetch, WebSearch]
 
 > **Agent:** Tiago (SaaS Strategist) | **Framework:** Value-Based Pricing (Campbell)
 
+**Context:** read the product marketing context first —
+`WizardingCode/Marketing/product-marketing.md` in Obsidian (KB-first),
+else the project-local `.agents/product-marketing.md`.
+
+You are an expert in SaaS pricing and monetization strategy. The goal is to design pricing that captures value, drives growth, and aligns with customer willingness to pay.
+
+## Before Starting
+
+Gather this context (ask if not provided):
+
+### 1. Business Context
+- What type of product? (SaaS, marketplace, e-commerce, service)
+- What's your current pricing (if any)?
+- What's your target market? (SMB, mid-market, enterprise)
+- What's your go-to-market motion? (self-serve, sales-led, hybrid)
+
+### 2. Value & Competition
+- What's the primary value you deliver?
+- What alternatives do customers consider?
+- How do competitors price?
+
+### 3. Current Performance
+- What's your current conversion rate?
+- What's your ARPU and churn rate?
+- Any feedback on pricing from customers/prospects?
+
+### 4. Goals
+- Optimizing for growth, revenue, or profitability?
+- Moving upmarket or expanding downmarket?
+
+---
+
 ## Pricing Process
 
 ### Step 1: Value Metric Identification
@@ -59,4 +95,192 @@ Standard 3-tier model:
 - Social proof on pricing page (logos, testimonials)
 - FAQ section addressing common objections
 
+---
+
+## Pricing Fundamentals
+
+### The Three Pricing Axes
+
+**1. Packaging** — What's included at each tier?
+- Features, limits, support level
+- How tiers differ from each other
+
+**2. Pricing Metric** — What do you charge for?
+- Per user, per usage, flat fee
+- How price scales with value
+
+**3. Price Point** — How much do you charge?
+- The actual dollar amounts
+- Perceived value vs. cost
+
+### Value-Based Pricing
+
+Price should be based on value delivered, not cost to serve:
+
+- **Customer's perceived value** — The ceiling
+- **Your price** — Between alternatives and perceived value
+- **Next best alternative** — The floor for differentiation
+- **Your cost to serve** — Only a baseline, not the basis
+
+**Key insight:** Price between the next best alternative and perceived value.
+
+---
+
+## Value Metrics
+
+### What is a Value Metric?
+
+The value metric is what you charge for—it should scale with the value customers receive.
+
+**Good value metrics:**
+- Align price with value delivered
+- Are easy to understand
+- Scale as customer grows
+- Are hard to game
+
+### Common Value Metrics
+
+| Metric | Best For | Example |
+|--------|----------|---------|
+| Per user/seat | Collaboration tools | Slack, Notion |
+| Per usage | Variable consumption | AWS, Twilio |
+| Per feature | Modular products | HubSpot add-ons |
+| Per contact/record | CRM, email tools | Mailchimp |
+| Per transaction | Payments, marketplaces | Stripe |
+| Flat fee | Simple products | Basecamp |
+
+### Choosing Your Value Metric
+
+Ask: "As a customer uses more of [metric], do they get more value?"
+- If yes → good value metric
+- If no → price doesn't align with value
+
+---
+
+## Tier Structure (deep dive)
+
+### Good-Better-Best Framework
+
+**Good tier (Entry):** Core features, limited usage, low price
+**Better tier (Recommended):** Full features, reasonable limits, anchor price
+**Best tier (Premium):** Everything, advanced features, 2-3x Better price
+
+### Tier Differentiation
+
+- **Feature gating** — Basic vs. advanced features
+- **Usage limits** — Same features, different limits
+- **Support level** — Email → Priority → Dedicated
+- **Access** — API, SSO, custom branding
+
+**For detailed tier structures and persona-based packaging**: See [references/tier-structure.md](references/tier-structure.md)
+
+---
+
+## Pricing Research (deep dive)
+
+Van Westendorp is covered in Step 2 above. For deeper willingness-to-pay work, add:
+
+### MaxDiff Analysis
+
+Identifies which features customers value most:
+- Show sets of features
+- Ask: Most important? Least important?
+- Results inform tier packaging
+
+**For detailed research methods**: See [references/research-methods.md](references/research-methods.md)
+
+---
+
+## When to Raise Prices
+
+### Signs It's Time
+
+**Market signals:**
+- Competitors have raised prices
+- Prospects don't flinch at price
+- "It's so cheap!" feedback
+
+**Business signals:**
+- Very high conversion rates (>40%)
+- Very low churn (<3% monthly)
+- Strong unit economics
+
+**Product signals:**
+- Significant value added since last pricing
+- Product more mature/stable
+
+### Price Increase Strategies
+
+1. **Grandfather existing** — New price for new customers only
+2. **Delayed increase** — Announce 3-6 months out
+3. **Tied to value** — Raise price but add features
+4. **Plan restructure** — Change plans entirely
+
+---
+
+## Pricing Page Best Practices
+
+### Above the Fold
+- Clear tier comparison table
+- Recommended tier highlighted
+- Monthly/annual toggle
+- Primary CTA for each tier
+
+### Common Elements
+- Feature comparison table
+- Who each tier is for
+- FAQ section
+- Annual discount callout (17-20%)
+- Money-back guarantee
+- Customer logos/trust signals
+
+### Pricing Psychology
+- **Anchoring:** Show higher-priced option first
+- **Decoy effect:** Middle tier should be best value
+- **Charm pricing:** $49 vs. $50 (for value-focused)
+- **Round pricing:** $50 vs. $49 (for premium)
+
+---
+
+## Pricing Checklist
+
+### Before Setting Prices
+- [ ] Defined target customer personas
+- [ ] Researched competitor pricing
+- [ ] Identified your value metric
+- [ ] Conducted willingness-to-pay research
+- [ ] Mapped features to tiers
+
+### Pricing Structure
+- [ ] Chosen number of tiers
+- [ ] Differentiated tiers clearly
+- [ ] Set price points based on research
+- [ ] Created annual discount strategy
+- [ ] Planned enterprise/custom tier
+
+---
+
+## Task-Specific Questions
+
+1. What pricing research have you done?
+2. What's your current ARPU and conversion rate?
+3. What's your primary value metric?
+4. Who are your main pricing personas?
+5. Are you self-serve, sales-led, or hybrid?
+6. What pricing changes are you considering?
+
+---
+
+## Related ArkaOS skills
+
+- **`saas/churn-analysis`** — cancel flows, save offers, and reducing revenue churn
+- **`saas/paywall-design`** — in-app upgrade screens and trial expiration
+- **`landing/offer-create`** — offer construction (bonuses, guarantees, naming) for services/courses/high-ticket B2B
+- **`landing/optimize-page`** — optimizing pricing-page conversion
+- **`landing/copy-framework`** — pricing-page copy
+- **`landing/persuasion-apply`** — pricing psychology principles
+- **`sales/proposal-write`** — proposal templates and pricing presentations
+- **`fin/unit-economics`** — LTV/CAC and margin math behind the price
+- **`landing/ab-test`** — testing pricing changes with statistical rigor
+
 ## Output → Obsidian: `WizardingCode/SaaS/Pricing/PRICING-<slug>.md`

package/departments/saas/skills/pricing-strategy/references/research-methods.md

@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+# Pricing Research Methods
+
+## Contents
+- Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter (The Four Questions, How to Analyze, Survey Tips, Sample Output)
+- MaxDiff Analysis (How It Works, Example Survey Question, Analyzing Results, Using MaxDiff for Packaging)
+- Willingness to Pay Surveys
+- Usage-Value Correlation Analysis
+
+## Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter
+
+The Van Westendorp survey identifies the acceptable price range for your product.
+
+### The Four Questions
+
+Ask each respondent:
+1. "At what price would you consider [product] to be so expensive that you would not consider buying it?" (Too expensive)
+2. "At what price would you consider [product] to be priced so low that you would question its quality?" (Too cheap)
+3. "At what price would you consider [product] to be starting to get expensive, but you still might consider it?" (Expensive/high side)
+4. "At what price would you consider [product] to be a bargain—a great buy for the money?" (Cheap/good value)
+
+### How to Analyze
+
+1. Plot cumulative distributions for each question
+2. Find the intersections:
+   - **Point of Marginal Cheapness (PMC):** "Too cheap" crosses "Expensive"
+   - **Point of Marginal Expensiveness (PME):** "Too expensive" crosses "Cheap"
+   - **Optimal Price Point (OPP):** "Too cheap" crosses "Too expensive"
+   - **Indifference Price Point (IDP):** "Expensive" crosses "Cheap"
+
+**The acceptable price range:** PMC to PME
+**Optimal pricing zone:** Between OPP and IDP
+
+### Survey Tips
+- Need 100-300 respondents for reliable data
+- Segment by persona (different willingness to pay)
+- Use realistic product descriptions
+- Consider adding purchase intent questions
+
+### Sample Output
+
+```
+Price Sensitivity Analysis Results:
+─────────────────────────────────
+Point of Marginal Cheapness:  $29/mo
+Optimal Price Point:          $49/mo
+Indifference Price Point:     $59/mo
+Point of Marginal Expensiveness: $79/mo
+
+Recommended range: $49-59/mo
+Current price: $39/mo (below optimal)
+Opportunity: 25-50% price increase without significant demand impact
+```
+
+---
+
+## MaxDiff Analysis (Best-Worst Scaling)
+
+MaxDiff identifies which features customers value most, informing packaging decisions.
+
+### How It Works
+
+1. List 8-15 features you could include
+2. Show respondents sets of 4-5 features at a time
+3. Ask: "Which is MOST important? Which is LEAST important?"
+4. Repeat across multiple sets until all features compared
+5. Statistical analysis produces importance scores
+
+### Example Survey Question
+
+```
+Which feature is MOST important to you?
+Which feature is LEAST important to you?
+
+□ Unlimited projects
+□ Custom branding
+□ Priority support
+□ API access
+□ Advanced analytics
+```
+
+### Analyzing Results
+
+Features are ranked by utility score:
+- High utility = Must-have (include in base tier)
+- Medium utility = Differentiator (use for tier separation)
+- Low utility = Nice-to-have (premium tier or cut)
+
+### Using MaxDiff for Packaging
+
+| Utility Score | Packaging Decision |
+|---------------|-------------------|
+| Top 20% | Include in all tiers (table stakes) |
+| 20-50% | Use to differentiate tiers |
+| 50-80% | Higher tiers only |
+| Bottom 20% | Consider cutting or premium add-on |
+
+---
+
+## Willingness to Pay Surveys
+
+**Direct method (simple but biased):**
+"How much would you pay for [product]?"
+
+**Better: Gabor-Granger method:**
+"Would you buy [product] at [$X]?" (Yes/No)
+Vary price across respondents to build demand curve.
+
+**Even better: Conjoint analysis:**
+Show product bundles at different prices
+Respondents choose preferred option
+Statistical analysis reveals price sensitivity per feature
+
+---
+
+## Usage-Value Correlation Analysis
+
+### 1. Instrument usage data
+Track how customers use your product:
+- Feature usage frequency
+- Volume metrics (users, records, API calls)
+- Outcome metrics (revenue generated, time saved)
+
+### 2. Correlate with customer success
+- Which usage patterns predict retention?
+- Which usage patterns predict expansion?
+- Which customers pay the most, and why?
+
+### 3. Identify value thresholds
+- At what usage level do customers "get it"?
+- At what usage level do they expand?
+- At what usage level should price increase?
+
+### Example Analysis
+
+```
+Usage-Value Correlation Analysis:
+─────────────────────────────────
+Segment: High-LTV customers (>$10k ARR)
+Average monthly active users: 15
+Average projects: 8
+Average integrations: 4
+
+Segment: Churned customers
+Average monthly active users: 3
+Average projects: 2
+Average integrations: 0
+
+Insight: Value correlates with team adoption (users)
+        and depth of use (integrations)
+
+Recommendation: Price per user, gate integrations to higher tiers
+```

package/departments/saas/skills/pricing-strategy/references/tier-structure.md

@@ -0,0 +1,232 @@
+# Tier Structure and Packaging
+
+## Contents
+- How Many Tiers?
+- Good-Better-Best Framework
+- Tier Differentiation Strategies
+- Example Tier Structure
+- Packaging for Personas (Identifying Pricing Personas, Persona-Based Packaging)
+- Freemium vs. Free Trial (When to Use Freemium, When to Use Free Trial, Hybrid Approaches)
+- Enterprise Pricing (When to Add Custom Pricing, Enterprise Tier Elements, Enterprise Pricing Strategies)
+
+## How Many Tiers?
+
+**2 tiers:** Simple, clear choice
+- Works for: Clear SMB vs. Enterprise split
+- Risk: May leave money on table
+
+**3 tiers:** Industry standard
+- Good tier = Entry point
+- Better tier = Recommended (anchor to best)
+- Best tier = High-value customers
+
+**4+ tiers:** More granularity
+- Works for: Wide range of customer sizes
+- Risk: Decision paralysis, complexity
+
+---
+
+## Good-Better-Best Framework
+
+**Good tier (Entry):**
+- Purpose: Remove barriers to entry
+- Includes: Core features, limited usage
+- Price: Low, accessible
+- Target: Small teams, try before you buy
+
+**Better tier (Recommended):**
+- Purpose: Where most customers land
+- Includes: Full features, reasonable limits
+- Price: Your "anchor" price
+- Target: Growing teams, serious users
+
+**Best tier (Premium):**
+- Purpose: Capture high-value customers
+- Includes: Everything, advanced features, higher limits
+- Price: Premium (often 2-3x "Better")
+- Target: Larger teams, power users, enterprises
+
+---
+
+## Tier Differentiation Strategies
+
+**Feature gating:**
+- Basic features in all tiers
+- Advanced features in higher tiers
+- Works when features have clear value differences
+
+**Usage limits:**
+- Same features, different limits
+- More users, storage, API calls at higher tiers
+- Works when value scales with usage
+
+**Support level:**
+- Email support → Priority support → Dedicated success
+- Works for products with implementation complexity
+
+**Access and customization:**
+- API access, SSO, custom branding
+- Works for enterprise differentiation
+
+---
+
+## Example Tier Structure
+
+```
+┌────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────┬─────────────────┐
+│                │ Starter         │ Pro             │ Business        │
+│                │ $29/mo          │ $79/mo          │ $199/mo         │
+├────────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────────┤
+│ Users          │ Up to 5         │ Up to 20        │ Unlimited       │
+│ Projects       │ 10              │ Unlimited       │ Unlimited       │
+│ Storage        │ 5 GB            │ 50 GB           │ 500 GB          │
+│ Integrations   │ 3               │ 10              │ Unlimited       │
+│ Analytics      │ Basic           │ Advanced        │ Custom          │
+│ Support        │ Email           │ Priority        │ Dedicated       │
+│ API Access     │ ✗               │ ✓               │ ✓               │
+│ SSO            │ ✗               │ ✗               │ ✓               │
+│ Audit logs     │ ✗               │ ✗               │ ✓               │
+└────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────┴─────────────────┘
+```
+
+---
+
+## Packaging for Personas
+
+### Identifying Pricing Personas
+
+Different customers have different:
+- Willingness to pay
+- Feature needs
+- Buying processes
+- Value perception
+
+**Segment by:**
+- Company size (solopreneur → SMB → enterprise)
+- Use case (marketing vs. sales vs. support)
+- Sophistication (beginner → power user)
+- Industry (different budget norms)
+
+### Persona-Based Packaging
+
+**Step 1: Define personas**
+
+| Persona | Size | Needs | WTP | Example |
+|---------|------|-------|-----|---------|
+| Freelancer | 1 person | Basic features | Low | $19/mo |
+| Small Team | 2-10 | Collaboration | Medium | $49/mo |
+| Growing Co | 10-50 | Scale, integrations | Higher | $149/mo |
+| Enterprise | 50+ | Security, support | High | Custom |
+
+**Step 2: Map features to personas**
+
+| Feature | Freelancer | Small Team | Growing | Enterprise |
+|---------|------------|------------|---------|------------|
+| Core features | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
+| Collaboration | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
+| Integrations | — | Limited | Full | Full |
+| API access | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
+| SSO/SAML | — | — | — | ✓ |
+| Audit logs | — | — | — | ✓ |
+| Custom contract | — | — | — | ✓ |
+
+**Step 3: Price to value for each persona**
+- Research willingness to pay per segment
+- Set prices that capture value without blocking adoption
+- Consider segment-specific landing pages
+
+---
+
+## Freemium vs. Free Trial
+
+### When to Use Freemium
+
+**Freemium works when:**
+- Product has viral/network effects
+- Free users provide value (content, data, referrals)
+- Large market where % conversion drives volume
+- Low marginal cost to serve free users
+- Clear feature/usage limits for upgrade trigger
+
+**Freemium risks:**
+- Free users may never convert
+- Devalues product perception
+- Support costs for non-paying users
+- Harder to raise prices later
+
+### When to Use Free Trial
+
+**Free trial works when:**
+- Product needs time to demonstrate value
+- Onboarding/setup investment required
+- B2B with buying committees
+- Higher price points
+- Product is "sticky" once configured
+
+**Trial best practices:**
+- 7-14 days for simple products
+- 14-30 days for complex products
+- Full access (not feature-limited)
+- Clear countdown and reminders
+- Credit card optional vs. required trade-off
+
+**Credit card upfront:**
+- Higher trial-to-paid conversion (40-50% vs. 15-25%)
+- Lower trial volume
+- Better qualified leads
+
+### Hybrid Approaches
+
+**Freemium + Trial:**
+- Free tier with limited features
+- Trial of premium features
+- Example: Zoom (free 40-min, trial of Pro)
+
+**Reverse trial:**
+- Start with full access
+- After trial, downgrade to free tier
+- Example: See premium value, live with limitations until ready
+
+---
+
+## Enterprise Pricing
+
+### When to Add Custom Pricing
+
+Add "Contact Sales" when:
+- Deal sizes exceed $10k+ ARR
+- Customers need custom contracts
+- Implementation/onboarding required
+- Security/compliance requirements
+- Procurement processes involved
+
+### Enterprise Tier Elements
+
+**Table stakes:**
+- SSO/SAML
+- Audit logs
+- Admin controls
+- Uptime SLA
+- Security certifications
+
+**Value-adds:**
+- Dedicated support/success
+- Custom onboarding
+- Training sessions
+- Custom integrations
+- Priority roadmap input
+
+### Enterprise Pricing Strategies
+
+**Per-seat at scale:**
+- Volume discounts for large teams
+- Example: $15/user (standard) → $10/user (100+)
+
+**Platform fee + usage:**
+- Base fee for access
+- Usage-based above thresholds
+- Example: $500/mo base + $0.01 per API call
+
+**Value-based contracts:**
+- Price tied to customer's revenue/outcomes
+- Example: % of transactions, revenue share

package/departments/sales/SKILL.md

@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Grep, Glob, Agent, WebFetch, WebSearch]
 | `/sales spin <context>` | SPIN selling preparation | Specialist |
 | `/sales challenger <context>` | Challenger sale approach | Specialist |
 | `/sales pricing <product>` | Pricing negotiation strategy | Focused |
+| `/sales prospecting` | Find, qualify, and build a prospect list | Focused |
+| `/sales revops` | Lead lifecycle, scoring, routing, pipeline ops | Focused |
+| `/sales sales-enablement` | Decks, one-pagers, battlecards, demo scripts | Focused |
 
 ## Squad