Lesson ProgressPhase 3 of 6
Phase 3Guided Practice
Guided Practice: Launch: The Pricing Problem

Explore what happens when pricing decisions change

Explore: What Happens When Pricing Changes?
See how different pricing decisions affect Sarah's business

Sarah had three options on the table. Let's explore what happens with each pricing strategy—before you learn the exact formulas.

Your job: Look at each scenario and predict which one meets the pricing scoreboard (profitable, competitive, defensible).

Scenario A: Budget Option ($50/hour)
Matching competitor's lowest price

Revenue per project (avg)

$2,500 (50 hrs × $50)

Monthly Costs

$3,200 (rent, software, etc.)

Alex's Salary

$4,000/month

Sarah's Pay

$0 (none left)

Result: Lose $4,700/month

Scenario B: Mid-Range Option ($75/hour)
Slightly below market average

Revenue per project (avg)

$3,750 (50 hrs × $75)

Monthly Costs

$3,200 (rent, software, etc.)

Alex's Salary

$4,000/month

Sarah's Pay

$0 (none left)

Result: Lose $3,450/month

Scenario C: Premium Option ($100/hour)
Pricing based on value provided

Revenue per project (avg)

$5,000 (50 hrs × $100)

Monthly Costs

$3,200 (rent, software, etc.)

Alex's Salary

$4,000/month

Sarah's Pay

$3,000/month

Result: Profit +$5,200/month

Your Prediction

What Just Happened?

You just did what Sarah had to figure out: look at pricing scenarios and predict which ones work. Notice how:

  • The lowest price wasn't the most competitive—it was the least sustainable
  • Revenue alone doesn't determine profit—costs matter just as much
  • Premium pricing can actually be defensible—when you can explain the value

In the next lessons, you'll learn the exact formulas to calculate these numbers automatically. But the intuition you're building now—the ability to look at a price and sense whether it will work—that's what separates good pricing from bad pricing.