FORGE Pricing Strategy

Value-based pricing for one-time products.

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The Formula

Price = (DIY Cost × Time Saved) × Market Positioning Factor

Where:
- DIY Cost = Your R&D hours × $100-200/hr
- Time Saved = Immediate delivery vs. months of work
- Market Positioning = 1-5% of DIY cost

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Pricing Tiers

Tier	Range	R&D Time	Target Buyer
Free/OSS	$0	2-8 weeks	Community
Accessible	$49-$149	4-8 weeks	Solo creators
Professional	$199-$499	6-12 weeks	Consultants
Enterprise	$999+	12+ weeks	Organizations

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MillPond Examples

ChirpIQX ($99):

• DIY Cost: 6 weeks @ $150/hr = $36,000
• Price: $99 = 0.27% of DIY
• Buyer saves: 99.73% ($35,901)

Market Essentials ($499):

• DIY Cost: 4 weeks @ $200/hr = $32,000
• Price: $499 = 1.5% of DIY
• Buyer saves: 98.5% ($31,501)

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The 1-5% Rule

Charge 1-5% of buyer's DIY cost.

Too low (<1%): Undervalued Too high (>5%): "I'll just build it myself"

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Price for value created, not cost incurred. 🪶