Sarah Zou, PhD
I turn pricing into a growth system—linking value metrics to experiments (not debates) so your team ships decisions next week and your board sees a defensible economic narrative next month.
Who I work with & when to bring me in
I partner with pre-seed to Series A teams that want rigor without big-company bloat.
Common triggers
Unsure how to price v1, or current pricing isn't working.
Pre/Post-MVP and need monetization before GTM locks in bad habits.
Unit economics unclear; need CAC payback/NRR/GM targets and a path to hit them.
Plenty of data, but the "right" KPIs and decision cadence aren't.
Board asks for a 3–5 year model and scenario pack yesterday.
You don't want to hire CFO + RevOps + Data Science to get one economic answer.
What I focus on
Monetization & Pricing
Develop pricing strategies that align with your product's value and market position.
Metrics & Experimentation
Establish key metrics & dashboards and a framework for rigorous, data-informed decision-making.
Forward Models for Founders & Boards
Build clear, defensible forecasts and scenarios that map choices → outcomes.
Selected outcomes
Dev-tools SaaS (Seed)
Re-designed tiers and value metric; 40% faster CAC payback and cleaner upgrade paths within a quarter.
Vertical SaaS (Series A)
Pricing fences + customer value study; 25% NRR lift via expansion motions and usage-indexed add-ons.
AI platform (Pre-seed)
Investor narrative + forward model + KPIs; supported $50M+ in cumulative raises across clients; enabled 200+ GTM reps with price guides and calculators.
(Sampled across clients; details available under NDA.)
How we'll work
I bring an economist's rigor with an operator's speed. Every recommendation is:
Hypothesis-driven
(what we believe will move revenue or retention)
Documented
(assumptions, inputs, and experiment plan)
Testable
(what to launch, when to read it, and what "good" looks like)
That way your team gets decisions, not dashboards — and your board gets a clear economic narrative behind the numbers.
My path here
Academia and policy research taught me discipline and clarity (PhD Economics, Rutgers; MS Finance & Statistics, UIUC; work with NBER and the World Bank). I brought that rigor into industry—first at Citigroup building risk/forecasting models, then at Capgemini leading digital-transformation and GenAI initiatives where complex analysis had to become executive decisions.
From there I moved closer to the founder edge, owning pricing, market intel, and operations inside high-growth startups. I kept seeing the same gap: early-stage teams need research-grade thinking in a format they can ship this week. I started EconNova Consulting so founders could get pricing, metrics, unit economics, forecasting, and economic storytelling at a level usually reserved for later-stage companies—without the overhead.
Where I work
Remote, serving founders globally.
Based in Princeton, NJ (Eastern Time). Available on-site in the NYC and Philadelphia metros.
Frequently Asked Questions
What problems do you solve most often?
First price and packaging, price increases with minimal churn, usage vs. tiered model decisions, "why us/why now" economics for fundraising, and putting metrics into a weekly decision cadence.
Who do you work with?
Pre-seed to Series A SaaS/API/AI and operator-led marketplaces. I'm effective when a founder wants research-grade rigor without big-company bloat.
How are you different from a fractional CFO, data scientist, or RevOps?
CFO manages cash and reporting; I design how you create cash (pricing, margins, NRR). Data science predicts/optimizes; I decide what economic questions matter and set guardrails. RevOps runs GTM processes; I define what you sell, to whom, and at what economics.
What's your working style?
Short, high-intensity sprints that ship decisions in 1–2 weeks, followed by a light operating cadence to learn and iterate. Everything is hypothesis-driven, documented, and testable.
What do engagements look like?
Start with a 30-min consult → pick a Monetization Sprint or Metrics Sprint → optional retainer for ongoing pricing moves, forward models, and experiment cadence. Fixed deliverables, clear timelines.
What deliverables should we expect?
A pricing/packaging strategy, unit-economics model, discount/fence policy, experiment briefs, KPI glossary and dashboards, and an Economist's Board Pack for narrative and tracking.
Do you work pre-product or pre-revenue?
Yes. I'll define the value metric, design testable tiers, and set decision thresholds so you can launch with confidence and adjust with data.
Will you integrate with our stack?
Yes—common tools include GA/GTM, Amplitude/Mixpanel, spreadsheets, and your data warehouse. I keep instrumentation "light but correct" so dashboards stay trustworthy.
How do you handle confidentiality and IP?
I sign MNDA/MSA; client data stays in your systems; work product is yours. I maintain a conflict log and never cross-pollinate proprietary details.
Do you train our team?
Yes. I upskill founders and leads on pricing, experimentation, and metric reading, and I can coach a junior analyst to maintain the cadence after the sprint.
Where are you based and when are you available?
NYC/Princeton area, remote-first with on-site options. I cover US/EU time zones and typically start new sprints within 1–2 weeks.
What's your background?
PhD economist with MS in Finance & Statistics; experience across research, enterprise transformation, and high-growth startups. My edge is combining academic rigor with operator pragmatism.
Do you take equity or flexible comp?
Cash is standard for sprints; retainers can mix cash/equity when aligned with scope and stage.
How do we start?
Share context, book a consult, and we'll scope a sprint with clear questions, inputs, and a day-by-day plan.
Ready to turn pricing into your growth system?
Let's discuss how I can help you optimize your pricing strategy and create compelling investor narratives.
Book a free consult