Jun 23
2026
Selling Physics as a Service
When should a hardware company stop selling equipment and start selling an outcome? A framework for servitization, four archetypes, and the asset-light vs asset-heavy decision.
By Dr. Sarah Zou
Newsletter
Weekly pricing and monetization thinking for technical founders
Research, case studies, frameworks, and pricing judgment you can actually use.
The editorial brief
Notes on the choices behind the model: what to measure, where the economics break, and how to make the trade-off legible.
Selected writing
Latest research notes
Jun 23
2026
The Hardware-plus-Data Model
When the hardware is a sensor and the data is the product. A framework for the data-as-product archetype, three subtypes, comparables, and a seven-dimension data-moat test.
By Dr. Sarah Zou
Jun 17
2026
Mapping the Emerging AI Infrastructure and Deep Tech Data Platforms
A founder's map of AI software infrastructure and deep tech data platforms—drawn by economics, not buzzwords—with segments, comparables, and the margin question for each.
By Dr. Sarah Zou
Jun 17
2026
Why AI Infrastructure Is Not an AI Application Business
Infrastructure and applications run on different economic engines. Learn how to classify your AI company, price on the right unit, and avoid copying the application playbook.
By Dr. Sarah Zou
Jun 8
2025
Why the Smartest SaaS Startups Are Hiring Fractional Chief Economists
Why SaaS startups are hiring fractional chief economists and how they drive growth, pricing, and investor narrative.
By Dr. Sarah Zou
