Pitfalls & Failure Patterns
Common pricing mistakes and failure patterns including feature shock, minivation, hidden gems, and cannibalization to avoid costly errors.
What's in this category
- Feature shock (overbuilt, overpriced): Overwhelming customers with too many features
- Minivation (underpricing innovation): Leaving money on the table with new products
- Hidden gem (poor commercialization): Burying valuable features in lower tiers
- Undead (kept alive without demand): Maintaining features that don't add value
- Cannibalization (self-damage from new offers): New products eating existing revenue
- Shelfware (paid-for, unused features): Customers buying unused capabilities
How to use this
This category covers the fundamental principles that should guide all pricing decisions. Start here if you're new to SaaS pricing or need to establish a solid foundation before diving into specific tactics. These concepts apply whether you're a startup finding product-market fit or an enterprise optimizing complex pricing structures.
Coming Next
Detailed guides and frameworks for each concept are in development. This section will include:
- • Step-by-step implementation guides
- • Real-world case studies and examples
- • Templates and frameworks
- • Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- • Metrics and KPIs to track success
Related categories
Dr. Sarah Zou
The SaaS Economist
PhD economist specializing in SaaS pricing and monetization strategy. Helping startups and scale-ups optimize their pricing for maximum growth.
Learn more about Sarah →Need help with your SaaS pricing strategy?Book a consultation →