When I launched XLNavigator, I agonized over pricing for weeks.

Should it be $9.99? That sounds affordable. Maybe $19.99? Is that too much? What if no one pays? What if everyone thinks it's overpriced?

I eventually landed at $29.99—higher than my gut wanted—and it was one of the best decisions I made.

Here's what I learned: pricing isn't just a number. It's a feature. It signals value, attracts certain customers, repels others, and shapes how people perceive what you've built.

Most solo founders underprice. I almost did too.

The Underpricing Epidemic

Why do we underprice? Fear.

Fear that nobody will pay. Fear that you're not good enough. Fear that charging "too much" is somehow arrogant or greedy.

So we price low. We think, "I'll charge more later once it's proven."

But low prices create their own problems:

You attract price-sensitive customers. These customers churn faster, complain more, and never would have paid more anyway.

You signal low value. Counterintuitively, lower prices can make people trust you less. "If it only costs $5, how good can it be?"

You make the business unsustainable. At $5/user, you need 20x the users of a $100/user product. That's not easier—it's harder.

Price Is a Signal

This is the part most people miss: price communicates.

Higher price = higher perceived value. People use price as a quality signal when they can't evaluate quality directly. A $500 course seems more valuable than a $50 course, even if the content is identical.

Higher price = more serious customers. People who pay more take things more seriously. They show up. They do the work. They get value.

Higher price = better support economics. When customers pay more, you can afford to give them more attention. This creates better experiences and better retention.

How to Find Your Price

Here's a practical framework:

Ask during validation. When you're talking to potential users, ask directly: "What would solving this problem be worth to you?" Their answers calibrate your expectations.

Look at alternatives. What do people currently pay? This includes competitors, but also workarounds. Time spent on manual processes has a cost too.

Start higher than feels comfortable. Whatever price feels right, add 20-50%. You can always lower it. Raising prices later is harder.

The 10x Rule

Here's a useful heuristic: your product should deliver 10x the value of its price.

A $50 product should save $500 worth of time or make $500 worth of impact. A $500 product should deliver $5,000 in value.

If you can't articulate the 10x, one of two things is true:

  1. You're not communicating value well (fixable)
  2. The value proposition isn't strong enough (bigger problem)

When the 10x is obvious, pricing becomes easy. Customers don't negotiate—they thank you for the deal.

Pricing Models for Solo Products

Three common models for solo founders:

One-time purchase. Simple, clean, easy to understand. But limits your upside and creates pressure for constant new sales.

Subscription. Recurring revenue is beautiful—predictable and compounding. But harder to sell initially. You need ongoing value to retain.

Usage-based. Aligns incentives—customers pay as they get value. But complex to implement and explain.

For most solo products, I lean toward one-time or subscription depending on the value delivery. XLNavigator is one-time because the value is immediate and ongoing without updates.

When to Raise Prices

You should raise prices when:

Everyone says yes immediately. No hesitation, no negotiation. You're underpriced.

You're afraid to. Fear of raising prices usually means you should. The fear is in your head, not in the market.

You've added significant value. New features, better experience, proven results. Price should follow value.

When you raise prices, grandfather existing customers. They took a chance on you early—reward their trust.

The Permission Slip

Here's what I want you to hear:

You're allowed to charge money. For something you built. That helps people. That required effort.

You're allowed to charge more than you think. Your imposter syndrome isn't reality. You don't need to feel like a "real developer" to charge real prices.

The right customers will pay. The ones who don't pay aren't your customers. You're not excluding people—you're finding your people.

Pricing is a feature. Make it a good one.

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