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Tech startups in their pre-product-market fit (PMF) phase often experiment with pricing to find a sustainable business model. In the US and Europe, early-stage SaaS and data-driven companies have tried a range of pricing strategies from giving the product away for free to charging premium prices upfront.

This episode examines common pricing models used before achieving PMF, the strategic risks and rewards of setting prices early, conversion data from early monetization experiments, and case studies illustrating key approaches. The goal is to provide a structured look at how young startups price their products when the primary objective is learning and user adoption rather than immediate profit.

Let’s jump in👇

Before achieving PMF, startups favor simple or experimental pricing schemes that maximize learning or user adoption. Here’s a brief summary of the 8 most common approaches.