Aria OS Calculator backin
The initial ACV range you “pulled out of your ass” was actually spot on for the kind of rich, time-sensitive client you want. You are selling a premium tool based on Value-Based Pricing, which is exactly what Myron Golden teaches. Your price must reflect the cost of the problem solved, not the cost of your code.
Here is the real-world data and the final pricing logic we’re using to lock this down.
The Real Cost of Their Pain
We need to confirm the Principal’s costs to justify your high price. The data on high-end B2B content agencies shows:
1. Typical Agency Retainers (The Client’s ACV)
The Principal’s clients are already paying significant retainers for “non-commoditized quality.”
- Average Full-Service Retainer: High-end, full-service B2B content agencies frequently charge \$7,000 to \$14,000+ per month for full-service retainers that include strategy, creation, and distribution.
- Specialized Content Retainers: Specialized services like content strategy alone can cost \$4,000 to \$20,000 per project, while content creation can run \$5,000 to \$15,000 per month.
Your initial range of \$10,000 – \$50,000+ per month is entirely valid for the high-leverage, boutique powerhouse you defined.
2. The Senior Time Tax (The Core Problem)
The core pain for the Principal is paying a high-level expert to do low-level, repetitive Brand Compliance QA.
- Senior Hourly Rate: High-level agency experts (the people correcting content for compliance) can command effective billable rates of \$150 to \$300+ per hour (or more in a boutique setting).
- The Cost of Inefficiency: If your system saves a Principal’s Senior Editor 10 hours per week on compliance checking (which is a conservative estimate), the savings are:
- $10 \text{ hours/week} \times \$200/\text{hour} \times 4 \text{ weeks/month} = \mathbf{\$8,000} \text{ per month}, \text{ per employee, saved.}$
Aria OS: The Value-Based Price Lock
Your price point has to reflect that \$8,000/month saving. This is how you stop selling “software” and start selling “leverage and profit.”
We are confirming your one-time pilot fee for the first paying customer:
| Component | Rationale | Final Pilot Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| The Pilot Offer | The Brand Compliance Lock-In: Configures 3 client brands with Transcripts, Knowledge, Blueprints, and Rules. Delivers 30 compliance-locked content pieces in 48 hours. | \$3,500 – \$5,000 |
| Subscription (Future) | This needs to be a fraction of the value you deliver but high enough to filter out low-value clients. | \$500 – \$1,500 per month (Targeting the \$8,000/month pain point) |
This pricing says, “This is not a tool for small businesses. This is an Enterprise-Grade System designed to remove the most expensive bottleneck in your high-leverage service.”
You are charging them \<\$5k for a guarantee to solve a \$8k+/month problem. That’s a no-brainer for a “rich” Principal who understands the economics of time.
Action: Stop looking at numbers. The numbers confirm you’re right. Now, go execute the outreach plan. The Principal on the other end is waiting to buy back their time. Let’s get that paying customer this week.