Pilot pricing for seed-stage SaaS
last updated: Sep 3, 2025
TL;DR
Charge for the pilot. Keep it 30–90 days. Tie payment to one success metric and add an expiring incentive to convert. This guide shows models, sample math, and scripts so you can defend a number for pilot pricing for seed-stage SaaS within 48 hours.
How to:
How to:
- Pick one use case and metric. Time-box 30–90 days.
- Price at 5–15% of ACV or 1–2 months of list.
- Put the give-get and expiry in writing.
Glossary
- ACV. First-year contract value.
- CAIQ. Cloud security questionnaire.
- give-get. What each party pays and gets.
- MOU. Non-binding outline of intent.
- NDA. Confidentiality agreement.
- POC. Feasibility test. Narrow and technical.
- SIG Lite. Short vendor risk questionnaire.
- SOC 2. Security audit standard with five criteria.
- TCV. ACV multiplied by years.
- VSAQ. Google vendor security questionnaire.
How to price your seed-stage SaaS
- Decide if you charge or run free. Charge when implementation takes any engineering or data work, or when the buyer needs procurement to move. Free is acceptable only for a self-serve product with no lift and a clear go-live path in days. Still unsure? Run a fake door test to gauge demand first.
- Set scope so you can win. One use case. One team. One data source. One metric you can move within 30–90 days. If you need early champions, use the design partner recruitment playbook to source strong candidates.
- Pick the success metric. Choose a business number, not a feature count. Make the baseline explicit. Tighten your story with the founder demo script before you pitch.
- Price the offer. Set a pilot fee using either 5–15% of target ACV or a fixed dollar amount equal to 1–2 months of list price. Pick the higher number when lift is heavy. Pick the lower when the account is strategic but low-touch.
- Time-box the pilot. 30–90 days is enough for setup, usage, and a read on the metric. Add two checkpoints. No extensions without a new fee.
- Write the give-get. You give implementation, support, and a named success plan. They give data access, 1–2 operators weekly, and the fee. Clarify the promise with the value proposition for startups. The metric gates the post-pilot offer and the incentive to convert.
- Plan procurement and security. Prepare a one-pager mapped to SOC 2 criteria, plus one questionnaire. The AICPA SOC 2 overview is enough to frame it. Use SIG Lite, CAIQ, or provide a VSAQ link.
- Set payment mechanics. Invoice upfront or 50/50. Offer ACH and card. If they require milestones, mirror your two checkpoints. See Stripe partial payments and deposit invoices. Terms: net-30 on the balance.
- Decide the post-pilot contract. Default to annual ACV. Set the incentive expiry in writing. If the metric is met, the incentive stays open for a short window after pilot end. If missed, it lapses.
Benchmarks & ranges
Sample math. Target ACV $24,000. 10% is $2,400. One month of list is $2,000. Pick $2,400. Deposit 50 percent now, balance in 30 days.
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POC pricing vs pilot
- POC tests technical feasibility on a narrow scope. Often shorter and lab-like.
- A pilot proves value in production with a real team and one metric.
- Price rule: charge for both, but anchor the pilot higher because it touches operations and support.
Templates
Email to propose the pilot
Subject: 45-day pilot. One metric. Small fee.
Hi {name},
Here is a simple way to move fast without long procurement.
Scope: {team} runs {use_case} for 45 days.
Metric: {metric} from {baseline} to {target}.
Fee: {pilot_fee} paid 50/50. If we hit the metric, we credit it to year one.
Incentive: {percent}% off year one if signed within {days} days after pilot end.
Give-get: we run implementation and weekly reviews. You give data access and two operators for 1 hour a week.
If this works, we start the annual contract on {start_date}. If not, we part friends.
Want me to send a 1-page MOU and the invoice?
Call script
Open: "We proposed a 45-day paid pilot with one metric. I want to confirm the give-get and the path to contract."
Confirm scope and metric. Confirm the decision maker.
Price: "This is 10 percent of ACV or one month of list. For you that’s {pilot_fee}. We do 50/50 to start."
Incentive: "If we hit the metric, we hold {percent}% off year one for {days} days. After that, list price applies."
Close: "I can send the MOU and the invoice today. Anything else needed from security or legal?"
Contract snippets (copy-ready language)
Subject: 45-day pilot. One metric. Small fee.
Hi {name},
Here is a simple way to move fast without long procurement.
Scope: {team} runs {use_case} for 45 days.
Metric: {metric} from {baseline} to {target}.
Fee: {pilot_fee} paid 50/50. If we hit the metric, we credit it to year one.
Incentive: {percent}% off year one if signed within {days} days after pilot end.
Give-get: we run implementation and weekly reviews. You give data access and two operators for 1 hour a week.
If this works, we start the annual contract on {start_date}. If not, we part friends.
Want me to send a 1-page MOU and the invoice?
Call script
Open: "We proposed a 45-day paid pilot with one metric. I want to confirm the give-get and the path to contract."
Confirm scope and metric. Confirm the decision maker.
Price: "This is 10 percent of ACV or one month of list. For you that’s {pilot_fee}. We do 50/50 to start."
Incentive: "If we hit the metric, we hold {percent}% off year one for {days} days. After that, list price applies."
Close: "I can send the MOU and the invoice today. Anything else needed from security or legal?"
Contract snippets (copy-ready language)
- Success metric. "Baseline is {baseline} from {data_source}. Target is {target} by {date}. Reports weekly."
- Extensions. "Any extension requires a new fee and updated end date."
- Incentive expiry. "The incentive lapses on {expiry_date}. No retroactive discounts."
- Data processing. "Sub-processors listed at {policy_link}. Incident response summary linked."
Risks
- Free work spiral. Fix: charge small and time-box.
- Vague scope. Fix: one metric and one team.
- Endless extensions. Fix: no extension without a new fee.
- Anchoring low. Fix: real expiry on incentives.
- Security rabbit hole. Fix: a short security pack that answers 80 percent.
FAQ
- You:Should I ever run a free pilot?Guide:Only for self-serve with no lift.
- You:What’s the fastest way to price?Guide:Start at 10 percent of ACV. Sanity-check with one month of list.
- You:What if procurement drags?Guide:Use an MOU and NDA. Send a deposit invoice to start.
- You:Do I need SOC 2 at seed?Guide:Often no. A short security pack plus SIG Lite or CAIQ clears early reviews.
- You:What if the metric is missed?Guide:If it’s your product, end or offer a second paid window. If it’s access or usage, rescope with a new fee.
- You:Can I split the payment?Guide:Yes. 50/50 invoices with net-30 on the balance.
- You:How long should I run the pilot?Guide:30–90 days.
- You:Who should own the pilot internally?Guide:One business owner and one operator. Weekly cadence.
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© 2025
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