How to price your first paid pilot without giving the shop away
The biggest pricing mistake first-time founders make isn't charging too little — it's charging zero. A free pilot tells the customer the work is worth what they paid for it. Here's how to price the first paid one without scaring them off.
Price the pilot at 25–40% of what a full annual contract would cost. It's low enough to land, high enough that the customer actually shows up to the kick-off call.
Time-box the work. 6–10 weeks, written success criteria signed by both sides, an exit clause for both parties if criteria aren't hit.
Make the pilot fee convertible — credited against year-one if they sign. This removes the "but I already paid" friction at upgrade time.
What you never give away in a pilot: perpetual IP, exclusivity in their sector, roadmap control, or unlimited support hours. Those are the things VCs check.
“A paid pilot at 30% of ACV outperforms a free pilot on conversion roughly 3 to 1 in our portfolio.”
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