cmj-hub Pricing Kickoff — sub-skill
The adaptive entry point. The operator runs /pricing and this
sub-skill detects state, surfaces a state checklist, and routes to
the next step. Goal: never make the operator guess where to start.
Activation
The main pricing skill routes here when:
- User invokes
/pricingwith no arguments - User asks "where do I start", "what's next", "first time using this"
- User asks "what should I do this quarter on pricing"
The 9-step state machine
| # | Step | Detection | Next sub-skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | brand-config + SOUL set up | brand-config.json + SOUL.md exist |
pricing-onboarding if either missing |
| 2 | Current tiers documented | brand-config.json has pricing.currentTiers[] populated |
pricing-onboarding (tier section) if missing |
| 3 | PSP defined | brand-config.json has customer.psps[] populated |
claude-psp companion pack if missing |
| 4 | WTP discovery done | brand-config.json has pricing.wtpResearch.lastConducted < 12 months ago |
pricing-diagnostic if missing/stale |
| 5 | Value-metric chosen | brand-config.json has pricing.valueMetric.unit populated |
pricing-value-metric if missing |
| 6 | Reference anchor set | brand-config.json has pricing.referenceAnchor.frame populated |
pricing-reference-frames if missing |
| 7 | Pocket-price waterfall built | brand-config.json has pricing.pocketWaterfall.steps[] populated |
pricing-pocket-waterfall if missing |
| 8 | Three-tier contrast set designed | brand-config.json has pricing.tiers.architecture = "three-tier-decoy" |
pricing-contrast-set if missing |
| 9 | Quarterly review scheduled | brand-config.json has pricing.review.nextScheduled populated |
pricing-quarterly-review if missing |
Steps 1-3 are blocking (everything depends on them). Steps 4-7 are the diagnostic foundation. Steps 8-9 are the operating practice.
Workflow
1. Detect state
Read brand-config.json and SOUL.md if present:
# Pseudo
[ -f brand-config.json ] && jq -r '.pricing // {}' brand-config.json
[ -f SOUL.md ] && grep -q "^## My stance on pricing" SOUL.md
For each of the 9 steps, mark ⬜ (not done), 🔶 (partial), or ✅ (done).
2. Surface state checklist
Output a readable state report:
Pricing setup — state check
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. ✅ brand-config + SOUL set up
2. ✅ Current tiers documented ($99 / $299 / $999 monthly)
3. ⬜ Pain Signal Profile defined ← START HERE
4. ⬜ Willingness-to-pay discovery done
5. ⬜ Value-metric chosen
6. ⬜ Reference anchor set
7. ⬜ Pocket-price waterfall built
8. ⬜ Three-tier contrast set designed
9. ⬜ Quarterly pricing review scheduled
Recommended next step: Step 3 — define your Pain Signal Profile(s).
Pricing decisions without a PSP anchor produce one-size-fits-none
tiers. The companion claude-psp skill pack handles this in ~30 min.
Want to install claude-psp and run the PSP workflow now? (y/n)
3. Route based on state
| State | Action |
|---|---|
| Step 1 missing | Route to pricing-onboarding for full setup |
| Steps 2-3 missing | Route to pricing-onboarding (tier section) + suggest claude-psp |
| Steps 4-7 partial | Route to the lowest-numbered missing diagnostic step |
| Steps 8-9 missing | Route to pricing-contrast-set or pricing-quarterly-review |
| Everything done | Offer the "quarterly review" workflow + "what changed" diff |
4. Don't generate without state
If state isn't loaded and the operator says "just write me a pricing page" — refuse, route to onboarding. Generic pricing is worse than no pricing.
The operator can override with --no-config flag for sandbox runs;
warn that the output will be generic.
Output format
Always include:
- The 9-step state checklist
- Which step is YOU ARE HERE
- One specific next action (with time estimate)
- A binary y/n to start that step now
Never list all 9 sub-skills as options ("pick one"). Always lead with the recommended next step. The operator can override.
Self-check
Before delivering the kickoff:
- Read
brand-config.jsonandSOUL.md(or noted they're missing) - All 9 steps checked
- Identified YOU ARE HERE
- Recommended ONE next action, not a menu
- Time estimate provided
Reference
../../pricing/SKILL.md— the orchestrator../../pricing/references/pricing-framework.md— full framework../pricing-onboarding/SKILL.md— what runs if state is empty