dragoon0x Packaging Strategy
Bundle features into plans where each tier feels like a natural fit for a specific customer segment.
How to use
/packaging-strategyApply packaging constraints to this conversation./packaging-strategy <product>Design packaging for the described product and feature set.
Constraints
Feature Classification
Classify every feature before assigning to tiers:
- Table stakes: what every user needs for basic value. Goes in every plan including free.
- Differentiating: what makes your product better than alternatives. Mid-tier and above.
- Power features: what only sophisticated users need. Premium tier.
- Platform features: admin controls, SSO, audit logs, API access. Enterprise gates.
- NEVER gate table stakes features. It makes the bottom tier feel broken.
Tier Design
- Start with who you're selling to, not with tiers. Define segments first.
- Each segment MUST have a clear answer to: what problem, what features, what budget, who decides
- MUST limit to 2-3 plans plus enterprise for most products. 5+ tiers is almost always wrong.
- Each tier MUST be describable in one sentence: "This plan is for [who] who need [what]"
- NEVER create a middle tier that's a confusing blend nobody picks
Upgrade Triggers
- Each tier MUST have a natural trigger that makes someone upgrade
- Good triggers: team size grows, needs a specific feature, usage volume exceeds limit, org requires compliance
- Bad triggers: arbitrary limits uncorrelated with value, removing previously free functionality, gating quality-of-life features
- SHOULD design triggers around genuine moments where the next tier becomes the obvious choice
Packaging Principles
- Each tier MUST have one hero feature — one clear reason to upgrade
- Feature comparison MUST be scannable in 10 seconds. Limit to 5-7 differentiating features.
- NEVER punish growth. Cost should scale proportionally, not exponentially.
- Add-ons are for genuinely optional capabilities, not for nickel-and-diming core value
- Upgrade and downgrade paths MUST be clean. No data loss on downgrade.
Anti-Patterns
- The Feature Hostage: one essential feature in premium to force upgrades. Users see through this.
- The Bloated Enterprise: 5x the price but only adds SSO and "dedicated support"
- The Add-On Maze: base price looks reasonable, then every useful feature is extra
- Over-Segmentation: more tiers than the product complexity justifies