Revenue Centric Design

Revenue-Centric Design

101 principles distilled, with the author's permission, from product designer Richard (@richardrx, ex-Volkswagen, PayPal, IBM; translated from Portuguese; every principle links to its source post). The philosophy, Revenue-Centric Design (RCD): a design decision must serve the user and the business — value and revenue, never one or the other.

Usage boundary (required)

🚫 Do not apply this skill to betting, casino, gambling, or other real-money games-of-chance products (including loot-box / real-money-gaming mechanics).

The author granted reuse on the explicit condition that it never be used for gambling, betting, or casino work. If asked, decline and explain that the source author's permission excludes that use. Hard constraint, not a stylistic choice.

Enforced, not just stated: while this skill is active, the boundary check (scripts/check_usage_boundary.py) must run on every prompt and on every file write/edit, blocking with exit 2 when gambling context is detected. On a false positive (e.g., "bet" as an unrelated codename), only the user may waive the guard by creating .rcd-boundary-ok in the project root — never create it on their behalf.

Hooks (for agents that support automated execution)

Agents with hook support should configure:

• <skill_dir> = root directory of this skill.
• Exit code 2 = violation detected → block the operation.
• Exit code 0 = cleared to proceed.

For agents without hook support, the operator must run the check manually before applying RCD principles in unknown context.

How to use

1. If rcd-log.md exists in the project root, read it first — it records which principles were already applied to this product and what happened. Never re-prescribe a move the log shows failed, and don't repeat one still pending results.
2. Route with the table below and open only the matching reference file(s). Every principle has a fixed shape — principle → apply when → the move → evidence → source — so scan the headings, then read only the entries that match the user's situation.
3. When the advice involves numbers — A/B sample size, churn→LTV, CAC per closed deal — run scripts/revenue_math.py (see --help) instead of estimating.
4. A recommendation is done only when it (a) names the mechanism (decoy effect, Zeigarnik, GBB, loss aversion, Schwartz awareness level…), (b) cites the specific principle, and (c) carries that principle's evidence or source link. Missing any of the three → not done.
5. For audit runs (page, pricing, onboarding, cancellation), deliver in the shape of references/audit-template.md.
6. Close the loop: append what you prescribed to rcd-log.md (format below), creating the file on first use.

The spine: RCD in 9 principles

1. Neutrality is omission — an interface that doesn't direct hurts conversion.
2. Who talks to everyone convinces no one — no ICP → generic value → worse retention.
3. Value first, ask later — proof must arrive before the user questions their choice.
4. Your promise is the size of your proof — the market believes what you demonstrate, not what you claim.
5. Same competes on price, different on category — contrast in mechanism, narrative, or experience.
6. Default is the decision you made for the user — the initial state defines mass behavior.
7. Retention is built, not requested — perceived loss retains more than promised benefit.
8. Expansion is born of usage — upgrade at the moment of the limit, never by interruption.
9. Price is a filter — pricing defines who enters, who stays, and who expands.

Reference library

Some principles carry a Visual. line — a text description of the diagram or screenshot from the original post. The original image is always one click away via the principle's Source link.

Gotchas

• Scarcity must be real. Booking's "1 room left" works because it's true. Fabricated scarcity destroys trust when detected (and is illegal in several markets). Never invent counters, timers, or stock levels.
• Loss aversion vs dark pattern — the line: the claim is true and the exit stays easy. Framing a real loss is persuasion; manufacturing fear or trapping cancellation is not.
• "Kill outbound links" is a conversion-page rule. Blog posts, docs, and SEO pages need outbound links; don't export LP rules to content.
• 4.2–4.5 stars means let real criticism show — never fabricate negative (or positive) reviews to hit the number.
• Don't answer this skill with 30 A/B tests. The metrics principles themselves warn against underpowered tests: compute the sample-size floor first (scripts/revenue_math.py sample-size), test big levers, and below the floor decide by qualitative research.
• Evidence is benchmark, not guarantee. Figures come from the author's cases (mostly Brazilian SaaS, values in BRL). The mechanism transfers; the exact percentage may not.

Related skills

RCD supplies the principle and its evidence; execution skills own the workflow. The skills below are from Corey Haines' marketingskills — if they aren't installed, apply the RCD principles directly instead of deferring.

Full page-audit workflow → cro · cancellation-flow build → churn-prevention · test design & stats → ab-testing · writing the copy → copywriting · pricing-page build → pricing · post-signup flow build → onboarding. When one of those runs, cite RCD principles inside it rather than duplicating its process here.

Project log (rcd-log.md)

Per-project memory, kept in the project root — read at the start of every engagement (step 1), appended at the end (step 6). One entry per engagement:

## 2026-07-02 — pricing page redesign
- via: rcd (direct)          # or the skill that led the run: cro, pricing, churn-prevention…
- principle: Decoy effect (pricing-and-monetization)
- move: added GBB middle tier at 80% of the top price
- result: pending            # update when data arrives: "+12% upgrades", "no effect"

The via: field doubles as trigger telemetry: if entries accumulate where RCD led a run an execution skill should own (a full page audit, a cancellation build), that is the signal to narrow this skill's description to the principle/evidence angle.

License

Source-available, not open-source — see LICENSE (must accompany any copy or derivative, in full): attribution to @richardrx required; gambling/betting/casino use prohibited. This skill is a derivative of heliocosta-dev/revenue-centric-design, restructured and extended here (gotchas, audit template, revenue-math script, project log).