Why I'm charging $2,500 and not $500.

Author

Vaibhav Sridhar
December 07, 2025

Three months ago, I was pricing my product at $29.

Then I read $100M Offers and moved it to $500.

Then $1,000.

Now? $2,500.

And I'm not launching until March because I need six months to build something worth that price.

Here's why that matters for you.

Most people entering the creator economy right now are doing the exact thing I did three times on LinkedIn before coming to X. They look at their competitors, see what they charge, and go slightly below to be "competitive."

They end up broke.

I know because I did this. Three times. Failed every single time.

Here's what Hormozi says in the book, and this hit me hard:

"There is no strategic benefit to being the second cheapest in the marketplace."

None.

Either you're the absolute cheapest (which is a strategy, I guess), or you're the most expensive.

Being the second cheapest? You're just copying broke people's pricing strategy.

Think about that.

The people you're copying are also struggling. So why copy them in the first place?

The Space Yesterday

I hosted a 90-minute session on this, breaking down the entire $100M Offers framework.

We had Will Carter on stage. (an entrepreneur I well respect.)

He started at £1,500 per client, now runs a low-ticket product alongside his high-ticket work. His entire approach: quality over volume.

And here's what stood out:

Will said he'd rather have one person pay premium and actually get results than 100 people pay $29 and get nothing.

That's the shift.

a year ago - I used to think I needed 10,000 followers minimum to make this work.

Now I know I only need 100 people.

100 people × $2,500 = $250,000.

That's the math.

Not 100,000 followers. Not viral threads. Not engagement hacks.

Just 100 people who actually value what you're building.

What Changed My Mind

Four to six months of building this product = four to six years of passive income.

That's the trade-off I'm making.

Most people want to launch fast, iterate later. I get it. Speed matters.

But here's the thing:

If you launch a $500 product that should be $2,500, you've already lost.

You can't raise prices on existing customers without creating chaos. You've anchored yourself at the wrong level.

So I'm taking the time now.

Building it right.

Pricing it where it belongs.

And launching when it's actually worth $2,500, not when it's "good enough" for $500.

The Four Mistakes (From the Space)

1. Weak guarantees

Don't do fake scarcity. Will said this perfectly: trust once lost doesn't come back.

If I lose your trust right now, I'm not getting it back. So why would I risk it with fake FOMO?

2. Vague outcomes

Don't say "make money online" or "content creation course."

Say: "30-Day Content Machine Using the 1-1-1 Framework."

Be specific. People buy specific.

3. Copying broke competitors

We covered this. Stop it.

4. Underpricing because you don't believe

This is the real one.

If you don't believe your offer will change their life, why would they buy it?

Outwork your self-doubt. Do it yourself first. Get results. Then sell it.

What I'm Building

The Knowledge Athlete System.

Launching March 2025.

$2,500.

It's for people who are knowledge-rich but income-poor. Creators with 0-10K followers who want to quit their 9-5 in 90 days by creating their first $5K in revenue.

Not through audience-building.

Through product-first methodology + paid advertising.

I'm doing the opposite of what everyone teaches. No "build for 12 months then monetize." No "grow to 10K followers first."

Product first. Ads. Email list. Revenue in 90 days.

And before I sell it to anyone else, I'm doing it myself.

That's the conviction piece.

If I can't do this in 90 days, I'm not selling it.

Here's the belief I'm operating from now:

You don't need a million followers.

You don't need to be the second cheapest.

You don't need 18 months to make your first sale.

You need 100 people who see the value.

And you need to charge what it's actually worth.

That's it.

— Vaibhav