Lesson 3. Pricing: What to Charge

Lesson 3. Pricing: What to Charge#

Goal: learn to properly value your services and set prices.

Pricing Models#

1. Hourly rate

Client pays for each hour of work.

Pros:

• fair (they pay for actual time)
• suitable for undefined tasks

Cons:

• time = money (the faster you work, the less you earn)
• client monitors every hour (pressure)

When to use:
For small enhancements, consultations, tasks with unclear scope.

Typical rates (Russia, 2026):

• Beginner: 1,000–2,000 ₽/hour
• Mid-level: 2,000–5,000 ₽/hour
• Expert: 5,000–10,000 ₽/hour

2. Fixed project price

Client pays a fixed amount for the entire project.

Pros:

• client knows the price upfront (easier to sell)
• you can earn more if you work fast

Cons:

• risk of underestimating scope (if the task is harder than it seemed)

When to use:
For typical tasks when the scope is clear.

Typical prices (Russia, 2026):

3. Value-based pricing

You estimate how much the client will save / earn thanks to the agent and take a percentage of that value.

Example:

• agent automates support and saves the client 200,000 ₽/month (salary of 2 operators)
• you take 20% of annual savings: 200,000 × 12 × 0.2 = 480,000 ₽

Pros:

• fair (client pays for results, not time)
• you can earn more (if the value is high)

Cons:

• harder to justify (need to show the value calculation)
• not suitable if the value is unclear

When to use:
For tasks with measurable impact (savings on operators, conversion growth, automation of repetitive tasks).

4. Subscription (monthly fee)

Client pays monthly for support, updates, enhancements.

Typical prices (Russia, 2026):

• Basic support (monitoring, bug fixes): 10,000–30,000 ₽/month
• Extended support (+ enhancements, consulting): 30,000–100,000 ₽/month
• Premium (priority support, dedicated specialist): 100,000–300,000 ₽/month

How to Calculate Price#

Step 1. Estimate work time

• how many hours the project will take (realistically, with buffer)
• multiply by your hourly rate
• this is the minimum price (below which it's not worth working)

Example:

• project will take 20 hours
• your rate: 3,000 ₽/hour
• minimum price: 20 × 3,000 = 60,000 ₽

Step 2. Estimate value for the client

• how much the client will save / earn thanks to the agent
• this is the maximum price (above which the client won't buy)

Example:

• agent saves the client 100,000 ₽/month (support automation)
• annual savings: 1,200,000 ₽
• maximum price: ~20–30% of annual savings = 240,000–360,000 ₽

Step 3. Set price between minimum and maximum

• minimum: 60,000 ₽ (your time)
• maximum: 240,000–360,000 ₽ (value for client)
• fair price: 120,000–180,000 ₽ (middle of the range)

Step 4. Check the market

• see what competitors charge for similar tasks
• if your price is much higher → justify (USP, expertise, guarantees)
• if your price is much lower → you may be undervaluing yourself

Common Pricing Mistakes#

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