Prompt Decision Framework – Six Thinking Hats

**SIX THINKING HATS ANALYSIS: Pivoting from B2C to B2B SaaS Model** --- 🎩 **WHITE HAT (Facts & Data)** **What we know:** - Current B2C model: 12,000 users, 8% paid conversion ($9.99/month), $11.5k MRR - User research: 32% of power users are using our tool for their business, not personal use - B2B comparable: Competitors charge $99-299/month per company, average 15 seats = $1,485-4,485/month per customer - Churn: B2C churn is 12%/month; competitor B2B churn is 3-5%/month - CAC: Current B2C CAC is $45 (paid ads); estimated B2B CAC would be $800-1,200 (outbound sales) **What we're missing:** - Will existing B2C users convert to B2B pricing? (Risk of losing 68% who use personally) - Development effort to build team features, admin dashboards, SSO, integrations - Sales team cost: Need 1-2 AEs at $120k each + commission --- 🎩 **YELLOW HAT (Benefits & Opportunities)** **Why this could work:** - **10x revenue per customer**: B2B customers pay $99-299/month (10-30x vs $9.99 B2C) - **Lower churn = predictable revenue**: B2B annual contracts vs monthly B2C subscriptions - **Easier to scale**: 100 B2B customers = $150k MRR vs needing 15,000 B2C users for same revenue - **Validating signal**: 32% already using for business = product-market fit exists for B2B - **VC-friendly**: B2B SaaS is more attractive for fundraising than consumer subscription - **Expansion revenue**: Can upsell features, seats, integrations (B2C has limited upsell) --- 🎩 **BLACK HAT (Risks & Cautions)** **What could go wrong:** - **Alienate existing B2C base**: 68% of users are personal users who won't pay $99/month. Could lose $7.8k of $11.5k MRR (68% of revenue) - **Development distraction**: Building enterprise features (SSO, admin controls, integrations) could take 6-9 months, slowing core product iteration - **Longer sales cycles**: B2C converts in 1-2 weeks; B2B can take 3-6 months from demo to close - **Need sales expertise**: Founders have no B2B sales experience. Hiring VP of Sales at $180k is expensive and risky - **Competitor head start**: B2B competitors have 2-3 year lead, established brand, enterprise features we lack - **Cash burn**: Higher CAC ($1k vs $45) means need more capital to scale. Could run out of runway before finding PMF. --- 🎩 **RED HAT (Gut Feelings & Emotions)** **Emotional reactions to explore:** - **Founder excitement**: Team is TIRED of small B2C transactions and support tickets from casual users. B2B feels more "serious" and prestigious. - **Fear of missing out**: Seeing competitors raise Series A for B2B model triggers FOMO. Are we leaving money on the table? - **Imposter syndrome**: "Can we really sell to enterprises? We're a small team without sales experience." - **Guilt about existing users**: Personal users love our product. Feels wrong to abandon them for bigger checks. - **Energizing vs draining**: Which model excites the team more? Serving 100 businesses or 100,000 individuals? **Gut check:** If this decision feels like "chasing money" vs "serving users better," that's a red flag. But if it feels like "unlocking our true potential," that's a green light. --- 🎩 **GREEN HAT (Creative Alternatives)** **What if we don't have to choose?** **Alternative 1: Hybrid Model (Freemium B2C + Premium B2B)** - Keep free tier for personal users (retain brand love, word-of-mouth) - Launch "Pro" tier at $29/month for power users (bridge between B2C and B2B) - Launch "Business" tier at $99/month for teams with business features - Result: Don't alienate existing base while testing B2B waters **Alternative 2: B2B-First, B2C Maintenance Mode** - Freeze B2C feature development (maintenance only) - Focus 100% of roadmap on B2B features for 12 months - Grandfather existing B2C users at $9.99 forever (goodwill) - New signups only get B2B pricing - Result: Clear focus, retain existing revenue, avoid alienation **Alternative 3: Vertical-Specific B2B** - Don't go broad B2B. Pick ONE vertical where we have traction (e.g., marketing agencies) - Build features specifically for that vertical (client reporting, white-label, agency tools) - Become #1 solution for agencies, then expand to other verticals - Result: Easier to win category, clearer positioning vs horizontal competitors **Alternative 4: Usage-Based Pricing** - Neither B2C nor seat-based B2B. Charge based on usage (API calls, projects, outputs). - Scales naturally: Personal users pay little, businesses pay a lot based on volume - Result: One product, one pricing model that serves both audiences --- 🎩 **BLUE HAT (Process & Synthesis)** **Summary of analysis:** - WHITE HAT shows B2B has 10x revenue potential but requires investment in sales + development - YELLOW HAT highlights predictable revenue, VC attractiveness, scalability - BLACK HAT warns of alienating existing users, long sales cycles, cash burn risk - RED HAT reveals founder excitement for B2B but guilt about abandoning loyal B2C users - GREEN HAT offers hybrid solutions that avoid forced choice **Recommendation: Hybrid Model (Alternative 1) with 6-Month Experiment** **Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Validate B2B demand** - Launch simple "Business" tier at $99/month with minimal new features (just team seats + priority support) - Run outbound campaign to 32% of users already using for business: "Upgrade to Business plan for team features" - Target: Convert 50 businesses (= $5k MRR) to validate willingness to pay **Phase 2 (Months 4-6): Build if validated** - If 50+ businesses convert, invest in B2B features (SSO, admin, integrations) - If <20 convert, stick with B2C and optimize for scale - Kill switch: Don't hire sales team or build enterprise features until validation **Phase 3 (Months 7-12): Scale what works** - If B2B is working: Hire sales rep, double down on roadmap - If B2C is working: Invest in growth marketing, international expansion **Why this approach:** - ✅ De-risks decision with 3-month validation experiment - ✅ Doesn't alienate existing users (they keep their $9.99 plan) - ✅ Low upfront investment ($0 to test willingness to pay) - ✅ Data-driven decision point at Month 3 **Next Actions:** 1. Create "Business" tier pricing page this week 2. Email 3,840 business users (32% of 12k) with upgrade offer 3. Book 20 sales calls to understand B2B needs 4. Decision meeting in 3 months: Pivot fully to B2B or stay B2C-focused **Confidence: 80%** - Hybrid approach reduces risk while maintaining optionality.