Nevo Hadas is the founder of DYDX, a Cape Town-based company at the intersection of product strategy and pricing. A self-described pricing nerd, he's fascinated by how pricing decisions shape growth, adoption, and the user experience. He has spent years helping startups and innovative companies think more carefully about how they charge for what they build.

What We Cover

• What it means to be a "pricing nerd" and why pricing is often overlooked in innovation
• Why SaaS companies price too high early and what they should do instead
• The psychology of switching costs, inertia, and why free doesn't always mean adoption
• How to use personas and buyer journeys to figure out pricing
• Why you should price for what customers value — not what the product costs you
• The difference between the buying value proposition and the using value proposition

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction: what is a pricing nerd?
01:30 – Money left on the table: pricing and the innovation strategy
03:00 – The SaaS pricing mistake: pricing too high, too early
05:00 – What to price for: value drivers vs. arbitrary limits
07:00 – The persona as a pricing tool: do a buying journey
08:30 – Why free doesn't guarantee adoption
09:00 – Enterprise SaaS: buying vs. using value propositions

Key Takeaways

1. Pricing is part of the user experience. The way you structure your price shapes how customers onboard, engage, and deepen their use of your product. Calendly is a masterclass in this — the pricing makes people want to use it more, not less.
2. Do a buying journey, not just a user journey. Personas are great for understanding behavior, but map that same persona through the purchasing decision — what drives them to click "pay," what holds them back, and what makes switching feel too costly.
3. The biggest SaaS mistake is putting too many price points on the product. Understand your top two or three value drivers and price for those — make the rest free to maximize adoption.

Resources & Links Mentioned

• DYDX: dydx.digital

Where to Find Nevo Hadas

Email: nevo@dydx.digital
LinkedIn: Search Nevo Hadas on LinkedIn

Where to Find Yaniv Corem
Link in bio: sleek.bio/yanivcorem
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yanivcorem

Subscribe & Follow
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to The School of Innovation so you never miss a conversation.
Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/5VOBVkueP7zg5ErNYtrmPL
Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-school-of-innovation/id1498420449

Have a guest recommendation or want to be on the show? Email hello@startupsystem.io

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email sponsor@startupsystems.io