v1.0.0 to v1.1.0

---

name: revenue-centric-design

description: >-

Revenue-Centric Design (RCD) — evidence-backed principles for making a SaaS or

startup product convert, retain, and monetize. Use when the user works on a

landing page or CRO ("my page isn't converting"), onboarding/activation ("users

sign up but don't stick"), churn/retention ("customers keep canceling"),

pricing/monetization ("how should I price this"), positioning/ICP/go-to-market,

feature scope, A/B-test rigor, or AI-era differentiation — or asks for the

behavioral-science mechanism behind a design choice. Also use when another

skill needs the principle or evidence behind a conversion/retention/pricing

move. Never apply to gambling, betting, or casino products.

metadata:

authors:

- name: Richard (@richardrx)

role: original content (101 principles)

url: https://x.com/richardrx

- name: Helio Costa (@heliocosta-dev)

role: original skill (extraction, translation, structure)

url: https://github.com/heliocosta-dev/revenue-centric-design

- name: ft.ia.br (@fabricioctelles)

role: evolution (audit template, scripts, hooks, project log, gotchas)

url: https://ft.ia.br

repository: https://github.com/fabricioctelles/skills

license: Source-available (see LICENSE)

category: runbooks

---

# Revenue-Centric Design

101 principles distilled, with the author's permission, from product designer

**Richard ([@richardrx](https://x.com/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:

| Event | Matcher | Command |

|-------|---------|---------|

| Before processing user prompt | `*` (all) | `python3 <skill_dir>/scripts/check_usage_boundary.py` |

| Before writing/editing a file | `Write\|Edit` | `python3 <skill_dir>/scripts/check_usage_boundary.py` |

- `<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](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

| When the question is about… | Open |

| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| Landing pages, hero/copy, CTAs, social proof, awareness levels, CRO | [conversion-and-landing-pages](references/conversion-and-landing-pages.md) |

| First-run, empty states, aha moment, TTV, activation, trial-as-onboarding | [onboarding-and-activation](references/onboarding-and-activation.md) |

| Cancellation, retention, expectation debt, NRR, jobs-to-be-done, support load | [churn-and-retention](references/churn-and-retention.md) |

| Pricing tables, decoy/anchoring, GBB, trial-with-card, upgrade paths | [pricing-and-monetization](references/pricing-and-monetization.md) |

| Cognitive biases & persuasion tactics (cross-cutting toolkit) | [behavioral-science-toolkit](references/behavioral-science-toolkit.md) |

| Feature scope, Swiss Knife Index, feature adoption, attention hierarchy | [product-strategy-and-features](references/product-strategy-and-features.md) |

| Design philosophy, the RCD principles, design process & method | [revenue-centric-design](references/revenue-centric-design.md) |

| ICP, niche, founder-fit, distribution, PLG, Bullseye, first customers | [positioning-icp-and-gtm](references/positioning-icp-and-gtm.md) |

| Differentiating in the AI era, moats, commoditization | [ai-era-differentiation](references/ai-era-differentiation.md) |

| A/B testing rigor, vanity metrics, churn→LTV math, signal quality | [metrics-and-experimentation](references/metrics-and-experimentation.md) |

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](https://github.com/coreyhaines31/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](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](https://github.com/heliocosta-dev/revenue-centric-design),

restructured and extended here (gotchas, audit template, revenue-math script, project log).