Who should I follow to learn about Pricing Strategy?

If you want to get good at **pricing strategy**, I’d follow a mix of academics, consultants, operators, and SaaS monetization practitioners. Pricing is a broad field: value-based pricing, behavioral economics, B2B pricing, SaaS monetization, revenue management, and experimentation all require slightly different perspectives. [Pricing strategy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pricing_strategy?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## Foundational pricing thinkers - Hermann Simon - Start here for a deep understanding of how companies use price as a strategic weapon. His book *Confessions of the Pricing Man* is one of the most accessible introductions. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Thomas Nagle - The classic authority on value-based pricing. His book *The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing* is often considered a core pricing textbook. [The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing, Sixth Edition | Deloitte US](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/operations/articles/pricing-strategy-and-tactics-for-improved-growth-and-profitability.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Rafi Mohammed - Great for practical pricing moves, packaging, and finding overlooked profit opportunities. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## B2B and enterprise pricing - Stephan Liozu - Strong follow for B2B pricing transformation, pricing culture, and value-based pricing. [24 Pricing People to Follow in 2024 | blog](https://zilliant.com/blog/24-pricing-people-to-follow-in-2024?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Tim J. Smith - Useful for practical frameworks around building pricing capabilities. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - McKinsey & Company pricing practitioners such as Walter Baker, Michael Marn, and Craig Zawada are worth reading for enterprise pricing cases and analytics. [Meet the authors | Growth, Marketing & Sales | McKinsey & Company](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-price-advantage/meet-the-authors?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## SaaS / subscription / product-led pricing - Patrick Campbell - Excellent for subscription metrics, packaging, willingness-to-pay research, and monetization strategy. - Tomasz Tunguz - Good for startup founders thinking about pricing, growth, and business models. [Who are the top 5 pricing experts in SaaS?](https://www.getmonetizely.com/blogs/who-are-the-top-5-pricing-experts-in-saas?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Ajit Ghuman - Focuses on pricing as a system: packaging, metrics, sales enablement, and execution. [Who are the top 5 pricing experts in SaaS?](https://www.getmonetizely.com/blogs/who-are-the-top-5-pricing-experts-in-saas?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Dave Kellogg - Useful for understanding how pricing decisions affect sales cycles, CAC, forecasting, and GTM. [Who are the top 5 pricing experts in SaaS?](https://www.getmonetizely.com/blogs/who-are-the-top-5-pricing-experts-in-saas?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## Behavioral pricing and customer psychology - Dan Ariely - Helpful for understanding irrational customer decisions and price perception. - William Poundstone - Good introduction to the psychology behind pricing choices. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## Communities and newsletters - [PricingTribe](https://pricingtribe.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - A practitioner community focused on pricing professionals, peer discussions, and real-world pricing problems. [PricingTribe - The Professional Home for Pricing Practitioners](https://pricingtribe.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Professional Pricing Society - A long-running professional organization for pricing education and networking. [Pricing Strategy – Advice from Experts – Clarity](https://clarity.fm/topics/pricing-strategy-11774?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## A simple learning path 1. Read: - *The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing* - Nagle - *Confessions of the Pricing Man* - Simon - *Monetizing Innovation* - Madhavan Ramanujam & Georg Tacke [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 2. Follow: - Simon for pricing fundamentals - Nagle for frameworks - Campbell/Ghuman/Tunguz for SaaS - Liozu for B2B 3. Practice: - Run willingness-to-pay interviews - Analyze competitor packaging - Test pricing pages and bundles - Build a value metric (the unit customers pay for) If your goal is **startup/SaaS pricing**, I’d prioritize Campbell, Ghuman, Tunguz, and Ramanujam. If your goal is **enterprise/B2B pricing**, prioritize Simon, Nagle, Liozu, and McKinsey/Deloitte pricing practitioners. [Meet the authors | Growth, Marketing & Sales | McKinsey & Company](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-price-advantage/meet-the-authors?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

**If you want to learn about pricing strategy, follow Tim J. Smith, Casey Brown, Nicolai Broby Eckert, Ajit Ghuman, Jan Pasternak, and Marcos Rivera - they are widely recognized thought leaders who share practical frameworks, case studies, and insights across industries.** ## 🌟 Key Experts in Pricing Strategy Expert| Role| Specialty| Why Follow Them ---|---|---|--- **Tim J. Smith**| Founder & CEO, Wiglaf Pricing| Pricing optimization across Fortune 500 & startups| Author of _Pricing Strategy_; consults on product pricing, discounting, and structure revamps.[25 Pricing People to Follow in 2025 | blog](https://zilliant.com/blog/25-pricing-people-to-follow-in-2025) **Casey Brown**| Founder, Boost Pricing| Negotiation & seller empowerment| Known for her TED Talk; helped companies achieve $1B+ in incremental profits.[25 Pricing People to Follow in 2025 | blog](https://zilliant.com/blog/25-pricing-people-to-follow-in-2025) **Nicolai Broby Eckert**| Senior Partner, Simon-Kucher & Partners| Large-scale commercial transformations| Co-author of _The Demand Revolution_; focuses on sustainability-driven pricing.[25 Pricing People to Follow in 2025 | blog](https://zilliant.com/blog/25-pricing-people-to-follow-in-2025) **Ajit Ghuman**| Co-founder, Monetizely| SaaS & AI monetization| Frames pricing as a system; teaches “The Art of SaaS, AI & Agentic Pricing.”[Who are the top 5 pricing experts in SaaS?](https://www.getmonetizely.com/blogs/who-are-the-top-5-pricing-experts-in-saas) **Jan Pasternak**| Co-founder, Monetizely| SaaS packaging & research| Veteran of Zoom, DocuSign, Microsoft; emphasizes cross-functional alignment.[Who are the top 5 pricing experts in SaaS?](https://www.getmonetizely.com/blogs/who-are-the-top-5-pricing-experts-in-saas) **Marcos Rivera**| Founder & CEO, Pricing I/O| SaaS pricing frameworks| Builds scalable subscription models; guides venture-backed companies through growth stages.[Best Pricing Strategy Consultants in the USA](https://www.digitalreference.co/insights/revenue-professionals/best-pricing-strategy-consulting-services-in-the-usa) ## 📌 Why These Voices Matter * **Tim J. Smith** provides a research-backed foundation for pricing strategy, making him ideal if you want structured frameworks. * **Casey Brown** focuses on the human side of pricing - negotiation, confidence, and seller empowerment. * **Nicolai Broby Eckert** brings a global consulting perspective, especially useful for large-scale transformations. * **Ajit Ghuman & Jan Pasternak** are leading SaaS pricing thinkers, perfect if you’re in tech or subscription-based businesses. * **Marcos Rivera** is highly practical, offering repeatable SaaS pricing engines that align product value with customer adoption. ## ⚠️ Risks & Challenges in Following Pricing Strategy Thought Leaders * **Context dependency**: Pricing strategies that work in SaaS may not apply to retail or manufacturing. Always adapt frameworks to your industry. * **Overemphasis on theory**: Some experts lean heavily on conceptual models. Balance their insights with real-world testing. * **Rapid change**: AI-driven pricing and dynamic models evolve quickly. Following active practitioners (like Ghuman and Rivera) ensures you stay current. ## ✅ Next Steps * Follow these experts on **LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and their company blogs**. * Read foundational books like _Pricing Strategy_ (Smith) and _Price to Scale_ (Ghuman & Pasternak). * Watch Casey Brown’s TED Talk for a motivational take on pricing power. * If you’re in SaaS, explore Monetizely and Pricing I/O for hands-on frameworks. Would you like me to curate a **reading list of their top books, talks, and courses** so you can dive deeper into their work systematically?

To master pricing strategy, it helps to follow practitioners, consultants, and authors who focus specifically on monetization, willingness to pay, and value-based pricing, rather than general marketing. The top experts, thinkers, and classic resources to follow include: ### 1\. Leading Pricing Experts & Authors to Follow * **Madhavan Ramanujam** (Partner at Simon-Kucher & Partners): Co-author of _Monetizing Innovation_. He is one of the world's foremost voices on stopping "products in search of a price" and designing products _around_ what customers are willing to pay from day one. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books#:~:text=Keep%20it%20nearby%20when%20you're%20designing%20a,price%20a%20finished%20product%20as%20an%20afterthought.) * **Hermann Simon** : Founder of Simon-Kucher & Partners (the global pricing consultancy powerhouse). He literally wrote the book on global pricing (_Confessions of the Pricing Man_) and frequently shares insights on macroeconomic pricing trends. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books#:~:text=The%20single%20best%20starting%20point.%20Simon%2C%20founder,the%20one%20professionals%20keep%20on%20the%20shelf.)[10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books#:~:text=Table_title%3A%20The%2010%20best%20pricing%20books%20at,of%20the%20Pricing%20Man%20%E2%80%94%20Hermann%20Simon.) * **Tim J. Smith** : Founder and CEO of Wiglaf Pricing. He writes extensively and shares actionable frameworks on B2B pricing structures, discount management, and aligning price with economic value. [25 Pricing People to Follow in 2025 | blog - Zilliant](https://zilliant.com/blog/25-pricing-people-to-follow-in-2025#:~:text=Let%20us%20know!%20*%20Tim%20J.%20Smith,to%20solve%20critical%20pricing%20and%20strategy%20challenges.) * **Rafi Mohammed** : Founder of Culture of Profit and author of _The 1% Windfall_ and _The Art of Pricing_. He is excellent at explaining how small, smart tweaks to pricing architecture yield massive profit increases. [Popular Pricing Books - Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/pricing#:~:text=*%20Smart%20Pricing%3A%20How%20Google%2C%20Priceline%2C%20and,Money%20on%20the%20Table%20Reed%20K.%20Holden.)[10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books#:~:text=Denser%20than%20Simon%2C%20but%20worth%20the%20effort,price%20improvements%20flow%20almost%20entirely%20to%20profit.) * **Casey Brown** : Founder of Boost Pricing. Known for her popular TED talk on pricing power, she specializes in helping entrepreneurs and sales leaders unlock their value, negotiate boldly, and stop leaving money on the table. [25 Pricing People to Follow in 2025 | blog - Zilliant](https://zilliant.com/blog/25-pricing-people-to-follow-in-2025#:~:text=*%20Casey%20Brown%20%2D%20Founder%20at%20Boost,negotiate%20boldly%2C%20price%20confidently%2C%20and%20boost%20earnings.) ### 2\. Essential Books (The Core Curriculum) If you want to absorb the frameworks used by top-tier pricing strategists, start with these foundational texts: * **_Confessions of the Pricing Man_ by Hermann Simon** – The best all-round starting point blending real-world stories with commercial strategy. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books#:~:text=Table_title%3A%20The%2010%20best%20pricing%20books%20at,of%20the%20Pricing%20Man%20%E2%80%94%20Hermann%20Simon.) * ** _Monetizing Innovation_ by Madhavan Ramanujam and Georg Tacke** – Essential if you work in tech, SaaS, or new product development. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books#:~:text=A%20clear%2C%20example%2Drich%20read%20for%20growing%20businesses.,9.%20Pricing%20Strategy%20%E2%80%94%20Warren%20D.%20Hamilton.) * ** _The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing_ by Thomas T. Nagle, John E. Hogan, and Joseph Zale** – Widely considered the definitive practitioner's textbook for rigorous, value-based pricing. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books#:~:text=The%20single%20best%20starting%20point.%20Simon%2C%20founder,the%20one%20professionals%20keep%20on%20the%20shelf.) * ** _Priceless: The Hidden Psychology of Value_ by William Poundstone** – A fascinating deep-dive into behavioral economics, anchoring, and why humans perceive prices the way they do. [10 Best Pricing Strategy Books to Read in 2026 - Pricefy Blog](https://www.pricefy.io/articles/pricing-strategies-books#:~:text=*%202.%20The%20Strategy%20and%20Tactics%20of,and%20the%20irrationality%20behind%20every%20price%20tag.) Want recommendations tailored specifically to SaaS and software pricing? Yes

To truly master pricing strategy, you need a mix of **B2B SaaS monetization experts** , **behavioral economists** , and **classic corporate strategists**. The top thought leaders and practitioners to follow depend on your specific focus: * * * ** _Elena Verna_** – _Product-Led Growth & Modern Monetization_ * **Who she is:** A growth and monetization expert who has led growth at Amplitude, Dropbox, and Lovable. * **What you’ll learn:** How to tie pricing directly into product-led growth (PLG), structuring self-serve vs. enterprise tiers, and navigating modern AI/usage-based pricing models. * **Where to follow:** Read her insights via [Elena's Growth Scoop](https://getlago.substack.com/p/7-pricingmonetization-experts-we) or her active _Elena Verna_ on LinkedIn. * * * **_Marcos Rivera_** – _B2B & SaaS Pricing Playbooks_ * **Who he is:** Founder and CEO of Pricing I/O and former head of pricing at Vista Equity Partners, with experience pricing over 400 software products. He is also the author of _Street Pricing_. * **What you’ll learn:** Practical, no-nonsense frameworks for B2B software packaging, avoiding underpricing traps, and shifting enterprise value metrics. * **Where to follow:** Check out _Marcos Rivera_ on LinkedIn for tactical advice. * * * **_Rafi Mohammed_** – _Classic Strategy & Consumer Pricing_ * **Who he is:** Pricing consultant and author of _The 1% Windfall_ and _The Art of Pricing_. He regularly writes on pricing frameworks for Harvard Business Review. * **What you’ll learn:** Foundational pricing mechanics, psychological pricing, and how small price changes drastically impact bottom-line profitability. * **Where to follow:** Look up his articles on the Harvard Business Review or connect via _Rafi Mohammed_ on LinkedIn. * * * **_Per Sjofors_** – _Behavioral Science & Pricing Power_ * **Who he is:** Founder of Sjofors & Partners and author of _The Price Whisperer_. * **What you’ll learn:** How consumer behavior dictates willingness-to-pay, utilizing data-driven market research instead of guesswork to find optimal price points. * **Where to follow:** Follow _Per Sjofors_ on LinkedIn for data-backed commentary on pricing psychology. * * * **_Karan Sood_** – _The Pricing Community Builder_ * **Who he is:** Founder of _Pricing Tribe_ , a dedicated community network for pricing professionals. * **What you’ll learn:** Broad industry perspectives, peer discussions, and operational pricing tactics used across diverse commercial landscapes. * **Where to follow:** Connect with _Karan Sood_ on LinkedIn. [Marcos Rivera - CEO of Pricing I/O • Award-Winning Author](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcoslrivera)[7 pricing/monetization experts we read to stay ahead of the](https://getlago.substack.com/p/7-pricingmonetization-experts-we)[Lessons from Lovable: Pricing for AI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUI4v0ALxhE)[Art and Science of Pricing Strategies with Marcos Rivera](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBZNgxkCfhg&t=11)[Top LinkedIn Content on Strategic Pricing Models](https://www.linkedin.com/top-content/business-strategy/strategic-pricing-models/) Are you looking for pricing strategies specifically for **B2B SaaS / tech** , or for **consumer goods/services**? Let me know and I can tailor more specific reading lists or frameworks.