In the world of SaaS, pricing can feel like a dangerous lever to pull. But as Tomas “Tlo” Lorinc—Head of Monetization at Temporal and veteran of Auth0, Okta, and DigitalOcean—argues in this insightful episode of Unpack Pricing, avoiding pricing changes is the real risk. Pricing isn't a set-it-and-forget-it discipline; it’s a core part of your product strategy, and it needs to evolve with your company.

Here are the key lessons from the Tlo’s conversation with Metronome CEO Scott Woody that will help any pricing leader, product marketer, or founder level up their monetization strategy.

Pricing isn’t a science—it’s a practice

Companies often freeze up when faced with pricing decisions, mistaking them for irreversible bets. But pricing is an ongoing craft, not a one-time formula. Tlo emphasizes that the best companies treat pricing like product: they iterate.

Action item: Start viewing pricing as a dynamic product feature. Build the muscle through regular, low-risk experimentation—not just big-bang changes.

Start small: Use sales reps to test pricing in the field

Tlo recommends leveraging trusted account executives (AEs) to beta test pricing models—especially useful in enterprise sales where A/B testing is harder.

A real example from Auth0: they tested an “unlimited enterprise connections” SKU privately, which quickly accounted for 80% of deals from test reps. It was an obvious winner.

Action item: Start by testing with sales—create SKUs or credits with defined scope and expiration. Focus on high-trust reps who can provide candid feedback.

Use packaging to discover and serve market segments

Packaging isn’t just about monetization—it’s also a segmentation tool. At Auth0, Tlo led a shift from a monolithic model to differentiated B2B vs. B2C offerings, even though it added visual complexity.

Other B2B SaaS leaders do the same: OpenAI, DocuSign, Webflow, and SurveyMonkey segment by team size, industry, or use case.

Action item: If your product serves multiple personas or industries, don't force one-size-fits-all. Segment through packaging, but anchor it in consistent logic (e.g. value metric, usage tier).

Trust is the foundation of pricing alignment

When experimenting with pricing, trust matters—between product, sales, marketing, and leadership.

Tlo noted that the pricing council is there to make decisions, not just to share updates. To make pricing councils as effective as possible, he advises:

• Only meet when needed, not on a monthly cadence.
• Pre-align stakeholders before the meeting.
• Ensure someone owns the final decision when consensus isn’t possible. Oftentimes, this is the CEO, but it may depend on your organization.

Action item: Create structure, but don’t bury decision-making in bureaucracy. Pricing changes require organizational confidence. 

Consistency beats simplicity when scaling

As products grow more complex, so too does pricing. The trick isn’t to oversimplify—but to stay consistent.

Tlo draws analogies to car manufacturers (think Toyota, with 35+ SUV trims) and HubSpot’s investor decks: both show the value of clear, scalable pricing tiers across different product lines.Action item: Keep adding products and plans—but harmonize the experience. Align tiers, metrics, and go-to-market motions for coherence.

Final word: Pricing is identity

This insight is a powerful reminder: pricing isn’t just economics. It signals who you are, who you serve, and how you grow. The best teams treat it as such—intentional, iterative, and aligned to strategy.

🎧 Listen to Tlo and Scott’s full discussion on Episode 7 of Unpack Pricing

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