The Fear of Raising Prices
Maarten Laruelle Every founder I work with has this fear. Every one. “If I raise prices, I’ll lose customers.”
My honest answer: keep your pants on.
The customers you might lose
Think about the customers who are most price-sensitive. The ones who negotiated the hardest, who always push back, who take up the most support time.
They were price-sensitive from day one. Heavy on support. Creating drag in your organisation. They’re often the customers holding you back from serving your best customers well.
The math works in your favour
Here’s what I’ve seen time and again: you might lose 5% of your customer base. But you can often raise prices 40% or more.
Do the math. You end up ahead. Not just in revenue — in margin, in focus, in the quality of your customer base.
A healthier customer base
After a price increase, something shifts. The customers who stay are the ones who actually value what you build. They’re easier to serve. They churn less. They refer more.
The fear is natural. But the outcome is almost always better than founders expect. The trick is to have the right conversation — leading with value, not apologising for the number.
Ready to model what a price increase would look like for your business? Let’s run the numbers.