Products are definitely tricky because there really is no way to scale a purely output based pricing strategy. This is another case of the collision between value to the purchaser and and market pressures as well. One of the reasons (if not the main reason) that those ridiculously long “long-copy” pages selling information products are proven to be successful is that they spend a lot of time shifting focus from “another product” to the potential value.

With all products, input-output calculation attempts break down rapidly because there is no reliable way to divide the manufacturing/production costs across the number of units sold until the units sold is known. If we’re talking about eBooks in particular, analyzing inputs breaks down almost completely because the input is brainwaves and the output is electrons. This is kind of a good thing because we’re forced to think about value rather than inputs.

You’re right though, there isn’t really a way to avoid averaging value over a range of customers where products are concerned.

One place we benefit from non-value-based pricing as consumers is with traditional books. There are a few established tiers that are based on the type of book or construction materials. The tiers have zero relationship to value. Good for consumers, bad for authors delivering highly valuable information.

When you say, “whatever the case it’s paying the bills”, you’re stuck in the wage slave mindset. That’s fine if paying bills is the ultimate goal, but…

But um… It might be in your best interest to not exclude Ara, Sarah, and Brandy from the girl category.

Now that you mention it… I am kinda thirsty…