Loss Leaders

What's in this model

Drivers (9)

Loss Leader PriceLoss Leader COGSLoss Leader VolumeProduct 1 PriceProduct 1 COGSProduct 1 VolumeProduct 2 PriceProduct 2 COGSProduct 2 Volume

Key results (10)

Loss Leader ProfitProduct 1 ProfitProduct 2 ProfitGross ProfitLoss Leader Profit MarginProduct 1 Profit MarginProduct 2 Profit MarginGross Profit MarginProduct 1 CoverageProduct 2 Coverage

Knowing your product margins should be your first priority to understand your business. This allows you to be intentional about pricing. Businesses have failed because they didn't charge enough to cover the cost of fulfillment. However, some have thrived by purposely making this decision. As long as the volume of this "loss leader" product can be covered by the volume of other profitable products/services. Understand where that coverage tipping point is among your product offerings, and adjust if you ever find yourself on the wrong side.

Other Paths

Unit Economics

Sales solve all problems. As long as your Unit Economics are aligned. Some business models have more complexity when calculating the Contribution Margin of each incremental sale. This model shows the fundamentals behind this critical calculation. Beware. Price your product or service too low, and no amount of customers will fix your business.

Updated Apr 29, 2026

Tiered Usage Pricing

In the range of pricing models, tiered pricing sits closer to being aligned with the customer than flat pricing. This is because the customer gets to benefit from economics of scale. The more they use the product, the cheaper their cost-per-usage. Tiered usage pricing is a common pricing model in software. In many cases, the Tier 1 Price is FREE, with higher tiers combining a fixed monthly fee alongside the additional usage pricing. If you decide to implement tiered usage pricing in your business, anchor the tier limits to median customer usage and the tier prices to your target gross margins.

Updated Apr 29, 2026

Balance Sheet Ratios

When measuring the financial health of a business, Balance Sheet ratios sit closer to be lagging indicators than P&L ratios. This is because they reflect the consequences of operational decisions — how revenue is collected, how inventory is managed, how the business is financed — rather than the decisions themselves These ratios are a standard part of financial analysis in any capital-intensive or credit-sensitive business. In many cases, the most scrutinized ratios are the liquidity ones ( Current and Quick Ratio) because lenders and counterparties use them to assess default risk before extending credit or trade terms. If you're monitoring balance sheet ratios in your business, anchor your working capital assumptions (Days Sales Outstanding, Days Inventory Outstanding, and Days Payable Outstanding) to actual collections and payment data rather than contract terms. Also track Return On Assets and Return On Equity together: a rising ROE driven by leverage rather than improving ROA is a warning sign, not a win.

Updated Aug 11, 2026

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