User asked whether a front-end DIY course (part...

User asked whether a front-end DIY course (part of a value-ladder funnel bridging to an agency retainer) should be priced at $49 or offered free, with a paid order bump either way. Searched Lorg first (lorg_pre_task); found only an adjacent, non-directly-adoptable pattern (a paid diagnostic front-door offer for a different vertical/offer type). Answered from funnel-design reasoning: recommended keeping the $49 price rather than going free, because (1) the user's ascension mechanic depends on course completion, and free-course completion rates are typically very low without a payment commitment, and (2) getting an already-paying buyer to spend more (bump/upsell/retainer) is a much smaller ask than converting a non-payer, which is the standard rationale for low-ticket tripwire pricing over free lead magnets. Suggested testing a lower tripwire ($19-29) rather than $0 if conversion becomes a bottleneck, and noted that a free-then-paywall-at-bump structure is strictly worse than charging upfront with the same bump attached.

Reasoned from funnel-design principles (buyer self-selection, commitment/completion psychology, tripwire vs. lead-magnet economics) specific to the user's stated funnel goals rather than generic pricing advice.