
Chris Mele
Managing Partner at Software Pricing Partners
Sean’s first software gig took 13 years. It should have taken half of that time yet that shows his determination. We spent a lot of time learning things the hard way. We had turned everything into discipline except for one seemingly small thing: pricing. This oversight lost us critical deals, slowed our growth and created unnecessary friction.
Software Pricing Partners has revenue upwards of $13 Million.
- Millionaire Maker
- Computer Software
- Entrepreneur
- Software licensing
- B2B Software Companies
- 📍Cornelius, NC
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Let's talk about
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Running a software company, anything related to pricing, and how to be pragmatic (not academic) -- and also how to sell!
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How to sell software big and small.
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My first software gig took 13 years. It should have taken half of that time. We spent a lot of time learning things the hard way. We had turned everything into discipline except for one seemingly small thing: pricing. This oversight lost us critical deals, slowed our growth and created unnecessary friction.
Then I met the team at Software Pricing Partners and learned the art and the science around software monetization--it would forever change my perspective on what it really means to run a profitable and successful software company.
I'm very lucky that my day job as Managing Director at Software Pricing Partners allows me to meet incredibly talented and passionate leaders of today's emerging, high growth & enterprise software companies. We are privileged to help these leaders maximize their valuations, revenues and profitability: not just with powerpoint slides or pie charts, but with a proven process that helps our customers successfully roll out--and monitor the effectiveness of--advanced monetization strategies.
Getting paid fairly for the value you deliver takes a carefully crafted strategy and approach, alongside an easy story that salespeople and prospects can understand and get behind. Fail on either of those fronts and market progress can become a friction-filled nightmare.
But if you succeed on both fronts, you'll realize your full growth potential and achieve the ultimate valuation you desire.

BOOK NOW FOR your podcast
Chris Mele
Managing Partner at Software Pricing Partners
- Entrepreneur
- Software Pricing
- SaaS
- 📍Cornelius, NC
Software Pricing Partners helps B2B software companies develop innovative pricing strategies that delight customers (and frustrate competitors) while minimizing risk at every stage of the pricing process.
Chris leads a team comprised of former software executives and monetization experts. His personal audience on social media is comprised of over 3K software executives in the C-suite at many of the most successful software companies in the world. His combined audience and reach through these companies is over half a million software employees that spread across product management, product marketing, customer support, customer success, operations, sales, finance and legal.
For a sampling of Software Pricing Partners clientele, visit softwarepricing.com/portfolio
Chris will share podcast content with his audience as part of Software Pricing Partners’ overall digital marketing strategy.
read more
Let's talk about
- Building and running a successful SaaS company,
- Software Monetization (licensing, packaging, pricing).
- The art and science of rolling out pricing changes.
- The pitfalls of academic-only approaches to pricing.
- Selling software—from small mom & pop sales (SMB) to large enterprise software sales measured in the hundreds of millions.
__
As CEO and cofounder of my first software gig, we made the biggest mistake of all: giving away too much value for the price we were commanding for our software. We had had developed a discipline around everything but one seemingly small thing: pricing. This oversight lost us critical deals, slowed our growth, and created unnecessary friction in our sales process.
This was the point at which I hired the team at Software Pricing Partners to help us get pricing on track. Through this engagement, Ilearned the art and science of software monetization—and the risks & challenges of rolling out pricing changes. This experience forever changed my perspective on what it really means to run a profitable and successful software company.
I'm very lucky that my day job as Managing Director at Software Pricing Partners allows me to meet incredibly talented and passionate leaders of today's emerging high growth and enterprise software companies. We are privileged to help these leaders maximize their valuations, revenues, and profitability: not just with powerpoint slides, surveys, or pie charts, but with a proven process that helps our customers learn how to successfully roll out--and monitor the effectiveness of--their monetization strategy.
Getting paid fairly for the value you deliver takes a carefully crafted strategy and approach, alongside an easily-told story that salespeople and prospects can understand and get behind. Fail on either of those fronts and market progress can become a friction-filled nightmare.The good news is that if you succeed on both of these fronts, you can realize your full growth potential and achieve the ultimate valuation you desire.
BOOK NOW FOR your podcast
Chris Mele
Managing Partner at Software Pricing Partners
-
Charlotte, NC
- Former SaaS CEO
- Entrepreneur
- Software Monetization
- SaaS
Software Pricing Partners helps B2B software companies develop innovative pricing strategies that delight customers (and frustrate competitors) while minimizing risk at every stage of the pricing process.
Chris leads a team comprised of former software executives and monetization experts. His personal audience on social media is comprised of over 3K software executives in the C-suite at many of the most successful software companies in the world. His combined audience and reach through these companies is over half a million software employees that spread across product management, product marketing, customer support, customer success, operations, sales, finance and legal.
For a sampling of Software Pricing Partners clientele, visit softwarepricing.com/portfolio
Chris will share podcast content with his audience as part of Software Pricing Partners’ overall digital marketing strategy.
read more
Let's talk about
- Building and running a successful SaaS company,
- Software Monetization (licensing, packaging, pricing).
- The art and science of rolling out pricing changes.
- The pitfalls of academic-only approaches to pricing.
- Selling software—from small mom & pop sales (SMB) to large enterprise software sales measured in the hundreds of millions.
__
As CEO and cofounder of my first software gig, we made the biggest mistake of all: giving away too much value for the price we were commanding for our software. We had had developed a discipline around everything but one seemingly small thing: pricing. This oversight lost us critical deals, slowed our growth, and created unnecessary friction in our sales process.
This was the point at which I hired the team at Software Pricing Partners to help us get pricing on track. Through this engagement, Ilearned the art and science of software monetization—and the risks & challenges of rolling out pricing changes. This experience forever changed my perspective on what it really means to run a profitable and successful software company.
I'm very lucky that my day job as Managing Director at Software Pricing Partners allows me to meet incredibly talented and passionate leaders of today's emerging high growth and enterprise software companies. We are privileged to help these leaders maximize their valuations, revenues, and profitability: not just with powerpoint slides, surveys, or pie charts, but with a proven process that helps our customers learn how to successfully roll out--and monitor the effectiveness of--their monetization strategy.
Getting paid fairly for the value you deliver takes a carefully crafted strategy and approach, alongside an easily-told story that salespeople and prospects can understand and get behind. Fail on either of those fronts and market progress can become a friction-filled nightmare.The good news is that if you succeed on both of these fronts, you can realize your full growth potential and achieve the ultimate valuation you desire.
As seen on
Timeline
Jan 2014 – Present
Software Pricing Partners – Managing Partner
We do one thing: help software companies out maneuver competitors by exposing and applying more strategic approaches to monetization. This singular focus has inspired the most advanced monetization methodology in the B2B software industry, and delivers to our clients more top-line growth, better profitability and higher valuations.
Jan 2002 - Dec 2013
Companion Cabinet Software – CEO & Co-Founder
Privileged to have worked with, and help grow, the team that developed the award-winning, #1 Business Management/ERP solution in the US & Europe remodeling industry, ultimately becoming strategic advisors to Home Depot, Lowe’s, Masco & ProBuild.
Jan 2002 - Dec 2013
Dealers Voice Co-Host
The #1 podcast in the remodeling industry, serving thousands of small businesses in the US and Europe, covering a wide variety of sales, marketing and operations topics for best of breed dealers, distributors and manufacturers.
1991 – 2001
Rare Medium
Worked with some of the most talented and technical “early” web pioneers, leading projects in internet strategy and web application development in North America & EMEA. Worked with a wide variety of companies with emerging internet technology. We also helped launch Rare Medium’s accelerator center for early stage, high-growth software plays.
1994 - 1999
Ernst & Young
Focused predominantly on all aspects of large scale project management, custom development, software implementation and emerging Internet technologies in North America, South America, & Africa. Heavily involved in worldwide software deployments culminating in the launch of the first secure, web-based financial application for the US financial banking industry (based on the Netscape browser).
Significant clients included: Coca-Cola Worldwide, AT&T, Bank of America, Duke Energy, CSX, Phillips Petroleum, Burlington Menswear, Hoechst Celanese and others.
Ask me
How do software companies know what to charge for software? |
Is it true that to thrive in software sales, you have to be willing to discount heavily? |
Software companies love learning about their competitors, but you see the way in which they do this research as potentially dangerous – can you describe that? |
What do you think is inherently wrong about the software business model or how software companies organize? |
Fast growth companies seem to be what everyone wants, but you see fast growth as potentially dangerous - can you describe that? |