Money, pricing & model

Should I sell to businesses (B2B) or consumers (B2C)?

The short answer

B2B usually means fewer customers paying more, longer sales cycles, and rational buyers, easier to reach ramen profitability. B2C means huge markets but fickle users, hard monetization, and you often need scale before the model works. If you want to bootstrap, B2B or B2B-flavored products are the safer bet.

Go deeper, your way

2 hand-picked resources, 2 link-checked. Pick how you want to dig in.

📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Why we picked it YC's Startup Library is the canonical, no-fluff reference on how startups actually make money, curated from partners who've seen thousands of companies. It cuts through business-model jargon with practical framing founders can apply immediately.

Business Models & Metrics, Y Combinator Startup Library

From ycombinator.com by Y Combinator browsable library

  • Recurring-revenue models are more defensible than one-time transactional ones
  • The best model is usually an existing proven model with one thing dramatically improved
  • Who pays, how often, and whether revenue compounds matters more than the model's label
Open ycombinator.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Freemium Intermediate

Why we picked it Lenny's Newsletter is the most trusted operator-written resource on product, growth, and monetization, drawing on data from hundreds of companies. It's specific and tactical where most business-model writing is generic.

Lenny's Newsletter, Growth, Business Models & Monetization

From lennysnewsletter.com by Lenny Rachitsky newsletter archive

  • Match your monetization model to how customers already buy in your category
  • Freemium is a growth engine only if free users convert at a meaningful rate
  • B2B vs B2C is a fundamental fork that changes sales, pricing, and funding needs
Open lennysnewsletter.com →

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The same ground, over in Close deals and price right, our GTM track.

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