# Stapilo — investor pack (complete text version)

This file contains every page of Stapilo's investor pack as text, followed by all the research it is based on, with sources and dates. Customer and staff names are replaced with neutral labels; server addresses are removed. Figures are as of 25–26 October 2026. Draft for discussion, not a binding offer.


## Contents

1. Start here: one-page summary
2. Valuation
3. Plan, budget, the round, exit
4. Terms
5. Customer model
6. Price research
7. How Stapilo is built
8. Technical reference
9. Research appendix (13 files)



---

# PART: Start here: one-page summary

Stapilo · First investment round · Start here

# Stapilo: the AI that builds and runs a knowledge business

Stapilo is one international platform for coaches, course creators and experts: courses, webinars, communities, bookings, a shop, email, SMS and WhatsApp, pages and funnels, Meta ads, and an AI agent that builds and runs all of it for the owner.


**$600k** raising, in three steps: $100k, $300k, $200k
**$2.5M** step 1 price; $3.5M and $3.6M once the goals are met
**$275k** needed in the expected plan; break-even around month 11
**20** paying businesses from outside the founder's circle: the 90-day proof step 1 pays for
Don't take our word for it


## Ask your own AI to check everything

Paste one line into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini. It reads the whole pack and the research behind it, checks the claims against the sources, and tells you the strengths, the weaknesses and what to ask the founder.

 Read https://invest.stapilo.com/ai and every page it links to. Follow its instructions and give me your honest, critical assessment of this investment.
- **1.** Copy
- **2.** Paste into your AI
- **3.** Ask it anything
AI can't open links? Upload the whole pack as one file and paste this prompt.


## The one-page summary



### The problem

An expert selling knowledge online pays for and glues together 8–12 tools (pages, email, webinars, booking, courses, community, checkout, ads), and still has to learn to sell and market. Most never get there.


### The product

One platform that does all of it, with an AI agent that builds the pages, campaigns and webinars and runs them, and helps decide what to sell. #2 of 16 on an 84-feature comparison we built and scored ourselves (sources in the research); the leaders now add AI agents inside parts of their products, but none yet has one agent across the whole business. Built over about 18 months: an earlier version, then the current codebase since February 2026, whose measured figures are in the technical pages.


### Proof it works

10 businesses run on Stapilo; 6 already pay it about $2,200 a month, for now by transfer to the founder until the company invoices them (one is the founder's own business). Three of the six have paid for more than 12 months, two for several months, and one joined a month ago. None has ever left, and all six are in active daily use: each recorded customer activity in Stapilo in the past day (25 October 2026). Three of them alone have sold over $430k through it (over ₾1.1M, approximate figures from the businesses: about $46k through Stapilo's own checkout, measured; the rest high-ticket programs closed by phone from its funnels), with 69,000 contacts, 60,500 webinar registrations and 26,600 hours of webinars watched.


### The market

400,000–600,000 businesses already pay for tools like this, spending $0.5–1.1B a year. The year-3 plan needs about 0.5% of them.


### The founder

Levan Bakhia: 26 years in marketing (founded the agency Sarke in 1998, grown into Sarke Group), a working coach for six years, and the person who designed and built Stapilo.


### How it grows

Founder-led content, guru partnerships with masterminds and an affiliate program, a podcast, paid ads to Stapilo's own masterclasses, and countries where the big platforms can't take local buyers' payment methods, all backed by a success program for the first 500 customers.


### The plan

A lean first three months that prove strangers buy (20 paying from outside the founder's circle; about 35 expected), then the full engine: about 250 paying businesses by month 10 (about $78k a month), 500+ around month 15, and about $4.0M of yearly revenue by year 3. Unit economics over 18 months: a customer costs about $990 to win and is worth about $4,400 (4.5×), paid back in about 4 months.


### The ask

$600k in three steps. Step 1: $100k now at $2.5M, a lean launch whose goal is the one thing not yet proven, strangers buying. Step 2: $300k at month 3, at $3.5M if the goal is met (lower by formula if not; optional for each investor below 70% of the goal). Step 3: $200k at month 10 at $3.6M if its goal is met, otherwise a lower price or stop. Steps 1 and 2 together cover even the slow case. About 16.1% for investors if all three steps happen. The founder has already funded $30k of development, which counts as his payment for step 1 and part of step 2, and invests another $30k of cash alongside investors on the same terms; so $570k of the round is new cash. Outside investors together end with about 14.5%.


## Read in this order

 **1 · Valuation** What Stapilo is worth today and why: price, customers, five methods, a stress test, what makes it hard to copy. **2 · Plan, budget and the round** Milestones, the 18-month budget, unit economics, the three steps, team, risks, after month 18, and how investors get their money back. **3 · Terms** How the investment works: shares, the three steps, who owns what, investors' rights. **Customer model** How many customers, channel by channel, with research and comparables. **Price research** What a customer pays, from 80+ products and the real averages of public companies. **How Stapilo is built** A non-technical tour: the AI, the design, the decisions, security, the effort. **Technical reference** The full technical description, for technical reviewers and AI readers.

## Verify it yourself



### Today's revenue

Bank statements for every payment from the six paying businesses, and the company's invoices once it bills them. One of the six is the founder's own business, and it doesn't count toward any goal.


### The customers' results

A live walk-through, with the founder, of the businesses running on Stapilo: their webinars, funnels and figures as Stapilo records them. Customers' own details stay private and customers are not contacted; these are the founder's private conversations with investors.


### The product and the code

A live walk-through of the businesses running on Stapilo, and time-limited, read-only access to a clean copy of the code for a technical reviewer you name, under a confidentiality agreement.


### Ownership

The company registration and the signed transfers of all rights to the code and brand, from the founder and every developer, before any money is accepted.

A technical reviewer you name can request time-limited, read-only access to a clean copy of the code, under a confidentiality agreement.
 Prepared for Stapilo's first investment round · October 2026 · all figures in USD · drafts for discussion, not a binding offer.


---

# PART: Valuation

← Start here · Stapilo · Investor material · The valuation

# What Stapilo is worth today, and how we got there

Stapilo is valued at about **$3.6M** before new money. The page follows the reasoning in order: where Stapilo can be in three years, what that is worth today, four independent checks, and how they combine.



Stapilo's value before new money (pre-money)
$3.6M
five methods combined · range $2.9M–$4.1M

Step 1 ($100k, priced at $2.5M) buys
3.8%
of the company after the money comes in

Methods used
5
future-back · comparables · scorecard · checklist · rebuild cost

## Chapter 1
Where Stapilo can be in three years


Already in use today

**10** businesses run on Stapilo
**$430k+** sold through Stapilo by three businesses (over ₾1.1M, approximate), across its earlier and current versions
**$2,200** a month already paid to Stapilo by 6 businesses ($200–550 each; one is the founder's own)
**69,000** contacts managed in their businesses
Activity recorded in Stapilo

**60,500** webinar registrations
**34,600** webinar attendances
**26,600** hours of webinars watched
**1,500** calls booked
**236,000** page views
**382,000** emails and SMS sent
These businesses run webinars, sell courses and fill high-ticket programs through Stapilo. Six of them already pay Stapilo about $2,200 a month in total ($200–550 each; one only for the AI support bot; one of the six, at $450, is the founder's own coaching business). Until the company is registered they pay the founder by bank transfer, without contracts; from then on they are invoiced by the company; this round funds selling subscriptions at scale. Of the $430k+ (approximate: three businesses' client counts × their programs' prices), about $46k was paid through Stapilo's own checkout and can be checked in the system; the rest is high-ticket programs closed by phone from leads Stapilo's webinars and funnels brought in, across its earlier and current versions (the businesses' records, available on request). Activity counts are read from Stapilo's database on 25 October 2026.


1Average per customer**$350→$128** a month, from the first heavy users to year 3
2Paying customers in year 3**2,625** realistic case
3Expected revenue in year 3**$4.6M** a year, three cases weighted
4Stapilo's worth in year 3**$18.4M**4× yearly revenue

### 1 · What we expect each customer to pay: about $350 at first, about $128 on average by year 3

The first customers are the heaviest users, businesses that run everything on Stapilo. Six businesses already pay Stapilo today, averaging **about $369 a month**, and early marketing targets more businesses like them, so the first new customers are expected to pay **about $350 a month**. As Stapilo grows, cheaper entry offers (a single product such as only booking, only the AI support bot, or webinars plus CRM) widen the base, so the average falls to **about $128 by year 3**.

**Why this level holds.** We researched more than 80 products: 16 all-in-one competitors and about 65 single-purpose tools, their official prices, and the real average revenue public companies report per customer. Stapilo offers more than any course, community or funnel platform (#2 of 16 on an objective list of 84 features) and is priced 20% below the market leaders. That research puts the long-run average for a broad customer base at about $110 a month: below what Kajabi and Thinkific earn per customer, above single-purpose tools. Stapilo's year-3 average of about $128 sits just above it, because the early heavy users keep paying. Full price research →


Real average revenue per paying customer, per monthStapilo year-3 average


### 2 · How many paying customers we expect: about 2,600 by year 3

We built a channel-by-channel model from Stapilo's marketing plan: founder-led content, guru partnerships, a podcast, paid masterclasses, and countries where the big platforms can't take local buyers' payment methods. It uses published conversion and churn rates, and we checked it against the size of the market and how fast comparable companies actually grew. Three cases come out of it. Full customer model →


Conservative**692** paying customers, year 3$1.0M yearly revenueweight 30%
Realistic**2,625** paying customers, year 3$4.0M yearly revenueweight 50%
Ambitious**7,422** paying customers, year 3$11.5M yearly revenueweight 20%
Why these weights: we give the realistic case half the weight, and lean the rest toward the cautious side (30% conservative against 20% ambitious), because the ambitious case needs several big partnerships early. The realistic case is about 0.5% of the businesses already paying for such tools.


### 3 · Expected revenue in year 3: about $4.6M a year (three cases weighted; the realistic case alone is $4.0M)

Weighting the three cases 30 / 50 / 20 ($1.0M, $4.0M and $11.5M of yearly revenue at the end of year 3), the expected figure is **$4.6M**.


### 4 · What Stapilo is worth in year 3: about $18.4M

Software companies are valued as a multiple of yearly revenue. At 4×: $4.6M × 4 = **$18.4M** in year 3.

Software companies sell for about 3–4× yearly revenue: private deals nearer 3× (Aventis, Q1 2026: 3.1×), the public software index between 3.3× (Software Equity Group, Q2 2026) and 4.1× (Q3 2026). The smallest deals sit at the low end, and Thinkific, a slow-growing listed course platform, trades below 1×. We use 4× because Stapilo is still growing about 30% a year in year 3 of the realistic case; at 3× the combined value is about $3.2M (see the stress test), still above step 1's $2.5M.


## Chapter 2 · Method 1
Bringing that value back to today

A value three years out isn't today's value: it still has to be earned, and most companies at this stage don't make it. This is the method early-stage investors use most.


### Why the value is lower today

Early-stage investors require a high return for the risk, typically 40–60%+ a year at pre-seed, because most companies at this stage fail and the winners have to cover the losses. So the year-3 value is brought back to today one year at a time, dividing by (1 + the required return) each year:



At a required return of **51%** a year (45% for the stage + 6 points for where the investors are, explained below): $18.4M ÷ 1.51 ÷ 1.51 ÷ 1.51 = **$5.4M** today. Read the other way: $5.4M growing 51% a year reaches $18.4M in three years.


### Adjusting for where the investors are

Does money cost more where these investors live, and should that lower the price? We worked it out rather than guessing.

- **Local bank rates.** Local-currency deposits pay about **8.9%** a year, but ** dollar deposits pay about 2.5%** (promotions up to about 3.9%). The gap is mostly the risk of the local currency losing value. In dollars, the investor's safe alternative is about the same as an American's.
- **So the honest adjustment is small.** What really differs is that there are fewer buyers for the shares later and fewer competing investors today. We price that as **+6 points** on the required return: 51% instead of 45%.
- **The effect over three years:** (1.45 ÷ 1.51)³ = **0.89**, so about **11% lower**, not half. Over five years the same 6 points would give about 18% lower.

### Allowing for later rounds

Stapilo will likely raise again later, and new investors take a slice each time. Assuming about 20% across later rounds, today's investors keep 80%: $5.4M × 0.8 = **$4.3M**. That's Method 1's result.


Revenue multiple at year 3**4×**
Return investors require per year**45%**
Adjust for where the investors are**+6 points**
**Method 1 result: $4.3M.** Every number on this page follows these settings.
  Why each setting is where it is
- **Multiple 4×.** See "What Stapilo is worth in year 3".
- **Required return 45% a year.** Most young companies fail, so early investors need the winners to grow a lot; 40–60%+ a year is standard at pre-seed. We use the lower end because the product is already proven in use: businesses sell through it every month. 45% means the value has to grow about 3× in three years just to satisfy the investor.
- **Future dilution 20%.** Stapilo will likely raise again later. Each later round gives new investors a slice, so today's investors keep about 80% of what they bought.

## Chapter 3
Checking it four other ways

Method 1 rests on Stapilo's own forecast. So we check it with four standard methods that don't use the forecast at all: what similar companies are valued at, a scorecard against a typical company, a checklist for companies without revenue, and the cost to rebuild.


Method 2 · Similar companies**$3.3M** European pre-seed median
Method 3 · Scorecard**$3.8M**115% of a typical company
Method 4 · Checklist**$1.7M** cautious floor
Method 5 · Rebuild cost**$2.0M** traditional team

### Method 2 · What similar young companies are valued at


| Benchmark | Typical value | Source |
| Pre-seed median, United States | $5.16M | Equidam, H1 2026 |
| Pre-seed median, worldwide | $5.20M | Equidam, H1 2026 |
| US rounds under $250k from friends and family (cap) | $7.5M | Carta, 2025 |
| **Pre-seed median, Europe** | **$3.30M** | Equidam, H1 2026 (Q1 2026: $3.48M) |
| Pre-seed median, Europe (smaller sample) | €2.4M | PitchBook, Q1 2025 |
**Method 2 result: $3.30M.** We take the newest European median (H1 2026), not the US or worldwide one. Equidam's figures are valuations founders ran on its platform while preparing to raise, not prices of closed rounds, so this is the normal range a pre-seed asks for, not a market price. Stapilo has only early subscription revenue and is raising from private investors outside the US funding market, so the European level is the fair comparison. US levels would be about 50% higher. We leave that as upside, not the base.

### Method 3 · The scorecard: compared with a typical company at this stage

Start from the typical value (Method 2: $3.30M). Then score Stapilo against an average company at the same stage on seven factors. 100% means average; above 100% is better.


| Factor | Weight | Stapilo | Why |
| Team | 30% | 125% | A founder with 26 years in marketing who built the product. No technical co-founder; a small paid team. |
| Size of the opportunity | 25% | 105% | $0.5–1.1B a year already spent on these tools by 400,000–600,000 businesses. A big but crowded market. |
| Product and technology | 15% | 150% | Fully built and working: #2 of 16 on features, with an AI agent nobody else has. Most companies at this stage have a prototype. |
| Competition | 10% | 80% | Strong, well-funded leaders (Kajabi, HighLevel). |
| Marketing and sales channels | 10% | 110% | A professional marketer with a clear partner plan. No audience yet; no affiliate program yet. |
| Need for more investment | 5% | 100% | Average. |
| Other | 5% | 100% | Six businesses already pay Stapilo about $2,200 a month in total ($200–550 each), and they've sold $430k+ through it (69,000 contacts). Revenue is still small, the company is being formed, and the dollar checkout is still to be built. |
| **Weighted score** | **115%** |  |
**Method 3 result: $3.30M × 1.15 ≈ $3.80M.** The scores are Stapilo's own assessment; a reader who scores product or team lower moves this method down by about $0.33M for every 10 points.

### Method 4 · The checklist method (Berkus)

A simple method for companies without meaningful revenue: up to $500k for each of five things that reduce risk.


| What reduces risk | Up to | Stapilo | Why |
| A sound idea | $500k | $400k | A proven market; a new angle (an AI that runs the whole business) |
| A working product | $500k | $500k | Fully built and used by real businesses |
| A quality team | $500k | $300k | A strong founder; the team is still small |
| Strategic relationships | $500k | $150k | The partner plan exists; no partner signed yet |
| Sales | $500k | $350k | Six businesses pay about $2,200 a month in total, and $430k+ sold through it; revenue still small |
| **Total** | **$1.7M** |  |
**Method 4 result: $1.7M.** This method is built for very early ideas and caps out around $2–2.5M, so it always comes out low for a finished product. We include it as the cautious floor, with a small weight.

### Method 5 · What it would cost to build Stapilo again



Lines of product code
934k
plus 466k lines of automated tests

Database tables
336
courses, events, shop, CRM, campaigns, AI…

Apps
7
owner app, customer app, desktop, recorder, marketplace…
A traditional team building this from scratch: about 10 engineers plus design and product, for about two years. At $60–100k a year per person (Eastern European rates), that's about **$1.5–2.5M**. We use **$2.0M**.

**Method 5 result: $2.0M, with an honest caveat.** Stapilo was built over about 18 months of development (an earlier version, then the current codebase since February 2026), at least 8 of them with a team of five, using AI throughout, for about $30,000 in cash plus the founder's full-time work. So the code alone isn't a wall against competitors. What's hard to copy is the product judgement inside it, how far it already reaches, and the founder's ability to sell it. That's why this method gets a small weight.

## Chapter 4
Combining the five methods

Each method looks from a different direction. The ones built on Stapilo's own plan and on real market prices get the most weight; the cautious floors get less.

**Two anchors, not five independent opinions.** Methods 2 and 3 are one anchor: what young companies at this stage are valued at (Method 3 adjusts Method 2 with Stapilo's own scores). Method 1 is the other: what Stapilo can be worth in three years, which rests on the plan. Methods 4 and 5 are cautious floors, given little weight. Two honest checks: **without the ambitious case**, Method 1 gives about $2.7M and the combined value about $3.0M; **without Method 1 at all**, the other four give about $3.2M. Both stay above step 1's price of $2.5M, which is the price paid before the plan is proven.

Each method's resultCombined value


| Method | Result | Weight | Why this weight |
| 1. From the future back | $4.3M | 35% | Built on Stapilo's price research and customer model |
| 2. Similar companies | $3.3M | 25% | Real market prices for companies at this stage |
| 3. Scorecard | $3.8M | 25% | Market price adjusted for Stapilo's strengths and weaknesses |
| 4. Checklist (Berkus) | $1.7M | 5% | Built for ideas, not finished products: a cautious floor |
| 5. Cost to rebuild | $2.0M | 10% | Code is cheaper to copy in the AI era |
| **Combined (weighted average)** | **$3.6M** | 100% |  |
**Stapilo's value today (pre-money): about $3.6M.** That value assumes the sales engine works. Because that is not yet proven, the round is priced in steps: $2.5M for step 1 ($100k, before strangers have bought), $3.5M for step 2 and the full $3.6M for step 3, each once the goal before it is met. That's close to the European pre-seed median, lifted by a finished product and a strong founder, and held back by revenue that is still small: about $2,200 a month from six businesses.

## Chapter 5
What it means for an investor

An investor's money buys a part of the company. To know **how big a part**, both sides need one number: what the company is worth.


**Pre-money value:** what Stapilo is worth before the new money comes in. This is the number this page works out.
**Post-money value:** pre-money plus the money invested. The investor owns **investment ÷ post-money**.

| Step | Amount | Price (value before the money) | Investors together own after it |
| 1 · now | $100k | $2.5M (before strangers have bought) | **3.8%** |
| 2 · month 3 | $300k | $3.5M if the goal is met | **11.4%** |
| 3 · month 10 | $200k | $3.6M if the goal is met | **16.1%** |
**What this price already accounts for.** Stapilo's first customers were sold through the founder's own relationships, on purpose, to test and develop the platform with real businesses before selling to strangers. They are substantial businesses, not favours: an independent online academy whose whole business runs on Stapilo, a well-known podcaster and trainer, and the founder's own large coaching program. No guru has tried Stapilo yet, and selling to people outside that circle starts with this round. That is exactly what the price reflects: **$3.6M values a working product with a proven price, but distribution that is not yet proven.** Step 1, which carries the most of that risk, is priced lower still, at $2.5M, and kept small ($100k).
**Why invest before the first 50, not after.** If the founder first reached 50 paying businesses on his own money, the valuation would start from a running sales engine, not from a plan, and the price would be much higher. Investors in this round buy before that proof, at the lower price, and the steps protect them while it happens: step 1's goal (20 paying businesses from outside the founder's circle and about $6k a month from them by month 3) is that proof, and below 70% of it each investor can stop.

## Chapter 6
How the value rises as the plan is delivered

Today's value carries three years of risk. Each year the plan is delivered, one year of risk drops away and the required return falls, because a company with paying customers and growth is far less likely to fail. The value is then re-priced from the same year-3 target, realistic-weighted.


Stapilo's value, if each year's plan is delivered


| Point | Value | Required return / risk left | Step 1's $100k stake is then worth |
| Today | **$3.6M** | 51%, three years of risk | $138k |
| After year 1 delivered | **$9.4M** | 40%, two years left | $316k |
| After year 2 delivered | **$14.2M** | 30%, one year left | $381k |
| Year 3 delivered | **$18.4M** | plan reached | $495k |
An illustration, not a promise: it assumes the expected year-3 revenue is on track. Required returns are assumed to fall from 51% today (pre-seed) to about 40% after year 1 and 30% after year 2, as proof accumulates. Values are before new money in each later round.

Each step of proof (paying customers, signed partners, growth) lowers the risk and the return investors require. That's why later rounds are priced higher, and why this round offers the most ownership per dollar.


### What raises the value next

- **Subscription revenue at scale.** Six businesses already pay about $2,200 a month in total; growing that to dozens and then hundreds removes the biggest remaining risk in every method above. For example, reaching the month-3 goal of 20 paying businesses from outside the founder's circle is what lifts the price from $2.5M (step 1) to $3.5M (step 2).
- **Signed guru partners**, which lift the checklist and scorecard methods.
- **The dollar checkout and the affiliate program** going live.

## Chapter 7
What a careful investor would challenge

We read this valuation as a sceptical investor would. These are the strongest objections, with our answer to each.


| Objection | Our answer |
| **"It's your own forecast."** The future-back method rests on the founder's customer model. | True, which is why it carries only 35% of the weight. The four methods that don't use our forecast give about **$3.2M** on their own. The forecast moves the result by only about **$0.4M**. |
| **"Revenue is tiny."** | Yes, for now: six businesses pay Stapilo about $2,200 a month in total ($200–550 each; one pays only for the AI support bot), paid by bank transfer while the company and its own checkout are being set up. But they pay the kind of price the plan starts from, in different combinations of products, they've sold $430k+ through Stapilo, and they manage 69,000 contacts in it, so price and product are both proven in use. Every method still prices how small revenue is: the scorecard and checklist mark it down, and the future-back method uses a 51% required return. |
| **"4× revenue is generous for a company with so little revenue today."** | 4× is applied to year-3 revenue, not today's, and it's the median for private software companies; growing companies usually get more. At 3× the combined value falls to about **$3.2M**. |
| **"The conversion and churn rates are optimistic."** | They sit inside published ranges: 12% of accounts becoming paying, against 18% for free trials without a card and 3–8% for free plans; churn of 10% a month early, then 4.5%. The conservative case (8% conversion, 6% churn) is shown and carries 30% weight. |
| **"You scored yourselves on the scorecard."** | Yes. Every score and its reason are on the page. Product gets the highest mark (150%) because it's finished and #2 of 16 on features; competition is marked below average and revenue is marked as still small. |
| **"It was built with AI, so anyone can copy it."** | It was engineered over about 18 months of development (an earlier version, then the current codebase since February 2026), at least 8 of them with a team of five, with 3,173 automated test files, not prompted in an afternoon. Still, code is cheaper to copy than it used to be, which is why the rebuild method carries only 10%. The real defences are distribution (a founder who markets professionally, plus partner gurus) and that incumbents can't easily rebuild around an agent: see Chapter 8. |
| **"One founder, no technical co-founder."** | A real key-person risk, reflected in the team score (125%, not higher). Part of the round funds a dedicated team. |
| **"It can't sell internationally yet."** | Correct: dollar checkout and an affiliate program still have to be built. Both are scoped and funded by this round, and both are milestones to watch. |
| **"The leaders are adding AI too."** | Kajabi and HighLevel are moving: HighLevel has an AI Employee suite and workflow agents, Kajabi has Expert Agents. Neither has one agent across the whole business today. Stapilo's lead here is real but time-limited, which is why the plan spends on distribution now. |
| **"The investor-location adjustment is too small."** | Some would argue for more than 6 points. At +10 points the combined value is about **$3.4M**: the method weights keep the result stable. |

### Are we overfitting to a nice number?

We checked whether the result depends on choices tuned to land somewhere convenient. Moving every major setting to a cautious or a generous but defensible value:


| Setting | Cautious | Value | Generous | Value |
| Revenue multiple | 3× | **$3.2M** | 5× | **$3.9M** |
| Required return (stage) | 55% | **$3.3M** | 40% | **$3.7M** |
| Investor-location adjustment | +10 points | **$3.4M** | none | **$3.8M** |
| All cautious together | 3× · 55% · +10 | **$2.9M** | 5× · 40% · +6 | **$4.1M** |
**Result: across defensible settings, Stapilo's value stays between about $2.9M and $4.1M.** The central $3.6M isn't the product of one generous assumption. It's where independent methods meet.

## Chapter 8
Why the leaders can't simply become what Stapilo is, and where the lead ends

A fair question after the stress test: if Stapilo's direction is right, why won't Kajabi or HighLevel just do the same? They are moving, and the lead in AI alone will narrow. Three reasons make the full step much harder for them than it looks, and the last section says plainly what Stapilo has to win on instead.



The leaders (Kajabi, HighLevel, Thinkific…)
- Systems built over 10+ years, before AI agents existed
- AI added on top: assistants and agents inside one product area at a time
- Hundreds of thousands of customers trained on today's screens
- Every redesign risks losing the customers they already have

Stapilo
- Built AI-first: one agent that works across every part of the business
- Every area designed to be operated by that agent from day one
- No old habits to protect: new customers learn it as it is
- One simple, tabbed workspace that lowers the barrier for newcomers

### 1 · Rebuilding a working system is harder than building a new one

The leaders' platforms work, and they earn money. To become what Stapilo is, an AI agent that builds and runs every part of a knowledge business, they would have to redesign their core so that every area (pages, courses, webinars, campaigns, inbox, ads, payments) can be operated by one agent. Adding a chat assistant on top is easy; re-architecting a ten-year-old system is not. They are moving: HighLevel now has an "AI Employee" suite and agent tools that run multi-step workflows inside its CRM, and Kajabi ships narrower "Expert Agents" for selling and teaching. Each works inside the leader's existing product areas; neither has one agent that builds and runs pages, courses, webinars, campaigns, inbox and ads together.


### 2 · Their customers are used to how it works

Kajabi's customers have built their pages, funnels and routines on today's interface. A fundamental redesign risks confusing them and losing them, so incumbents change slowly and carefully: they have a working business to protect and little reason to take that risk. Stapilo has no such constraint. Its main market is the new wave of experts entering online business, who learn a platform once. For them, a platform where the AI sets things up removes the biggest barrier to starting.


### 3 · It was engineered, not just prompted

Stapilo was built with AI, but not by prompting it. It's about 18 months of development (an earlier version, then the current codebase since February 2026), at least 8 of them with a team of five, with every area designed, tested and rebuilt. The current codebase alone shows the depth:


Changes made**6,400+** since February 2026 alone
Automated tests**3,173** test files, 476k lines
Database tables**336** one connected data model
Apps**7** owner, customer, desktop, recorder…
AI made it possible for a small team to build this much; it didn't make it easy. Copying the code is cheaper than it used to be, but reproducing the product decisions behind it, and the breadth already working together, still takes a team and time.


### Where Stapilo has to win

The honest conclusion: Stapilo is ahead today in how broadly one agent works across a knowledge business, and that lead buys time, not safety. The leaders can and will move toward it. Stapilo wins if, in that time, it turns the lead into customers: an experience that lets a newcomer launch a working business in days, the first-500 success program, and distribution through founder content, guru partners and countries the leaders serve poorly. That is why most of this round goes to winning customers, not to more product.

See how Stapilo is built: a visual, non-technical tour →


## Sources and linked documents

- Price research · Customer model · Milestones and use of funds · How Stapilo is built
- Equidam pre-seed valuations · Carta State of Pre-Seed 2025 · PitchBook European valuations Q1 2025
- Private SaaS revenue multiples 2026 (SEG 2Q26, Aventis Q1 2026)
- National bank policy rate · Local deposit rates, July 2026
- Orrick on early-round dilution  Prepared for Stapilo's first investment round · 25 October 2026 · all figures in USD.


---

# PART: Plan, budget, the round, exit

← Start here · Stapilo · Investor material · Use of funds

# What the money buys: milestones and where it goes

This round funds a team and a marketing engine for 18 months. This page shows what it is meant to achieve, month by month, and then exactly where the money goes.

Draft For the founder's review.


## Part 1
The milestones

A milestone is a checkable result by a date. These are the results this round is meant to deliver, and the ones a next round would be priced on. The revenue milestones follow the realistic case of the customer model, starting from the six businesses that already pay Stapilo today.


### Paying businesses and monthly revenue


Realistic caseConservative case
**Realistic** is the plan we expect. ** Conservative** is the same model if things go slower: fewer people reached, fewer of them buying, more leaving each month. It shows how bad a slow start could look, so investors can judge the downside.


| By month | Realistic (the plan) | Conservative (if slower) |
| Paying businesses | Monthly revenue | Yearly run-rate | Paying businesses | Monthly revenue |
| Today | 6 | $2.2k | $27k | 6 | $2.2k |
| 3 | 38 | $13k | $0.2M | 15 | $5k |
| 6 | 104 | $35k | $0.4M | 33 | $11k |
| 9 | 208 | $66k | $0.8M | 62 | $20k |
| **12** | **345** | **$103k** | **$1.2M** | 99 | $30k |
| 15 | **500+** | $143k | $1.7M | 145 | $40k |
| **18** | **711** | **$183k** | **$2.2M** | 197 | $51k |
The first customers are heavy users at about $350 a month; cheaper entry offers then widen the base, so the average falls from about $350 toward about $260 by month 18. Months 1–3 run lean on the first $100k (see Part 3), so growth starts a little slower and catches up once step 2 funds the full engine. The ads and guru channels are sized to this budget: about $100 of ads per new account (between the research's $50 low case and $267 middle case, because the first ads run partly in cheaper markets; Part 3 shows the $267 case), and about 30 masterminds where partners are met. The model counts only new subscribers plus today's six.


### What has to be built and done to get there



| When | Milestone | Why it matters |
| Month 0–1 | **Company formed**, rights to the code and brand transferred into it, bank account open, today's six customers invoiced by the company | Investors buy shares in the company; revenue and IP must sit inside it |
| Month 0–4 | **Team in place**: 3 developers, 2 campaign owners and a videographer in months 1–3; the full team and the studio from month 4, after step 2 | The founder moves from building to selling and teaching |
| Month 1–3 | **Dollar checkout and affiliate program live** | Selling internationally depends on it; affiliates are the largest measured growth driver in this market |
| Month 4–6 | **Zapier/Make connection and a public API with keys** (outgoing webhooks already exist) | All 15 leading platforms have it; customers connect the tools they keep |
| Month 1–3 | **Local payments live in the first new countries** where Stripe isn't available (shortlist: Uzbekistan, Armenia, Moldova), with local launches and coach meetups | Markets the big platforms serve poorly; Stapilo's processor already accepts merchants there |
| Month 1–3 | **Ad campaigns launched** to Stapilo's own webinars and masterclasses | The channel that works from day one; course sales help pay for the ads |
| Month 1–3 | **Content engine running**: about 5 long videos and 25 shorts a week, recorded by the founder on two batch days a week; the production team films, edits and cuts the shorts | Builds the audience that compounds in years 2–3 |
| Month 2–18 | **Selling Stapilo's own knowledge**: courses, funnels, webinars, paid masterclasses and a mastermind, all run on Stapilo | Teaches the market how to sell, brings in the right customers, and proves the platform by using it |
| Month 1–12 | **The founder inside gurus' masterminds and workshops**: in months 1–9 the rooms open to any paying member (big ticketed events, mid-tier masterminds, online rooms); the rooms that require $250k–$1M+ of revenue only once Stapilo qualifies. Many rooms meet online; for travel, the founder has held US visas since an exchange program at 15, most recently a 10-year visa, and renews it at the start | Where coaches learn to sell, and where guru partnerships start |
| Month 4–10 | **3 guru partners signed** (6 by month 15); podcast running from month 4 | The difference between the conservative and realistic cases |
| Month 1–15 | **First-500 success program**: hands-on support for the first 500 customers, not only technical but with knowledge (frameworks, masterclasses, the mastermind) and community meetups and discussions | Customers who succeed stay longer and bring others; this is what keeps early churn low |
| Month ~15 | **500 paying businesses** | Proof that the model works beyond the first circle |
| Month 15–18 | **Ready for the next round** on about $1.8–2.3M yearly revenue run-rate | The point where today's investors' shares are re-priced |

### The first 90 days, channel by channel

Step 1 runs lean on $100k: ads, the founder's content filmed simply, online guru rooms, the dollar checkout and affiliates. Its goal is 20 paying businesses from outside the founder's circle by month 3; the model expects about 35 new ones, from these channels, with what is measured every week:


| Channel | New accounts, months 1–3 | New paying (12%) | Measured weekly |
| Ads to Stapilo's webinars and masterclasses | ~120 | ~15 | Cost per registration, show-up, accounts, cost per account |
| Online guru rooms | ~55 | ~7 | Conversations, demos, trials started |
| Founder content | ~70 | ~8 | Views, subscribers, sign-ups from each video |
| Local-payment countries | ~45 | ~5 | Meetups held, coaches onboarded, first local sales |
| **Total new, from outside the founder's circle** | **~290** | **~35 paying** (goal: 20) | Investors see these numbers monthly. With today's six, about 38 paying in all |
The podcast, the studio and the masterclass pilot wait for step 2. Ads are the only channel that works from day one; the others start small and grow. If one channel underdelivers in the first weeks, budget moves to the ones that work, and the month-3 goal shows the result.


## Part 2
Where the money goes

An 18-month budget built from the milestones above. Every line is priced from research (salaries from live job ads and salary surveys, event and mastermind prices from organisers' pages, equipment from retailer prices, ad costs from benchmarks and Stapilo's own campaigns) or measured from Stapilo's live system (servers, AI usage). The team is kept small: everyone needed, no one extra.



Recommended raise
$600k
in three steps: $100k, $300k, $200k

Cash needed, realistic case
$275k
break-even around month 11

Cash needed, slow case
$384k
with the cut plan

Spend over 18 months
$1.46M
partly paid by revenue as it grows



### Spending and revenue, month by month


Monthly spendMonthly revenueCumulative cash (below 0 = money used, above 0 = money earned back)
Months 1–3 run lean (about $28k a month) on the first $100k; month 4 is the heaviest, when step 2 brings the full team, the studio and the big guru rooms. In the realistic case revenue overtakes spending around month 11; in the slow case it doesn't within 18 months, which is why the raise is sized for the slow case.


### The budget, line by line


| Category | Line | What it covers | Per month (avg) | 18 months |

| **People**$522k | 3 developers | Take-home ₾2,000, +₾500 every 3 months (raises or new hires), employer cost ×1.30. Slow case: frozen at the month-4 level from month 5 | $5k | **$88k** |
|  | Founder (CEO, coach, expert) | $6,000 a month, rising to $10,000 once subscription revenue passes $50,000 a month | $8k | **$152k** |
|  | 5 campaign owners | 2 in months 1–3, all 5 from month 4. Each runs a complete campaign for their own avatar inside Stapilo, with no designer or content support, proving the product does what it promises. Same salary curve as developers. Slow case: 3 from month 5 | $8k | **$137k** |
|  | Campaign owners' commission | ≈ 3% of subscription revenue, paid on the results their campaigns bring | $2k | **$43k** |
|  | Production | Months 1–3: one videographer-editor (₾2,500), content filmed simply; from month 4: 2 videographer-editors ₾2,500 each and an art director ₾3,500 (brand and video) | $4k | **$68k** |
|  | Podcast | Manager ₾3,000 (filming, editing, cutting, social, guest management) + assistant ₾1,500, from month 4. Online only, streamed from inside Stapilo, no travel | $2k | **$34k** |

| **Winning customers**$594k | Ads | Run by the campaign owners, to Stapilo's webinars and masterclasses: $3k in month 1, $5k in months 2–3, $10k in months 4–6, $15k in months 7–12, $20k from month 13 (≈ $100 per new account). Slow case: held at $5k from month 5 | $14k | **$253k** |
|  | Masterminds and workshops | 30 attendances in 18 months (big workshops ≈ $9k with travel, mid-tier ≈ $3.5k, online ≈ $1.5k). Months 1–3: online rooms only (≈ $4.5k a month); months 4–6: the big rooms ($20k a month); then $8k a month to month 9 guaranteed. The rest, up to $120k, is released at $20k per guru partner who signs (6 partners). The expected case assumes 3 partners by month 10 and 3 more by month 15; the slow case spends only the guaranteed part | $11k | **$196k** |
|  | Office and running costs | Rent, utilities, internet, supplies; a small space in months 1–3 ($2,000), the full office from month 4 | $5k | **$81k** |
|  | Studio | One-time setup, ~$25,000, after step 2: $15k in month 4, $10k in month 6 | $1k | **$25k** |
|  | Guru masterclass pilot | One country pilot in month 5: a guru trains local coaches and seats are sold; ≈ $30k cost, recovered by ticket sales. More countries only if the pilot pays for itself (see the extras) | $2k | **$30k** |
|  | First-500 community | Meetups, discussions, materials | $500 | **$9k** |

| **Grows with revenue**$289k | Partner commissions | ~30% recurring on customers partners bring (about a third): ≈ 9% of subscription revenue | $7k | **$130k** |
|  | Payment fees | ≈ 5.7% of all money collected (subscriptions, tickets, program fees) | $5k | **$84k** |
|  | AI usage | ≈ $15 per paying business a month (measured today: $10–30) | $4k | **$75k** |

| **Product**$39k | Servers and services | Measured today; $500 rising to $2,000 a month with scale | $1k | **$21k** |
|  | Team tools | AI coding assistant seats for developers and basic workspace | $1k | **$18k** |

| **Extras (only after a paid pilot)**$0 | Success program team | Head of success (₾5,000), one consultant per 15 members (₾3,500), one support person per 40 members (₾2,000), plus program costs (≈ 10% of its income). Counted only when the extras are switched on | $0 | **$0** |

| **Company**$15k | Formation and legal | Company formed locally (fast, low fees); one lawyer review of investor and partner documents and the rights transfers: ~$3,000 once, then ~$150 a month | $317 | **$6k** |
|  | Accounting | Part-time accountant ₾1,000 | $501 | **$9k** |
|  | **Total spend** |  | $81k | **$1.46M** |
|  | Revenue in the same period (subscriptions + masterclass tickets + success program) | realistic case |  | $1.47M |
**The extras are counted only after a paid pilot.** Two things could add a lot: a paid success program for the first 500 customers (the mastermind, marketing support, consulting, Zoom calls, community) at about $500 a month, and guru masterclasses in more countries. Neither is proven yet, so the base plan includes only one masterclass pilot in month 5. Switch on "With extras" to see them; they start only if their pilots pay for themselves.

### The money milestone by milestone


| Phase | What happens | Spend | Revenue | Net | Cash at end |

| **Step 1 · Lean launch ($100k)** months 1–3 | Company formed and rights in; dollar checkout, affiliates and local payments live; ads and the founder's content start; online guru rooms; goal: 20 paying from outside the founder's circle (~35 expected, ~38 with today's six) | $86k | $26k | **−$60k** | −$60k |

| **Step 2 · Full engine ($300k)** months 4–10 | Full team and studio; the big guru rooms; podcast; masterclass pilot (month 5); 3 guru partners; ~250 paying, ~$78k a month at month 10; the extras start only if their pilots pay for themselves | $570k | $354k | **−$216k** | −$275k |

| **Step 3 · Growth ($200k)** months 11–18 | Break-even around month 11; ads to $20k a month; 6 guru partners by month 15; 500+ paying around month 15; ~711 paying, ~$183k a month at month 18; ready for the next round | $802k | $1.09M | **+$289k** | +$14k |

### Base plan and extras

All headline numbers use the **base plan**: the software business plus one masterclass pilot. It needs about **$275k** at its lowest point (month 10), earns more than it spends from about **month 11**, and has earned all of it back by month 18. If the extras prove themselves, the need falls to about $245k, break-even comes a month earlier, and month 18 ends about $320k ahead.


## Part 2b
Unit economics: what a customer costs and what a customer is worth

Every dollar spent on winning customers (ads, masterminds, the campaign owners, partner commissions, production, the podcast) divided by the new paying customers it brings:


| Period (expected case) | New paying customers | Cost to win one | Average price | Gross margin | Value of one customer | Value ÷ cost | Months to earn back the cost |
| Months 1–6 | 116 | $2,200 | $337 | 89% | $5,700 | **2.6×** | 7.3 |
| Months 7–12 | 332 | $1,010 | $290 | 88% | $4,800 | **4.8×** | 4.0 |
| Months 13–18 | 571 | $720 | $238 | 87% | $3,900 | **5.4×** | 3.5 |
| **All 18 months** | **1,019** | **$990** | $266 | 88% | $4,400 | **4.5×** | **4.2** |
| Slow case with the cut plan, 18 months | 306 | $1,810 | $266 | 88% | $3,500 | 1.9× | 7.7 |
- **Gross margin**: what's left of a customer's payment after AI usage (~$15 a month, measured today at $10–30), payment fees (~5.7%) and servers (~$3). Partner commissions (~9%) and campaign owners' commission (3%) are not in it: they are counted in the cost to win a customer, so they are not left out, only counted once.
- **Measured so far**: of the six paying businesses, three have paid for more than 12 months, two for several months and one is new; none has ever left, and all six recorded customer activity in Stapilo within the past day. Too few to measure churn, but consistent with the model's 4.5% a month after the first three months.
- **Value of one customer**: monthly payment × gross margin × the months a customer stays. The customer model's churn is used: 10% a month in the first three months, then 4.5% a month, so a customer stays about 19 months on average (slow case: 6% after month 3, about 15 months).
- A value-to-cost ratio of 3× or more is considered healthy for software companies. The expected case starts below it (2.6× in months 1–6, while the channels are being built) and passes it from month 7 as they mature. In the slow case, the cut plan (ads held, fewer campaign owners, masterminds only the guaranteed part) keeps it at 1.9×, which is why the slow case is a reason to stop or slow down, not to spend more, with customers who leave faster (6% a month after the first three months).
- By year 3 the cheapest entry offers (around $60 a month) are worth about $800 per customer, so they are sold mostly through the existing list and retargeting, where winning a customer costs far less than through ads or events.

## Part 3
How much money, and how it comes in


### Step by step: how much does Stapilo need?

**1. Money goes out before it comes back.** In the first months Stapilo spends more than it earns: first a lean launch, then the full team, the studio, ads and masterminds, while paying customers are still few. Each month the gap is paid from the investment.

**2. Then revenue catches up.** As customers grow, monthly income rises until it is bigger than monthly spending. From then on Stapilo earns its money back.

**3. So the amount needed is the lowest point of the line below**: the most money that has gone out, in total, before income takes over.


If the plan goes as expectedIf sales come slowlyWhen each step of money comes in

**As expected: about $275k is needed.** The line reaches its lowest point around month 10. From month 11 Stapilo earns more than it spends, and by month 18 all of it is earned back.
**If sales come slowly: up to about $384k.** The cut plan starts automatically from month 5 (ads held at $5k, 3 campaign owners instead of 5, salaries frozen, masterminds only the guaranteed part), so the line flattens and income covers costs from about month 16.

### What the plan depends on most

Two assumptions move the cash need more than anything else: what new customers pay in the first months, and what an ad costs per new account. Each was run through the same budget engine as the plan above, changing only that one input; the last row changes three inputs at once:


| If… | Cash needed | Earns more than it spends from | Month 18 position |
| **The plan**: first customers pay about $350, falling along the price ladder; about $100 of ads per new account | **$275k** | month 11 | +$14k |
| Ads cost **$267 per account** (the research's middle case) instead of $100 | $330k | month 12 | −$172k |
| New customers pay **$200 from day one** instead of about $350 | $412k | month 15 | −$331k |
| New customers pay **$110 from day one** (the long-run market average) | $680k | not within 18 months | −$680k |
| **Three things go wrong at once**: only 6% of accounts pay (not 12%), ads cost twice as much per account, and customers leave at 7% a month (not 4.5%). The cut plan starts at month 5, as written | $314k | month 12 | −$253k (297 paying, $76k a month) |
**Why the plan starts at about $350.** The six businesses paying today average $369 a month. The marketing is scheduled as a ladder: the first months aim at businesses that already sell and need the whole platform, backed by hands-on support for the first 500 customers; once that flow runs, the offer widens to smaller niches at lower prices, which is how the average falls toward the market's ~$110 over three years. The first customers are not average customers, by design.

**Why this matters less than it looks for an investor.** The price is tested within 90 days: step 1's goal needs 20 paying businesses from outside the founder's circle and about $6k of monthly revenue from them, which is only reachable at roughly $300 per customer. If the first customers pay much less, the goal is missed, step 2's price falls by formula, and below 70% of the goal each investor can stop. The cheaper ad case still breaks even within the year. Even with three things going wrong at once, the cut plan keeps the need at about $314k, inside steps 1 and 2; month 3 would show about 12 outside customers instead of 20, so step 2's price falls by formula and investors see the problem within 90 days.


### Why not raise it all at once?

Because nobody knows yet which line Stapilo will follow. Asking for $400k or more at once would make investors pay for the worst case before anything is proven. So the money comes in **three steps**, from the same investors: a small first step of $100k at the lowest price, which proves the one thing nobody has seen yet (strangers buying), then $300k to run the full engine, then $200k for growth. Each step is released only when the one before has reached its goal, and steps 1 and 2 together ($400k) cover even the slow case.



Step 1
$100k
**When:** now, at $2.5M before the money
**Pays for:** months 1–3, a lean launch: company and rights, 3 developers, 2 campaign owners, a videographer, dollar checkout, affiliates, local payments, ads from $3k a month, the founder's content and online guru rooms
**Goal at month 3:** 20 paying businesses from outside the founder's circle and about $6k a month from them (at least 80% of each)
**Cash it must cover:** $60k (expected) to $71k (slow), leaving $29–40k at month 3, when step 2 arrives
→

Step 2
$300k
**When:** month 3, ** committed**: at $3.5M if step 1's goal is met, at a lower price by formula if not; below 70% of the goal, each investor chooses to pay or stop
**Pays for:** months 4–10, the full engine: all 5 campaign owners, the studio and production team, the big guru rooms, the podcast, the first masterclass country, through the point where Stapilo earns more than it spends
**Goal at month 10:** about 250 paying businesses and $78k a month (at least 80% of each), 3 guru partners
**Cash it must cover:** +$215k (expected, to the low point of $275k) to +$313k (slow, with the cut plan, to $384k)
→

Step 3
$200k
**When:** month 10, if step 2's goal is met, at $3.6M
**Pays for:** months 11–18, growth: ads to $20k a month, more countries, the bigger success team, and a reserve into the next round
**Goal at month 18:** 500+ paying businesses (around month 15), about $180k a month, ready for the next round
**Cash it must cover:** $0 (expected: Stapilo pays for itself from month 11; slow: steps 1–2 already cover it); it is growth money
Step 2 is committed once at least 70% of step 1's goal is reached; step 3 is committed and paid when the month-10 goal is met. Total if all three happen: $600k, of which $570k is new cash ($30k is the founder's past spending, see below). Prices before the money: $2.5M for step 1 (the earliest risk, before strangers have bought), $3.5M for step 2, $3.6M for step 3. Investors together would own about 3.8% after step 1, 11.4% after step 2 and 16.1% after step 3.


### What happens at each step


**Month 3:** if step 1's goal is met, step 2 is paid at $3.5M. If it is missed, the price is lowered by how far it was missed (for example 70% of the goal means a 30% lower price, at most 25% off); below 70% of the goal, each investor decides whether to pay at the lowered price or stop.
**Month 10:** if the goal is met, step 3 is paid at $3.6M, even if Stapilo is by then worth more. If not, each investor chooses the lower price or stops.
**If sales come slowly:** the cut plan starts automatically if, at the end of month 4, fewer than 33 businesses pay or monthly revenue is below $11.5k (about 60% of plan). Steps 1 and 2 ($400k) then carry Stapilo through the slow case (about $384k), with step 3 as the reserve.
**The founder invests on the same terms.** $60,000, like any minimum investor: $10,000 in step 1, $30,000 in step 2 and $20,000 in step 3. The $30,000 he has already put into building Stapilo (documented costs) pays for step 1 and $20,000 of step 2; it is past spending, not new cash. His new cash is $10,000 at step 2 and $20,000 at step 3.
**Cash rule:** at each decision point the cash left must cover at least two months of net spending. An investor who doesn't pay a committed step loses the step price and the right to keep their percentage in later rounds; the others may take up that share.

### An example


An investor commits **$60,000**, the minimum: $10,000 in step 1, $30,000 in step 2 and $20,000 in step 3.

- **Today** they pay $10,000 at the step-1 price ($2.5M before the money) and own about **0.38%** of Stapilo.
- **At month 3** they pay $30,000 more (at $3.5M if the goal of 20 outside customers is met, cheaper if not; below 70% of the goal they may stop). Now about 1.14%.
- **At month 10**, if the goal is met, they pay the last $20,000 at $3.6M: about **1.61%** in total, even though Stapilo is by then expected to be worth well above that.
- **If a goal is missed**, they decide: invest at a lower price and get more shares, or stop and keep what they already own.

## Part 4
After month 18

A short outlook rather than a second detailed budget: the further out a forecast goes, the less it should be trusted, so this part shows direction and value, not line items.


### Where Stapilo stands at month 18, and what comes next


|  | Month 18 | Month 24 | Month 36 |
| Paying businesses (expected) | 711 | 1,190 | 2,625 |
| Yearly revenue (expected) | **$2.2M** | $3.1M | **$4.0M** |
| Yearly revenue (if sales are slow) | $0.6M | $0.8M | $1.0M |
Around month 18 Stapilo raises a **next round from new investors**, sized to the plan at the time (typically $1.5–2M at this stage), to scale what is already working: more ads, more countries, a bigger team. In the expected case Stapilo is already paying for itself by then (from about month 11), so this money is for speed, not survival.


### What it could mean for today's investors


Stapilo's value, expected (4× yearly revenue, as in the valuation)If sales are slow (4×)

**Expected case.** At $2.2M of yearly revenue and the same 4× used in the valuation, Stapilo would be worth about **$8.8M** at month 18, against $3.6M today. The investor in the example ($60,000 for about 1.61%) would hold about **$142,000** on paper, more than twice their money, before the next round. Faster growth usually earns a higher multiple; that is upside, not the plan.
**Slow case.** At $0.6M of yearly revenue, about $2.4M, below today's price. That is exactly why the money comes in steps: a missed goal lowers the next step's price by formula, and if the month-3 goal reaches less than 70%, or the month-10 goal is missed, each investor can stop.
**Month 36, expected.** About $4.0M of yearly revenue: roughly $16M of value at 4× (about $12M at an ordinary 3×). After the next round's dilution (about 20%, as in the valuation), the example investor's ~1.29% would be worth about $206,000 at 4× (about $155,000 at 3×).
**The middle case, stated honestly.** The most likely outcome for a company at this stage is neither failure nor a big sale: Stapilo works and survives, but grows slower than planned, to perhaps $1.5–2M of yearly revenue, profitable because the team is lean. Nobody buys it soon, and there is no next round. Then the shares are worth something on paper but can't easily be sold: the example investor's ~1.6% would be worth about $72–97k at 3× revenue (1.2–1.6× the $60,000), paid out only if the company is sold, or as dividends of roughly $3–4k a year if profit is shared. Money comes back slowly in this case, over many years.
**The big outcome.** The ambitious case (about $11.5M of yearly revenue in year 3, weighted 20% in the valuation) is what makes this a venture investment rather than a solid one: at 4× that is about $46M of value, and the example investor's ~1.29% would be worth about $590,000, roughly 10× the $60,000. It needs guru partners and affiliates to work at scale; it is not the plan the cash is sized on.
**What's not counted.** These values count subscriptions only. The success program, masterclass tickets and Stapilo's own courses come on top, and an acquirer could pay more for the AI and the customer base.
Illustration, not a promise: values use the same revenue model and multiples as the valuation; real outcomes can be lower or higher.


### How investors get their money back, and when

No promise of a billion-dollar sale. This is what usually happens to companies like Stapilo, and what it would mean for an investor.

**Companies like Stapilo do get bought.** Platforms in this field have bought smaller tools to fill gaps: Hotmart bought Teachable (2020), Squarespace bought Acuity Scheduling (2019), Kit bought SparkLoop (2023), Linktree bought Koji (2023), Kajabi bought Vibely (2022). In 2025–2026 the big suites bought AI teams: Wix bought Base44 (~$80M), HubSpot bought XFunnel (~$30M), Canva bought Ortto. Private-equity and operator buyers (Permira, Bending Spoons, Tiny) buy profitable software. Small and mid-size software companies sell for about **3–5× yearly revenue** today (private deals nearer 3×, public companies ~4×, mid-2026); growth and customers who stay lift the price, slow growth lowers it.

|  | What happens | When | What the $60,000 example investor could get |
| **1** | ** The company is sold** at 3–5× yearly revenue | Year 4–6 | ~$155k–385k (2.6–6.4×) |
| **2** | ** Stapilo stays independent and pays dividends** from profit, or buys shares back | From year 3–4 | ~$8k a year, keeping the shares |
| **3** | ** Part of the shares are sold** to the next round's investors | Month 15–18 | ~$70k for half the shares (more than the money back), keeping the other half |
Assumptions: the realistic plan ($4.0M of yearly revenue at month 36; $6M in the high sale case), a sale at 3× (ordinary) to 5× (good), the next round taking about 20%, and for dividends a 25% profit margin with half paid out (the last two are estimates, not plan figures). The stake: 0.38% after step 1 → 1.14% after step 2 → 1.61% after step 3 → about 1.29% after the next round (dividends assume no next round: 1.61%). Taxes on paid-out profit to be confirmed with an accountant. Full arithmetic and the list of deals with sources: research/exits.md.


**If things go slowly:** the 1× preference means a sale pays investors back before the founder receives anything, as long as the company sells for at least what investors put in.
**If the company fails:** investors can lose everything they put in. Invest only what you can afford to lose.
**What protects investors along the way:** selling alongside the founder, the right to keep their percentage in later rounds, the 1× preference, monthly figures and quarterly reports, and their consent for any sale.
**What we won't do:** name buyers who haven't talked to us, or promise a date. Every year investors are told which of the three routes looks most likely.

## Part 5
The team


**Levan Bakhia, founder and CEO.** 26 years in marketing: founded the advertising agency Sarke in 1998, which grew into Sarke Group (Studio, Idea, Consulting, Research, Outdoor, PR). For about six years a working coach running webinars, funnels and courses. Designed and built Stapilo. The face of the brand, its teacher and its first seller.
**Built so far by a small team.** 18 months of development, at least 8 of them with a team of five developers working with the founder (6,400+ changes since February 2026 alone).
**Hired with this round:** 3 developers; 5 campaign owners who each run a full campaign inside Stapilo (English-speaking; the agent builds the pages, emails and ads, so the role is running and improving a campaign rather than producing it from scratch; pay rises ₾500 every three months, plus a 3% commission); 2 videographer-editors and an art director; a podcast manager and assistant; a head of success with consultants and community support as the success program grows; a part-time accountant.
**Key-person risk, stated openly:** today much depends on the founder. The plan moves selling, campaigns, production and customer success into the team within the first months, so the company doesn't rest on one person.

## Part 6
The main risks, and how they're handled


| Risk | How it's handled |
| **Sales come slower than planned** | The money comes in three steps, each released only when its goal is met. A cost-cut plan is written in advance (fewer masterminds, slower hiring, ads held). |
| **Revenue today is small** | What the first customers' results do prove: the founder built and ran the funnels (webinars, ads, follow-up) through which three of them sold over $430k of their programs, and those are the same methods Stapilo will use to win its own customers. What they don't prove yet is that coaches will buy Stapilo itself that way; that is what step 1 tests. Six businesses pay about $2,200 a month, by transfer to the founder until the company invoices them; one is the founder's own business. Three of the six have paid for more than 12 months, two for several months, one is new; none has ever left, and all six are in active daily use. These first customers were sold through the founder's relationships, on purpose, to test and develop the platform; no guru has tried Stapilo yet, and selling to strangers starts with this round. The price reflects that (step 1: $100k at $2.5M), and the month-3 goal (20 paying businesses from outside the founder's circle, about $6k a month from them) is the first test. |
| **Guru partners don't sign** | It's a milestone at month 10 (3 partners). Without partners, the plan slows toward the conservative case; mastermind spending can follow results. |
| **Dependence on the founder** | The founder's time goes to three things: recording content (two batch days a week), presenting masterclasses, and meeting gurus (about 30 rooms over 18 months, a third of them online). Everything around those is the team's: production films, edits and cuts shorts; the podcast manager books guests and produces; campaign owners run the funnels; the success team supports customers; the developers handle day-to-day engineering under the founder's product direction. The founder's 75% of shares vest over three years, so the incentive stays tied to the company. **If the founder were out for three months:** the product is built and runs on its own (tested, documented, with automated checks on every change), so the developers keep shipping; the marketing strategy, funnels and campaign playbooks are written down and run by the campaign owners; the success team keeps supporting customers; and two recording days a week build a reserve of content weeks ahead. What would slow down is new guru relationships and live masterclasses, which is why the plan aims to sign 3 partners by month 10. |
| **Larger competitors add AI** | They are moving (HighLevel's AI Employee and workflow agents, Kajabi's Expert Agents), each inside its existing product areas. Stapilo's lead, one agent across the whole business, is real but time-limited, so the plan spends on winning customers now: the newcomer experience, the success program and distribution. |
| **No company yet, rights not yet in it** | Step zero: the company is formed and the rights to the code and brand are transferred from the founder and every developer before any investment is accepted. |
| **International payments** | The dollar checkout is a month 1–3 milestone. Stapilo's own subscription is billed through a merchant-of-record service (Paddle, which handles sales tax and VAT and allows software subscriptions). Masterclass tickets, the mastermind and Stapilo's customers' own sales of coaching and courses go through Stripe and local processors, never Paddle, whose rules exclude coaching and human services. Local processors cover countries the big platforms can't serve. |
| **The extras (success program, tickets) underperform** | They are not in the base plan at all; they start only after a paid pilot. |
Valuation · Customer model · Price research · How Stapilo is built
 Prepared for Stapilo's first investment round · 25 October 2026 · USD.


---

# PART: Terms

← Start here · Stapilo · Investor material · Terms

# How the investment works

The main terms of Stapilo's first round, in plain language. This is a summary for discussion; the final documents are drafted and reviewed by a lawyer under Georgian law.

Draft Not a binding offer.


**$2.5M** step 1 price; $3.5M and $3.6M for steps 2 and 3 once their goals are met
**$600k** in three steps: $100k, $300k, $200k
**~16.1%** for investors if all three steps happen
**Shares** investors become registered partners

## 1
The company and the investment


| **Company** | Stapilo, a limited liability company (LLC) registered in Georgia. Partners and their shares are recorded in the public registry; a change counts once it is registered. Before any investment, all rights to Stapilo's code and brand are transferred into the company from the founder and from every developer who has worked on it. The company stays in Georgia unless a later institutional round needs a parent company abroad (for example in Delaware or Estonia); then all partners move into it on the same terms and in the same proportions. |
| **What investors receive** | New shares in the company, issued at each step. Investors are registered as partners. |
| **Valuation and price** | Stapilo is valued at $3.6M before the investment (how it was calculated), a value that assumes the sales engine works. Because that is not yet proven, step 1 is priced at $2.5M; step 2 at $3.5M and step 3 at $3.6M, each once the goal before it is met. |
| **Share pool** | About 10% of the company is set aside before the investment, for future key people and for guru partners, earned over time and against results. It comes out of the founder's share, not the investors'. |
| **The founder invests too** | On the same terms as everyone: $10,000 in step 1, $30,000 in step 2 and $20,000 in step 3 ($60,000). The $30,000 he has already spent building Stapilo (documented costs, invoices available) pays for step 1 and $20,000 of step 2; it is past spending, not new cash in the bank. His new cash is $10,000 at step 2 and $20,000 at step 3. Of the $600,000 round, $570,000 is new cash. His shares from this investment come at the same price as everyone else's. |
| **Minimum investment** | $10,000 in step 1, $30,000 in step 2 and $20,000 in step 3 per investor ($60,000 committed across the three steps). Step 1 closes once at least $75,000 of its $100,000 is committed. |

## 2
The three steps


| Step | Paid | Goal that releases the next step | Amount |
| **1** | On signing, at $2.5M | By month 3: the company formed and the rights in; dollar checkout, affiliate program and local payments live; 20 paying businesses from outside the founder's circle and about $6k of monthly revenue from them (at least 80% of each) | $100k |
| **2** | Month 3, committed: at $3.5M if step 1's goal is met, otherwise at a price lowered by formula; below 70% of the goal, each investor chooses to pay or stop | By month 10: about 250 paying businesses and $78k of monthly revenue (at least 80% of each), and 3 guru partners signed | $300k |
| **3** | Month 10, committed: at $3.6M if step 2's goal is met; otherwise each investor chooses a lower price or stops | Growth toward 500+ paying businesses and the next round | $200k |

**Commitments.** Each investor signs for all three steps now. Step 2 is paid at month 3 if at least 70% of step 1's goal is reached (customers and revenue both), at the full or the lowered price; below 70%, each investor decides whether to pay step 2 at the lowered price or stop. Step 3 is paid at month 10 if its goal is met.
**The lower-price formula.** If a goal is missed, the price is lowered by how far it was missed: the step price × the share of the goal reached (for example 70% of the goal gives a 30% lower price), never more than 25% lower.
**How goals are measured.** A paying business is one that paid the company at least $50 for that month's subscription. Monthly revenue is subscription revenue collected by the company that month, from its accounts. A goal counts as met only when every target reaches at least 80% (the customer count and the revenue both). Businesses owned by or related to the founder (today one, the founder's own coaching business) don't count toward any goal. **The figures that decide steps 2 and 3** (paying businesses, the outside-customer count and monthly revenue) **are checked by an independent accountant** chosen by the majority of investors and paid by the company (about $1,000–2,000 per check), from the company's bank account and payment records, before each step.
**If an investor doesn't pay a committed step,** they lose the step price and the right to keep their percentage in later rounds, and the other investors may take up that share.

## 3
Who owns what



|  | Before | After step 1 | After step 2 | After step 3 |
| Founder | 90.0% | 86.5% | 79.7% | 75.5% |
| Share pool (future key people, guru partners) | 10.0% | 9.6% | 8.9% | 8.4% |
| Investors together | — | 3.8% | 11.4% | 16.1% |
| Price of the step (value before the money) | — | $2.5M | $3.5M | $3.6M |
If all steps are paid at the stated prices. If a goal is missed and investors pay the lower price, they receive more shares for that step. "Investors together" includes the founder's own $60,000 on the same terms: outside investors end with about 14.5%, and the founder with about 77.1% in total (75.5% plus 1.6% from his investment).


## 4
Investors' rights


**Information.** A short monthly figures update (paying businesses, revenue, cash, spending against the budget) and a full quarterly report; annual accounts.
**Keeping their share.** The right to invest in future rounds to keep their percentage.
**Selling together.** If the founder sells shares, investors may sell theirs on the same terms. If a buyer offers for the whole company and the majority agrees, everyone sells together on the same terms.
**Big decisions.** Everyday decisions are taken by the majority of all shares. Selling the company, creating new kinds of shares, changing these rights or the share pool needs the consent of investors holding more than half of the investors' shares.
**If the company is sold cheaply.** Investors get their money back first (once, without also sharing in the rest), or their percentage of the sale, whichever is higher.
**Founder's shares vest.** A quarter of the founder's shares count as earned at signing, for the work already done; the rest is earned monthly over three years. If the company is sold, all of it vests.
**Guru partners' shares.** Come from the share pool and are earned only against results (for example a set number of paying businesses they bring), with a cap per partner.

## 5
Before the first step is paid

- The company is registered in Georgia, with a bank account and the founder as 100% partner.
- The rights to Stapilo's code and brand are transferred into the company by the founder and every person who contributed code (the founder and the six developers in the code history since February 2026, plus anyone from the earlier version).
- The share pool is created.
- The charter (public) and the partners' agreement (private: price, steps, goals, rights) are drafted and reviewed by a lawyer.
- The six businesses paying today are invoiced by the company, so revenue sits inside it.

## 6
The documents


| **Charter** | Public, filed with the registry: the basic rules, such as who may sell shares to outsiders and the voting thresholds. |
| **Partners' agreement** | Private: the price, the three steps and their goals, the commitments, the lower-price rule, and the investors' rights. |
| **Share purchase for each step** | Issuing the new shares and registering investors as partners. |
| **Rights transfers** | From the founder and each developer to the company, for the code and the brand. |
Valuation · Plan and budget · Customer model · Price research · How Stapilo is built
 Draft for discussion · 26 October 2026 · USD · final terms subject to legal review under Georgian law.


---

# PART: Customer model

← Start here · Stapilo · Investor material · Part of the valuation

# How many customers Stapilo can win, and how we know

How many paying customers Stapilo can win over three years, and what they pay: about **$350 a month** for the first heavy users, falling to an average of about **$128** by year 3 as cheaper entry offers widen the base. It's built **bottom-up**, from Stapilo's own marketing plan and channel by channel, and checked against the size of the market and how fast comparable companies actually grew.



Paying customers, end of year 3
2,625
realistic case

Yearly revenue run-rate, end of year 3
$4.0M
subscriptions only

Share of the market already paying for such tools
0.5%
of ~500,000 businesses
**The starting point is real.** 10 businesses already run on Stapilo and 6 of them pay it about $2,200 a month in total (one is the founder's own coaching business), selling through it: $430k+ (over ₾1.1M, approximate) sold through it by three of them, including high-ticket programs closed by phone from its funnels, with 69,000 contacts, 60,500 webinar registrations, 34,600 attendances and 1,500 booked calls. The model below counts only **new paying subscribers**, starting from zero, so none of this existing use is counted as revenue.
Model Every input is shown and can be changed below. The three cases (conservative, realistic, ambitious) use the same structure with different inputs.


## Part 1
How we count: two points every path leads to

Stapilo will be found through many different doors: a video where Levan simply opens Stapilo and builds a webinar, a free tool like Brainstorm, a single product (only webinars), a masterclass, a course, a guru's recommendation. The doors keep changing, and that's the point. So we **don't** model each door. That would mean guessing dozens of numbers.

Instead we measure at the two points every door leads to:




**Point 1: people who open a Stapilo account.** A free plan, a trial, or one single product. For each channel we estimate only this: how many accounts it brings per month, and how that grows.
**Point 2: how many of them pay, and how long they stay.** One set of research-backed rates for everyone: the share who become paying, and the share who leave each month.
This is also what investors check most easily: "this channel brings X accounts, Y% pay, Z% leave each month."


## Part 2
The market: how much room there is

Before counting customers, we check the market is big enough that our numbers are a small, believable share of it.




| Layer | Size | What it counts |
| **Everyone who could use Stapilo** | 3–10 million | Coaches, consultants, course creators, online educators and experts selling knowledge or services online. Our own range, built from several sources: about 123,000 credentialed coaches (ICF 2025) as a floor, 232,000+ coaches in the US alone (Marketdata ⚠), and about 2 million creators earning over $100k a year (Goldman Sachs). |
| **Those already paying for tools like Stapilo** | 400,000–600,000 | Paying accounts at Kajabi, Thinkific, Teachable, Systeme.io, ClickFunnels, Kartra, Skool, Circle, Mighty, Podia, Stan, LearnWorlds and Kit: about 650,000 together, minus people using several. That's about $0.5–1.1 billion a year spent on this. |
| **Stapilo, end of year 3** | 2,625 | The realistic case below: about **0.5%** of businesses already paying. |
Upside not counted: HighLevel (about 1 million businesses), Mailchimp (800,000 paying) and Hotmart-style marketplaces would push "already paying" to 1.5–3 million. The market is about half English-speaking. Hotmart and Systeme.io show large markets in other languages too. Details: research/market-size.md


## Part 3
How fast comparable companies really grew

Paying customers over the first years, from founders' own figures and company reports. The orange lines are Stapilo's three cases from Part 6.


Comparable companiesStapilo cases (dashed: conservative and ambitious)


| Company | How it grew | Pace |
| ClickFunnels | Founder Russell Brunson's audience, books, webinars, events, affiliates. He had built the audience for ten years before launch. | 10,000+ paying in year 1 |
| Systeme.io | Founder's audience, then affiliates: **70% of sales** came through affiliates. No outside funding. | ~1,500 at 1 yr · ~5,000 at 2.4 · ~8,000 at 3.4 |
| Circle | Word of mouth among creators | ~1,000 at 13 months · ~4,000 at ~2 yrs |
| HighLevel | Coaches recommending it to their students; agencies reselling it | ~1,000 at ~2 yrs ⚠ · 70,000+ agencies at ~8 yrs |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Demos, moving customers from other tools, affiliates, webinars. A slow start. | ~1,000 at ~2.5 yrs ⚠ |
| Thinkific | Content and a free plan, no founder-led selling | ~10,000 at ~7 yrs |
| Kajabi | Partners, brand | ~56,000 at ~11 yrs |
**The lesson.** In this market, fast growth came from ** a founder with an audience, plus partners who sell for you**. Without that, reaching 10,000 took 6–8 years. Stapilo's plan is built on exactly those two things. One honest difference: the fast ones (Systeme.io, Circle, Stan) were cheaper, which makes customer counts grow faster, so Stapilo's realistic case sits below them.
Details and sources: research/growth-and-funnels.md


## Part 4
Why this founder can run this plan



### 26 years in marketing

Levan Bakhia founded the advertising agency Sarke in 1998. It grew into Sarke Group (Studio, Idea, Consulting, Research, Outdoor, PR), described in 2007 business press as the market leader in its country's advertising industry, with banks and major brands as clients.


### A working coach who learned this market

For about six years Levan has run a coaching business on webinars, funnels and courses. He learned this market's specific marketing in practice, and he's a strong teacher. He's also the person who built Stapilo, so he can show it, not just talk about it.

**The position, against the gurus:** "Selling is not easy. A coach has to learn to sell, learn to market, and then learn the tools to do it. Nobody can do it for you." Stapilo is presented as the platform where those lessons get carried out, and as the "brain": the AI that helps decide what to sell, does the research, and builds it.

## Part 5
The five channels

Each channel below shows what it is, why it works, what drives its numbers, and how many new Stapilo accounts per month it brings in each case. Underneath every channel is the same principle: **every video, episode and ad carries a door into Stapilo**, but there's no single fixed ladder. A door can be a demo with no offer at all, a free tool, a single product, a free or paid masterclass, a course, or a group to join.


### 1Founder-led content

Bingeable long-form YouTube in English: about five videos a week of 10–20 minutes, plus about 25 shorts a week cut from them for Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Levan teaches the frameworks that live inside Stapilo: webinar funnels, CRM for coaches, strategy, the customer avatar, the Brainstorm frameworks.

**Doors into Stapilo** Levan shows the work inside Stapilo ("we go to Stapilo, this is how we do the webinar") with no pitch; a free tool to try; a single product; a masterclass; a course.
**Why it works** In this market, fast growth came from founders with an audience (ClickFunnels, Systeme.io). The channel starts from zero and compounds: most channels grow slowly, so this one is planned to matter most in years 2–3.
**What drives the number** Publishing pace held for a full year; views per video; how often a video shows Stapilo being used.

| New Stapilo accounts per month, at month 12 / 24 / 36 | Conservative | Realistic | Ambitious |
| Starts at about 10 a month and grows between the points | 68 / 203 / 405 | 150 / 450 / 900 | 330 / 990 / 1,980 |

### 2Gurus and masterminds

Levan joins the masterminds and workshops of 10–20 gurus who teach coaches a niche (webinars, launches, sales). In their communities he tells his story rather than advertising: "whatever this guru teaches, you can carry it out in Stapilo." He builds relationships with the gurus themselves and offers a deal: affiliate income plus a share of one capped partner pool, so they want Stapilo to win.

**Doors into Stapilo** A guru's recommendation to their students; a demo inside their community; a guru running a webinar for their list.
**Why it works** The largest measured driver in this market: 70% of Systeme.io's sales came through affiliates. HighLevel grew because coaches told their students; one mastermind sold it to 40 agencies in a day.
**What drives the number** Number of active partners; the size of their audiences; commission level (30–60% recurring is normal in this market). The founder attends about 30 masterminds and workshops in 18 months, which is where partners are met.

| New Stapilo accounts per month, at month 12 / 24 / 36 | Conservative | Realistic | Ambitious |
| Starts at about 20 a month and grows between the points | 90 / 203 / 405 | 200 / 450 / 900 | 440 / 990 / 1,980 |

### 3Podcast with the gurus

Short episodes (about 30 minutes) on the same YouTube channel, often several sessions with the same guest, mostly on Zoom, sometimes in person. Each opens with: "what will a coach know at the end of this conversation?"

**Doors into Stapilo** Guests share episodes with their own audiences, which brings new viewers to the channel and to Stapilo.
**Why it works** It turns gurus into repeat collaborators, which feeds channel 2, and borrows their audiences, which feeds channel 1. The direct numbers here are kept small on purpose.
**What drives the number** Guest audience size; how often guests share; episodes per month.

| New Stapilo accounts per month, at month 12 / 24 / 36 | Conservative | Realistic | Ambitious |
| Starts at about 0 a month and grows between the points | 14 / 36 / 68 | 30 / 80 / 150 | 66 / 176 / 330 |

### 4Paid ads to Stapilo's own masterclasses

Ads like "come and learn the webinar" bring people to Stapilo's own webinars and masterclasses. On the webinar Levan shows exactly how they arrived: which ad, which page, which platform, what logic. The course and mastermind are sold there: Stapilo sells its own knowledge (courses, funnels, webinars, paid masterclasses and a mastermind) on its own platform.

**Doors into Stapilo** The masterclass itself; the course; the Stapilo tools shown working live.
**Why it works** Ads are the only channel that works from day one. A lead costs about $28 on Meta (WordStream 2025), too expensive as the main engine on its own, but here the course sales can pay for the ads. It's also the best proof: Stapilo selling itself on Stapilo.
**What drives the number** Ad budget: $3k a month rising to $20k (the use of funds). The first three months run lean on the first $100k: guru-driven sign-ups start at half and catch up by month 12, and the podcast starts in month 4. At about $100 of ads per new account (between the research's $50 low and $267 middle case; the plan page shows what $267 would mean), that's ~30 accounts a month at first, ~150 by month 7–12 and ~200 from month 13. Webinar attendance (39–56% of sign-ups attend); course sales help cover ad cost.

| New Stapilo accounts per month, at month 12 / 24 / 36 | Conservative | Realistic | Ambitious |
| Starts at about 30 a month and grows between the points | 68 / 90 / 135 | 150 / 200 / 300 | 330 / 440 / 660 |

### 5Countries the big platforms can't serve

In many countries Stripe and the big processors aren't available, so a coach there can't easily sell on Kajabi-type platforms without a company abroad. Stapilo connects a local payment processor in each such country (done once already), verifies sellers locally, then markets there with local ads and free meetups for coaches. The first new countries open in the first three months.

**Doors into Stapilo** A local event; local ads; being the platform that "just works" with local payments.
**Why it works** Checked honestly: Stripe covers 51 countries, which leaves about 1.2 billion internet users outside it (Türkiye, the Caucasus and Central Asia, Ukraine, the non-EU Balkans, Egypt, Pakistan, Vietnam, much of Latin America). Coaches there can get paid through Skool or Gumroad, but every all-in-one platform (Kajabi, Thinkific, Teachable, Podia, Stan, HighLevel) needs the coach's own Stripe or PayPal, and PayPal can't receive in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Pakistan or Bangladesh. The strongest gap is the buyer's side: local buyers want local cards and wallets (Uzcard/Humo, Kaspi, Turkish instalments, 57.8% of Türkiye's e-commerce spending), which USD-only platforms can't take. Systeme.io already covers Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia through local gateways, so the open field is the former-USSR countries and Türkiye. Stapilo's existing processor also accepts merchants in Uzbekistan, Moldova and Armenia.
**What drives the number** Countries opened per year (shortlist: Uzbekistan, Armenia, Moldova first, then Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Egypt); local language, support and legal pages (the main cost per country); incomes, which are lower, so these markets add customers more than revenue.

| New Stapilo accounts per month, at month 12 / 24 / 36 | Conservative | Realistic | Ambitious |
| Starts at about 10 a month and grows between the points | 32 / 54 / 113 | 70 / 120 / 250 | 154 / 264 / 550 |
**Underneath all five channels: a success program for the first 500 customers.** The reason Stapilo pushes coaches into masterclasses, the mastermind and the marketing frameworks is that it cares whether its first 500 customers actually succeed. They get support that goes beyond the technical: knowledge (frameworks, masterclasses, the mastermind), hands-on help, and community meetups and discussions. Customers who succeed stay longer and bring others, which is why the model's monthly churn can settle at 4.5%.

### All channels together

New accounts per month from each channel, realistic case. Each channel grows at its own pace: paid ads start first, content and partners compound later.


1. Founder-led content2. Gurus and masterminds3. Podcast with the gurus4. Paid ads to Stapilo's own masterclasses5. Countries the big platforms can't serve


## Part 6
From accounts to paying customers

Two rates turn accounts into paying customers, and both come from research:


| Rate | What the research says | Conservative | Realistic | Ambitious |
| **Accounts that become paying** | A trial without a card turns 18% into paying (First Page Sage, 2025). A free plan converts 3–5% ("good") to 6–8% ("great"). Many of Stapilo's accounts arrive warm, from a webinar, a demo or a guru's recommendation, so a blend sits between the two. | 8% | 12% | 15% |
| **Leaving per month, first 3 months** | Most customers who leave do it early. Small SaaS companies lose about 6.5% a month at the start (ChartMogul). Systeme.io lost about 8%. | 12% | 10% | 10% |
| **Leaving per month, after that** | It settles near 3.7% as companies grow (ChartMogul). Stapilo's AI agent gets a business live fast, which attacks the early drop. | 6% | 4.5% | 4% |

### What each customer pays over time

The first customers are the heaviest users: businesses that run everything on Stapilo (webinars, courses, campaigns, the AI inbox). The six businesses paying today average **about $369 a month**. Early marketing targets exactly these businesses, so new customers in the first months are modelled at **$350**. As Stapilo grows, simpler and cheaper entry offers (a single product such as only booking, only the support bot, or webinars plus CRM) widen the base through the list and retargeting. So the price a new customer pays falls steadily, to about **$60** by year 3, a mix of single products and small packages. Early customers keep paying what they chose, so the **average** falls more slowly: to about **$127** by year 3. That's close to the long-run average the price research supports (about $110, see the research), and below what Kajabi and Thinkific earn per customer.


Average per paying customerPrice a new customer pays that month


### The model



Accounts that become paying**12%**
Leaving per month, after 3 months**4.5%**
Price new customers pay by year 3**$60**
Strength of all channels**×1.0**
The case buttons set all three to that case's values. Move any slider to see its effect.


Paying customers


|  | End of year 1 | End of year 2 | End of year 3 |
| New accounts per month | **592** | **1,288** | **2,483** |
| New paying customers per month | **71** | **155** | **298** |
| Paying customers | **345** | **1,179** | **2,625** |
| Average per customer | **$298** | **$217** | **$127** |
| Monthly revenue | **$103k** | **$256k** | **$334k** |
| Yearly revenue run-rate | **$1.2M** | **$3.1M** | **$4.0M** |

Monthly subscription revenue (average price falling from about $350 to about $128)


## Part 7
Checks, and what has to be true


**✔ A small share of the market**
The realistic year 3 is about half a percent of the businesses that already pay for such tools. It doesn't need to win the market, only a small slice of it.

**✔ Below what comparables achieved**
The realistic case grows more slowly than Systeme.io and Circle did, because Stapilo costs more. That makes it a conservative reading of what founder-led companies in this market have done.


### What has to be true for the realistic case

- **Partners sign on in year 1.** 3–5 guru partners actively recommending Stapilo is the difference between conservative and realistic. That's the biggest single driver measured in this market (Systeme.io's 70%).
- **The content runs for a full year at the planned pace**: about five long videos and about 25 shorts a week. YouTube compounds slowly, so year 1 can't rest on it alone.
- **An affiliate program exists.** Stapilo doesn't have one yet; it's on the build list and part of the use of funds.
- **Customers get live quickly**, so fewer leave in the first three months. That's what the AI agent is for.

### Risks we state openly

- Most YouTube channels grow slowly: only about 8% ever reach 10,000 subscribers (vidIQ, 2026). The plan treats content as compounding, not instant.
- Paid ads cost about $28 per lead on Meta. As a main channel, a customer would cost roughly $1,400. Here they're used to fill Stapilo's own webinars and masterclasses, whose course sales can pay for the ads.
- The local-payment countries channel is narrower than "coaches can't get paid at all": Skool and Gumroad pay out in most of these countries. Stapilo's edge there is being a full platform that takes local buyers' payment methods. Most local processors also only onboard registered businesses. Its numbers stay small for that reason. Details: research/non-stripe-markets.md

## Sources and full research

- Market size: who could use Stapilo, who already pays
- How comparable companies grew; funnel, conversion and churn benchmarks
- Price research: the long-run average of about $110 a month · Valuation  Prepared for Stapilo's first investment round · research date 25 October 2026 · subscriptions only; income from Stapilo's own courses and masterclasses is kept separate (it funds marketing).


---

# PART: Price research

← Start here · Stapilo · Investor material · Part of the valuation

# Where Stapilo's price belongs, and what an average customer will pay

This page doesn't start from Stapilo's price list. It starts from the market: 15 competing platforms and about 65 single-purpose tools, all checked on 25 October 2026. It works out, step by step, where a platform that does **more than any of them** should be priced, and what that means for the average customer. You can check every step against its source.



Average paying customer, per month
$110
range $60 – $150

Price position
20%
below the market leaders, at every size

Feature score, 84 features, 16 platforms
#2
67 points · behind HighLevel, ahead of Kajabi and 13 others
Proposal Planning numbers for the valuation. The one real choice in it, how far below the leaders to sit, is in Step 5, and you can move it yourself.


## The logic in one minute

- **Who a buyer compares Stapilo with:** the market leaders, the cheap all-in-ones, and a pile of separate tools.
- **What Stapilo has against them:** an objective list of all 84 features any of them advertises. Stapilo ranks #2 of 16, with several things nobody else has, and some basics still missing.
- **What getting the same elsewhere costs:** a leader plus the missing tools runs about $530 a month.
- **The price map:** for each customer size, what the leaders charge and what the cheap tools charge.
- **Stapilo piece by piece:** each single product (webinars only, email only…) placed against its own market. That's 15 ways in.
- **Stapilo's position:** clearly below the leaders, clearly above the cheap tools. Better, and still cheaper, without being cheap.
- **From list price to the real average:** four independent methods land at about **$110** a month, rising as customers grow.
- **Checks:** the result matches what real companies earn.

## Step 1
Who a buyer compares Stapilo with

Someone choosing a platform to run a knowledge business (coaching, courses, webinars, a community, services) has three real alternatives. We researched all three:



#### The leaders

Kajabi, HighLevel, ClickFunnels, Kartra, Thinkific, Circle, Mighty Networks, LearnWorlds
Complete, well-known platforms that serious businesses pay for. **Stapilo replaces these.**


#### The cheap all-in-ones

Systeme.io, Simvoly, Podia, Teachable, Stan Store, Heights, Skool
Low prices with narrower tools, hard limits or a cut of every sale. **The price floor.**


#### Separate tools

Mailchimp, Kit, ManyChat, Typeform, Leadpages, WebinarJam, Zoom, Calendly, Vimeo, Later…
One tool per job, glued together. About 65 priced. **What a business pays today without a platform.**

Hotmart was also researched, but it has no plans to compare: it takes about 10% of each sale instead.


## Step 2
What Stapilo has, compared with every competitor

We didn't pick features that flatter Stapilo. We collected **every feature that any of the 15 competitors advertises** on its own pricing, features and help pages: 84 features in 10 groups. Then we checked each one for every platform. Stapilo's column was checked against its actual code: a "yes" needs a real, working part of the product behind it.

Score = full features + half of partial ones (an add-on at extra cost, top plan only, limited, or through an integration).


Competitor scoreStapilo


**Where Stapilo is ahead.** No competitor has these on a normal plan: in-person ticketing with door check-in, WhatsApp campaigns built in, **one AI agent that builds and runs every area of the business**, a mini-app builder, and an SEO toolkit. Only HighLevel also has Meta ads management, syncing contacts to Meta ad audiences, and AI that answers customers on every inbox channel.
**Where Stapilo is behind, honestly.** Missing: Zapier/Make connections (all 15 have them), an affiliate program (13 have one), free trials on subscriptions, physical products, invoices, pop-ups, phone calling, an AI voice agent, white-label reselling. Only partly there: full payment plans, a public API with keys, international SMS, a released mobile app. Most of these are standard basics, and they're on the build list.
**What this means for the price.** HighLevel is the only platform with more features. It's built for marketing agencies, and its comparable plan costs $297. Against every course, community and funnel platform (Kajabi, Thinkific, ClickFunnels, Circle and the rest), Stapilo offers **more**. That's why the position in Step 5 is "below the leaders, well above the cheap tools", not "the cheapest".


### The full list

Scroll sideways to see all platforms. Hover a half dot to read the note. Filter:



| Feature | Stapilo | Kajabi | HighLevel | ClickFunnels | Kartra | Thinkific | Circle | Mighty Networks | LearnWorlds | Systeme.io | Simvoly | Podia | Teachable | Stan Store | Heights | Skool |
| Sell & get paid |
| Checkout pages / one-time payments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Subscriptions / recurring memberships |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Payment plans (installments) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Order bumps / one-click upsells |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Coupons / discount codes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Affiliate program (your own affiliates promote your products) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Physical products / shipping |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Digital downloads |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Free trials on subscriptions |  |  |  | ? |  |  |  |  | ? |  | ? |  |  | ? | ? |  |
| 0% platform fee on your sales (on at least one paid plan) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Multi-currency pricing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ? |  | ? |  |  |  |  |  |
| Sales tax / VAT handling (automatic) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Invoices / quotes to customers |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  |  |
| Product bundles |  |  | ? | ? | ? |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  |
| Courses & learning |
| Online courses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Drip / scheduled content release |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Graded quizzes / tests |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Certificates of completion |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Assignments / homework submissions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Cohort-based courses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Native video hosting |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Student progress tracking |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ? |
| Community |
| Community spaces / feed / posts |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Member chat / direct messages |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  |
| Gamification (points, levels, leaderboards) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Member directory / profiles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  |
| Live streaming inside the community |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Community events calendar |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Events & live |
| Native live webinars (host live inside the platform) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Automated / evergreen webinars |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Zoom integration |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Ticketed online events |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| In-person event tickets / door check-in (QR) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Event reminders by email/SMS |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  |  | ? |  |  |  |  |  |  | ? |
| Marketing |
| Email broadcasts / newsletters |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Email automations / visual workflow builder |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| SMS marketing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| WhatsApp messaging |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Forms / lead capture |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Surveys / lead quizzes (scored or branching) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Landing pages / sales funnels |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Full website builder |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Blog |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Link-in-bio page |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| A/B split testing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Pop-ups |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Tracking pixels / conversion tracking (Meta pixel, GA) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Testimonials / reviews collection on your pages |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Short links / QR codes |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Sales & CRM |
| CRM contacts with tags / segments |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Sales pipelines / deals |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Booking calendar / appointment scheduling |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Paid 1:1 coaching sessions |  |  |  | ? | ? |  |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  |  |  |  |
| Proposals / contracts / e-signature |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Phone calling (VoIP, call tracking) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Reputation management (Google reviews requests/replies) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Live chat widget for your website |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Social & ads |
| Social media post scheduling |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads creation & management |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Unified inbox (Messenger / Instagram DMs / email / chat in one place) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Instagram/Facebook comment & DM auto-replies (keyword auto-DM) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| AI |
| AI content writing (copy, emails, posts) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| AI generates a course / site / funnel from a prompt |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| AI chatbot that replies to customers |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| AI voice agent (answers/makes phone calls) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| AI agent that builds and operates the business across tools (multi-step, takes actions) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| AI tutor / teaching assistant inside courses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| MCP server / outside AI assistants can operate the account |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Platform |
| Branded mobile app (your own iOS/Android app in the stores) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Member mobile app (platform's own app, not branded) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| White label / SaaS reselling |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Team seats & roles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Custom domains |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Public API / webhooks |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Zapier / Make integration |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Multiple businesses / sub-accounts under one login |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ? |  |  | ? |  |
| Custom mini-app builder (build your own small apps/tools) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Public marketplace / discovery for creators' products |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Multi-language customer-facing area |  |  | ? | ? |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Business analytics dashboard (revenue, traffic, funnel) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Extra capabilities |
| SEO toolkit (keyword research, rank tracking, site audit) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Interactive video (in-video questions, polls, CTAs) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Breakout rooms in native live sessions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| CRM segments synced to Meta custom audiences (native) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Source detail and the evidence for every Stapilo "yes": research/feature-matrix.md. 27 of 1,260 competitor cells are "unknown" (shown as ?). A competitor "no" can also mean a feature exists but isn't documented on its site.
 Why we don't simply set the price by counting features
Competitors with more features don't consistently charge more. Stan Store has many tools for $29–99 because each is shallow, while Mighty Networks charges $425 for a narrower set because its community tool is deep and its brand is strong. Price follows brand, depth and limits as much as the feature count. So the feature list proves Stapilo is the **more complete** product; it doesn't calculate the price on its own. The price comes from the map in Step 4.


## Step 3
What it costs to get the same thing elsewhere

If a business wants everything Stapilo does, here's what it pays elsewhere each month: a leader plus the tools that leader is missing, or a full set of separate tools. Monthly billing, a business with about 2,500–10,000 contacts.


ElsewhereStapilo, mid-size plan (Step 5)
  What is added to each

| Setup | What is in it | Per month |
| Kajabi + missing tools | Kajabi Growth $249 + live webinars (WebinarJam) $99 + booking (Calendly) $12 + WhatsApp/SMS platform (Interakt) $55 + Meta ads tool (AdEspresso) $49 + social scheduling (Later) $25 ⚠ + Messenger/Instagram AI replies (ManyChat) $39 | $528 |
| HighLevel + missing tools | HighLevel Unlimited $297 + live webinars $99 + AI Employee add-on $50 + WhatsApp add-on $10 + Meta ads tool $49 + social scheduling $25 ⚠ | $530 |
| Separate tools, lean | Pages $29 + Zoom Webinars $89 + Calendly $12 + Vimeo $20 + Later $25 + Linktree $9 + AdEspresso $49, then email + chat + forms $115 | $348 |
| Separate tools, typical | Leadpages $99 + WebinarJam $99 + EverWebinar $199 + Acuity $34 + Vimeo $41 + Later $50 + Linktree $17 + AdEspresso $99, then email + chat + forms $260 | $898 |
WhatsApp and SMS message fees are left out (they depend on volume and country). Including them would only raise the "elsewhere" figures.

**What this shows.** The full Stapilo set is worth about **$350–900 a month** at today's market prices. We don't charge that, because people pay what the market charges for a platform, not the sum of the parts. But it shows how much room Stapilo has to sit below the leaders and still be priced fairly.

## Step 4
The price map

Platforms charge by business size: more contacts, more team members, more products. Nearly every competitor has three sizes, so we compare like with like:

- **Starter:** a solo expert getting going (the first real plan, without a big cut of sales)
- **Growth:** a working business with a small team (usually the plan marked "most popular")
- **Pro:** a larger business or team (the top self-serve plan)
Every dot below is one real plan, billed month to month and read from the company's own pricing page.


Leader's plan"Most popular"Cheap all-in-one's planStapilo, positioned (Step 5)

Taking the middle value (the median) of each group at each size gives the map:


Cheap all-in-ones (median)Leaders (median)Stapilo
  Which plan of each company counts as Starter, Growth and Pro

| Platform | Starter | Growth | Pro | Note |
| **Leaders** |
| Kajabi | $179 | $249 | $499 | No Starter under $179; Growth is the plan it steers buyers to |
| HighLevel | $97 | $297 | $497 |  |
| ClickFunnels | $97 | $197 | $297 | Pro = Optimize; Dominate ($5,997/yr) is annual only |
| Kartra | $119 | $229 | $549 | Essentials $59 skipped: 5% cut of sales, 500 contacts |
| Thinkific | $109 | $219 | $499 |  |
| Circle ⚠ | $99 | $219 | $419 | Monthly prices from the page's embedded data |
| Mighty Networks | $95 | $215 | $425 |  |
| LearnWorlds | $99 | $299 | — | Starter $29 skipped: $5 per enrolment; no self-serve Pro above $299 |
| **Leaders' median** | **$99** | **$224** | **$497** |  |
| **Cheap all-in-ones** |
| Systeme.io | $17 | $47 | $97 | Also a free plan |
| Simvoly | $36 | $49 | $97 | Starter $18 has no funnels; Business $36 used |
| Podia | $49 | $99 | $179 | Email limited to 100–1,000 subscribers |
| Teachable | $39 | $89 | $189 | Starter takes 7.5% of sales |
| Stan Store | $29 | $99 | — |  |
| Heights | $49 | $119 | $499 | Challenge $29 skipped: one course only |
| Skool | $9 | $99 | — | Hobby takes 10% of sales |
| **Cheap median** | **$36** | **$99** | **$179** |  |
The median is the middle value when the prices are sorted, so one unusual price can't pull it. Kajabi has no "Starter" under $179, which is why its dot sits high; the median isn't moved by that.


## Step 5
Choosing Stapilo's position: better, and still cheaper, without being cheap



### Why below the leaders

Stapilo is new. A business that switches has to move its courses, contacts and pages, and a new name has to earn trust. A clear price advantage gives people a reason to switch, while Steps 2 and 3 show they're getting more, not less.


### Why well above the cheap tools

A low price tells buyers the product is weak, and that isn't true here. Stapilo does far more than Systeme.io or Podia. Pricing near them would undervalue the company and leave no room for launch offers and discounts. Those belong on top of a healthy list price, never inside it.


 **How far below the leaders' median: 20%** Clearly cheaper than the leaders, clearly above the cheap tools.
0%: priced like the leaders40%: near the cheap tools

Starter**$79** leaders' median $99
Growth**$179** leaders' median $224
Pro**$399** leaders' median $497
Average paying customer at this position: **$110**/month. Every chart and number on this page follows this setting.

**Our choice: 20% below the leaders.** It's large enough to be a real reason to switch, about $45 a month on a Growth plan and $100 on Pro. And it keeps Stapilo much closer to the leaders than to the cheap tools, where a product doing more than both belongs. At 30–40% the price starts to say "budget tool." At 0–10% it gives a new brand no reason to switch.
Launch offers ("first 3 months at half price", "beat your current bill") are marketing on top of this list price. They make the start easy without lowering what Stapilo is worth.


## Step 6
From list price to what customers really pay

A price list isn't revenue. What matters for the valuation is the **average a paying customer really pays**, after people choose their plan and some pay yearly at a discount. Only a few companies publish this:


Real average revenue per paying customer, per month
  The table behind this chart

| Company | Per month | How we know | Year |
| Thinkific (public company) | $177 | Official quarterly results: "ARPU grow by 5%, to $177 per month". About $140 of it is subscriptions alone; the rest is payment fees. | 2026 |
| Kajabi | ≈ $149 | CEO: yearly revenue "north of $100 million", "about 56,000 customers". $100M ÷ 56,000 ÷ 12. | 2022 |
| ActiveCampaign | ≈ $95 | Press release: $165M yearly revenue, 145,000 companies | 2021 |
| Mailchimp | ≈ $83 | 800,000 paying customers (Intuit filing); revenue ≈ $800M ⚠ analyst figure | 2020–21 |
| Shopify (subscriptions) | ≈ $68 ⚠ | Recurring revenue from its annual report ÷ store count from an outside crawler | 2025–26 |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | ≤ $67 | Founder: "50,000-plus creators", "$40 million a year" | 2024 |
| Systeme.io | ≈ $52 | Founder: over 8,000 paying customers, $414k revenue in one month | 2021 |
| Stan Store | ≈ $36 ⚠ | Sacra estimate: ~$35M yearly revenue, 80,000+ creators | 2025 |
| Wix | ≈ $27 | Annual report: total revenue ÷ 6.1M premium subscriptions | 2025 |
| Squarespace | $19 | Annual report: $228 per subscription per year | 2023 |

### The pattern: the average sits close to the smallest real plan


| Company | Smallest real plan | Real average | Average ÷ smallest plan |
| Thinkific (subscriptions only) | $109 | ≈ $140 | **1.28×** |
| Kajabi (2022 plans: Basic $149 monthly, $119 yearly) | $119–149 | ≈ $149 | **1.0–1.25×** |
Why so close? **Most customers buy the smallest plan that does their job.** Only about 2.6% of Shopify stores use its top plan ⚠. Thinkific's average ($177, including payment fees) is still below the plan it calls "most popular" ($219). The few large customers lift the average a little, and yearly discounts pull it back down.


### Stapilo piece by piece: 15 ways in, each priced against its own market

Stapilo doesn't only sell whole packages. A customer can buy **just webinars**, ** just email**, ** just a community**, and so on. Each of those single products competes with a different market: webinar tools, email tools, page builders. So we placed every Stapilo product against its own market and priced it with the **same rule** as the packages: 20% below the typical (median) price of that market.


Range of that market's plansMarket medianStapilo's price for that product
  Which products and plans make up each market

| Stapilo product | Market compared with | Median |
| Email marketing & automations | MailerLite Comfort $33 · AWeber Lite $35 · Mailchimp Essentials $45 · MailerLite Power $49 · Brevo Standard $49 · Kit Creator (3,000) $59 · Mailchimp Standard $60 · Klaviyo $60 · beehiiv Lite $79 | $49 |

| Webinars (live + automated) | Demio Starter $63 · Zoom Webinars $89 · WebinarJam Basic $99 · Riverside Webinar ⚠ $99Automated webinars included: another $99–199 elsewhere | $94 |
| Pages & funnels | ClickFunnels Launch $97 · Leadpages Grow $99 · Unbounce Experiment $149 | $99 |
| Courses | Teachable Builder $89 · LearnWorlds Pro Trainer $99 · Podia Shaker $99 · Thinkific Start $109 · Kajabi Basic $179 | $99 |
| Community | Mighty Launch $95 · Skool Pro $99 · Circle Professional ⚠ $99 | $99 |
| AI inbox (Messenger, Instagram, chat) | ManyChat Pro $39 · Tidio Growth + Lyro AI $98 · ManyChat Business $99 | $98 |
| Forms & quiz funnels | Interact Growth $89 · ScoreApp Business $99 · involve.me Grow $99 · Heyflow Growth $149 | $99 |
| Meta ads management | AdEspresso Starter $49 · Bïrch Essential ⚠ $49 · AdEspresso Plus $99 · Bïrch Pro $99 | $74 |

| WhatsApp campaigns | Interakt Growth $55 · Wati Growth (€69) ⚠ $69 · respond.io Growth $299Message fees are extra everywhere | $69 |
| Video hosting | Vimeo Starter $20 · Vimeo Standard $41 · Wistia Business (annual) ⚠ $79 | $41 |
| Social scheduling | Buffer, 3 channels ⚠ $15 · Later Starter ⚠ $25 · Later Growth ⚠ $50 · Hootsuite Standard $99 | $37.5 |
| Booking & calendar | Calendly Standard $12 · Calendly Teams $20 · Acuity Starter $20 · Acuity Standard $34 | $20 |
All monthly prices from each vendor's own pricing page, 25 Oct 2026, for a small business (about 2,500 contacts where price depends on list size). ⚠ marks a price worked out from a "save X%" line, shown in euros, or annual only. Ticketing is left out because it's charged as a fee per ticket, not a monthly price.

**What this shows.** In every one of the 12 markets, Stapilo's single product sits below the typical price. In four of them (pages, courses, community, quiz funnels) it's even below the cheapest plan, because those markets have no small tier: everyone starts around $89–99. There Stapilo is the easy way in, and it's still not a budget price. Several Stapilo products also include what the market charges extra for: Stapilo's webinars include **automated (evergreen) webinars**, which cost another $99–199 elsewhere, and Stapilo's email comes with the CRM, forms and pages around it. The single products average **$59** a month.

### Who buys what: the mix of customers

Some customers come in for one product, most take a package. Single products are the side door; the packages are the main offer on the pricing page. We assume about **20%** of paying customers buy a single product, and the rest split across the packages the way Method C does (75% Starter, 21% Growth, 4% Pro). No public study measures this split for a platform like Stapilo, so it's an assumption, and you can move it:

 **Share of customers buying a single product: 20%**
0%: everyone takes a package60%: most come in for one tool
With this mix the average is **$102**. More single-product customers means ** more customers** and a ** lower average**. The valuation always uses the two together.


### Four ways to calculate Stapilo's average, and where they meet


| Method | Calculation | Result |
| **A. Follow the smallest plan** | Stapilo Starter $79 × 1.25–1.28 (the Thinkific / Kajabi pattern above) | **$100** |
| **B. Same position as the price** | We price 20% below the leaders, so expect the average to sit the same distance below the leaders' real averages: Thinkific $140 (subscriptions only) and Kajabi $149 → average $144.50 × (1 − 20%) | **$116** |
| **C. Plan mix** | Most customers on Starter, some on Growth, few on Pro. Between 80% / 17% / 3% and 70% / 25% / 5% of Stapilo's ladder ($106 – $120) | **$113** |
| **D. Piece by piece** | 20% of customers on single products (average $59), the rest on Starter / Growth / Pro in the Method C split | **$102** |
| **Planning number: the average of the four, rounded** | **$110** |
Method A alone came out lowest, because the leaders' median Starter ($99) is cheaper than Kajabi's and Thinkific's own entry plans. Method B corrects that by comparing with exactly the companies whose real averages we know. Method C checks both against a realistic spread of customers, and Method D adds the customers who buy only one product. All four land within about $15 of each other.


### How Stapilo's average compares with each company's real average


Real average, per paying customer per monthStapilo planning number

**Why Stapilo's average sits below Kajabi and Thinkific, honestly.**
- **We chose to be cheaper.** 20% below the leaders' prices means about 20% below their averages too. That's Method B.
- **No cut of customers' sales.** About $37 of Thinkific's $177 comes from fees on its customers' payments. Stapilo charges only the subscription, so we compare with Thinkific's subscription-only $140.
- **Brand takes years.** Kajabi and Thinkific have had over ten years to build up customers on bigger plans. Assuming a new company matches that on day one would be wishful.

### Cheap single-tool entries: more customers, lower average

Stapilo also sells single tools (only webinars, only email, only a CRM). They bring in **more customers**, but each pulls the average ** down**. You can't count both "more customers from cheap entries" and "a higher average." The valuation therefore counts customers and average together, and they have to agree with each other: a plan with many single-tool customers uses a lower average.


### Why the average rises over time

Businesses grow. A coach who starts on Starter moves to Growth as their list and team grow. Thinkific's average rose about 5% in a year (Q2 2025 → Q2 2026). So $110 is the **starting** average. Applying Thinkific's real rate (about 5% a year) gives the path below. It's a gradual rise, not a jump.


Stapilo average per paying customer, per month, rising about 5% a year

**Early customers pay more.** The ~$110 above is the long-run average for a broad customer base. The first customers are heavier users: the six businesses paying Stapilo today average about $369 a month, and new customers in the first months are planned at about $350. As cheaper entry offers widen the base, the average falls toward this level, about $128 by year 3 in the customer model.

## Step 7
Checking the result


**✔ Against what real companies earn**
$110 sits between the single-purpose email tools ($83–95) and the established platforms ($140–177). That's where a more complete but new platform should be: above single tools, below the brands that took years to build.

**✔ Against the price map**
$110 sits between the cheap all-in-ones' Growth median ($99) and the leaders' Starter-to-Growth range ($99–224). The average customer pays roughly what a cheap tool's full plan costs, and gets far more.


**Low case: $60**
Almost everyone stays on Starter, and many pay yearly at a discount. That's close to Systeme.io's real average (€32–50) plus Stapilo's larger Starter.

**High case: $150**
Stapilo earns what Kajabi and Thinkific earn: a real share of customers on Growth and Pro, as theirs have after years of growth.


## Questions a careful reader will ask



### If Stapilo does more, why not charge what Kajabi charges?

Because a new name has to give people a reason to move. Being the more complete product and 20% cheaper is a strong reason. Once Stapilo has a reputation, prices can rise; that would be upside on top of this plan, not part of it.


### Why not go much cheaper and win faster?

Cheap attracts the customers who leave first, signals a weak product, and leaves no room for offers. Low-price tools also see the highest churn: about 6% of customers leave every month below $25, against about 2% above $500 (ChartMogul). Fair pricing builds a steadier business.


### Isn't "20%" just a choice?

Yes, and that's why it's the only setting on this page you can move. Everything else is measured. At 10% the average would be about $120; at 30%, about $95. The valuation can show both.


### Stapilo's website shows different packages today. Which is true?

Today's packages were set by intuition, by job (webinars, coaching, community…). This page is the market-based positioning, and the published prices will be aligned to it. The valuation uses this page.


### What if a customer only needs one tool?

They take Starter or a single tool. Method C already assumes most customers sit on the smallest plan, and the plan counts customers and average together.


### Does feature count decide the price?

No, and we say so in Step 2. Features prove Stapilo is the more complete product. The price comes from where real competitors sit (Step 4) and a deliberate position below the leaders (Step 5).


### How solid are the competitor numbers?

Every plan price was read from the company's own pricing page on 25 Oct 2026. Thinkific's average is audited; Kajabi's comes from its CEO. Outside estimates are marked ⚠ and never carry a conclusion.


## What we don't know, and what will replace it

- Only Thinkific publishes an audited average. Kajabi's is from its CEO (2022). Methods A and B rest on these two, backed by Shopify, Wix and Squarespace showing the same shape.
- No public study shows what share of customers picks each plan.
- Some vendors hide month-to-month prices. Where a price was worked out from a "save X%" line, the research marks it.
- **What replaces all of this:** Stapilo's own paying customers, and which plan they choose, what they pay and how long they stay. Within two or three quarters that beats every benchmark here, and this page will be updated with it.

## Sources and full research

- Stapilo valuation · Customer model
- 16 all-in-one platforms: every plan, limit and feature
- Email, SMS, WhatsApp, chat, forms and quiz tools
- Pages, webinars, booking, ticketing, video, social and ads tools
- What customers really pay, plan mix, churn  Key external sources
- Thinkific Q2 2026 results · Kajabi revenue tops $100M · ActiveCampaign · Intuit/Mailchimp
- Systeme.io founder interview · Wix FY2025 · Squarespace FY2023
- ChartMogul churn by price · Free-to-paid benchmarks
- Pricing pages: kajabi.com, gohighlevel.com, clickfunnels.com, kartra.com, thinkific.com, circle.so, mightynetworks.com, learnworlds.com, systeme.io, simvoly.com, podia.com, teachable.com, stan.store, heightsplatform.com, skool.com, plus ~65 single-purpose tools (all links in the research files)   Prepared for Stapilo's first investment round · research date 25 October 2026 · USD per month, monthly billing, unless stated.


---

# PART: How Stapilo is built

← Start here · Stapilo · Investor material · How Stapilo is built

# How Stapilo is built, and why it's hard to rebuild

A non-technical look inside the product: what it contains, how the AI is woven through it, how it was designed for people who aren't technical, and the hundreds of decisions that make it work. Every figure comes from Stapilo's own code, measured on 25 October 2026.


**7** apps
**187** screens
**336** database tables
**3,173** automated test files
**573** automated guard rules
**18** months of development, 8+ with a team of five
**Proven in use.** 10 businesses run on Stapilo today, and 6 of them already pay it about $2,200 a month in total ($200–550 each, one only for the AI support bot; one is the founder's own coaching business): running webinars, selling courses and filling high-ticket programs. more than $430k (over ₾1.1M, approximate) has been sold through it by three of them, including high-ticket programs closed by phone from its funnels, and 69,000 contacts are managed in it. Recorded activity: 60,500 webinar registrations, 34,600 attendances, 26,600 hours of webinars watched, 1,500 calls booked, 236,000 page views and 382,000 emails and SMS sent.

## 1
One platform instead of a stack of tools

A coach or expert today typically pays for and connects eight to twelve separate tools: a page builder, an email tool, a webinar tool, a booking calendar, a course platform, a community, a checkout, a chat bot, an ads tool, video hosting. Stapilo is all of them, built as one system with one list of customers, so nothing has to be glued together.



#### Sell

Shop, checkout, subscriptions, coupons, orders, saved cards, payment plans


#### Teach

Courses, lessons, tests and quizzes, certificates of progress, a marketplace (Academy)


#### Live

Live and automated webinars, Zoom events, live events, ticketing with door check-in


#### Book

Booking types, availability, reminders, video calls


#### Community

Spaces, posts, member chat, a mobile app for members


#### Market

Pages and funnels, forms, email campaigns and automations, SMS, WhatsApp, link-in-bio, SEO


#### Talk

One inbox for Messenger, Instagram, email and web chat, with AI replies


#### Grow

Meta ads, audiences from customer segments, social posting and scheduling, tracking


#### Know

Contacts and their full history, segments, tags, analytics, journey map


#### Build

Mini-apps, layouts, a knowledge base, a strategy workspace (Brainstorm)

Behind these sit 336 connected database tables. Every action a customer takes (a purchase, a webinar visit, a form answer, a message) lands in one history, which is what lets the AI understand a business as a whole.


## 2
The AI is the operator, not an add-on

In most platforms, AI is a helper bolted onto screens that were designed for humans. In Stapilo, the whole product is organised so that one AI agent can find its way around it and work in every part of it.


- **The AI's map is the app's map.** The rooms, tabs and sub-tabs a person clicks through are exactly the places the AI knows. Automated checks keep the two identical, so the AI never describes a screen that doesn't exist.
- **One conversation per business.** The whole team works with the AI in one shared conversation, in every room, so nothing said in one place is forgotten in another.
- **It acts, it doesn't just advise.** It builds pages, sets up webinars, writes and schedules campaigns, answers customers, and runs ads, through the same actions a person would use.
- **It asks first.** Anything risky (going live, sending to many people, deleting, refunding) waits for the owner's yes.
- **It opens to outside AI.** The owner's own AI assistant can operate Stapilo through a secure connection, with exactly the owner's permissions.

## 3
Designed for people who aren't technical

Stapilo's main customers are experts who are new to selling online. Every design choice aims at one thing: a person should be able to start without learning software first.


- **Talk on the left, see it on the right.** The person says what they want; the screen beside the conversation shows the result as it's built.
- **Every area has the same shape.** The same tabs (overview, people, analytics, reminders…) sit in the same places everywhere, so learning one area teaches all of them.
- **Sold by the job.** Single products and packages built around what a person wants to do, in three sizes as a business grows; a single tool can be bought on its own.
- **Customers get a finished experience too.** The coach's own customers sign in to one place for their courses, events, bookings and purchases, with a mobile app for communities.
- **Every screen is translatable**, and the whole product is built to be used in more than one language from day one.

## 4
Hundreds of decisions you can't see

What makes Stapilo hard to rebuild isn't the amount of code. It's the decisions inside it, each learned from a real situation. A few, in plain words:


**Money always means access.** When a payment goes through, the customer always gets what they paid for, and if anything fails, the system reports it instead of silently losing it.
**Receipts stay trusted.** Marketing email is never sent from the address used for receipts and passwords, so a campaign can't damage the delivery of important messages.
**Nothing disappears by surprise.** Before anything people depend on is deleted, Stapilo shows exactly what would be lost: registrations, answers, posts.
**Videos are never lost.** A video is only removed when nothing anywhere still uses it, and the originals are backed up every night.
**Every customer's story in one place.** Every purchase, visit, answer and message is written to the customer's history, attached to the exact thing it was about.
**One front door for each job.** Each area has one official way in, such as granting access, sending a message or recording a sale, so no feature can skip the rules.
Each of these is enforced by an automated guard: if any change breaks one, it can't be shipped. Stapilo has 573 such guard files and 3,173 automated test files (about 466,000 lines of tests) that run on every change.


## 5
Built to be safe and reliable


Stapilo runs as five separate programs across four servers. A stranger chatting on a sales page runs in a different program from a paying business's AI, so a problem in one can't take down the other. Pages and mini-apps that businesses build run on separate addresses, sealed off from accounts and data. Security audits are run on the live system, not just the code.


## 6
Connected to what businesses already use



#### Meta

Ads, audiences, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp


#### Zoom

Meetings and events from inside Stapilo


#### Payments

5 providers, including Stripe and Paddle, plus local processors where Stripe isn't available


#### Video

Streaming video hosting and a built-in player


#### Live video

Live rooms for events and calls


#### Email & SMS

Sending with deliverability protection and warm-up


#### Mobile

Push notifications, Apple Pay


#### Outside AI

A secure connection for AI assistants to operate Stapilo

Still missing, stated openly: Zapier/Make connections and a public API with keys are on the build list.


## 7
The effort, quality and security, measured

Measured from the code history for February–October 2026 only (the earlier months of development were in a previous codebase). Every figure can be reproduced from the repository.


### Built and rebuilt, month after month


Lines writtenLines removed (rewrites and refinement)
3.07 million lines written and 1.49 million removed in eight months: the product wasn't generated once and left alone. Whole parts were rebuilt when a better design was found. In September alone the old dashboard and the old AI engine were replaced.


### A real team, working through a disciplined process


**7** people contributed code
**6,400+** changes
**3,074** reviewed changes (pull requests)
**194** active days for the founder, out of 250
**34%** of all code is automated tests
**645** person-days of active work, Feb–Oct alone

| Contributor | Changes | Active days | Period |
| Founder | 3,369 | 194 | Feb – Oct |
| Developer 1 | 961 | 154 | Feb – Oct |
| Developer 2 | 830 | 91 | Mar – Aug |
| Developer 3 | 656 | 75 | Mar – Jun |
| Developer 4 | 529 | 100 | Mar – Oct |
| Developers 5–6 | 93 | 31 | Jun – Aug |
Since June every change goes through a pull request and must pass the automated checks before it can be merged. Stapilo was built together with an AI coding assistant, practically all of it (94% of changes are recorded that way). That's what let a small team build this much, and every change passes the same tests and guard rules either way. "Person-days" counts the days each person recorded work in this codebase; the design, thinking and testing behind each day, and the earlier months of development in the previous codebase, come on top.


### Security and data safety


**Each business's data is walled off.** 283 of the 336 data tables automatically filter every read and write to one business; hand-written database queries must declare their scope or the build fails.
**Audited, and fixed.** Four security audits in October 2026 found 143 issues; 133 are fixed, the rest are scheduled owner actions or deliberate decisions.
**Backups that can't be deleted.** The database is copied every 6 hours to three separate providers, one of them locked against deletion for 7 days, and original videos are copied nightly.
**Secrets stay secret.** Passwords and keys are stored encrypted, sensitive fields are encrypted in the database, and pages businesses build run sealed off from accounts.
Stated openly: a full restore drill from the off-site copies hasn't been recorded yet; it's on the list.


## 8
What it would take to rebuild


**6,400+** changes since February 2026 alone
**1,000+** changes to the data structure
**~26** changes a day, every day
Stapilo is 18 months of development, at least 8 of them with a team of five, using AI throughout, which is what let a small team build this much. A competitor could copy individual features. Rebuilding the whole means rediscovering the hundreds of decisions above, building the AI around every area from the start, and keeping 573 guard rules and 3,173 test files passing while doing it. That takes a team and time, and it's exactly what established platforms find hardest, because they'd have to rebuild a system their customers already depend on.

← Back to the valuation · Price research · Customer model · Full feature comparison · Full technical reference
 Prepared for Stapilo's first investment round · figures measured from Stapilo's code on 25 October 2026.


---

# PART: Technical reference

← Start here · Technical reference · written for technical and AI readers

# Stapilo: full technical reference

A detailed description of how Stapilo is built: the applications, how they connect, the data model, the AI agent, integrations, quality controls, security and the measured effort. All figures were measured from the codebase and the live system on 25–26 October 2026. Security-sensitive details (server addresses, keys, internal network layout) are deliberately left out.


## 1. At a glance


| What | Measured | Notes |
| Product code | ~930,000 lines | 5,201 files: TypeScript (backend and web apps), Swift (Mac and iOS), Prisma schema. Migrations and translations excluded |
| Test code | ~476,000 lines | 3,173 test files; about 34% of all code is tests |
| Guard rules | 573 files | Tests that read the codebase itself and fail when a structural rule is broken; 245 pinned in a registry so they can't be silently removed |
| Database | 336 tables | 188 enums, 1,043 migrations, one PostgreSQL database |
| Screens | 187 | Organised as rooms → 141 tabs → 241 sub-tabs |
| AI agent tools | 163 | In 27 families, all on one shared engine |
| Background job queues | 175 | PostgreSQL-backed queue, each with required retry and expiry settings |
| API | 437+ endpoints | 133 route files; input validation schemas on write endpoints |
| Changes | 6,449 | Since 18 February 2026 (the current codebase); 3,074 merged pull requests; an earlier version of the platform existed before |

## 2. Applications


| Application | Who uses it | What it does |
| Owner app (web) | Business owners and their teams | The AI agent and conversation on one side, the live screen ("canvas") on the other; all building and running happens here |
| Customer portal (web) | The businesses' own customers | Sign-in, courses, events, bookings, purchases, communities; served on each business's own domain or subdomain |
| Published sites | Visitors | Pages, funnels, forms and checkouts the businesses publish, served as static files with one shared stylesheet |
| Preview host and app sandbox | Internal isolation | Business- and AI-made HTML and mini-apps run on separate origins, so they can never read application cookies or sessions |
| Academy marketplace (web) | The public | A marketplace of what every Stapilo business offers |
| Platform admin (web) | Stapilo staff | Platform operations, catalog and pricing, health |
| Desktop app (Electron) | Business owners | The owner's own AI assistant working beside Stapilo through a secure connection |
| Screen recorder and studio (native Mac, Swift) | Business owners | Records and edits video and uploads it into the business |
| iOS app (Swift) | Community members | Built, not yet released |
| Real-time service | All apps | Live updates to open screens |

## 3. Backend architecture

- **One backend codebase, five processes:** a fast API; the ** agent** process (paying businesses' AI); the ** sales door** (anonymous visitors' AI, the same program started separately so a visitor-side problem can't take down a paying business's AI; enforced by a guard); a **worker** for background jobs; and a ** real-time** service.
- **Four servers** on a private network (application, database, worker, real-time). Each production process runs in two copies so deployments swap without downtime.
- **Data:** one PostgreSQL database accessed through Prisma; Redis for caching, rate limits and real-time; a PostgreSQL-backed job queue (175 queues) with a single entry point for sending jobs and a single way to define workers.
- **Media:** object storage for files and a streaming video service with a built-in player; a media file is only ever deleted after a check confirms nothing references it.
- **Monitoring:** error tracking for backend and web apps with source maps; an hourly health snapshot checks every production process.

## 4. Data model and multi-tenancy

- **One person record per customer** (the contact) and ** one access table** for every kind of entitlement (course, event, community, product). New features add a resource type, never a new membership table.
- **One form model** covers quizzes, polls, surveys, tests and registrations, through field types and behaviour flags.
- **One history per customer:** every action (purchase, visit, answer, message, webinar attendance) is written through a single function to the customer's timeline, attached to the exact item it concerns (1.69 million events recorded so far).
- **Tenant isolation:** 283 of the 336 tables are automatically scoped to one business: a scoped database client adds the business filter to every read and write, and callers can't override it. Hand-written SQL must include the business condition or the build fails; a security audit walked all 338 raw-SQL sites and found no leak between businesses.
- **Deletes that matter:** deleting anything people depend on first reports what would be affected (registrations, answers, posts); soft deletion with restore for key records.

## 5. The AI agent

- **One engine for every agent**, so timeouts, error reporting, cost tracking and prompt caching are shared rather than duplicated.
- **The agent's map is the app's map:** a "building" of rooms, tabs and sub-tabs that mirrors exactly what a person clicks through; two automated checks keep the agent's map and the app's screens identical. On every turn the agent knows which room, tab and record the person is looking at.
- **Tools:** 163 tools in 27 families (pages, courses, webinars, campaigns, inbox, ads, shop, bookings, settings and more). Each turn holds a small everyday kit plus a menu from which a family of tools is loaded when needed, keeping prompts small.
- **One conversation per business,** shared by the whole team across rooms; each line is stamped with who wrote it and where. The agent reads a moving window of recent conversation by size, never summaries.
- **Safety:** risky actions (publishing, sending to many people, deleting, refunding) wait for the owner's approval.
- **Cost control:** the fixed start of every prompt is kept byte-identical between messages (enforced by a guard) so the provider's cache applies; every turn's cost is recorded per business. Measured AI cost: about $10–30 per business per month.
- **Outside AI:** an owner's own AI assistant can operate Stapilo through a secure connection, with exactly the owner's permissions.

## 6. Integrations


| **Payments** | Five payment provider adapters, including Stripe and Paddle plus local processors for countries without Stripe; saved cards, subscriptions, instalments where available, test orders kept out of the books |
| **Meta** | Ads management, audiences built from customer segments, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp |
| **Email** | Three separate sending streams (transactional, automations, campaigns) so bulk mail can never use the identity reserved for receipts and sign-in codes; warm-up and deliverability monitoring; received email lands in a shared inbox with spam filtering that fails closed |
| **SMS and push** | SMS sending with failure tracking; push notifications |
| **Zoom and live video** | Zoom meetings and events from inside Stapilo; built-in live rooms |
| **AI providers** | Models assigned by role (agent, page writing, reading media, support), configurable without code changes |
| **Not yet built** | Zapier/Make connections and a public API with keys (outgoing webhooks exist) |

## 7. Quality controls

- **"One front door" rule:** each domain has exactly one official entry point (granting access, checking access, recording an event, sending a job, submitting a form, deleting media). A guard fails the build if any code goes around it.
- **Ten representative guards:** business-scoped raw SQL; visitor AI and business AI in separate processes; secrets stay encrypted; one function checks access; one function grants access; granting access after a payment must be checked, never ignored; one function writes customer history; deletes report their impact; one way to enqueue jobs; the cached prompt prefix stays stable. A further check verifies that guards actually scan files, so a blind guard can't pass.
- **Continuous integration on every pull request:** unit, integration (real PostgreSQL, all migrations applied, schema drift check), route and front-end tests, translation parity, dependency security audit, linting, type-checking of every package, a full build, and end-to-end browser tests as a second required check. Changes merge only when all pass.
- **Scheduled checks:** nightly coverage, weekly mutation testing (the code is deliberately broken to prove tests catch it, with a ratchet that may only improve), a weekly scan for tests that would break on a future date, dependency reports.
- **AI-assisted development:** 94% of changes were written together with an AI coding assistant; all of them pass the same tests and guards as any other change.

## 8. Security

- **Authentication:** customers sign in with a one-time code (and Google sign-in); sessions are HttpOnly, Secure cookies scoped to one business; the customer identity always comes from the session, never from the request.
- **Secrets:** every production key is stored encrypted, each server able to decrypt only what it needs; third-party credentials in the database are encrypted with AES-256-GCM, and production refuses to start without the key.
- **Isolation of user-made content:** AI- and business-made pages and apps run on separate origins with no access to sessions.
- **Abuse protection:** 399 route-level rate limits, flood limits at the web server, bounded rate-limit keys, payment webhook limits, input validation on write endpoints, security headers enforced by a guard.
- **Audits:** four whole-platform security audits in October 2026 found 143 issues (3 critical, 17 high); 133 are fixed, the rest are owner actions or deliberate decisions. The first audit concluded that the wall between businesses held everywhere it was traced and that no secrets were committed.
- **Backups:** the database is copied every 6 hours to three separate providers, one with a compliance lock that prevents deletion for 7 days; weekly and monthly long-term copies; every off-site copy is encrypted; media and original videos are copied nightly; failed copies raise an alert. Not yet done: a recorded full restore drill from the off-site copies.

## 9. Effort


| Month (2026) | Changes | Lines written | Lines removed |
| February (from the 18th) | 125 | 103,767 | 27,956 |
| March | 486 | 224,629 | 60,205 |
| April | 985 | 253,122 | 75,796 |
| May | 1,524 | 374,066 | 129,425 |
| June | 468 | 267,542 | 86,663 |
| July | 275 | 89,641 | 25,165 |
| August | 731 | 421,555 | 158,054 |
| September | 1,232 | 972,633 | 639,375 |
| October (to the 25th) | 545 | 361,358 | 284,331 |
Seven people contributed code in this period (the founder and six developers); 645 person-days of recorded work; the founder active on 194 of 250 days. Large removals in September and October are deliberate rewrites (the old dashboard and the old AI engine replaced). Development spans about 18 months in total: an earlier version (in a separate repository, not counted here), then the current codebase since 18 February 2026, which every figure on this page measures; at least 8 months with a team of five.


## 10. Code review on request

For serious investors, a technical reviewer they name can be given time-limited, read-only access to a clean copy of the codebase (without secrets or history that contains them), under a confidentiality agreement.
 Technical reference · measured 25–26 October 2026 · server addresses, keys and internal network details intentionally omitted.


---

# RESEARCH APPENDIX

The research files below are the evidence behind the pages. Each figure carries its source and date; ⚠ marks unverified figures.



---

## Research file: market-size

# Market size: how many potential customers Stapilo has

> Researched 2026-10-25 for Stapilo's investor case. Stapilo is an international platform
> priced in USD. Every number has a source and a date (see **Sources**). **⚠ = unverified**:
> a third-party estimate, a figure I could not trace to a primary source, a stale figure, or my
> own judgement. *Derived* numbers are my arithmetic on sourced inputs, and the formula is
> shown. Nothing is invented. If a number isn't here, I didn't find a source for it.
> ARPU figures come from the sister file `arpu-and-market-split.md`, same date.

---

## Summary

1. **There is no clean global count of people who sell knowledge or services online.** Every count measures something different. The defensible anchors:
   - **Coaches:** **122,974** ICF-counted coach practitioners worldwide (ICF/PwC, Sept 2025). That is a floor. A broader US-only study counts **232,000+** coaches in the US alone (Marketdata, Dec 2025 ⚠ vendor).
   - **Creators:** **~50M** creators worldwide, of whom **~4% (~2M, *derived*)** earn over $100k a year (Goldman Sachs, 2023). Broad definitions reach **200M** (Linktree 2022) or **303M** (Adobe 2022). Those count anyone earning anything and are useless for a SaaS TAM.
   - **Course and product sellers:** **200,000+** sellers on Hotmart + Teachable combined (Mar 2024). **300,000+** creators on Patreon. **100,000+** creators have used Kajabi over its lifetime (Aug 2025).
2. **People who already pay for a platform like this: about 0.4–0.6M unique businesses on the core creator/expert platforms** (*derived* ⚠ judgement on overlap). That rises to **~1.5–3M** if you add the adjacent tools: HighLevel's 1M businesses, Mailchimp's 800k paying customers (2021), and fee-based marketplaces.
   The core platforms' self-reported customer counts add up to **~0.65M accounts** before removing overlap.
3. **Revenue cross-check.** The known revenues of the core platforms add up to roughly **$0.4–0.6B/yr** (Kajabi $100M+ 2022, HighLevel >$80M 2024 ⚠, Thinkific $73M 2025, Kit ~$43–52M ⚠, Stan ~$35M ⚠, Circle and Skool ~$27M each ⚠). That matches **0.4–0.6M customers × $100–150/month**, so the customer-count estimate holds together.
4. **Growth is real, but the incumbents grow slowly.** Coaching revenue grew **+17%** in two years (ICF 2023 → 2025 studies) and practitioners **+15%**. Creator counts are expected to grow **10–20%/yr** (Goldman). Online education is forecast at **~8%/yr** (Statista via Baker Tilly).
   The listed incumbent grows slower: Thinkific revenue was **+9%** in 2025, ARR was $61.7M in Q2 2026, and ARPU **+5%**. Stan slowed to **~24%** growth (Sacra ⚠). The headline "creator economy $250B → $480B" (Goldman 2023) is mostly brand deals and ad payouts, not software spend, so it does **not** belong in a TAM.
5. **The market is about half English and half not.** English is **49.5%** of websites (W3Techs, Oct 2026). The US is **~49%** of online education revenue (Statista 2025 via Baker Tilly). ICF counted North America at **~33%** of coaches, Western Europe **~29%** and Latin America **~15%** (2019 data, *derived*). Mailchimp had **50%** of customers outside the US (2021).
   Hotmart (Brazil, 200k+ sellers with Teachable) and Systeme.io (French-founded, "500,000+ entrepreneurs") show that non-English creator markets are large. Brazil added **+73M** creators in 2020–22 per Adobe, the biggest jump of any country studied.
6. **TAM / SAM / SOM (ranges, logic below):**
   - **TAM:** **~3–10M** solo and small businesses worldwide that sell knowledge or services online (⚠ triangulated judgement). At $50–150/month that is **~$2–18B/yr** of potential software spend (*derived*).
   - **SAM:** **~0.4–0.6M** businesses already paying for creator/expert all-in-one or course/community tools, **≈ $0.5–1.1B/yr** (*derived*). Broadened to adjacent tools, it is **1.5–3M**.
   - **SOM (3–5 years):** **~2,000–10,000 paying customers ≈ $2–11M ARR** at a $95/month ARPU. That is **~0.5–2%** of the core SAM, and comparable to what Systeme.io reached bootstrapped in ~3 years (8,000 paying by 2021).

---

## 1. How many people sell knowledge or services online

Each row says what the number actually counts. These overlap heavily: a coach can also be a course creator and a "creator". **Do not add the rows together.**

### 1a. Coaches

| Figure | What it counts | Source / date | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| **122,974** coach practitioners worldwide, up 15% vs the 2023 study; industry revenue **$5.34B** | Practising coaches reached by ICF's survey (10,000+ respondents), conducted by PwC. Skews to credentialed, professional coaches. | ICF 2025 Global Coaching Study, exec summary, 2025-09-15 | Primary (survey). The full report is paid. |
| 109,200 practitioners (2022 base) | Same method, earlier study | ICF 2023 study (via ICF blog) | Primary |
| ~71,000 practitioners in 2019: North America ~23,300, Western Europe ~20,400, Latin America ~11,000 | Regional split. The latest regional figures I found. | ICF 2020 study exec summary (via search summary) ⚠ I didn't open the PDF | Primary, stale |
| **232,000+** coaches **in the US**; US coaching industry **$16B**, "more than doubled since 2016" | Life, health and executive coaches, credentialed or not | Marketdata via ResearchAndMarkets press release, 2025-12-04 ⚠ (headline only; the page refused my fetch) | ⚠ Vendor estimate. Marketdata is a small firm with long-running US service-industry series, and its method isn't public in the release. |
| ICF summary: 60% of coaches also provide training, 57% consulting, 55% facilitation | Coaches sell more than coaching. This is the overlap with "consultants" and "educators". | ICF 2025 (search summary of ICF pages) | Primary |

**Reading.** ICF's ~123k is the credible **floor**. The US-only 232k (Marketdata) is almost twice ICF's *global* count, which shows how much ICF misses: uncredentialed life, health, fitness and business coaches.
A global count that includes those coaches is plausibly **0.5–1M+** (⚠ my extrapolation, not a sourced number; no source gives it). Use it as a range with this caveat, never as a fact.

### 1b. Creators who earn money

| Figure | What it counts | Source / date | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| **~50M** creators worldwide, growing **10–20%/yr**. Only **~4%** are "professionals" earning >$100k/yr → **~2M** (*derived*: 50M × 4%). Brand deals ≈ 70% of creator revenue. | Social-media creators broadly | Goldman Sachs Research (Eric Sheridan), "The creator economy could approach half-a-trillion dollars by 2027", 2023 ⚠ (Goldman's page refused my fetch; figures confirmed through search snippets of the page) | Primary bank research, but it is a 2023 estimate |
| 67M creators in 2025 → 107M by 2030 (attributed to Goldman) | — | Secondary mention only ⚠ | Unverified. Don't use. |
| **70M** content creators worldwide, of whom **3–4%** make a living from it | Global estimate cited by Hotmart at its FIRE 2025 event | Canaltech, 2025-08-29 | Company-cited estimate ⚠ |
| **303M** creators (+165M since 2020) | "People earning money online from their content, goods or services", in 9 countries | Adobe Future of Creativity study, Sept 2022 | Primary survey, very broad definition |
| **200M+** people "could be classified as a creator". Among full-timers, **12%** earn >$50k and **46%** earn <$1k. | Anyone who monetizes an audience (~9,500 respondents) | Linktree 2022 Creator Report (via Tubefilter, 2022-04-20) | Primary survey, broad definition, stale |
| 17% of creators are business owners | — | Adobe 2022 (via coverage) | Primary survey |

**Reading.** The usable slice for Stapilo is creators who sell **their own** products or services, not brand deals. A reasonable proxy is Goldman's ~2M professionals plus part of the long tail that sells courses, coaching and memberships. Adobe's "17% are business owners" applied to Goldman's 50M gives **~8.5M** (*derived* ⚠, mixing two studies with different definitions).

### 1c. Course creators, community owners and digital-product sellers

| Figure | What it counts | Source / date |
|---|---|---|
| **200,000+** creators selling on Hotmart + Teachable; 21M buyers in the past year; $10B+ cumulative GMV | Active sellers on both platforms | Hotmart Company press release, 2024-03-21 |
| "Over **150,000** experts and businesses rely on Teachable"; $3.5B+ earned; 100M+ students; 180+ countries | Teachable alone. "Rely on" isn't defined, and may include free accounts. | teachable.com homepage, checked 2026-10-25 |
| **100,000+** creators and entrepreneurs have relied on Kajabi; $10B+ earned from 150M+ customers | **Lifetime** users, not current ones | Kajabi via Business Wire, 2025-08-06 |
| **300,000+** creators; 10M+ paying fans a month | Patreon creators (fee-based, no subscription) | patreon.com/about, checked 2026-10-25 (undated) |
| 1.2M sellers | Gumroad | profitable.app tracker ⚠ (June 2026) |
| 200,000+ registered sellers | Whop | insightraider.com ⚠ (mid-2025) |
| 48.1K Skool communities tracked, 15.9K of them charging members | Skool groups found by a third-party crawler | profitable.app, updated 2026-10-07 ⚠ (its own FAQ says 42,000+ and ~12,500, so the page is inconsistent) |

### 1d. Tutors, consultants and fitness or wellness coaches

| Figure | What it counts | Source / date | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| **100,000+** human tutors, 90+ languages (Preply) | One tutoring marketplace. Preply's own page says 32,000+ tutors, which suggests a different counting basis. | Wikipedia (2026) vs Preply company page ⚠ | Conflicting |
| **370,100** fitness trainer and instructor jobs **in the US**; +12% expected over 2024–34 | Employed and self-employed trainers (most don't sell online) | US BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024 data | Primary, official |
| Consultants: no usable count found | US Census Nonemployer Statistics (NAICS 5416) would give solo consultants, but its API needs a key and the release page refused my fetch. ⚠ open item. | census.gov | — |

**Webinar hosts:** I found no standalone count. They are a behaviour of the groups above, not a separate population.

---

## 2. How many already pay for a platform like this

Each figure is the company's own claim unless marked ⚠. "Accounts" can mean paying customers, all sign-ups or lifetime users. The **Counts** column says which.

### 2a. Core creator/expert platforms (the closest substitutes for Stapilo)

| Platform | Customers | Counts | Date | Source quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Kajabi** | **~56,000** customers, ARR "north of $100M" | Paying | 2022-05-31 | Primary (CEO). No later figure. Latka's "19K" (⚠) conflicts with it, so I don't use it. |
| **Thinkific** | **35,000+** customers; ARR $61.7M; ARPU $177/mo | Paying | Q4 2025 / Q2 2026 | Primary (TSX filings) |
| **Teachable** (Hotmart Co.) | 150,000+ "experts and businesses" | ⚠ undefined, likely includes free plan | 2026 (homepage) | Company claim |
| **Systeme.io** | **500,000+** "entrepreneurs" (has a free plan); ~8,000 paying | All users / paying | homepage 2026 / founder 2021 | Company claim / primary but stale. Current paying count unknown. At 3–5% free→paid it would be 15–25k (*derived* ⚠, Lenny's freemium benchmark). |
| **ClickFunnels** | **100K+** users | ⚠ "users" | homepage 2026 | Company claim. Latka's "150K customers" ⚠ |
| **Kartra** | **60K** customers | ⚠ likely cumulative | company page 2026 | Company claim |
| **Skool** | ~42–48K communities tracked. Every group owner pays Skool ($9 Hobby or $99 Pro; no free plan), so ≈ paying group owners. | Paying (*inferred* ⚠) | 2026-10-07 | ⚠ third-party crawler; no official figure |
| **Circle** | 4,000+ paying communities (Sacra); 12M end users (CEO, 2025); ARR est. ~$21M (May 2024) – ~$27M (2025) | Paying ⚠ | 2024–25 | ⚠ Sacra / secondary |
| **Mighty Networks** | 10,000+ paying hosts ⚠ (review blog, undated). Hosts earned $500M in 2025; average membership $48/mo. | Paying ⚠ | 2025–26 | Earnings: company homepage. Count ⚠ |
| **Podia** | 15,000+ creators; $900M+ earned | ⚠ likely cumulative | homepage 2026 | Company claim |
| **Stan** | 80,000+ active creators; ~$35M ARR (2025); 13% monthly churn (company-stated) | Paying ⚠ | 2025 | ⚠ Sacra estimate |
| **LearnWorlds** | 13,000+ "learning businesses" (homepage 2026); 11,000+ customers in 150 countries (Apr 2025) | Paying | 2025–26 | Company claim |
| **Kit** (ConvertKit) | 50,000+ creators paying; ARR ~$40M (founder) → $43M (2024, Sacra ⚠) | Paying | ~2024 | Primary (founder) + ⚠ |
| **Sum of core** | **≈ 0.65M accounts** (*derived*: 56k + 35k + 150k + ~20k + 100k + 60k + ~45k + 4k + 10k + 15k + 80k + 13k + 50k) | Mixed | — | See overlap note |

**Overlap.** Creators commonly stack tools: Kit plus a course platform, Stan plus Skool, ClickFunnels plus Kajabi. Some of these counts are cumulative (Kartra, Podia, Teachable), and Kajabi's is from 2022. Removing overlap and stale or cumulative inflation, **unique paying businesses on core platforms ≈ 0.4–0.6M** (⚠ judgement; no source measures cross-platform overlap).

### 2b. Adjacent tools (some customers are Stapilo's market, many aren't)

| Platform | Customers | Why only partly relevant |
|---|---|---|
| **HighLevel** | "**1M** businesses powered", 150 countries (2025 year in review, published 2026-01-15) | Mostly local businesses run through agencies (sub-accounts). Some are coaches and consultants. No agency or sub-account split is published; the "60,000 agencies" claim is ⚠ affiliate-sourced. |
| **Mailchimp** | **800,000** paid customers out of 13M users; 50% outside the US | General SMB email. Intuit hasn't updated the count since 2021-09-13 ⚠ stale. |
| **Patreon** | 300,000+ creators | Fee-based membership. Creators don't pay a subscription. |
| **Gumroad / Whop** | 1.2M / 200k+ sellers ⚠ | Fee-based marketplaces with a long tail of tiny sellers |
| **Hotmart** (Brazil) | Part of the 200k+ Hotmart+Teachable sellers | Fee-based. Its core is Portuguese and Spanish. |

**Broad serviceable pool ≈ 1.5–3M** (*derived* ⚠): the core 0.4–0.6M, plus a share of HighLevel's 1M, Mailchimp's 800k and the fee-based sellers who would move to a subscription.

### 2c. Revenue cross-check

| Company | Revenue / ARR | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kajabi | $100M+ ARR (2022) | CEO, OCBJ |
| HighLevel | "well over $80M" revenue 2024 ⚠ | CEO interview recap (newsletter) |
| Thinkific | $73.2M revenue 2025; ARR $61.7M Q2 2026 | Filings |
| Kit | ~$43M (2024) – $52M (2025) ARR ⚠ | Sacra |
| Stan | ~$35M ARR 2025 ⚠ | Sacra |
| Circle | ~$21–27M ARR ⚠ | Sacra / secondary |
| Skool | ~$26.6M ARR ⚠ | Latka (Jul 2026) |
| Teachable/Hotmart, ClickFunnels, Systeme.io, Kartra, Podia, Mighty | No reliable figure | — |

The disclosed and estimated revenues sum to **~$0.4B**. With the undisclosed players added, the core category is plausibly **$0.5–1B/yr** (⚠ judgement). Independently, 0.4–0.6M customers × $100–150/month × 12 = **$0.5–1.1B** (*derived*). The two estimates agree.

---

## 3. Market growth

| Market | Size and growth | Source and method | Credibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Coaching (global)** | $5.34B revenue (2025 study) vs $4.564B (2023 study) → **+17% in two years**; practitioners +15% | ICF/PwC survey of 10,000+ coaches, extrapolated to a population estimate | **Good.** Repeated method since 2012. Caveat: ICF pages also cite a $2.849B baseline. The +17% is ICF's own blog statement. |
| **Coaching (US)** | $16B; 232,000+ coaches; "more than doubled since 2016" | Marketdata, Dec 2025 | ⚠ Medium. Long series, but the method isn't disclosed in the release. |
| **Creator economy** | **$250B (2023) → $480B (2027)**, ~18% CAGR (*derived*); creators +10–20%/yr | Goldman Sachs: bottom-up from brand deals, ad revenue share, subscriptions | **Good source, wrong metric for SaaS.** ~70% of it is brand deals. Don't present it as Stapilo's TAM. |
| Creator economy (vendors) | $252B (2025) → $1.35T (2033), 23.3% CAGR (Grand View); $191.6B (2025) → $528B (2030) (Coherent) | Paid market-research reports; method not public | ⚠ **Weak.** The vendors' 2025 bases differ by 30%. |
| **Online education** | **$203.8B (2025) → $279.3B (2029), 8.2% CAGR**; US $99.8B in 2025 | Statista Market Insights, via a Baker Tilly report (Jan 2026) | Medium. A modelled estimate with a consistent method across countries. |
| Education (all) | ~$10T by 2030, 4.4% CAGR; workforce training 6.5% CAGR | HolonIQ 2025 Global Education Outlook | Good for context, but far too broad |
| "Self-paced e-learning" | $7.8B (Intel MR) vs $148.7B (Grand View) for **the same label** in 2025 | Vendor reports | ⚠ **Weak.** A 19× gap shows how unreliable vendor category sizes are. Avoid them. |
| **Platform throughput (a real-money signal)** | Kajabi creators' cumulative earnings $9B (Apr 2025) → $10B (Aug 2025); Mighty hosts $500M in 2025; Hotmart+Teachable $10B+ GMV (2024); Podia $900M+ cumulative | Company statements | Medium. Self-reported, but it is money that actually moved. |
| **Incumbent growth** | Thinkific revenue +9% (2025), ARPU +5%; Stan +24% (2025, down from 93%) ⚠; Whop +~255% ⚠; HighLevel +781% over 2021–24 (Deloitte Fast 500) | Filings / Sacra / Deloitte | The old course-platform players are maturing. Growth is going to all-in-ones and AI- or marketplace-led players. |

**What to tell investors.** The demand side (coaches, experts and creators who sell their own products) grows **~7–15%/yr**. The software category is mature at the course-platform end and growing fast at the all-in-one, agency and AI end (HighLevel, Skool, Whop). Stapilo's pitch is to take share from the slow end, not to ride a "$480B" wave.

---

## 4. By language and region

No source splits this market by language directly. These proxies point the same way:

| Proxy | English / US | Other languages | Source / date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website content language | English **49.5%** | Spanish 6.1%, German 5.9%, Japanese 4.9%, French 4.6%, Portuguese 4.1%, Russian 3.4% | W3Techs, 2026-10-25 |
| Online education revenue | US **$99.8B of $203.8B ≈ 49%** (*derived*) | Europe $27.7B by 2029 | Statista via Baker Tilly, 2025 |
| Coaches by region (2019) | North America **~33%** (*derived*: 23.3k/71k) | Western Europe ~29%, Latin America ~15%, rest ~23% | ICF 2020 study ⚠ stale; regional growth since then is fastest in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and Eastern Europe (ICF 2023) |
| Mailchimp customers | 50% US | 50% outside the US | Intuit, 2021 |
| Thinkific web traffic | US 39.8%, then Canada, India, UK, Australia | — | Dealroom ⚠ third-party traffic estimate |
| Systeme.io visitors | US 16.2% | France 15.0%, India 12.7%; "most of our customers are from the French market" (founder, 2020) | Semrush ⚠ / Indie Hackers |
| Creator growth 2020–22 | US +34M | **Brazil +73M**, South Korea +11M, Spain +10M | Adobe, Sept 2022 |
| Hotmart | — | Brazil is the core market; LatAm GMV outside Brazil +50% (2022→23); 1/3 of Brazilian producers sell internationally; payments in 180+ countries; Hotmart says the LatAm creator economy grows ~9× by 2033 ⚠ | Forbes Brasil 2024 / Canaltech 2025 / DPL News 2026 ⚠ |

**Reading (⚠ judgement):**
- **English** is about **45–55% of software spend**, and the highest-ARPU part of the market.
- **Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish (LatAm and Spain)** are very large by **number of creators**: Hotmart built a $10B+ GMV business there. ARPU is lower, and buyers prefer local payment methods.
- **German and French** are smaller in count, but European ARPU is near US levels. Systeme.io shows a French-first player can reach 500k+ users.

Stapilo is multilingual, which opens the non-English half that most US incumbents serve only in English.

---

## 5. TAM / SAM / SOM for Stapilo

### TAM: everyone who could use Stapilo
**~3–10M solo and small businesses worldwide that sell knowledge or services online** (⚠ triangulated judgement, not a sourced number):
- **Low end (~3M):** Goldman's ~2M professional creators, plus coaches beyond ICF's 123k (the US alone has 232k per Marketdata), plus tutors, consultants and trainers who sell online.
- **High end (~10M):** the order of Adobe's 17% "business owners" × Goldman's 50M creators (~8.5M, *derived* ⚠), plus non-creator experts.
- **In dollars:** 3–10M × $50–150/month × 12 ≈ **$1.8–18B/yr** (*derived*; ARPU range from `arpu-and-market-split.md`).

**Credibility note.** Present the TAM as a **count with its logic**, not as "$480B creator economy" or "$200B online education". Investors discount those immediately, because they are other people's revenue, not software spend.

### SAM: those who already pay for this kind of tool
**~0.4–0.6M businesses ≈ $0.5–1.1B/yr** (*derived*): unique paying customers of the core creator/expert platforms (section 2a, overlap removed), × $100–150/month (Thinkific $177 reported / ~$140 subscription-only; Kajabi ~$149 in 2022).
- **Cross-check:** disclosed and estimated revenues of the core players ≈ $0.4B+, with others undisclosed (section 2c).
- **Broad SAM (adjacent tools: HighLevel, Mailchimp, fee-based marketplaces): ~1.5–3M businesses.** Show it as upside, not as the base.

### SOM: realistically reachable in 3–5 years
**~2,000–10,000 paying customers ≈ $2.3–11.4M ARR** at the mid ARPU of ~$95/month (*derived*; ARPU from `arpu-and-market-split.md`). That is **~0.3–2.5% of the core SAM**.

| Scenario | Paying customers (yr 5) | ARR at $95/mo | Share of core SAM (0.4–0.6M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 2,000 | $2.3M | 0.3–0.5% |
| Base | 5,000 | $5.7M | 0.8–1.3% |
| Stretch | 10,000 | $11.4M | 1.7–2.5% |

Benchmarks that make these plausible:
- Systeme.io had ~8,000 paying customers about three years after launch, bootstrapped (founder, 2021).
- Stan reached ~80k active creators in ~4 years, with VC funding and a single $29 plan (Sacra ⚠).
- Skool has ~42–48k paying group owners ⚠.

Churn matters as much as acquisition. Stan states 13%/month, and the ChartMogul median is 6.1%/month for ARPA under $25 (see sister file). So reaching 5,000 *standing* customers means acquiring far more than 5,000.

### What investors find credible vs inflated

**Credible:**
- A bottom-up count of who pays today (SAM), built from named competitors' own customer numbers.
- Cross-checking that count against those competitors' revenues (section 2c).
- A SOM tied to the go-to-market plan and to comparable companies' real trajectories (Systeme.io, Stan, Skool).
- Saying plainly that the course-platform end is mature (Thinkific +9%), and that the opportunity is share-taking by an AI-run all-in-one.
- Treating non-English markets as an advantage: Hotmart and Systeme.io prove the size.

**Inflated (avoid):**
- "Creator economy $480B / $1.3T" (brand deals and ad revenue).
- "200M / 303M creators" (anyone earning a dollar).
- "Online education $200B+" (mostly institutions and enterprise).
- Vendor category sizes whose methods aren't public: the 19× spread on "self-paced e-learning" is the example.
- Adding the platforms' customer counts with no overlap discount.
- Using HighLevel's 1M "businesses" as if they were all experts and coaches.

---

## Open items (not resolved, flagged for the founder)
- **Current Kajabi paying-customer count.** The last primary figure is from 2022.
- **Systeme.io's current paying count.** Only "500,000+ entrepreneurs" (including free users) is public.
- **US Census nonemployer counts** for consulting (NAICS 5416) and other instruction (6116). The API needs a key.
- **The 2025 ICF regional split.** It is in the paid full report only.
- **Goldman's 2023 page** refused my fetch. Its figures are confirmed through multiple search snippets of the page itself, but not read directly.

---

## Sources (all checked 2026-10-25 unless noted)

**Coaches**
- ICF 2025 Global Coaching Study, executive summary (published 2025-09-15): https://coachingfederation.org/resource/2025-icf-global-coaching-study-executive-summary/
- ICF Global Coaching Study page (revenue baselines): https://coachingfederation.org/research/global-coaching-study
- ICF blog, 2025 study findings: https://coachingfederation.org/blog/coaching-as-a-strategic-advantage-what-the-2025-global-coaching-study-reveals/
- ICF 2023 study exec summary (109,200 practitioners): https://coachingfederation.org/app/uploads/2023/04/2023ICFGlobalCoachingStudy_ExecutiveSummary.pdf ⚠ figure via search summary
- ICF 2020 study exec summary (regional 2019 counts): https://coachingfederation.org/app/uploads/2020/09/FINAL_ICF_GCS2020_ExecutiveSummary.pdf ⚠ via search summary
- Marketdata / ResearchAndMarkets, US coaching 232,000 coaches, $16B (2025-12-04): https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251204763253/en ⚠ headline only (fetch refused)

**Creators**
- Goldman Sachs, "The creator economy could approach half-a-trillion dollars by 2027" (2023): https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-creator-economy-could-approach-half-a-trillion-dollars-by-2027 ⚠ fetch refused; figures from search snippets
- Adobe Future of Creativity study (Sept 2022): https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2022/adobe-future-of-creativity-study-165m-creators-joined-creator-economy-since-2020
- Linktree 2022 Creator Report, via Tubefilter (2022-04-20): https://tubefilter.com/2022/04/20/linktree-2022-creator-report-economy-statistics-link-in-bio/
- Canaltech, Hotmart FIRE 2025, 70M creators (2025-08-29): https://canaltech.com.br/mercado/hotmart-aposta-em-ia-para-transformar-70-milhoes-de-criadores-em-empreendedores/
- Patreon about page: https://www.patreon.com/about
- Gumroad tracker: https://profitable.app/gumroad/stats ⚠
- Whop data: https://insightraider.com/en/answers/how-much-money-can-you-make-on-whop ⚠

**Tutors, trainers**
- Preply (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preply ⚠
- BLS, Fitness Trainers and Instructors: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/fitness-trainers-and-instructors.htm
- Census Nonemployer Statistics methodology: https://census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/technical-documentation/methodology.html

**Platforms**
- Hotmart Company $10B GMV, 200,000+ creators (2024-03-21): https://teachable.com/press/hotmart-company-announces-10-billion
- Teachable homepage: https://www.teachable.com
- Kajabi via Business Wire, $10B / 100,000+ creators (2025-08-06): https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250806424975/en/
- Kajabi CEO, $100M ARR / 56,000 customers, OCBJ (2022-05-31): https://www.ocbj.com/technology/kajabi-revenue-tops-100m-knowledge-economy-expands/
- Thinkific Q4/FY2025 results (2026-03-05): https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/thinkific-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-financial-results-827221860.html
- Thinkific Q2 2026 results (2026-08-05): https://newswire.ca/news-releases/thinkific-announces-second-quarter-2026-financial-results-802101214.html
- Systeme.io homepage ("500,000+ entrepreneurs"): https://systeme.io
- Systeme.io founder interview, Latka (2021-07): https://getlatka.com/companies/systemeio/interviews/systemeio-aurelien-amacker-2021
- Systeme.io 5,000 paying customers / French market (2020): https://www.indiehackers.com/product/systeme-io/5-000-paying-customers--MD55ZvMh-dOSSUYXFk2
- Systeme.io traffic by country: https://www.semrush.com/website/systeme.io/overview/ ⚠
- HighLevel 2025 year in review (2026-01-15): https://www.gohighlevel.com/post/highlevel-2025-a-year-in-review
- HighLevel Deloitte Fast 500 (2025-11-19): https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/highlevel-ranked-among-the-fastest-growing-companies-in-north-am-1104564
- HighLevel CEO interview recap ($80M+ 2024): https://otten.beehiiv.com/p/video-gohighlevel-ceo-how-to-sell-ai-grow-your-agency-in-2025-5960 ⚠
- ClickFunnels homepage (100K+ users): https://www.clickfunnels.com/
- Kartra plans page (60K customers): https://kartra.com/plans-and-pricing/
- Skool pricing: https://www.skool.com/pricing
- Skool community tracker (2026-10-07): https://profitable.app/skool/stats ⚠
- Skool trending sample (2026-09-05): https://revenuegeeks.com/software/skool/statistics ⚠
- Skool ARR estimate: https://getlatka.com/companies/skool ⚠ (via sister file)
- Circle, 12M users (2026-04-23): https://www.createwith.com/tool/circle/updates/circle-reaches-12-million-users-ships-ai-agents-and-custom-app-builder-in-2025
- Circle, Sacra: https://sacra.com/c/circle-so ⚠
- Mighty Networks homepage ($500M 2025): https://www.mightynetworks.com
- Podia homepage (15,000+ creators): https://www.podia.com
- Stan, Sacra ($35M ARR, 80,000+ creators): https://sacra.com/research/stan-from-15m-to-27m-three-months/ · https://sacra.com/c/stan ⚠
- LearnWorlds homepage (13,000+): https://www.learnworlds.com · press release, 11,000+ customers (2025-04-22): https://elearningindustry.com/press-releases/learnworlds-hits-500000-courses-milestone
- Kit / Nathan Barry, 50,000+ creators, ~$40M ARR: https://mywifequitherjob.com/episode545/ · Sacra: https://sacra.com/research/convertkit-at-43m-arr/ ⚠
- Intuit / Mailchimp, 800,000 paid, 13M users (2021-09-13): https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210913005806/en · 8-K: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/896878/000119312521271682/d226456dex991.htm

**Market growth**
- Statista online education, via Baker Tilly report (Jan 2026): https://techma.bakertilly.es/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Market-Research-Online-Courses_compressed.pdf
- HolonIQ 2025 Global Education Outlook: https://holoniq.com/notes/2025-global-education-outlook
- Grand View Research creator economy: https://www.giiresearch.com/report/grvi2068128-creator-economy-market-size-share-trends-analysis.html ⚠ vendor
- Coherent Market Insights, via Exploding Topics: https://explodingtopics.com/blog/creator-economy-market-size ⚠ vendor
- Self-paced e-learning (Intel MR): https://www.intelmarketresearch.com/self-paced-e-learning-market-35635 ⚠ vendor · (Grand View): https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/statistics/e-learning-services-market/courses/self-paced-courses/global ⚠ vendor

**Language / region**
- W3Techs content languages (2026-10-25): https://w3techs.com/technologies/overview/content_language
- Thinkific traffic by country, Dealroom: https://dealroom.co/companies/thinkific/ ⚠
- Forbes Brasil, Hotmart and the Brazilian creator economy (2024-02): https://forbes.com.br/forbes-tech/2024/02/5-numeros-que-mostram-a-relevancia-da-creator-economy-no-brasil/
- DPL News, Hotmart LatAm creator economy ×9 by 2033: https://dplnews.com/?p=321143 ⚠

**Sister files (same date, same rules):** `arpu-and-market-split.md` (ARPU, churn, freemium conversion) and `pricing-all-in-one.md` (plans and company data).



---

## Research file: growth-and-funnels

> **Superseded on two numbers (2026-10-26):** this file's year-3 model (~2,520 customers × ~$110 = ~$3.3M ARR) was the first pass. The customer model page replaced it with a channel-by-channel build (2,625 customers, with the lean start) and a price that falls along a ladder from ~$350 for the first, heavy users to ~$60 entry offers, averaging ~$127 at year 3 (→ $4.0M ARR). The ~$110 long-run average stays the research anchor; the difference is timing: the first, higher-paying customers are still in the base at year 3.

# How fast comparables grew, and what the funnel numbers say

> Researched 2026-10-25 for Stapilo's investor case (international platform, USD, planned
> average ~$110 per paying customer per month; plans $79 / $179 / $399).
> Every number has a source and date (see **Sources** at the end, all checked 2026-10-25).
> **⚠ = unverified**: a third-party estimate, a secondhand figure, an undated claim, or my
> own arithmetic/judgement. *Derived* numbers show the formula. Nothing here is invented.
> If a number isn't in this file, I didn't find a source for it.

---

## Summary

1. **Founder-audience + affiliates is the proven path in this exact category.** Systeme.io
   (bootstrapped, founder's own course audience, then affiliates) reached **~1,500 paying
   customers about one year after its Feb 2018 launch, ~5,000 by July 2020 and ~8,000 by
   July 2021**, with **70% of sales from affiliates** (founder, 2021). ClickFunnels (Russell
   Brunson's audience, books, webinars, Funnel Hacking Live) went from 100 beta testers to
   **10,000+ paying customers by the end of its first year** (founder). Both started with an
   audience the founder had built for years before the software existed.
2. **Without a pre-built audience, growth to 10,000 customers took 6–8 years.** Thinkific
   (founded 2012): ~7,100 paying customers in 2018 ⚠, 10,900 in 2019 (*derived*), 24,600 in
   2020 (COVID year), "more than 35,000" in 2025. HighLevel (launched mid-2018): **10 agencies
   six months after launch**, ~$10–20M revenue by Feb 2021, **70,000+ agencies** today
   (company docs, accessed 2026-10-25). Kajabi (2010): ~43,000 (May 2021), ~56,000 (CEO, 2021–22).
3. **Fastest documented community/creator-tool ramps:** Circle — ~1,000 paying customers
   ~13 months after founding (Feb 2021), 4,000+ by late 2021. Stan — ARR $1.7M → $14.7M in
   2023 (8.6×), "60,000 creators" by Feb 2025, but **13% of customers churn every month**.
4. **Funnel benchmarks (what each step converts):** webinar registrant → attendee **~56%**
   overall, **39%** for marketing webinars (ON24, 2018 data); YouTube traffic → email opt-in
   **~1%** (NP Digital, 2024); opt-in free trial → paid **18%**, card-up-front trial → paid
   **49–51%**, freemium → paid **2.6–2.8%** (First Page Sage, 86 SaaS cos, 2022–25);
   self-serve freemium "good" 3–5%, trials "good" 8–12% (Lenny's/OpenView, 2023).
5. **Churn at Stapilo's price point:** ChartMogul median monthly churn **6.1%** under $25
   ARPA, **2.2%** above $500 (2021–22 data); ~**6.5%** for companies under $300k ARR,
   levelling at ~**3.7%** later. Systeme.io reported **~8%/month** (2021). Retention decays
   fastest early and flattens (ChartMogul 2023: top-quartile 90% retained at month 3, 70% at
   month 12).
6. **Affiliate commissions in the category are high and recurring:** Systeme.io **60%
   lifetime**, Skool **40% lifetime**, HighLevel **40% recurring**, ClickFunnels **≥30%
   recurring**, Kit **50% for 12 months**, Stan **20% lifetime** ⚠. At $110 ARPU a 30–40%
   commission is **$33–44 per customer per month**.
7. **Paid ads are expensive at the top of the funnel:** Meta average cost per lead **$27.66**
   (all industries), **$28.22** for Education & Instruction (WordStream, Sept 2025).
8. **My paths for Stapilo (customers at end of year 1 / 2 / 3, my model, ⚠):**
   **conservative ~100 / ~300 / ~600**, **realistic ~300 / ~1,100 / ~2,500**,
   **ambitious ~1,000 / ~3,700 / ~8,000**. At $110 that is ~$0.8M, ~$3.3M and ~$10.8M ARR
   at the end of year 3. Details and which comparable each path resembles: section C.

---

## A. How comparable companies grew their customer count

Columns: date → paying customers (unless stated), with how they grew. "Years from launch"
uses the launch date shown under each company.

### A1. Systeme.io — bootstrapped all-in-one, founder Aurélien Amacker
Launch: **February 2018** (founder, Niche Pursuits; Latka says "early 2018"). Before the
software, Amacker ran a French course/launch business with an audience and affiliate
program (affiliate program launched 2017, per Niche Pursuits).

| Date | Paying customers | Years from launch | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~early 2019 ⚠ (interview says "one year after launching"; exact date not visible) | **1,500**, $50K MRR | ~1 | Indie Hackers founder interview |
| Sept 2019 | ~2,000 | 1.6 | Indie Hackers product milestone post (via search excerpt ⚠, page 403) |
| July 2020 | ~5,000 ("150% growth in 10 months") | 2.4 | Indie Hackers milestone post ⚠ (same) |
| ~2020–21 ⚠ undated | "over 7,000", $2M run rate | ~3 | Niche Pursuits interview (page last updated 2022-10-24) |
| 2021-07-15 | **"a little bit over 8,000"**, $414k revenue in June 2021; churn ~8%/month after adding freemium (9–10% before); **70% of sales from affiliates** | 3.4 | Latka founder interview |
| 2026-10-25 | "Powering **500,000+ entrepreneurs**" (includes free accounts; not paying) | 8.7 | systeme.io homepage |
| 2024 | $20.1M revenue est., "8K customers" (stale) ⚠ | — | Latka profile (estimate) |

**How it grew:** founder's own audience first, then affiliates (today **60% lifetime
recurring** commission, "$5,000,000+ paid to affiliates", systeme.io affiliate page);
freemium added spring 2021; low price ($17–97/month today). No 2023–2026 paying-customer
count from the company found. 10,000 paying customers: not documented.

### A2. ClickFunnels — Russell Brunson
Launch: **October 2014** (Founder Reports interview). Brunson had a decade of info-marketing,
a list and JV partners before launch.

| Date | Customers | Years | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch 2014 | 100 beta testers; hoped for 5–10k users | 0 | Founder Reports (Brunson) |
| ~end of 2015 | **10,000+ paying customers** | ~1 | Founder Reports (Brunson) |
| ~2017 | $100M annual revenue "within three years" (revenue, not customers) | ~3 | Founder Reports (Brunson) |
| 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 | 30,000 / 40,000+ / 54,000 / 99,000 users ⚠ | 2–5 | ElectroIQ stats page (no primary source) |
| undated | "over 100,000 active users"; revenue "over $170 million" | — | Brunson, Founder Reports; russellbrunson.com |

**How it grew:** on-demand "Perfect Webinar" (a live version reportedly closed **30%** of the
room — Brunson's claim ⚠), books (DotCom Secrets / Expert Secrets) whose funnels upsold
ClickFunnels, JV webinars, Funnel Hacking Live (~5,000 attendees/year), challenges, Facebook
ads for free trials (initially underperformed, per Brunson). Affiliates: **≥30% recurring**
plus "Dream Car" bonus (ClickFunnels support docs); a total-paid figure of "$136M" is
unverified ⚠ (Referly listing).

### A3. HighLevel — agency all-in-one (Shaun Clark, Varun Vairavan, Robin Alex)
Launch: **mid-2018** (Dec 2018 interview says "about six months after launch").

| Date | Customers | Years | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-12-12 | **10 agencies** at ~$300/month; 0% churn | 0.5 | Latka founder interview |
| 2021-02-01 | revenue "roughly $10M to $20M", bootstrapped, profitable → ~2,800–5,600 agencies at ~$297/mo ⚠ *derived* ($10–20M ÷ 12 ÷ $297) | 2.6 | Mixergy interview |
| 2024-04-11 | grew ">5x while maintaining profitability" over 3 years | 5.8 | General Atlantic investment release |
| 2025 (Inc. 5000) | 781% revenue growth over 3 years; "over 2 million businesses" | 7 | HighLevel blog |
| accessed 2026-10-25 (undated page) | "**over 70000+ agencies 600,000+ businesses** actively using our product" | ~8 | HighLevel developer docs |
| 2024 | $82.7M revenue, 70K customers ⚠ | — | Latka (estimate) |

**How it grew:** coaches recommending it to their students and agency owners referring other
agency owners (Mixergy 2021: "40 agencies bought the product in one day" at a San Diego
mastermind; one early agency introduced 13 others). 40% recurring affiliate program
(gohighlevel.com/affiliate). White-label "SaaS mode": agencies resell it as their own
product. Large Facebook community (not quantified in a source I found ⚠).
**Agency channel arithmetic:** 600,000 businesses ÷ 70,000 agencies ≈ **8.6 active client
accounts per agency** (*derived* from the same company page).

### A4. Kit (ConvertKit) — Nathan Barry
Launch: **2013**. Barry had an audience from books and blogging; the first two years stalled.

| Date | Customers / MRR | Years | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| mid-2013 | ~$2,000 MRR | 0 | StartupGTM write-up ⚠ (secondary) |
| Sept/Oct 2014 | $1,207–1,330 MRR (low point) | ~1.5 | StartupGTM; Sproutworth ⚠ |
| Mar / Jun / Dec 2015 | $5,020 / $10,000 / ~$97–98k MRR | ~2–2.5 | StartupGTM ⚠ |
| 2016 | ~$625k MRR; $5.8M revenue for the year | ~3 | StartupGTM ⚠ |
| 2020 | 18,000+ customers ⚠ | 7 | third-party stats page (via search) |
| 2021 → 2022 | 38,000 → 44,939 customers ⚠ | 8–9 | StartupGTM ⚠ |
| 2023 | 49,000 customers, $36.4M ⚠ | 10 | StartupGTM ⚠ |
| ~2024 ⚠ (date inferred) | "50,000-plus creators", "$40 million a year in ARR" | ~11 | Nathan Barry, podcast (see arpu-and-market-split.md) |
| 2025 | $52M ARR (no customer count) ⚠ | 12 | Sacra estimate |

**How it grew:** the "5-year growth" story is a 2015 inflection after Barry went full-time:
personal demos, **free concierge migration** for bloggers, affiliate partners (Pat Flynn),
**150+ webinars** ⚠ (secondary), 30% recurring affiliate commission then (today **50% for
12 months**, kit.com/affiliate). Barry's public Baremetrics dashboard is no longer online
(convertkit.baremetrics.com redirects), so I could not read customer counts from it.

### A5. Kajabi
Founded **2010** (Kenny Rueter, Travis Rosser). First outside capital Nov 2019 (Spectrum Equity).

| Date | Customers | Years | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-11 | no customer count; "41 million users" reached (students, cumulative) | 9 | Spectrum Equity release |
| 2021-05 | "more than **43,000** active users in 120 countries" | 11 | OCBJ, $550M round |
| 2021–22 | "about **56,000** customers"; ARR "north of $100 million" | 11–12 | CEO Ahad Khan, OCBJ |
| ~2023 | "60,000 creators", $5B lifetime GMV | 13 | TechCrunch 2023-03-12 |
| updated Feb 2026 | "100,000+ creators" ⚠ | 16 | edtech.com directory (not Kajabi) |

**How it grew:** creator case studies and partners (affiliate program historically 30%
lifetime; now reportedly tiered 10–20% ⚠, Reditus); heavy brand marketing after 2021 funding.

### A6. Thinkific (public, TSX: THNC)
Founded **2012**.

| Date | Paying customers | Years | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 7,100 ⚠ | 6 | Class Central table of IPO prospectus (via search; page 403) |
| 2019 | ~10,900 (*derived*: 24,600 ÷ 2.26) | 7 | Globe and Mail "+126%" |
| Q1 2020 | 12,800 | 8 | Thinkific Q1 2021 release |
| end 2020 | **24,600** (+126%, COVID boom) | 8 | Globe and Mail, prospectus, 2021-03-23 |
| Q1 2021 | 27,500; ARR $34.8M | 9 | Thinkific release 2021-05-11 |
| 2021 / 2022 | 32,300 / 33,600 ⚠ | 9–10 | Class Central (via search) |
| FY2025 | "more than 35,000"; ARPU $175/month | 13 | Thinkific Q4 2025 release (see arpu-and-market-split.md) |

**How it grew:** content/SEO and a free plan; ARR CAGR 160% Dec 2015–Dec 2020 (Globe and
Mail). Since 2021: flat, ~2–5%/yr.

### A7. Teachable
Founded **2013/2014** (Ankur Nagpal; sources differ). Bought by Hotmart, announced March 2020.

| Date | Customers | Source |
|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | "50,000-plus creators", 30M students (creators, not necessarily paying) | Hotmart CEO via EdSurge, 2020-03-17 |
| 2024 | "tens of thousands of creator-educators" | Teachable boilerplate (see arpu-and-market-split.md) |

### A8. Podia
Founded **2014** (Spencer Fry). No dated customer series found.

| Date | Customers | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-25 | "Join **15,000+ creators** who've earned $900M+ on Podia" | podia.com homepage |

### A9. Circle (community platform)
Founded **January 2020** (Sid Yadav and team, 5 people).

| Date | Paying customers | Years | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| early 2020 | first paying customer | 0 | Sacra |
| 2021-02-16 | **~1,000 paying customers**, heading to 2,000; passed $1M ARR the month before | ~1.1 | TechCrunch |
| late 2021 | **4,000+ paying communities**; $4M ARR end 2021 | ~2 | Sacra |
| end 2023 | "10,000+ communities" ⚠ (may include non-paying; conflicts with another Sacra line) | ~4 | Sacra |
| end 2025 / May 2026 | $55M / $68M ARR ⚠ | 6 | Sacra estimates |

**How it grew:** word of mouth among course creators, integrations (ConvertKit, Teachable,
Zapier), 14-day trial, angels who were themselves community builders (TechCrunch).
*Derived:* $4M ARR ÷ 12 ÷ 4,000 ≈ **$83/month** per paying community in 2021.

### A10. Stan (Stan Store) — creator storefront (John Hu)
Founded **2020**.

| Date | Customers / ARR | Source |
|---|---|---|
| start 2023 → end 2023 | ARR $1.7M → $14.7M (8.6×); **13% of customers lost every month** | HubSpot for Startups case study |
| March 2024 | $27M ARR ⚠ | Sacra estimate |
| 2025-02-13 | "over **60,000 creators**", $30M revenue | Think Like A Creator newsletter |
| undated (2026) | "80,000+ active creators", ~$40M ARR (Apr 2026), ~$437/year per customer ⚠ | Sacra |

**How it grew:** creator-to-creator referrals (customers paid **20% of referred
subscriptions for life** ⚠, Sacra), TikTok/Instagram word of mouth, founder documenting
the company publicly on YouTube/TikTok (HubSpot). Growth slowed to ~24% in 2025 because
"gross churn has caught up" with acquisition (Sacra ⚠).

### A11. Skool — Sam Ovens, then Alex Hormozi
Founded **2019**. Hormozi became partner/investor in 2023 or early 2024 (sources differ ⚠);
the Skool Games (90-day competitions to add MRR) followed.
**No primary paying-customer count exists.** Third-party: "10,000+ paying communities" ⚠
(Yespress/Everything PR, untraceable); "over 60,000 communities" ⚠ (a Skool admin's post,
Aug 2025); Profitable.app models 12.5K paid of 42.1K tracked ⚠ (June 2026); Latka ~$26.6M
ARR ⚠. **How it grew:** Hormozi's content reach, the Skool Games, a **40% lifetime**
affiliate program where a group created from your group is credited to you
(skool.com/affiliate-program), $9 Hobby / $99 Pro plans.

### A12. Kartra (Genesis Digital — Andy Jenkins, Mike Filsaime)
Launch year of Kartra itself: not confirmed in a source I could read ⚠. Genesis Digital
(founded 2013): "more than 25,000 customers", "$16M annual revenue" ⚠ (Yespress profile);
"60,000+ active users" ⚠ (truncated review page). No dated series. Grew through the founders'
info-marketing networks and affiliate launches ⚠.

### A13. Milestone summary

| Company | Launch | ~100 | ~1,000 | ~10,000 | ~50,000 | Main engine | Founder-led content + affiliates? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClickFunnels | 2014-10 | < 1 yr | < 1 yr | **~1 yr** (founder) | ~3–4 yrs ⚠ | founder audience, books, webinars, events, affiliates | **Yes — closest to Stapilo's plan, but with years of pre-built audience** |
| Systeme.io | 2018-02 | < 1 yr ⚠ | **< 1 yr** (1,500 at ~1 yr) | not documented (8,000 at 3.4 yrs) | — | founder audience → affiliates (70% of sales) | **Yes** |
| Circle | 2020-01 | < 1 yr | **~1.1 yrs** | ~4 yrs ⚠ | — | word of mouth among creators | partly (creator community) |
| HighLevel | 2018 mid | ~1 yr ⚠ | ~2 yrs ⚠ (*derived*) | ~4–5 yrs ⚠ | ~6–7 yrs ⚠ | coaches/gurus recommending to students, agencies, affiliates | **Yes (guru partnerships)** |
| Stan | 2020 | — | — | ~2.5–3 yrs ⚠ | ~4.5 yrs (60k, Feb 2025) | creator referrals, founder content | Yes (referrals + founder video) |
| Kit | 2013 | ~1 yr ⚠ | ~2.5 yrs ⚠ | ~4–6 yrs ⚠ | ~11 yrs | demos, migration, affiliates, webinars | Yes, slow start |
| Thinkific | 2012 | — | — | **~7 yrs** | not reached (35k) | content/SEO, free plan | no |
| Kajabi | 2010 | — | — | — | **~11 yrs** (56k) | partners, brand | partly |
| Podia, Teachable, Kartra, Skool | — | no reliable series | | | | | |

---

## B. Funnel benchmarks for founder-led, content-driven SaaS sold to small businesses

| Step | Benchmark | Scope / caveat | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| **YouTube views → subscribers** | No published per-niche conversion benchmark exists. Public data: median channel at 1k–10k subs grows **0.51%/month**, 10k–100k **0.48%/month**; only **7.9%** of channels reach 10k subs, **1.3%** reach 100k | all YouTube, 61.2M channels; not business-only | vidIQ Research (July 2026) |
| YouTube: time to milestones | ~15.5 months average to 1,000 subs ⚠; one case: 10k subs in 390 days ⚠; "2–5 years" to 100k ⚠ | weak sources | ytshark; vidIQ blog; Lilach Bullock |
| YouTube traffic → email opt-in | **1.03%** opt-in rate for visitors arriving from YouTube (vs 1.59% Google, 0.88% Facebook) | 306 websites, site traffic not views | NP Digital (Oct 2024) |
| YouTube viewer → email with a specific lead magnet | 1–5% per view ⚠; cold viewers 0.5–1.5% click, 30–50% complete | vendor blogs, no method | TubeMilestone; EasyViral |
| **Webinar registrant → attendee** | **55.9%** overall; **43.3%** for webinars >100 attendees; **39.1%** marketing webinars; "35–45% is good" | 22,922 B2B webinars, 2018 data | ON24 Webinar Benchmarks Report 2019 (primary PDF) |
| Webinar registrant → attendee (newer) | **57%** (2024 data); ~60% in 2026 report ⚠ | secondhand (MarketingProfs; vendor blog) | ON24 via MarketingProfs (2025) ⚠ |
| Webinar attendee → purchase | **5–20%** for education-led formats; 15–25% high-ticket ⚠ | single vendor estimate; no independent study found | ClickMeeting blog (2025) ⚠ |
| Email list → click | average click rate **2.62%** all users; **3.02%** Education + Training; 2.78% Business + Finance | per email sent, Dec 2023 data | Mailchimp benchmarks |
| Email list → trial/sign-up | **No reliable published benchmark found.** | — | — |
| Website visitor → trial | opt-in trial **8.5%** organic / 7.1% paid; card-required **2.5% / 2.2%**; freemium sign-up 13.3% / 15.9% | 86 SaaS companies, Q1 2022–Q3 2025 (agency client data) | First Page Sage (updated 2025-09-05) |
| **Free trial → paid** | opt-in (no card) **18.2%** organic / 17.4% paid; **opt-out (card up front) 48.8% / 51%**; Education/Edtech 24.8%, CRM 29.0% | "paid" = at least one paid month | First Page Sage (2025-09-05) |
| Free trial → paid (alt.) | "good" **8–12%**, "great" 15–25% | 1,000+ products, 6-month window | Lenny's Newsletter / Kyle Poyar / OpenView (2023-08-01) |
| Opt-in vs opt-out (alt.) | 25.2% vs 60.4% ⚠ | 38 accounts, agency self-report | Visionary Marketing (2026) ⚠ |
| **Freemium → paid** | self-serve "good" **3–5%**, "great" 6–8%; First Page Sage **2.6–2.8%** | — | Lenny's (2023); First Page Sage (2025) |
| **Monthly churn by price** | median **6.1%** (ARPA < $25) → **2.2%** (> $500); intermediate bands only in a chart ⚠ | Nov 2021–Jan 2022 aggregates | ChartMogul blog |
| Monthly churn by company stage | ~**6.5%** under $300k ARR → levels at ~**3.7%** ($1–3M MRR range) | same | ChartMogul blog |
| Retention over customer age | top quartile keeps **90%** of a new cohort at month 3, **70%** at month 12; decay roughly exponential, flattening | 2,100+ SaaS businesses, 2021–22 cohorts | ChartMogul SaaS Retention Report (2023-11-01) |
| Churn concentration early | "60–70% of annual churn in the first 90 days" ⚠ | untraced vendor claim | Paddle/ProfitWell via blogs ⚠ |
| B2B SaaS churn (blended) | voluntary 3.95% + involuntary 1.38% / month ⚠ (undated page); 2018: 5.56% B2B | blended sizes | Recurly |
| Comparable churn, actual | Systeme.io **~8%/month** (9–10% before freemium); Stan **13%/month** | founder 2021; HubSpot 2023 | Latka; HubSpot |
| **Affiliate commissions** | Systeme.io **60% lifetime**; Skool **40% lifetime**; HighLevel **40% recurring**; ClickFunnels **≥30% recurring** (+ Dream Car); Kit **50% × 12 months** (+10–20% for top tiers); Kajabi historically 30% lifetime, now tiered 10–20% ⚠; Stan 20% lifetime ⚠ | official pages except where ⚠ | company pages; Reditus; Sacra |
| **Affiliate share of new sales** | Systeme.io **70%** of sales (2021). No other company publishes a share. | single data point | Latka founder interview |
| Affiliate payouts | Systeme.io "$5,000,000+" paid to affiliates; ClickFunnels "$136M" ⚠ | — | systeme.io; Referly ⚠ |
| **Paid ads: Meta cost per lead** | **$27.66** all industries; **$28.22** Education & Instruction; $37.34 Industrial & Commercial; up ~21% YoY | Sept 2025 report | WordStream; Search Engine Land |
| Paid CAC, SaaS | startup SaaS CAC **$273** B2B ⚠; SMB SaaS "$200–400" rule of thumb ⚠; B2B inorganic channels avg $1,907 vs organic $942 ⚠ | agency client data, secondhand | First Page Sage via Enrich Labs / consultancy summaries ⚠ |
| **Agency / partner channel** | HighLevel: **70,000+ agencies, 600,000+ businesses** → ~8.6 client accounts per agency (*derived*); "40 agencies bought in one day" at one mastermind; coaches recommending it to students | company docs; founder interview 2021 | HighLevel docs; Mixergy |

---

## C. Analysis: what a realistic customer path looks like for Stapilo, years 1–3

### C1. What the comparables teach

- **Price matters for count.** The fast counters were cheap or free to start: Systeme.io
  ($17–97 + freemium, ~$52 ARPU in 2021), Stan ($29), Skool ($9/$99), Circle (~$83
  *derived*). Stapilo at ~$110 ARPU sits with Kajabi ($149) and Thinkific ($175), which grew
  slowly in customer count. HighLevel shows a $97–497 product can still reach 70,000
  accounts, but through agencies that resell it.
- **The founder's audience existed before launch** at ClickFunnels and Systeme.io. Stapilo's
  founder plans to build it now (YouTube, webinars). The vidIQ data says most channels grow
  slowly, so year 1 cannot rest on YouTube alone.
- **Partners and affiliates did most of the work** where it was measured: 70% of Systeme.io's
  sales; HighLevel's coach-to-students and agency-to-agency referrals; Kit's Pat Flynn
  webinars. This matches the plan of partnering with marketing gurus. One mastermind sold
  HighLevel to 40 agencies in a day.
- **Churn sets the ceiling.** At 5–8% monthly churn, a company must replace 5–8% of its base
  every month before it grows. Stan's growth slowed once churn caught up with acquisition.

### C2. The model (my assumptions ⚠)

A cohort model: new paying customers per month rise in a straight line within each year;
customers churn at an "early" rate in their first 3 months and a lower "mature" rate after
(shape per ChartMogul 2023; levels per ChartMogul 2022, Systeme.io 2021, Stan 2023).
Script: one-off Python, 36 months.

| Path | New paying customers per month (start→end of yr1 / yr2 / yr3) | Churn first 3 months / after | **End yr1** | **End yr2** | **End yr3** | MRR end yr3 at $110 | ARR end yr3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Conservative** | 5→20 / 20→45 / 45→80 | 12% / 6% | **~100** | **~300** | **~630** | ~$69k | ~$0.8M |
| **Realistic** | 10→60 / 60→150 / 150→300 | 10% / 4.5% | **~310** | **~1,080** | **~2,520** | ~$277k | ~$3.3M |
| **Ambitious** | 30→200 / 200→500 / 500→900 | 10% / 4% | **~1,040** | **~3,660** | **~8,160** | ~$898k | ~$10.8M |

### C3. What each path resembles

- **Conservative ≈ Kit 2013–14, Thinkific's early years, Podia.** The founder's content
  grows slowly, few partners sign on, churn stays near the ChartMogul small-company median
  (~6%). Kit was at ~$1.3k MRR 18 months in; Thinkific needed ~7 years to reach 10,000.
  Year-3 count ~600: plausible if the YouTube channel is still small and partners don't
  engage.
- **Realistic ≈ Circle and Systeme.io, slowed for a higher price.** Circle had ~1,000
  paying at ~13 months and 4,000 at ~2 years; Systeme.io had ~1,500 at ~1 year and ~5,000
  at 2.4 years. Both were cheaper than Stapilo and Systeme.io's founder started with an
  audience, so this path sits below them (~1,100 at 2 years, ~2,500 at 3). It needs
  ~150–300 new paying customers a month in year 3. A mix that delivers this, using section
  B's rates (illustration ⚠):
  - **Partners/affiliates ~40%** (~60–120/month): a handful of guru partners each running
    webinars to their lists, at 30–40% recurring commission ($33–44/customer/month).
  - **Founder webinars ~25%:** a weekly webinar with 500 registrants × ~40% attend × ~5%
    buy ≈ 10 customers per webinar ≈ **~40/month**.
  - **YouTube/content ~25%:** 100k monthly views × ~1% to email ≈ 1,000 leads/month. If
    ~10% of leads start a trial (assumption ⚠) and 18% of opt-in trials pay, that is
    **~18 customers/month**. YouTube compounds slowly, and it mainly feeds the webinars.
  - **Paid ads ~10%:** at ~$28/lead and an assumed ~2% lead→paid ⚠, CAC ≈ **$1,400**. Against
    ~$1,500–2,200 lifetime gross revenue at $110 and 5–7% churn (*derived*: $110 ÷ churn),
    paid ads only work as a booster, not as the engine.
- **Ambitious ≈ ClickFunnels year 1, HighLevel's agency flywheel, Stan 2023.** ClickFunnels
  had 10,000+ paying customers at ~1 year, but Brunson had a list, books and JV partners
  built over ten years. HighLevel grew because coaches told their students and agencies
  resold it. Stapilo reaching ~1,000 in year 1 and ~8,000 in year 3 would need **several
  large guru partnerships live in year 1**, plus an agency/reseller program that works
  (agencies opening several client accounts each — HighLevel averages ~8.6, *derived*), plus
  churn held near 4%. It is ~Systeme.io's 3.4-year count at double the price.

### C4. What would move Stapilo between paths (judgement ⚠)

1. **Partners first, channel second.** The single largest measured driver in the category
   is affiliates/partners (Systeme.io 70%). Signing 3–5 guru partners in year 1 is the
   difference between conservative and realistic.
2. **Card-up-front trial vs no-card trial.** 49–51% vs 18% trial→paid (First Page Sage).
   Fewer sign-ups, more customers per sign-up; choose deliberately.
3. **Churn in months 1–3.** Onboarding that gets a business live (the AI agent building it)
   attacks the steepest part of the retention curve. In this model, one point less mature
   churn (4.5% → 3.5%) adds only ~6% to the year-3 count (2,520 → 2,660), but it raises the
   long-run ceiling, where new customers equal lost ones, by ~29% (*derived*: 300 ÷ 4.5% ≈
   6,700 vs 300 ÷ 3.5% ≈ 8,600 customers) ⚠.
4. **An agency/reseller tier** is the only documented route to HighLevel-scale account
   counts at Stapilo's price.

---

## Sources (all checked 2026-10-25)

**Systeme.io**
- Latka founder interview, 2021-07-15: https://getlatka.com/companies/systemeio/interviews/systemeio-aurelien-amacker-2021
- Niche Pursuits interview (last updated 2022-10-24): https://www.nichepursuits.com/systemeio-review/
- Indie Hackers founder interview (page returned 403; figures via search excerpt ⚠): https://www.indiehackers.com/interview/how-i-built-a-better-team-and-grew-revenue-to-50k-mrr-ce4055dcd1
- Indie Hackers "5,000 paying customers" milestone (403; via search excerpt ⚠): https://www.indiehackers.com/product/systeme-io/5-000-paying-customers--MD55ZvMh-dOSSUYXFk2
- Yaro Starak interview, 2020-10-08: https://yaro.blog/aurelien-amacker/
- Affiliate program page: https://systeme.io/affiliate-program
- Homepage ("500,000+ entrepreneurs"): https://systeme.io/
- Latka estimate: https://getlatka.com/companies/systemeio

**ClickFunnels**
- Founder Reports interview with Russell Brunson (2024-07-31, updated 2025-12-16): https://founderreports.com/interview/clickfunnels/
- ElectroIQ statistics ⚠: https://electroiq.com/stats/clickfunnels-statistics/
- ClickFunnels affiliate docs: https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/clickfunnels-affiliate-program.md
- Referly listing ⚠: https://www.referly.so/affiliate-programs/clickfunnels

**HighLevel**
- Latka founder interview, 2018-12-12: https://getlatka.com/interviews/gohighlevel-shaun-clark-2018
- Mixergy interview, 2021-02-01: https://mixergy.com/interviews/gohighlevel-with-shaun-clark/
- General Atlantic investment release, 2024-04-11: https://www.silicon.co.uk/press-release/highlevel-announces-minority-growth-investment-from-general-atlantic
- Inc. 5000 2025 post: https://www.gohighlevel.com/post/highlevel-ranks-516-on-the-2025-inc-5000
- Developer docs (70,000+ agencies, 600,000+ businesses): https://marketplace.gohighlevel.com/docs/oauth/GettingStarted
- Affiliate page: https://www.gohighlevel.com/affiliate
- Latka estimate ⚠: https://getlatka.com/companies/gohighlevel

**Kit (ConvertKit)**
- StartupGTM growth story (2024-10-18) ⚠: https://startupgtm.substack.com/p/convertkit-now-kit-growth-story-how
- Sproutworth ⚠: https://www.sproutworth.com/saas-revenue-growth-lessons-convertkit/
- Sacra ⚠: https://sacra.com/c/convertkit/
- Affiliate page: https://convertkit.com/affiliate ; PartnerStack: https://market.partnerstack.com/page/kit

**Kajabi**
- OCBJ, $550M round (2021-05): https://www.ocbj.com/news/2021/may/10/kajabi-nabs-550m-knowledge-economy/
- OCBJ, revenue tops $100M (CEO quote): https://www.ocbj.com/technology/kajabi-revenue-tops-100m-knowledge-economy-expands/
- TechCrunch, 2023-03-12: https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/12/online-education-platform-kajabi-helps-creators-earn-money-for-sharing-their-expertise
- Spectrum Equity, 2019-11: https://spectrumequity.com/news/kajabi-receives-minority-growth-investment-from-spectrum-equity
- edtech.com directory ⚠: https://www.edtech.com/companies/kajabi
- Reditus affiliate summary ⚠: https://getreditus.com/affiliate-programs/kajabi

**Thinkific**
- Globe and Mail, 2021-03-23: https://theglobeandmail.com/business/article-online-course-platform-thinkific-labs-files-preliminary-prospectus-to/
- Q1 2021 release, 2021-05-11: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/thinkific-reports-strong-first-quarter-2021-financial-results-804770948.html
- Class Central prospectus analysis (403; via search ⚠): https://www.classcentral.com/report/thinkific-ipo/

**Teachable / Podia / Kartra**
- EdSurge, 2020-03-17: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-03-17-brazilian-course-creation-platform-to-buy-teachable-to-grow-in-the-u-s
- Podia homepage: https://www.podia.com/
- Genesis Digital profile ⚠: https://yespress.io/genesis-digital-llc

**Circle**
- TechCrunch, 2021-02-16: https://techcrunch.com/?p=2112862
- Sacra ⚠: https://sacra.com/c/circle-so

**Stan**
- HubSpot for Startups case study: https://hubspot.com/startups/stan-increases-arr-over-8x
- Think Like A Creator, 2025-02-13: https://thinklikeacreator.beehiiv.com/p/8-engineers-60k-creators-30m-arr-tlac-success-story-004
- Sacra ⚠: https://sacra.com/c/stan

**Skool**
- Affiliate program: https://www.skool.com/affiliate-program
- Skool admin post (Aug 2025) ⚠: https://www.skool.com/admins/skool-is-growing-rapidly-are-you-ready
- RevenueGeeks sample (updated 2026-10-24): https://revenuegeeks.com/software/skool/statistics
- Everything PR ⚠: https://everything-pr.com/skool-the-community-plus-course-platform-of-the-paid-community-wave
- Profitable.app ⚠: https://profitable.app/skool/stats

**Funnel benchmarks**
- ON24 Webinar Benchmarks Report 2019 (2018 data), PDF: https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/120689/on24-benchmarks-20190228.pdf
- MarketingProfs on ON24 2024 data ⚠ (403): https://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2025/52917/b2b-webinar-benchmarks-conversion-attendance-personalization
- ClickMeeting ⚠: https://blog.clickmeeting.com/webinars-that-convert
- First Page Sage trial benchmarks (2025-09-05): https://firstpagesage.com/seo-blog/saas-free-trial-conversion-rate-benchmarks/
- Lenny's Newsletter (2023-08-01): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-free-to-paid-conversion
- Visionary Marketing ⚠: https://visionary-marketing.co.uk/blog/saas-free-trial-conversion-statistics-2026
- ChartMogul churn by ARPA/stage: https://chartmogul.com/blog/good-customer-churn-rate/
- ChartMogul SaaS Retention Report (2023-11-01): https://chartmogul.com/saas-retention-report/
- Recurly ⚠: https://recurly.com/research/churn-rate-benchmarks/
- Mailchimp benchmarks (Dec 2023 data): https://mailchimp.com/resources/email-marketing-benchmarks/
- vidIQ subscriber benchmarks (July 2026): https://vidiq.com/research/youtube-subscriber-benchmarks-2026/ ; https://vidiq.com/blog/post/youtube-subscriber-growth-statistics/
- ytshark ⚠: https://ytshark.com/?p=731 ; Lilach Bullock ⚠: https://www.lilachbullock.com/how-many-youtube-channels-have-100000-subscribers/
- NP Digital opt-in rates (Oct 2024): https://neilpatel.com/marketing-stats/organic-channels-email-opt-ins/
- TubeMilestone ⚠: https://tubemilestone.com/blog/grow-email-list-from-youtube ; EasyViral ⚠: https://easyviral.ai/blog/build-email-list-from-faceless-youtube-channel-2026
- WordStream Facebook ads benchmarks 2025: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/facebook-ads-benchmarks-2025
- Search Engine Land on 2025 cost rise: https://searchengineland.com/facebook-ad-costs-jump-beat-google-461690
- Enrich Labs CAC summary ⚠: https://www.enrichlabs.ai/blog/customer-acquisition-cost-complete-guide-2026



---

## Research file: arpu-and-market-split

> **Exchange rate note (2026-10-26):** this file converts at the 2025 average (2.7426 GEL/USD); the budget uses the October 2026 rate (2.597), which makes dollar salary costs slightly higher, the cautious side.

# What customers really pay, and how the market splits

> ⛔ **Stapilo is an international platform with international prices.** The Georgia sections
> below were researched by mistake and are NOT used anywhere (Levan, 2026-10-25).

> Researched 2026-10-25 for Stapilo's investor case. Every number has a source and date
> (see **Sources** at the end). **⚠ = unverified**: a third-party estimate, a figure I
> could not trace to a primary source, or my own judgement. Numbers marked *derived*
> are my arithmetic on sourced inputs, and the formula is shown. Nothing here is invented.
> If a number isn't in this file, I didn't find a source for it.

---

## Summary

1. **The closest comparables, the all-in-one creator/course platforms, earn about $140–175 per paying customer per month.**
   Thinkific reports **$175/month** (Q4 2025, public filing, includes payments revenue); its subscription-only figure works out to about **$140** (*derived*).
   Kajabi was about **$149/month** in 2022 (*derived* from the CEO's "$100M+ ARR, ~56,000 customers").
   Cheaper all-in-ones and email tools sit lower: Systeme.io **€32–50** (founder, 2021), Kit **≤ $67** (2024), Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign **~$83–95** (2020–21).
   Website builders are far lower, about **$19–27** (Wix 2025, Squarespace 2023).
2. **Customers cluster at the bottom of the price list.** Kajabi's average was about its entry price. Shopify Plus is about **2.6%** of live Shopify stores. Thinkific Plus (its upmarket tier) brings in about **26%** of revenue. I found **no** primary benchmark for what share of customers picks the entry, middle or top tier. The often-quoted "20:70:10" split could not be traced to a source and should not be used.
3. **Free → paid:** 3–5% is "good" and 6–8% is "great" for self-serve freemium; free trials convert 8–12% ("good") to 15–25% ("great") (Lenny's Newsletter / Kyle Poyar, 1,000+ products, 2023). Real ratios: Mailchimp had **6.2%** of users paying (2021), and Wix has **2.0%** of registered users on a premium plan (2025, cumulative registrations).
4. **Churn at these prices is high.** The ChartMogul median is **6.1%/month** for ARPA under $25 and **2.2%** above $500 (2022). Systeme.io's founder reported **~8%/month** (2021).
5. **Georgia.** Prices are **33–40% of US levels** (World Bank 2025 PPP ÷ exchange rate). The average monthly wage is **2,389 GEL ≈ $870** (Geostat, Q2 2026). Local single-purpose business software costs about **40–60 GEL/month**. Only **12%** of small Georgian firms have a website, and **3%** use a CRM (ISET/Geostat, 2024).
   Stapilo's GEL prices are **89–95% of its USD prices** at the 2025 exchange rate (*derived*), so there is effectively **no regional discount** today. Its cheapest package (197 GEL) is **~8% of an average monthly wage**. Kajabi's entry price is about 2% of US monthly GDP per capita, and 197 GEL is about 9% of Georgia's (*derived*).
6. **Realistic average paying customer (my analysis, ranges not point claims):**
   - **Georgia:** low **~80 GEL**, middle **~150 GEL (~$55)**, high **~260 GEL (~$95)** per month.
   - **International:** low **~$50**, middle **~$95**, high **~$150** per month.

---

## 1. Real ARPU of comparable companies

ARPU = average revenue per paying customer per month. "Primary" means company filings or the company's own statements.

| Company | ARPU / month | How obtained | Date | Source quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Thinkific** (course platform, public TSX) | **$175** reported ARPU (total revenue per paying customer, includes payments/commerce) | Q4 2025 release: "ARPU … grow by 5%, to $175 per month"; ARR $61.0M | Q4 2025 (released 2026-03-05) | Primary |
| Thinkific | $177 | Q2 2026 release: "ARPU grow by 5%, to $177 per month"; ARR $61.7M | Q2 2026 (released 2026-08-05) | Primary |
| Thinkific, subscription only | **≈ $140** | *Derived:* FY2025 subscription revenue $59.8M ÷ 12 ÷ ~35,600 avg paying customers. Customers = FY2025 revenue $73.2M ÷ 12 ÷ avg 2025 ARPU $171 (Q1 168, Q2 169, Q3 173, Q4 175). Matches the release's "more than 35,000 customers". | FY2025 | Derived from primary |
| **Kajabi** (all-in-one creator platform, private) | **≈ $149** | *Derived:* CEO: ARR "north of $100 million", "about 56,000 customers". Plans then: $119 basic / $319 pro (billed yearly). | 2022-05-31 | Primary (CEO quote in press) |
| Kajabi, later | ⚠ unknown | Latka estimates $75M revenue (Jun 2024) and lists "19K customers" (undated). This contradicts the CEO's 2021–22 figures, so I don't use it. Sacra: $2B valuation, $10B paid out to creators (Aug 2025). | 2024–25 | ⚠ third-party |
| **Systeme.io** (cheap all-in-one, freemium) | **€32 (French market), ~€50 (English market)** | Founder interview: ">8,000 paying customers", "$414k in June 2021" (≈ $52/customer, *derived*) | 2021-07-15 | Primary (founder) |
| Systeme.io, later | ⚠ | Latka estimates $20.1M revenue for 2024. The company later cut its entry plan from $27 to $17 (Indie Hackers post, undated). | 2024 | ⚠ |
| **Kit** (ConvertKit, creator email) | **≤ $67** | *Derived:* Nathan Barry: "50,000-plus creators and … 40 million dollars a year in ARR" (≤ because "plus") | ~2024-07 ⚠ date inferred from page | Primary (founder, podcast) |
| Kit ARR 2025 | — | Sacra: $52M ARR in 2025, no paying-customer count | 2025 | ⚠ Sacra estimate |
| **ActiveCampaign** (email/automation SMB) | **≈ $95** (2021); **≈ $83** (2020) | *Derived:* "$165 million ARR … 145,000 companies" (Apr 2021); "100,000 customers & $100 million ARR" (2020) | 2020–21 | Primary (press releases) |
| **Mailchimp** (Intuit) | **≈ $83** | *Derived:* 800,000 paid customers (Intuit 8-K, Sept 2021) and ~$800M 2020 revenue (Analysys Mason, Jefferies quote). Mixed years. | 2020–21 | Customers primary; revenue ⚠ analyst |
| **HighLevel** (agency all-in-one) | ⚠ no reliable figure | Plans are agency-priced. The company says it powers "over 2 million businesses" (Nov 2025 releases) but also "1M businesses" (Jan 2026 review). Latka: $82.7M revenue est. (Oct 2024), with an inconsistent timeline. The company reported 781% revenue growth 2021–2024 (Deloitte Fast 500). | 2024–26 | ⚠ |
| **Skool** (community + courses) | ⚠ no reliable figure | Plans: Hobby $9 + 10% fee, Pro $99 + 2.9%. Latka estimates ~$26.6M ARR (Jul 2026). Other estimates go to $100M+ by multiplying price × owners. | 2026 | ⚠ |
| **Teachable** (Hotmart) | ⚠ none | No customer count since "tens of thousands of creator-educators" (2024 boilerplate). 95M lifetime students (company blog, Dec 2025). | — | — |
| **Podia** | ⚠ none | Latka's "$811K revenue, 50K customers" is implausible, so I don't use it. | — | — |
| **Wix** (website builder, public) | **≈ $19** creative subs; **≈ $27** all revenue | *Derived:* Creative Subscriptions revenue $1.41B ÷ 6.1M premium subscriptions ÷ 12. Total revenue $1.99B ÷ 6.1M ÷ 12. | FY2025 (20-F / 6-K, Mar 2026) | Derived from primary |
| **Squarespace** | **$19.00** | 10-K: ARPUS $228.02/year; 4.63M unique subscriptions | FY2023 | Primary (went private in 2024, so this is the last public figure) |
| **Shopify** (merchant subscriptions only) | **≈ $65–72** ⚠ | *Derived:* MRR $205M (10-K, 31 Dec 2025) ÷ live stores per Store Leads (2.86M Dec 2025 → $72; 3.16M Oct 2026 → $65). Shopify itself only says "millions of merchants". | 2025–26 | MRR primary; store count ⚠ third-party |
| HubSpot (reference, upmarket SMB) | $974 | Average subscription revenue per customer $11,683/yr; 288,706 customers | Q4 2025 | Primary |

**What the table says.** The closest comparables, the platforms that sell courses, communities, email and checkout to experts, cluster at **$140–175/month** (Thinkific, Kajabi). Low-price all-in-ones (Systeme.io) sit at **$35–55**, and single-purpose email tools at **$65–95**. Website builders earn **~$20**. Stapilo's package list ($81–474) sits in the Kajabi/Thinkific band, not the website-builder band.

## 2. How customers split across plans

**Tier mix: no primary benchmark exists publicly.** What I found:

- **The "20:70:10" split** (entry : middle : top), attributed online to OpenView: ⚠ I could not find it on OpenView's site or in any primary study. Treat it as folklore and don't cite it.
- **Kajabi 2022:** average ≈ $149 against plans of $119 (basic, yearly) to $319 (pro, yearly). The average sits near the **entry** price, which implies most customers were on the lowest one or two plans (*inference*).
- **Shopify:** 81,318 Plus domains out of 3,163,099 live stores ≈ **2.6% on the top tier** (Store Leads, Oct 2026 ⚠ third-party crawl).
- **Thinkific:** Plus (upmarket) revenue $4.7M vs Self Serve $13.4M in Q2 2025, so Plus ≈ **26% of revenue**. The customer count isn't disclosed, but it is far below 26% of customers.
- **HubSpot** (10-K FY2025) says the average rose on Professional/Enterprise demand, "partly offset by continued purchases of its lower-priced Starter products". New customers enter at the bottom.
- **Wix / Squarespace:** ARPU of ~$19–27 sits near the low end of their plan lists.

**Conclusion (judgement ⚠):** in self-serve SMB software, most paying customers are on the cheapest paid plan that solves their problem. A small minority (single-digit % of customers) is on the top plan, but that minority produces a disproportionate share of revenue.

**Freemium and trial → paid conversion**

| Benchmark | Figure | Source / date |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium self-serve | 3–5% good, 6–8% great | Lenny's Newsletter (Rachitsky & Poyar), 1,000+ products, 2023-08-01 |
| Freemium + sales assist | 5–7% good, 10–15% great | same |
| Free trial | 8–12% good, 15–25% great | same |
| Mailchimp actual | 800k paid / 13M users = **6.2%** (*derived*) | Intuit 8-K, 2021-09-13 |
| Wix actual | 6.1M premium / 304.2M registered = **2.0%** (*derived*; registrations are cumulative, so this understates conversion of active users) | Wix 20-F FY2025 |

**Churn at low price points**

| Benchmark | Figure | Source / date |
|---|---|---|
| Median monthly customer churn, ARPA < $25 | **6.1%** | ChartMogul blog, data Nov 2021–Jan 2022, posted 2022-02-23 |
| Median monthly customer churn, ARPA > $500 | **2.2%** | same |
| ARPA < $10: top-quartile customer retention | 63.1% per year; only 2.7% of these companies have NRR > 100% | ChartMogul SaaS Retention Report, 2,100+ companies, 2023-11-01 |
| Systeme.io actual | "nine to 10%… getting closer to 8%" monthly | Founder, 2021-07-15 |
| B2B SaaS ($1M+ ARR) | median GRR 91%, NRR 101%; month-to-month contracts 89% GRR / 100% NRR | SaaS Capital 2025 Retention Benchmarks (lowest band "< $12k ACV"; excludes < $1M ARR) |
| Recurly-attributed "4.67% monthly B2B" / "3.5% annual" | ⚠ conflicting secondary citations, primary not found | — |

## 3. ARPU benchmarks by price band

- **ChartMogul** splits data by ARPA band. The bands under $25 and over $500 are quoted above. Its pattern is consistent: **higher ARPA means lower churn and higher net retention**. The $25–500 band values sit in charts I couldn't read as text (⚠).
- **SaaS Capital 2025** starts at "< $12k ACV" and excludes companies under $1M ARR. That is mostly above Stapilo's band, so it is only directional.
- **KeyBanc (KBCM) SaaS Survey:** ⚠ not covered. I found no free public cut for sub-$1k ACV products, and its sample skews to larger B2B companies.
- What this means for Stapilo: at **$80–150/month** a customer is in the "low B2B" band. Expect monthly logo churn **between the 2.2% and 6.1% ChartMogul medians** ⚠ (interpolation, not a reported figure), and worse in the first months.

## 4. Georgia and the region

**Purchasing power** (World Bank WDI, 2025 values, fetched 2026-10-25):

| | GDP/capita, US$ | GDP/capita, PPP $ | Price level vs US (PPP ÷ exchange rate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 9,692 | 29,414 | **0.33** (GDP), **0.40** (household consumption) *derived* |
| USA | 90,027 | 90,027 | 1.00 |
| Germany | 60,496 | 75,407 | — |
| Poland | 28,420 | 54,262 | — |
| Armenia | 9,474 | 24,754 | — |
| Türkiye | 18,599 | 45,288 | — |

Inputs: PPP factor 0.9035 GEL per international $ (GDP), 1.0875 (private consumption); official rate 2.7426 GEL/USD (2025 average).

**Wages (Geostat):** average monthly nominal earnings were **2,389.3 GEL** in Q2 2026 (+8% y/y), 2,363.8 GEL in Q1 2026, and 2,466.2 GEL in Q4 2025. Business sector: 2,471.5 GEL (Q2 2026). Information & communication: 4,400.4 GEL. At 2.74 GEL/USD, 2,389 GEL ≈ **$871** (*derived*).

**Software adoption among small Georgian firms (ISET Policy Institute research note, Aug 2025, Geostat data, 2024):**
- **12%** of small firms have a website (large firms: 77%)
- **3%** use a CRM (large: 48%), **6%** use ERP (large: 68%), **2%** use AI (large: 20%)
- ⚠ Geostat's enterprise ICT survey defines "small" by its own size thresholds, and micro-businesses and individual entrepreneurs (where most coaches sit) may not be covered. So these figures describe registered small firms, not solo coaches.

**What local business software costs:**
- **Optimo** (Georgian store/POS software): **40 GEL/month** for the store program, 90 GEL/month for the sales device (optimo.ge, checked 2026-10-25).
- **REGO-CRM** "Shop Program": 60 GEL/month ⚠ (directory listing, not vendor page).
- **myjavshani.ge** (Georgian booking for salons and clinics): free first month, then a subscription, price not published.
- **Georgian course platform** that lets experts sell their own courses with published prices: **none found.** Bank of Georgia runs businesscourse.ge (100,000+ registrations), but it is the bank's own free education platform, not a seller tool.
- **Payments:** TBC e-commerce charges merchants 2% on Georgian cards and 2.5% on foreign cards (developers.tbcbank.ge, undated ⚠).
- **New since 15 Apr 2026:** TBC and Bank of Georgia charge cardholders **1.5% (max 10 GEL)** when paying in GEL on foreign platforms without a Georgian bank account (cbw.ge). This is a small cost edge for a locally billed product over Kajabi and the like.

**How global services price Georgia:** Netflix's standard plan was $12.70 in Georgia vs $15.49 in the US (Dec 2023, Visual Capitalist via techbuzzireland), so **Georgia gets ~82% of the US price, not a PPP price.** Türkiye got $3.38. ⚠ I found no primary data on whether Kajabi, HighLevel or Thinkific discount for Georgia. Vendor claims that PPP pricing lifts conversion "4.7x" or "20–70%" (attributed to ProfitWell) **could not be verified** and should not be cited.

**Stapilo's own GEL vs USD prices** (stapilo-packages.md, *derived* at 2.7426):

| Package | USD | GEL | GEL in USD | GEL ÷ USD | GEL as % of avg monthly wage (2,389) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Tools | 81 | 197 | $71.8 | 89% | 8.2% |
| Coach & Consultant | 100 | 260 | $94.8 | 95% | 10.9% |
| Webinar Funnel | 109 | 267 | $97.4 | 89% | 11.2% |
| Everything | 474 | 1,182 | $431 | 91% | 49% |

For comparison, Kajabi's ~$149 is **2.0%** of US monthly GDP per capita ($7,502). Stapilo's 197 GEL is **8.9%** of Georgia's ($808/month) (*derived*, World Bank 2025).

## 5. Market size

- **Coaches:** **122,974 coach practitioners** worldwide, with **$5.34B** coaching revenue (ICF Global Coaching Study 2025, published 2025-09-16). This counts professional coaches only, not course creators or consultants.
- **Creators:** ~**67M** people identify as creators in 2025, projected to reach 107M by 2030, and the creator economy is put at **$250B → $480B by 2027** (Goldman Sachs, ⚠ quoted via secondary coverage; the GS page returned 403).
- **Money flowing through comparable platforms:** Kajabi has paid out **$10B** to creators (Aug 2025, Sacra). Thinkific gross payments volume was $71.4M in Q2 2026. Teachable creators have reached 95M lifetime students (Dec 2025).
- **Creator software spend:** ⚠ no credible total found. A bottom-up proxy from the disclosed bases: Thinkific ~35k × $175 + Kajabi ~56k × $149 (2022) + Kit ~50k × ≤$67 ≈ **$22M/month ≈ $260M/yr** for just three vendors (*derived*, mixed years). That is a floor, not a market size.

---

## Analysis: what will an average paying Stapilo customer pay?

### Premises (from the data above)
1. People pick the cheapest plan that solves their job. Averages sit near the entry price (Kajabi, Wix, Squarespace), and top tiers hold a small share of customers (Shopify Plus ~2.6%).
2. Stapilo sells single tools as well as packages ("package = parts − 35%"), so the real entry point is below the cheapest package.
3. Comparable all-in-one creator platforms realise **$140–175** internationally, cheap all-in-ones **$35–55**, and email tools **$65–95**. Stapilo is new and unknown and will compete on price against Systeme.io-like offers at first.
4. Georgia's price level is **0.33–0.40** of the US. Local SMB tools cost **40–60 GEL**, and very few small firms use any CRM or website yet. Stapilo's GEL list prices carry essentially **no PPP discount**.
5. Churn at these prices is **~3–8%/month**. Low-paying customers churn fastest, so ARPU of the surviving base drifts upward over time (ChartMogul's churn-by-ARPA pattern).

### (a) Georgia, per month

| | GEL | ≈ USD | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Low** | **~80** | ~$29 | Mostly single tools (booking, or courses alone), priced against local software at 40–60 GEL. Matches a PPP-scaled international low ($50 × 0.33–0.40 ≈ $17–20, ~50 GEL), lifted because a coach's tool brings in revenue. |
| **Middle** | **~150** | ~$55 | A mix: most on one tool or the cheapest package after discounts or annual billing, and a minority on a full package (197–277 GEL). It equals the international middle ($95) scaled by ~0.58, between the PPP ratio (0.33–0.40) and Stapilo's own GEL/USD ratio (~0.9). |
| **High** | **~260** | ~$95 | Most payers on a full package at list (Coach & Consultant 260 GEL, Teacher Tools 197, Webinar Funnel 267) plus a few on Everything. This only holds if early adopters are the higher-earning coaches. At ~11% of an average wage for one package, it is a stretch for the median expert. |

### (b) International, per month

| | USD | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| **Low** | **~$50** | Systeme.io-like outcome: price-sensitive solo creators on one tool or the cheapest package with an annual discount. Matches Systeme.io's €32–50 (2021) and Kit's ≤$67. |
| **Middle** | **~$95** | Most on one package ($81–125), a few on Agency or Everything. Sits between email/automation tools ($83–95) and Kajabi/Thinkific ($140–175), as expected for a new brand priced at Kajabi-level lists. |
| **High** | **~$150** | Kajabi/Thinkific realised level. Needs proven conversion into the $100–140 packages and some Everything/Agency share. |

### What would move these numbers
- **Up:** a measurable share on Agency ($265) or Everything ($474), or payment/transaction revenue on top of subscriptions (Thinkific's ARPU rose mainly on commerce).
- **Down:** a generous free tier (it raises the number of payers but not ARPU), monthly billing churn at ~6–8%, or GEL prices cut toward PPP.
- **To replace this judgement with evidence:** Stapilo's own first-cohort data (plan chosen, discounts, months retained) will beat every benchmark here within two or three quarters.

---

## Sources (all checked 2026-10-25)

**Comparable companies**
- Thinkific Q4/FY2025 results (2026-03-05): https://www.placera.se/pressmeddelanden/thinkific-labs-thinkific-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-financial-results-20260305
- Thinkific Q2 2026 results (2026-08-05): https://newswire.ca/news-releases/thinkific-announces-second-quarter-2026-financial-results-802101214.html
- Thinkific Q2 2025 results (2025-08-06): https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/thinkific-announces-second-quarter-2025-financial-results-811968005.html
- Kajabi CEO, "revenue tops $100M", OCBJ (2022-05-31): https://www.ocbj.com/technology/kajabi-revenue-tops-100m-knowledge-economy-expands/
- Kajabi, Sacra profile: https://sacra.com/c/kajabi · Latka: https://getlatka.com/companies/kajabi ⚠
- Systeme.io founder interview, Latka (2021-07-15): https://getlatka.com/companies/systemeio/interviews/systemeio-aurelien-amacker-2021
- Systeme.io Latka estimate ⚠: https://getlatka.com/companies/systemeio · Indie Hackers post: https://www.indiehackers.com/product/systeme-io
- Kit / Nathan Barry, My Wife Quit Her Job ep. 545: https://mywifequitherjob.com/episode545/
- Kit, Sacra: https://sacra.com/c/convertkit/ · https://sacra.com/research/convertkit-at-43m-arr/ (2025-04-18) ⚠
- ActiveCampaign $165M ARR / 145,000 companies (2021-04-21): https://activecampaign.com/news/press-releases/activecampaign-raises-usd240-million
- ActiveCampaign 100,000 customers / $100M ARR (2020): https://www.activecampaign.com/news/press-releases/activecampaign-crosses-100-000-customers-and-usd100-million-annual-recurring-revenue
- Intuit to acquire Mailchimp, 8-K exhibit (2021-09-13): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/896878/000119312521271682/d226456dex991.htm
- Mailchimp 2020 revenue ~$800M, Analysys Mason: https://analysysmason.com/research/content/articles/intuit-mailchimp-purchase ⚠ analyst
- HighLevel Deloitte Fast 500 release (2025-11-19): https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/highlevel-ranked-among-the-fastest-growing-companies-in-north-am-1104564 · year in review: https://www.gohighlevel.com/post/highlevel-2025-a-year-in-review · Latka ⚠: https://getlatka.com/companies/gohighlevel
- Skool pricing / estimates ⚠: https://skillscouter.com/skool-review/ · https://revenuegeeks.com/software/skool/statistics
- Teachable 2025 Rewind (2025-12-23): https://www.teachable.com/blog/2025-rewind
- Wix FY2025 20-F: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1576789/000162828026015222/wix-20251231.htm
- Wix Q4/FY2025 results 6-K (2026-03-04): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1576789/000162828026014406/fourthquarterandfullyear20.htm
- Squarespace FY2023 10-K: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1496963/000149696324000010/sqsp-20231231.htm
- Shopify FY2025 10-K: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1594805/000159480526000007/shop-20251231.htm
- Store Leads, Shopify report (updated 2026-10-16) ⚠: https://storeleads.app/reports/shopify
- HubSpot Q4/FY2025 results (2026-02-11): https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260211469584/en/HubSpot-Reports-Strong-Q4-and-Full-Year-2025-Results

**Benchmarks**
- Lenny's Newsletter, "What is good free-to-paid conversion" (2023-08-01): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-free-to-paid-conversion
- ChartMogul, good customer churn rate (2022-02-23): https://chartmogul.com/blog/good-customer-churn-rate/
- ChartMogul SaaS Retention Report (2023-11-01): https://chartmogul.com/saas-retention-report/
- SaaS Capital 2025 B2B SaaS Retention Benchmarks: https://www.saas-capital.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/RB32WS1-2025-B2B-SaaS-Retention-Benchmarks.pdf

**Georgia and the region**
- World Bank WDI API (PA.NUS.PPP, PA.NUS.PRVT.PP, PA.NUS.FCRF, NY.GDP.PCAP.CD, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD; 2025 values): https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/GEO/indicator/PA.NUS.PPP?format=json
- Geostat Q2 2026 earnings via Georgia Today: https://georgiatoday.ge/average-monthly-salary-in-georgia-rises-8-to-gel-2389-3-geostat/
- Geostat Q1 2026 via Georgia Today: https://georgiatoday.ge/geostat-average-salary-rises-8-9-to-2363-8-gel-in-q1-2026/
- Geostat Q4 2025 release (PDF): https://geostat.ge/media/77567/Average-Monthly-Nominal-Earnings-of-Employees---%28IV-Quarter%2C-2025%29.pdf
- ISET Policy Institute, SME Digitalization in Georgia 2024 Snapshot (Aug 2025): https://iset-pi.ge/ka/publications/3597-sme-digitalization-in-georgia-2024-snapshot · PDF: https://iset-pi.ge/storage/media/other/2025-09-15/d14138b0-9234-11f0-9205-a3ee28231f11.pdf
- Optimo pricing: https://optimo.ge
- REGO-CRM listing ⚠: https://gde.ge/rego.ge.html
- myjavshani.ge: https://myjavshani.ge
- Bank of Georgia business courses: https://www.entrepreneur.com/ka/siakhleebi-da-tendentsiebi/saqartvelos-bankis/499564
- TBC e-commerce fees ⚠ undated: https://developers.tbcbank.ge/page/e-commerce
- 1.5% fee on GEL payments abroad (from 2026-04-15): https://www.cbw.ge/banking/georgian-banks-to-charge-15-fee-on-lari-payments-abroad-starting-april-15
- Netflix price by country (data 2023-12-10): https://techbuzzireland.com/2024/03/10/mapped-how-much-netflix-costs-in-every-country/

**Market size**
- ICF Global Coaching Study 2025 (2025-09-16): https://coachingfederation.org/blog/coaching-industry-continues-global-growth-with-5-34-billion-usd-revenue-new-research-reveals/
- Goldman Sachs, creator economy (⚠ page returned 403; figures via secondary): https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-creator-economy-could-approach-half-a-trillion-dollars-by-2027 · https://www.netinfluencer.com/goldman-sachs-sees-rise-of-content-creators-to-107-million-by-2030/



---

## Research file: pricing-all-in-one

# All-in-one platforms for knowledge sellers: pricing research

> Checked 2026-10-25. Prices in USD per month unless stated otherwise. "Monthly" = price when billed
> month to month. "Annual" = monthly equivalent when billed yearly.
> Every price comes from the vendor's own pricing page, read on 2026-10-25 (WebFetch, plus a
> real browser for pages where the yearly/monthly switch hides one of the prices). Anything not
> confirmed on an official page is marked ⚠ with the reason.
> Stapilo's packages come from `stapilo-packages.md` (repo seed, may differ from live prices).
> Their billing period is not stated in that file.

## 1. Summary table

| Platform | Plans: monthly price (annual equivalent) | "Most popular" | Free plan / trial | Fee on your sales (platform's cut, before Stripe/PayPal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Kajabi** | Basic $179 ($143) · Growth $249 ($199) · Pro $499 ($399) | No badge. FAQ and final call-to-action point to Growth | Free trial, no free plan | 0% with Kajabi Payments (2.9%/2.8%/2.7% + $0.30 processing). With another payment provider: 2% / 1% / 0.5% |
| **Systeme.io** | Free $0 · Startup $17 ($14.17) · Webinar $47 ($39.17) · Unlimited $97 ($80.83) · Teams: custom | Not stated | **Free plan with no time limit** (2,000 contacts) | 0% |
| **HighLevel** | Starter $97 ($80.83) · Unlimited $297 ($247.50) · Agency Pro $497 ($414.17) · Enterprise: custom | **Unlimited** | 14-day trial | Not stated. SMS, email, calls and AI are billed by usage on top |
| **ClickFunnels** | Launch $97 ($81) · Scale $197 ($164) · Optimize $297 ($248) · Dominate: annual only, $5,997/yr (≈$500) | **Scale** | 14-day trial | Not stated on page |
| **Kartra** | Essentials $59 ($52) · Starter $119 ($99) · Growth $229 ($189) · Professional $549 ($429 ⚠) | No badge. Starter is tagged "Best Value" | ⚠ The current page offers only a 30-day money-back guarantee. A trial was not confirmed | 5% on Essentials, 0% on Starter and Growth |
| **Simvoly** | Starter $18 ($12) · Business $36 ($29) · Premium $49 ($39) · Elite $97 ($79). White label: $69 / $149 / $497 | **Premium** | 14-day trial, no card needed | 0% |
| **Skool** | Hobby $9 ($7.50) · Pro $99 ($82) | Not clear ("Good choice!" label not tied to a plan) | 14-day trial ⚠ (wording comes from the site's own text strings, not the plan card) | Hobby 10%, Pro 2.9% (this includes card processing) |
| **Circle** | Professional $99 ⚠ ($89) · Business $219 ⚠ ($199) · Scale $419 ($419) · Circle Plus: custom | **Business** | 14-day trial | 2% / 1% / 1% / 0.5% |
| **Mighty Networks** | Launch $95 ($79) · Scale $215 ($179) · Growth $425 ($354) · Mighty Pro: custom | **Growth** (FAQ: "the most popular plan") | 14-day trial, runs on Growth | 2% / 1% / 0.5% / 0.5% |
| **Teachable** | Starter $39 ($29) · Builder $89 ($69) · Growth $189 ($139) · Custom | **Builder** ("Popular") | 7-day trial on the plan cards, 30-day trial in a pop-up. No free plan since mid-2025 | Starter 7.5%. Others 0% with Teachable Payments |
| **Thinkific** | Start $109 ($82) · Grow $219 ($164) · Expand $499 ($374) · Plus: custom | **Grow** | 30-day trial, no free plan | 0% from Thinkific (2.9% Thinkific Payments processing) |
| **Podia** | Mover $49 ($42) · Shaker $99 ($84) · Earthquaker $179 ($150) | **Shaker** | 14-day trial, no card needed | Mover 5%, others 0% |
| **Stan Store** | Creator $29 ($25) · Creator Pro $99 ($79) | Not stated | 14-day trial | 0% |
| **Hotmart** | No subscription | n/a | Free to start | **9.9% + a fixed fee per sale** ⚠ (fixed part $0.50 per third-party tables, R$1 per Hotmart's homepage) |
| **LearnWorlds** | Starter $29 ($24) · Pro Trainer $99 ($79) · Learning Center $299 ($249) · Corporate: custom | **Learning Center** | 30-day trial | Starter $5 per paid enrolment. Others none |
| **Heights Platform** | Challenge $29 ($19) · Basic $49 ($39) · Pro $119 ($99) · Academy $499 ($399) | **Pro** | 30-day trial, no card needed | 0% |

⚠ **Circle monthly prices:** the page shows only annual-billing prices. Its footnote reads "*Prices displayed in USD, based on annual billing". The month-to-month prices ($99 / $219 / $419) come from the page's own embedded data (`priceMonth`). No visible switch shows them.
⚠ **Kartra Professional annual price:** read from the page text. Not seen with the yearly switch on.

### Stapilo feature coverage, by platform (from pricing pages)

Y = on the pricing page. **add-on** = paid extra. **—** = not offered or not on the pricing page. ⚠ = unclear.

| Platform | Email | SMS | WhatsApp | Webinars | Booking | Community | Courses | Shop | Pages/funnels | AI | Meta ads / unified inbox |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kajabi | Y (unlimited) | — | — | — | — ⚠ (coaching not on page) | Y | Y | Y (checkout) | Y | Y (credits, Cofounder, Expert Agents $79/agent) | — |
| Systeme.io | Y (unlimited) | Y (via Twilio) | — | Y (evergreen only, Webinar plan and up) | Y | Y | Y | Y (incl. physical) | Y | — (none on page) | — |
| HighLevel | Y (usage) | Y (usage) | add-on $10/mo | — | Y | Y | Y | — ⚠ | Y | Y (Conversation AI, Voice AI, AI Employee add-on) | inbox Y, ads — ⚠ |
| ClickFunnels | Y | — | — | — | Y (Scale and up) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y (AI words, AI coaching) | — |
| Kartra | Y | Y (Starter and up) | — | ⚠ (mentioned, not a listed feature) | Y (Starter and up) | — | Y | Y (checkout) | Y | Y (30–250 uses) | — |
| Simvoly | add-on | ⚠ (in the menu, not per plan) | ⚠ | — | Y | Y | ⚠ (memberships) | Y | Y | ⚠ (assistant, plan not stated) | — |
| Skool | ⚠ (not on page) | — | — | Y (live calls) | — | Y | Y | — | — | — | — |
| Circle | add-on ($99/mo per 10k contacts) | — | — | Y (live streams) | — | Y | Y | Y (payments) | ⚠ | Y (credits. AI agents on Scale and up) | — |
| Mighty Networks | ⚠ ("scheduled promotions") | — | — | Y (livestream) | — | Y | Y | Y (paid memberships) | Y (1–10 landing pages) | Y (AI Cohost) | — |
| Teachable | Y | — | — | — | ⚠ (coaching products) | Y (Growth and up) | Y | Y (downloads) | ⚠ | Y | — |
| Thinkific | Y (bulk email on Grow and up) | — | — | Y (Zoom) | Y (bookable calendars) | Y | Y | Y (downloads) | ⚠ | Y (assistant on Plus only) | — |
| Podia | Y (only 100–1,000 subscribers) | — | — | ⚠ (events) | Y (coaching) | Y | Y | Y (downloads) | Y | Y (Podia AI, "Podia Agent" ⚠) | — |
| Stan Store | Y (Pro) | — | — | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y (digital) | link-in-bio | AutoDM. Stanley is a separate product | IG auto-DM only |
| Hotmart | Y (automation) | — | — | — | — | ⚠ (app) | Y | Y (checkout) | — | — | — |
| LearnWorlds | Y (0–10k credits) | — | — | Y (Pro Trainer and up) | — | Y | Y | Y | Y (Pro Trainer and up) | Y (credits) | — |
| Heights | Y (unlimited) | — | — | Y (live streams) | ⚠ | Y (Basic and up) | Y | Y (digital) | Y (AI website builder) | Y (broad) | — |

**What only Stapilo bundles:** WhatsApp campaigns (only HighLevel has it, as a $10 add-on), Meta ads management, social post scheduling, ticketed live events plus Zoom, a mini-app builder, and an agent that builds the business for the owner. None of the 16 platforms lists all of these.

---

## 2. Per-platform details

### Kajabi — kajabi.com/pricing
- **Basic** $179 monthly / $143 annual: 5 products, 2,500 contacts, unlimited marketing email, 2 admin users, 1 community, 1 website, 0 AI credits. Third-party payment provider fee 2%.
- **Growth** $249 / $199: 50 products, 25,000 contacts, 11 admins, 1 community, 500 AI credits, fee 1%.
- **Pro** $499 / $399: unlimited products, 100,000 contacts, 26 admins, 3 communities, 3 websites, 1,000 AI credits, fee 0.5%.
- Unlimited funnels, landing pages and access groups on every plan. Extra contacts: +25,000 for $125/mo. Extra AI: +500 credits for $15/mo.
- Kajabi Payments processing (US): 2.9% / 2.8% / 2.7% + $0.30.
- Trial: yes. No free plan. A "Business Launch Kit" 14-day trial ran 5–13 Oct 2026 and converts to Growth at $249.
- **AI:** Announced 19 May 2026: Expert Agents, Backstage, Amplify, MCP and Cofounder.
  - **Expert Agents** (a sales agent on pages, a teaching assistant in courses): **$79 per agent per month** after 30 Sep 2026, $49 early-bird. Each includes 1,000 messages and 250 AI credits a month (Kajabi help centre).
  - **Cofounder**: an AI strategist that plans offers and pricing and drafts launches. Kajabi says it is included in every plan. Public descriptions say it plans and drafts. None says it runs the business.
- **Company data:**
  - Company-reported (Business Wire, 6 Aug 2025): creators have earned "$10B+" from more than 150M customers, and more than 100,000 creators and entrepreneurs have used Kajabi.
  - Sacra (citing the company): $100M ARR and a $2B valuation in 2021.
  - ⚠ Latka estimate: ~$75M revenue and ~19K customers in 2024. It conflicts with the $100M ARR above. Do not use.

### Systeme.io — systeme.io/pricing (page "Last updated: April 2026")
- **Free** $0: 2,000 contacts, 3 funnels, 1 course (500 students), 1 community, 1 booking event type, 1 custom domain, 1 website, 1 automation rule, 1 email campaign, no evergreen webinars. Can process up to $10,000 in total sales.
- **Startup** $17 monthly / $170 a year: 5,000 contacts, 10 funnels, 5 courses, 5 communities, 5 booking event types, 3 domains, 10 automation rules.
- **Webinar** $47 / $470 a year: 10,000 contacts, 50 funnels, 20 courses, 20 communities, 10 evergreen webinars, 10 domains.
- **Unlimited** $97 / $970 a year: everything unlimited.
- All plans: unlimited email sends, unlimited assistant accounts, unlimited sub-accounts, 0% transaction fees, physical products, affiliate program.
- SMS is listed through a Twilio integration. No AI is on the pricing page.
- **Company data** ⚠:
  - Founder interview with Latka, July 2021: ~8,000 paying customers, $414K monthly revenue in June 2021, bootstrapped, 100% owned by the founder.
  - Latka estimate: $20.1M revenue in 2024. SimilarWeb estimate: $2–5M. The two disagree, so neither is reliable.

### HighLevel (GoHighLevel) — gohighlevel.com/pricing
- **Starter** $97/mo or $970/yr: 3 sub-accounts, unlimited users and contacts.
- **Unlimited** $297 or $2,970/yr: **"MOST POPULAR"**. Unlimited sub-accounts. Phone and email usage resold at cost. Basic API.
- **Agency Pro** $497 or $4,970/yr: SaaS mode (resell under your own brand with a markup), advanced API.
- **Enterprise**: by inquiry.
- Usage-based on top: email and SMS, calling, Conversation AI, Voice AI, Reviews AI. The per-unit rates are not on the pricing page.
- Add-ons, per sub-account: **AI Employee** Growth $50/mo or Unlimited $97/mo. **WhatsApp** $10/mo.
- Features listed: funnels and websites, booking calendars, communities, courses, CRM. Webinars and shop are not listed.
- Built for agencies that resell it to local businesses. Its sub-accounts are the real comparison to one Stapilo tenant.
- **Company data** ⚠:
  - Latka: ~$82.7M revenue in 2024, ~70K customers. Latka's own page contradicts itself.
  - A newsletter recap of a 2025 CEO interview: "well over $80M" revenue in 2024.
  - "$200M+ ARR in early 2026" comes from one unsourced blog. Do not use.

### ClickFunnels — clickfunnels.com/pricing
- **Launch** $97 / $81 annual: 1 workspace, 2 admins, 10K contacts, 50K emails/mo, 5 domains, 3 courses, 3 communities, 1 store, no booking calendars, 1M AI words.
- **Scale** $197 / $164: **Most Popular**. 5 workspaces, 5 admins, 75K contacts, 300K emails/mo, unlimited domains, 6 courses, 6 communities, 5 stores, 5 calendars, 2M AI words.
- **Optimize** $297 / $248: 10 workspaces, 10 admins, 150K contacts, 750K emails, 10 courses, 10 communities, 10 calendars, 5M AI words.
- **Dominate** $5,997/yr, annual only: 20 workspaces, 400K contacts, 1.2M emails, 10M AI words.
- Unlimited funnels on every plan. 14-day trial. 30-day money-back guarantee.
- SMS and webinars are not on the page.
- **Company data** ⚠: Latka lists ~$170M revenue and ~150K customers, undated. Its 2023 profile says $265.3M. They conflict. There is no official figure.

### Kartra — kartra.com/plans-and-pricing (checked in a browser)
- **Essentials** $59 / $52 annual: 500 contacts, 10,000 emails/mo, **5% transaction fee**, 1 domain, 5 pages, 1 product, 1 course, 30 AI uses.
- **Starter** $119 / $99: "Best Value". 2,500 contacts, unlimited email and SMS, 0% fee, unlimited pages, products and courses, video hosting, calendars, 5 team members, 100 AI uses.
- **Growth** $229 / $189: 12,500 contacts, 3 domains, automations, affiliates, quizzes, 10 team members, 200 AI uses.
- **Professional** $549 / $429 ⚠: 25,000 contacts, 5 domains, real-time analytics.
- 30-day money-back guarantee. ⚠ A free trial is not stated on the current page. An earlier fetch claimed 14 days.
- **Company data** (own page, company-reported): "60K Kartra customers", "$1.5B earned by creators".

### Simvoly — simvoly.com/pricing
- **Starter** $18 / $12 annual: 1 site, 100 community members, 100 marketing subscribers, 1,200 emails/mo, 2 appointment operators, 0% fee.
- **Business** $36 / $29: adds 5 funnels.
- **Premium** $49 / $39: **Most Popular**. 10 funnels, 1,000 community members, 1,000 subscribers, 12,000 emails/mo.
- **Elite** $97 / $79: 5 sites, unlimited funnels, 5,000 members, 2,500 subscribers, 30,000 emails.
- Extra marketing subscribers are sold separately: +1,000 for $19/mo, +5,000 for $49/mo.
- White-label plans (Kartra-like reseller tier): $69 / $149 / $497 monthly ($59 / $129 / $429 annual).
- 14-day trial, no card needed.
- No public revenue data found.

### Skool — skool.com/pricing (checked in a browser)
- **Hobby** $9/mo ($7.50 annual): unlimited members, courses, videos and live calls. **10% transaction fee**.
- **Pro** $99/mo ($82 annual): same features. **2.9% transaction fee**.
- "2 months free" on yearly billing. 14-day trial ⚠ (from the site's text strings).
- No email marketing, booking, funnels, shop, SMS or WhatsApp on the page.
- **Company data:** none official. A "$100M+ ARR" figure circulates, but it is a blogger multiplying $99 by an assumed member count. Do not use.

### Circle — circle.so/pricing (checked in a browser)
- **Professional** $89 annual ($99 monthly ⚠): 3 admins, 20 spaces, 2% fee, 10 live-stream hours, 100 live attendees, 200 GB, 2,500 AI credits, no workflows.
- **Business** $199 annual ($219 monthly ⚠): **MOST POPULAR**. 5 admins, 30 spaces, 1% fee, 20 automations, 2,500 AI credits.
- **Scale** $419: 10 admins, 100 spaces, 1% fee, unlimited workflows, **AI agents**, 5,000 AI credits.
- **Circle Plus**: custom. 0.5% fee, branded iOS and Android app, Email Hub included.
- **Email Hub add-on**: $99/mo per 10,000 contacts, charged on top of the community plan. 14-day trial.
- **Company data** ⚠: Sacra estimates $68M ARR in May 2026 (article dated 22 Jul 2026), up from $55M at the end of 2025. Older Sacra figure: $21M ARR in May 2024 and 10,000+ communities at the end of 2023.

### Mighty Networks — mightynetworks.com/pricing (checked in a browser; the page opens on annual prices)
- **Launch** $95 monthly / $79 annual: 3 hosts, 2% fee, 20 livestream hours, 1 landing page.
- **Scale** $215 / $179: 5 hosts, 1% fee, 30 hours.
- **Growth** $425 / $354: **most popular (FAQ)**. 10 hosts, 0.5% fee, 40 hours, 3 landing pages.
- **Mighty Pro**: custom. Branded apps.
- Unlimited members on every plan. 14-day trial on Growth. AI Cohost included.
- An automated read of the page gave the annual prices as monthly prices. Only the browser check showed the real monthly prices.
- No public revenue data found.

### Teachable — teachable.com/pricing
- **Starter** $39 / $29: 5 products, 1 admin, **7.5% fee**.
- **Builder** $89 / $69: **Popular**. 10 products, 1 admin, 0% fee with Teachable Payments.
- **Growth** $189 / $139: 50 products, 5 admins, community, no Teachable branding.
- **Custom**: contact sales.
- Email marketing and "Create with AI" are on every plan.
- Processing: US cards 2.9% + 30¢, international cards 3.9% + 30¢.
- No free plan since mid-2025.
- Owned by Hotmart. ⚠ Acquisition year is reported as both 2020 and 2022.
- Teachable says creators reached 95M lifetime students in 2025. No revenue figure is published.

### Thinkific — thinkific.com/pricing (checked in a browser)
- **Start** $109 / $82: unlimited courses, downloads, coaching and webinars. 1 community, 2 admins, 10,000 current students. No bulk email.
- **Grow** $219 / $164: **Most Popular**. 3 communities, 6 admins, bulk email, API, no Thinkific branding.
- **Expand** $499 / $374: 10 communities, 15 admins, email white-label.
- **Plus**: by quote. Includes the AI teaching assistant.
- Branded app add-on: $199/mo. 30-day trial.
- **Company data** (public company, TSX: THNC, official):
  - **Q2 2026 (reported 5 Aug 2026): ARPU $177 per month** ("average monthly Revenue per Paying Customer"), up 5% year on year.
  - Q2 2026 revenue $18.6M. ARR $61.7M.
  - Full-year 2025 revenue $73.2M. Q4 2025 ARPU $175.
  - The paying-customer count is not disclosed.

### Podia — podia.com/pricing
- **Mover** $49 / $42: 50 products, 100 email subscribers, **5% fee**.
- **Shaker** $99 / $84: **most popular**. 150 products, 500 email subscribers, 0% fee, 1 AI assistant.
- **Earthquaker** $179 / $150: unlimited products, 1,000 email subscribers.
- Every plan: courses, community, downloads, coaching, events, website, "Podia Agent" ⚠. What Podia Agent does could not be confirmed from any official page.
- 14-day trial.
- No public revenue data found.

### Stan Store — stan.store/blog/stan-store-pricing (Stan's own pricing article, updated 22 Jul 2026; stan.store/pricing returned 404)
- **Creator** $29/mo or $300/yr: store, courses, booking, digital products, community, webinars, lead capture.
- **Creator Pro** $99/mo or $948/yr: adds unlimited email flows and broadcasts, upsells and order bumps, discount codes, payment plans, affiliates, pixel tracking.
- 0% platform fee. 14-day trial.
- Stan says "Creators have made over $400 million using Stan."
- **Company data** ⚠:
  - Sacra estimate: ~$35M ARR in 2025, 80,000+ active creators, about **$437 a year per creator (≈$36/mo)**.
  - CB Insights estimate: $30M revenue in 2025.
  - Contrary Research: 85K active creators in August 2026.
  - Its separate AI product, Stanley, reportedly makes ~$3M ARR. That figure comes via a secondary write-up of Business Insider ⚠.

### Hotmart — hotmart.com/en/pricing
- "No monthly or annual fees". Hotmart takes a percentage of each sale. The pricing page shows no rate.
- ⚠ 9.9% + a fixed fee per sale. The fixed part is US$0.50 in third-party tables and R$1 on Hotmart's homepage. A $1.49 fee per sale applies if you use Hotmart's video player (third-party).
- Features: members area, checkout builder, email automation, affiliates.
- Group company: Hotmart owns Teachable. A Teachable job posting says creators across Hotmart's platforms have earned more than $10B (company-reported).

### LearnWorlds — learnworlds.com/pricing
- **Starter** $29 / $24: $5 per paid enrolment, 1,000 active learners, 1 admin, no landing pages, 0 mass-email credits, 300 AI credits.
- **Pro Trainer** $99 / $79: 2,000 learners, 5 admins, 2,000 email credits/mo, 15 page funnels, 500 AI credits.
- **Learning Center** $299 / $249: **Most popular**. 25 admins, 5,000 email credits, white-label, 1,000 AI credits.
- **Corporate**: custom.
- 30-day trial. Branded app is an add-on.

### Heights Platform — heightsplatform.com/pricing (checked in a browser)
- **Challenge** $29 / $19: 1 course, 100 students, 1,000 contacts.
- **Basic** $49 / $39: unlimited courses, community, 5,000 contacts.
- **Pro** $119 / $99: **Most Popular**. 10,000 contacts, custom domain, 2 admins.
- **Academy** $499 / $399: 100,000 contacts, 25 admins.
- 0% fee, unlimited email, Heights AI on every plan, 30-day trial.

### Other AI-agent offerings found
- **HighLevel AI Employee** ($50 or $97 per sub-account a month) is an agent that answers conversations and calls. It is not a business builder.
- **Kajabi Cofounder plus Kajabi MCP** come closest to "an AI that builds the business". Cofounder plans and drafts. The MCP lets outside AI tools run Kajabi tasks.
- No platform in this set publicly offers an agent that builds **and** runs the whole business (pages, funnels, campaigns, ads, inbox) the way Stapilo describes its agent. A web search for such a startup found only articles about the category, not a product.

---

## 3. Analysis

### Price bands (monthly billing, cheapest paid plan to top self-serve plan)
- **Entry, $9–59:** Skool Hobby $9, Systeme $17 (free plan below it), Simvoly $18, Stan $29, LearnWorlds $29, Heights $29, Teachable $39, Podia $49, Kartra Essentials $59.
  - These plans are capped hard: a 5–10% fee on your sales, 100–2,500 contacts, or one product.
- **Middle, $89–129:** Teachable Builder $89, Mighty Launch $95, HighLevel Starter $97, ClickFunnels Launch $97, Systeme Unlimited $97, Skool Pro $99, Circle Pro $99 ⚠, Stan Pro $99, Podia Shaker $99, LearnWorlds Pro Trainer $99, Thinkific Start $109, Kartra Starter $119, Heights Pro $119.
  - This is the "serious solo business" band.
- **Upper, $179–299:** Kajabi Basic $179, Podia Earthquaker $179, Teachable Growth $189, ClickFunnels Scale $197, Mighty Scale $215, Circle Business $219 ⚠, Thinkific Grow $219, Kartra Growth $229, Kajabi Growth $249, HighLevel Unlimited $297, ClickFunnels Optimize $297, LearnWorlds Learning Center $299.
- **Top, $419–549:** Circle Scale $419, Mighty Growth $425, HighLevel Agency Pro $497, Kajabi Pro $499, Thinkific Expand $499, Heights Academy $499, ClickFunnels Dominate ≈$500 (annual only), Kartra Professional $549.

### Where the "most popular" plans cluster
There are 10 plans with an explicit badge or FAQ statement, priced monthly:

| Plan | Monthly price |
|---|---|
| Simvoly Premium | $49 |
| Teachable Builder | $89 |
| Podia Shaker | $99 |
| Heights Pro | $119 |
| ClickFunnels Scale | $197 |
| Circle Business | $219 ⚠ |
| Thinkific Grow | $219 |
| HighLevel Unlimited | $297 |
| LearnWorlds Learning Center | $299 |
| Mighty Growth | $425 |

- **The median is ≈$208/mo** (my calculation from these 10 prices).
- Two clusters:
  - **$89–119** for single-purpose course or creator tools.
  - **$197–299** for the broad suites: funnels, CRM, community at scale.
- Kajabi has no badge, but steers buyers to Growth at $249.

### Where each Stapilo package sits
Stapilo's billing period (monthly or annual) is not stated in the seed. If its prices are month-to-month, they compare with the monthly column. If annual, they compare with the annual column, which is about 15–25% lower.

| Stapilo package | USD | Nearest competitor plans (monthly) | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Tools | $81 | Teachable Builder $89, LearnWorlds Pro Trainer $99, Thinkific Start $109, Systeme Webinar $47 | Bottom of the middle band. Cheaper than the course leaders and bundles webinars. Only Thinkific (Zoom) and Systeme (evergreen) do that on the plans compared |
| Community | $92 | Mighty Launch $95, Skool Pro $99, Circle Pro $99 ⚠ ($89 annual) | Right on the community-platform price point. Unlike Circle, Mighty and Skool, Stapilo is not shown taking a cut of sales |
| Coach & Consultant | $100 | Stan Pro $99, Podia Shaker $99, HighLevel Starter $97, Kartra Starter $119 | Middle band. 10k contacts and 25k emails, against Kartra's 2,500 contacts and Podia's 500 email subscribers |
| Webinar Funnel | $109 | ClickFunnels Launch $97 (no webinars), Kartra Starter $119, Systeme Webinar $47 | Middle band. Systeme is the low-price threat on evergreen webinars |
| Events & Ticketing | $109 | No direct all-in-one match. Nearest are Circle and Mighty events and Thinkific Zoom | Middle band. A distinct offering in this set |
| Creator & Audience | $125 | Heights Pro $119, Kartra Starter $119, Stan Pro $99 | Top of the middle band |
| Messenger Bot | $140 | HighLevel Starter $97 + AI Employee $50–97 = $147–194 per sub-account, plus usage | Below a comparable HighLevel setup. No other platform here offers it |
| Local Business | $150 | HighLevel (built for this segment): $97 base + AI Employee + WhatsApp $10 + usage | Below the HighLevel equivalent |
| Agency & Media Buyer | $265 | Kajabi Growth $249, HighLevel Unlimited $297, ClickFunnels Optimize $297 | In the "most popular" suite cluster, and the only one here with Meta ads management |
| Everything | $474 | Kajabi Pro $499, HighLevel Agency Pro $497, Thinkific Expand $499, Kartra Professional $549, ClickFunnels Dominate ≈$500 | Just under the category's top price. Competitors charge about the same for fewer channels (no WhatsApp, ads or social) |

### What investors can check
- **The one audited ARPU in the category is Thinkific: $177 a month (Q2 2026).** It is a course platform whose most popular plan is $219 monthly, so its average customer pays below the badged plan.
- Stan's estimated ≈$36/mo per creator ⚠ shows what a low-price creator tool earns.
- The Stapilo single-purpose packages ($81–150) sit between those two reference points and below Thinkific's real ARPU.

---

## 4. Sources (all checked 2026-10-25)

Official pricing pages:
- https://kajabi.com/pricing
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/products/products-overview/expert-agents-overview (Expert Agents price)
- https://systeme.io/pricing (browser, monthly and yearly switch)
- https://www.gohighlevel.com/pricing
- https://www.clickfunnels.com/pricing
- https://kartra.com/plans-and-pricing/ (browser, monthly and yearly switch)
- https://simvoly.com/pricing
- https://www.skool.com/pricing (browser, monthly and yearly switch)
- https://circle.so/pricing (browser, plus the page's embedded data for monthly prices)
- https://www.mightynetworks.com/pricing (browser, monthly and yearly switch)
- https://www.teachable.com/pricing
- https://www.thinkific.com/pricing/ (browser)
- https://www.podia.com/pricing
- https://stan.store/blog/stan-store-pricing/ (Stan's own pricing article; stan.store/pricing returned 404)
- https://hotmart.com/en/pricing
- https://www.learnworlds.com/pricing/
- https://www.heightsplatform.com/pricing (browser)

Company data:
- Thinkific Q2 2026 results, 5 Aug 2026: https://newswire.ca/news-releases/thinkific-announces-second-quarter-2026-financial-results-802101214.html
- Thinkific Q4 and full-year 2025, 5 Mar 2026: https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/thinkific-announces-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-financial-results-827221860.html
- Kajabi $10B creator earnings, 6 Aug 2025: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250806424975/en/
- Kajabi $100M ARR in 2021 (Sacra): https://sacra.com/c/kajabi
- Kajabi five AI products, 19 May 2026: https://www.createwith.com/tool/kajabi/updates/kajabi-unveils-five-new-ai-products-to-transform-expert-business-operations
- Circle $68M ARR (Sacra estimate, 22 Jul 2026) ⚠: https://sacra.com/research/circle-at-68m-arr/
- Circle earlier figures ⚠: https://sacra.com/c/circle-so
- Stan estimates ⚠: https://sacra.com/c/stan · https://www.cbinsights.com/company/stan-2/financials · https://research.contrary.com/report/stan
- HighLevel estimates ⚠: https://getlatka.com/companies/gohighlevel · https://otten.beehiiv.com/p/video-gohighlevel-ceo-how-to-sell-ai-grow-your-agency-in-2025-5960
- ClickFunnels estimates ⚠: https://getlatka.com/companies/clickfunnels
- Systeme.io founder interview, 2021 ⚠: https://getlatka.com/companies/systemeio/interviews/systemeio-aurelien-amacker-2021
- Kajabi Latka estimate ⚠: https://getlatka.com/companies/kajabi
- Hotmart fee (third party) ⚠: https://www.pandavideo.com/blog/hotmart-fees
- HighLevel AI Employee and Voice AI rates (third party) ⚠: https://botpenguin.com/blogs/gohighlevel-ai-pricing
- Teachable 2025 rewind: https://www.teachable.com/blog/2025-rewind



---

## Research file: pricing-single-tools-marketing

# What single-purpose marketing tools cost: email, SMS/WhatsApp, chat, forms and quizzes, CRM (2026-10-25)

> These are the tools a small knowledge business (coach, course creator, consultant) would
> otherwise pay for one by one. All prices are in USD per month unless marked otherwise.
> **"Monthly"** = billed month to month. **"Annual"** = the per-month price when billed yearly.
> Prices were read on the vendors' own pricing pages on 2026-10-25. Pages with sliders were
> moved to the exact contact count in a real browser and the price was read off the page.
> ⚠ = not read off the official page in that form: either taken from a secondary source,
> worked out from figures on the page, or unclear on the page. The reason is given each time.
> The browser was in Georgia. Every page below showed USD except Wati, which showed EUR.
> Price at 2,500 / 10,000 contacts: where a vendor has no tier at exactly that number, the
> smallest tier that holds it is used, and the tier is named.

## 1. Summary table (monthly billing, the plan a small business would realistically use)

| Group | Tool (plan) | At ~2,500 contacts | At ~10,000 contacts | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email | Mailchimp Standard | $60 | $135 | 250 contacts, 500 emails/mo |
| Email | Mailchimp Essentials | $45 | $110 | — |
| Email | Kit Creator | $59 (3,000 tier) | $139 | up to 10,000 subscribers |
| Email | ActiveCampaign Starter / Plus | $39 / $95 (annual only ⚠) | $149 / $189 (annual only ⚠) | none, 14-day trial |
| Email | MailerLite Comfort / Power | $33 / $49 | $89 / $129 | 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo |
| Email | Brevo Starter / Standard | $25 / $49 (15k emails) | $32–46 / $69–89 (20k–40k emails) | 300 emails/day |
| Email | Klaviyo Email | $60 | $150 | 250 profiles, 500 emails/mo |
| Email | beehiiv Lite / Pro | $79 / $149 | $139 / $239 | up to 2,500 subscribers |
| Email | AWeber Lite / Plus | $35 / $55 | $100 / $135 | none seen, 14-day trial |
| SMS | Twilio SMS (US) | $0.0083 per segment + carrier fee ($0.0035–0.005) | same | — |
| SMS | Brevo SMS (US) | from $0.0109 per credit ⚠ | same | — |
| WhatsApp | Meta fee per marketing message | US ~$0.025, UK ~$0.0635, India ~$0.0118 ⚠ | same | 1,000 service msgs/mo per number |
| WhatsApp | Twilio fee on top of Meta | $0.005 per message | same | — |
| WhatsApp | Wati Growth / Pro | €69 / €149 + message fees | same | none, 7-day trial |
| WhatsApp/omnichannel | respond.io Growth (Most Popular) | $299 (2,500 active contacts) | $559 (10,000 active contacts) | none, 7-day trial |
| WhatsApp | Interakt Growth / Advanced | $55 / $69 + message fees | same | trial |
| Chat + AI | ManyChat Pro / Business | $39 (2,500 active contacts) | $99 + overage, or Advanced $199 | 25 active contacts |
| Chat + AI | Chatfuel Business | $18 (annual; monthly not shown) | not listed | none, trial |
| Chat + AI | Tidio Growth + Lyro AI | $59 + Lyro $39–140 (50–200 AI chats) | not contact-based | 50 conversations |
| Forms | Typeform Basic / Plus / Business | $39 / $79 / $129 | same (priced by responses) | yes, limits not stated |
| Forms | Jotform Bronze / Silver / Gold | $39 / $49 / $129 | same (priced by submissions) | 5 forms, 100 submissions/mo |
| Forms | Tally Pro / Business | $24 / $74 | same | unlimited forms and submissions (fair use) |
| Quiz funnels | ScoreApp Starter / Business / Pro | $39 / $99 / $149 | same | 1 scorecard, 10 responses/mo |
| Quiz funnels | Interact Lite / Growth / Pro | $39 / $89 / $209 | same (by leads: 500 / 2k / 8k) | 100 completions/mo |
| Quiz funnels | involve.me Start / Grow / Scale | $49 / $99 / $199 | same | 50 submissions or 500 visits/mo |
| Quiz funnels | Outgrow Freelancer Pro / Essentials | $45 / $115 ⚠ | same (by leads: 1,000 / 7,500) | 100 leads/mo |
| Quiz funnels | Heyflow Starter / Growth / Scale | $39 / $149 / $369 | same (by responses: 50 / 250 / 1,000) | none, 14-day trial |
| CRM | HubSpot Starter | $10/seat (50% off promo; $20 list ⚠) | 1,000 marketing contacts included | free CRM, up to 2 users |
| CRM | Pipedrive Growth / Premium | $34 / $64 per seat | not contact-based | none, 14-day trial |

## 2. Details by tool

### Group 1: Email marketing and automation

**Mailchimp** (https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/)
- Plans: Free, Essentials, Standard, Premium. The contacts dropdown was set in the browser.
- Regular monthly price (the "Then, starts at" figure after the promotion):

| Contacts | Essentials | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 501–1,500 | $26.50 | $45 | $350 (Premium starts at 10,000 contacts) |
| 1,501–2,500 | $45 | $60 | $350 |
| 2,501–5,000 | $75 | $100 | $350 |
| 5,001–10,000 | $110 | $135 | $350 |
| 10,001–15,000 | $180 | $230 | $465 |

- Promotion on the page: 50% off for the first 12 months (for example Standard at 2,500 = $30/mo for 12 months, then $60).
- Annual billing: no public annual price. The page says annual plans exist for Standard and Premium at 10,000+ contacts through sales.
- Sends: Essentials 10× contacts, Standard 12× contacts (30,000/mo at 2,500), Premium 15×.
- Free: 250 contacts, 500 emails/mo (250/day), 1 seat. "Recommended": Premium. Standard's card carries a "Best value" tooltip.

**Kit (formerly ConvertKit)** (https://kit.com/pricing)
- Tiers: 1,000 / 3,000 / 5,000 / 8,000 / 10,000 / 15,000 … There is no 2,500 tier, so 3,000 is used.

| Subscribers | Creator monthly | Creator annual | Pro monthly | Pro annual (list) | Pro annual 1st year (promo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $39 | $33 ($390/yr) | $79 | $66 | $50 |
| 3,000 | $59 | $50 ($590/yr) | $99 | $83 | $62 |
| 5,000 | $89 | $75 ($890/yr) | $139 | $116 | $87 |
| 10,000 | $139 | $116 ($1,390/yr) | $189 | $158 | $119 |

- Free: up to 10,000 subscribers, 1 user, unlimited landing pages, forms and broadcasts. No "most popular" label.

**ActiveCampaign** (https://www.activecampaign.com/pricing)
- The page shows **only annual-billed prices**. No monthly-billing price is on the page ⚠.

| Contacts | Starter | Plus | Pro (Recommended) | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $15 | $49 | $79 | $145 |
| 2,500 | $39 | $95 | $149 | $255 |
| 10,000 | $149 | $189 | $375 | $589 |

- No free plan. 14-day free trial. "Recommended": Pro.

**MailerLite** (https://www.mailerlite.com/pricing)
- Price data comes from the page's own plan table. Comfort and Power are the current names for the old Growing Business and Advanced plans. Annual saves 10%.

| Subscribers | Comfort monthly | Comfort annual | Power monthly | Power annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $12 | $10.80 | $25 | $22.50 |
| 1,000 | $19 | $17.10 | $39 | $35.10 |
| 2,500 | $33 | $29.70 | $49 | $44.10 |
| 5,000 | $49 | $44.10 | $69 | $62.10 |
| 10,000 | $89 | $80.10 | $129 | $116.10 |

- Free: 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/mo, 3 automations, 1 landing page. The "Recommended" label's card is unclear in the page text ⚠. Enterprise is custom, for 200K+ subscribers.

**Brevo** (https://www.brevo.com/pricing/)
- Priced by **emails per month**, not contacts. The calculator ties a contact cap to the email tier: 5k emails = 500 contacts, 10k = 1,500, 15k = 2,500, and 20k emails and up = 500,000 contacts. Annual saves 10%.

| Emails/mo | Starter monthly | Starter annual | Standard monthly | Standard annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5k | $9 | $8.08 | $18 | $16.17 |
| 15k (≤2,500 contacts) | $25 | $22.50 | $49 | $44.08 |
| 20k | $32 | $28.75 | $69 | $62.08 |
| 40k | $46 | $41.42 | $89 | $80.08 |
| 100k | $82 | $73.75 | $139 | $125.08 |

- Professional: from $499/mo ($449.08 annual), from 150,000 emails. Enterprise: custom.
- Free: 300 emails/day. "Most Popular": Standard. Removing Brevo branding is an add-on ($10.80/mo shown).
- For 10,000 contacts: the 20k tier is the minimum (2 sends/month). 40k = about 4 sends/month.

**Klaviyo** (https://www.klaviyo.com/pricing → Marketing → Email; the "Active profiles" slider)
- Email plan (monthly): 500 = $20, 1,000 = $30, 1,500 = $45, **2,500 = $60** (25,000 emails), 5,000 = $100, **10,000 = $150** (100,000 emails).
- Promotion: $19 off the first month at 500 profiles. No annual price shown.
- Free: 250 active profiles, 500 emails/mo, $5 of mobile messages/mo.

**beehiiv** (https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing). Plans are now Free / Lite / Pro / Enterprise.

| Subscribers | Lite monthly | Lite annual | Pro monthly | Pro annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $59 | — | $109 | — |
| 2,500 | $79 | $69 | $149 | $129 |
| 5,000 | $109 | — | $199 | — |
| 10,000 | $139 | $119 | $239 | $199 |

- Free: up to 2,500 subscribers, 1 seat. "Most Popular": Pro. Annual prices were only read at 2,500 and 10,000.

**AWeber** (https://www.aweber.com/pricing.htm)

| Subscribers | Lite monthly | Lite annual | Plus monthly | Plus annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–500 | $15 | — | $30 | $20 |
| 1,001–2,500 | $35 | $29.17 | $55 | $45.83 |
| 7,501–10,000 | $100 | $83.33 | $135 | $112.50 |

- 14-day trial. No free plan seen on the page. A "Done For You" setup is Plus price plus a setup fee ($79, shown down from $599).

### Group 2: SMS and WhatsApp marketing

**Twilio SMS, US** (https://www.twilio.com/en-us/sms/pricing/us, "current as of October 2026")
- $0.0083 per SMS segment, outbound or inbound (long code, toll-free and short code alike). MMS: $0.022 outbound.
- Carrier fees per outbound segment: AT&T $0.0035, T-Mobile $0.0045, Verizon $0.005. So the real cost is about **$0.012–0.013 per US SMS segment**.
- Number rental: $1.15/mo (long code), $2.15/mo (toll-free). 10DLC registration fees are extra and not itemized on the page.

**Twilio WhatsApp** (https://www.twilio.com/en-us/whatsapp/pricing)
- $0.005 per message, inbound or outbound, **on top of** Meta's per-message fee, which Twilio passes through.

**Meta WhatsApp Business Platform fee** (https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing)
- Official page: Meta has charged **per delivered message** since 2025-07-01, by category and country. The current rate card took effect 2026-10-01. Service messages now cost money after 1,000 free per business number per month.
- The page holds the rates in a downloadable rate-card file. It was not downloaded. Per-message rates below are ⚠ from a secondary source (getkanal.com, 2026-10): marketing US $0.0250, UK $0.0635, India ~$0.0118; utility US $0.0034, UK $0.0220. One source says Meta does not currently deliver marketing templates to US numbers ⚠ (flowgent.ai).

**Brevo SMS**: "from $0.0109 per message credit" in the US. Credits are sold in packs of 100. ⚠ This is from Brevo's SMS page as shown in search results; the page itself did not render its text.

**Wati** (https://www.wati.io/pricing/; the page showed EUR from Georgia, USD not seen ⚠)
- Growth: €69 monthly / €59 annual, 3 users, no extra users.
- Pro ("Best Value"): €149 monthly / €119 annual, 5 users, extra users €39/user/mo.
- Business: custom. Message fees are extra, charged by Wati's rate card (markup not stated). 7-day trial.

**respond.io** (https://respond.io/pricing). Price rises with "Monthly Active Contacts" (MAC).

| Plan | 1,000 MAC | 2,500 MAC | 10,000 MAC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter (unlimited MACs, no AI Agents) | $99 monthly / $79 annual | same | same |
| Growth (Most Popular) | $199 / $159 | $299 / $239 | $559 / $449 |
| Advanced | $349 / $279 | $529 / $419 | $989 / $789 |

- Monthly = the page's crossed-out yearly total ÷ 12. Annual = the page's per-month figure.
- AI is included on Growth and up under fair use (10,000 / 20,000 AI credits). Extra AI: $15 per 1,000 credits.
- WhatsApp/Meta fees are not included. Credit is topped up on the platform. 7-day trial.

**Interakt** (https://www.interakt.shop/pricing/)
- Growth ("Recommended") $55/mo, Advanced $69/mo, plus taxes and template message charges above the free limit. Starter (Instagram only) $12/mo. Enterprise "No Markup Charges", so self-serve plans presumably mark up message fees (amount not stated ⚠). Quarterly saves 8%, yearly saves 20% (discounted prices not shown).

### Group 3: Chat inbox and AI replies (Messenger / Instagram)

**ManyChat** (https://manychat.com/pricing). New "Active Contacts" model for accounts created from 2026-03-02.

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Active Contacts/mo included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 25 (2 channels, 4 automations) |
| Essential | $17 | $14 | 250 |
| Pro (Manychat AI) | $39 | $29 | 2,500 |
| Business (Manychat AI) | $99 | $69 | 7,500 |
| Advanced (Manychat AI) | $199 | $139 | 25,000 |

- Overage per extra Active Contact ⚠ (secondary source, eesel.ai): Essential $0.10, Pro $0.05, Business $0.025, Advanced $0.004.
- "Active Contacts" are people who interact in that month, not the whole list. A business with 10,000 contacts may have far fewer active ones.

**Chatfuel** (https://chatfuel.com/pricing)
- Business: $18/mo billed yearly ($216/yr), with $20/mo of AI credits included. Agency S: $90/mo yearly. Yearly saves 10%, but the monthly-billed price is not shown. Usage limits are on a separate page. Free trial, no free plan.

**Tidio** (https://www.tidio.com/pricing/)
- Free: 50 billable conversations, 10 seats.
- Starter: $29 monthly / $24.17 annual (100 conversations).
- Growth ("Popular"): from $59 monthly / $49.17 annual (250 conversations, up to 2,000).
- Plus: from $300/mo plus usage. Premium: custom.
- Lyro AI agent, monthly add-on read from the calculator: 50 AI conversations $39, 100 $75, 150 $110, 200 $140, 300 $210, 500 $350, 750 $525. That is about $0.70 per AI-handled conversation.

### Group 4: Forms, quizzes and quiz funnels

**Typeform** (https://www.typeform.com/pricing/). Yearly saves 30%.
- Basic: $39 monthly / $28 annual (100 responses/mo, 1 user).
- Plus: $79 / $56 (1,000 responses, 3 users).
- Business: $129 / $91 (10,000 responses, 5 users).
- Talent: $169 / $119. Growth Flow: $379 / $266.
- The yearly prices were read in the browser. The monthly prices are confirmed by the page's "Save X USD/yr" figures.
- A free plan exists ("limited number of responses", number not stated). No "most popular" label.

**Jotform** (https://www.jotform.com/pricing/)
- Starter (free): 5 forms, 100 submissions/mo.
- Bronze: $39 monthly / $34 annual (25 forms, 1,000 submissions).
- Silver: $49 / $39 (50 forms, 2,500 submissions).
- Gold: $129 / $99 (100 forms, 10,000 submissions).

**Tally** (https://tally.so/pricing)
- Free: unlimited forms and submissions, under fair use.
- Pro: $24 monthly. Business: $74 monthly. Yearly is "2 months off" (about $20 / $61.67 ⚠ worked out, not shown).

**ScoreApp** (https://www.scoreapp.com/pricing/)
- Free: 1 scorecard, 10 responses/mo.
- Starter: $39 monthly / $30 annual (100 responses).
- Business ("Best Value", recommended): $99 / $75 (1,000 responses).
- Pro: $149 / $112 (3,000 responses). Enterprise: from $799.

**Interact** (https://www.tryinteract.com/plans/)
- Free: 100 completions/mo.
- Lite: $39 monthly / $27 annual (500 leads/mo).
- Growth: $89 / $53 (2,000 leads).
- Pro: $209 / $125 (8,000 leads). 7-day trial.

**involve.me** (https://www.involve.me/pricing)
- Free: 50 submissions or 500 visits/mo.
- Start: $49 monthly / $29 annual (3 live funnels).
- Grow ("Most popular"): $99 / $69.
- Scale: $199 / $139. Enterprise: from $499.

**Outgrow** (https://outgrow.co/pricing/). ⚠ The page lists two prices per plan without labelling which is monthly. The lower one is taken as annual.
- Free: 100 leads/mo.
- Freelancer Pro: $45 / $25 (1,000 leads).
- Essentials: $115 / $95 (7,500 leads).
- Business: $720 / $600. 7-day trial.

**Heyflow** (https://heyflow.com/pricing; currency switched to USD on the page)
- Starter: $39 monthly / $29 annual (50 responses).
- Growth ("Most popular"): $149 / $99 (250 responses).
- Scale: $369 / $299 (1,000 responses).
- Enterprise: $1,100 (5,000 responses).
- In EUR the page shows €19 / €89 / €239 (yearly).

### Group 5: CRM (in brief)

**HubSpot** (https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/?tier=starter)
- Starter: $7/seat/mo annual ("Limited-time · 65% off") or $10/seat/mo monthly ("50% off"). Both discounts work out to a $20/seat list price ⚠ (worked out).
- Marketing Hub Starter includes 1,000 marketing contacts. The price of extra contacts is not shown.
- Marketing Hub Professional: $890/mo monthly or $800/mo annual, with 3 seats, 2,000 contacts and a $3,000 onboarding fee.
- Free CRM: up to 2 users.

**Pipedrive** (https://www.pipedrive.com/en/pricing). Price per seat.
- Lite: $19 monthly / $14 annual.
- Growth: $34 / $24.
- Premium ("Most popular"): $64 / $49.
- Ultimate: $89 / $69.
- Campaigns (email marketing) add-on: from $13/mo. 14-day trial.

## 3. Analysis: what a small business realistically pays

Assumption: monthly billing, the plan that has automations, one brand, one or two users.
These are the vendors' prices, not survey data on what businesses actually spend.

**Email marketing and automation**
- **~2,500 contacts:** $33–$60/mo for the mainstream automation plans (MailerLite Comfort $33, AWeber Lite $35, Mailchimp Essentials $45, Brevo Standard $49, MailerLite Power $49, Kit Creator $59 at 3,000, Mailchimp Standard $60, Klaviyo $60). Cheapest: Brevo Starter $25. Top end: ActiveCampaign Plus $95 (annual), beehiiv Lite $79 / Pro $149. **Typical: about $50–60/mo.**
- **~10,000 contacts:** $89–$150/mo for the same plans (MailerLite Comfort $89, AWeber Lite $100, Mailchimp Essentials $110, MailerLite Power $129, Mailchimp Standard $135, Kit Creator $139, ActiveCampaign Starter $149 annual, Klaviyo $150). Brevo is the outlier because it charges by sends ($32–$89). **Typical: about $110–150/mo.**

**SMS and WhatsApp**
- Two costs stack: a platform fee plus a per-message fee.
- Platform fee: Interakt $55, Wati €69 (Pro €149), respond.io Growth $299 at 2,500 active contacts and $559 at 10,000.
- Message fees depend on the country. The examples below are worked out from the rates above. Two broadcasts a month:
  - 2,500 contacts = 5,000 messages. US SMS ≈ 5,000 × ~$0.0125 ≈ **$60–65**. WhatsApp marketing ≈ **$125 (US) / $318 (UK) / $59 (India)** ⚠ (secondary rates).
  - 10,000 contacts = 20,000 messages: four times those amounts.
- **Typical: about $55–150/mo platform plus usage at 2,500, and $70–560/mo platform plus usage at 10,000.** Message fees can easily be the larger part.

**Chat inbox and AI replies**
- ManyChat Pro $39 covers 2,500 active contacts with AI included. Business $99 (7,500) or Advanced $199 (25,000) covers a bigger audience.
- Tidio Growth $59 plus Lyro AI $39–$140 for 50–200 AI-handled conversations.
- **Typical: about $40–100/mo at 2,500 and $100–200/mo at 10,000** (active contacts, not the whole list).

**Forms, quizzes and quiz funnels**
- Priced by responses or leads, not list size.
- Simple forms: Tally Pro $24, Jotform $39–49, Typeform Basic/Plus $39–79.
- Lead-gen quiz funnels: Interact Growth $89, ScoreApp Business $99, involve.me Grow $99, Heyflow Growth $149.
- **Typical: about $25–100/mo.** A business doing real quiz funnels pays about $90–150.

**CRM**
- A separate CRM is usually optional for this kind of business, because the email tool doubles as the contact list.
- If bought: Pipedrive Growth $34/seat or HubSpot Starter $20/seat list. **About $20–70/mo** for one to two seats.

**Putting it together (illustration, not a claim about any one business)**
A knowledge business that buys email + chat/AI + quiz/forms separately pays roughly:
- **~2,500 contacts:** $50–60 (email) + $40–100 (chat) + $25–100 (forms) ≈ **$115–260/mo**, before any WhatsApp/SMS.
- **~10,000 contacts:** $110–150 + $100–200 + $25–150 ≈ **$235–500/mo**, before any WhatsApp/SMS.

These groups cover only the marketing layer. Courses, webinars, booking, pages, payments and video are researched separately. For comparison, Stapilo's Coach & Consultant package is $100/mo (10k contacts, 25k emails) and Messenger Bot is $140/mo (from `stapilo-packages.md`).

## 4. Sources (all checked 2026-10-25)

Official pricing pages:
- Mailchimp: https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/ (contacts dropdown set in browser)
- Kit: https://kit.com/pricing (slider and monthly/yearly toggle in browser)
- ActiveCampaign: https://www.activecampaign.com/pricing (contacts dropdown in browser)
- MailerLite: https://www.mailerlite.com/pricing (plan table in page source)
- Brevo: https://www.brevo.com/pricing/ (calculator in browser)
- Klaviyo: https://www.klaviyo.com/pricing → Marketing (slider in browser; the US page redirected to /uk/, which showed USD)
- beehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com/pricing?subscriberCount=2500 and ?subscriberCount=10000
- AWeber: https://www.aweber.com/pricing.htm (slider and toggle in browser)
- Twilio SMS US: https://www.twilio.com/en-us/sms/pricing/us
- Twilio WhatsApp: https://www.twilio.com/en-us/whatsapp/pricing
- Meta WhatsApp pricing: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing
- Wati: https://www.wati.io/pricing/
- respond.io: https://respond.io/pricing (MAC dropdown in browser)
- Interakt: https://www.interakt.shop/pricing/
- ManyChat: https://manychat.com/pricing (monthly toggle in browser)
- Chatfuel: https://chatfuel.com/pricing
- Tidio: https://www.tidio.com/pricing/ (calculator in browser)
- Typeform: https://www.typeform.com/pricing/
- Jotform: https://www.jotform.com/pricing/
- Tally: https://tally.so/pricing
- ScoreApp: https://www.scoreapp.com/pricing/
- Interact: https://www.tryinteract.com/plans/
- involve.me: https://www.involve.me/pricing
- Outgrow: https://outgrow.co/pricing/
- Heyflow: https://heyflow.com/pricing
- HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/?tier=starter and https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/marketing/starter
- Pipedrive: https://www.pipedrive.com/en/pricing

Secondary sources (used only where marked ⚠):
- WhatsApp per-message rates, Oct 2026: https://getkanal.com/blog/whatsapp-business-pricing-guide.md ; US marketing caveat: https://flowgent.ai/blog/whatsapp-business-api-pricing ; also https://www.engagelab.com/blog/whatsapp-pricing-2026-service-message-cost
- ManyChat overage rates: https://www.eesel.ai/blog/manychat-pricing ; plan-model confirmation: https://www.blotato.com/blog/manychat-pricing
- Brevo SMS "from $0.0109": Brevo's SMS feature page as shown in search results (https://www.brevo.com/features/sms-marketing/); see also https://help.brevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/208717449-Supported-countries-and-pricing-for-SMS-messages



---

## Research file: pricing-single-tools-delivery

# Single-purpose tools a knowledge business would otherwise pay for — pricing research

> Checked 2026-10-25. Prices in USD unless marked. "Monthly" = price per month on month-to-month billing;
> "Annual" = effective price per month when billed yearly. Figures come from each vendor's official
> pricing page (read by page fetch, and where the page renders prices by script, from the price data
> inside the page's HTML) unless marked otherwise.
>
> **Legend:** ⚠ = not read off the official page (third-party review, or derived from a discount % the
> official page states — the method is named each time). Never treat a ⚠ figure as quoted.
> "derived" = computed from an official price and an official "save X%" line, not displayed as a number.
>
> Scope: delivery-side single-purpose tools only (pages, webinars, booking, ticketing, video, social,
> link-in-bio, Meta ads tools). Email marketing, CRM, courses/communities and all-in-one suites are
> covered in other files in this folder.

---

## 1. Summary table

Entry = cheapest paid plan a small knowledge business could realistically use. "Typical" = the plan a
one-to-five-person business usually lands on (the vendor's "most popular" where stated).

| Group | Tool | Free plan | Entry plan (monthly / annual) | Typical plan (monthly / annual) | Key limit at typical plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pages | Leadpages | No (7-day trial) | Pro $29 / ~$23 ⚠derived | **Grow $99** (most popular) / ~$79 ⚠derived | unlimited pages, 4 sites |
| Pages | Unbounce | No (14-day trial) | Starter $29 / $22 | **Experiment $149** (most popular) / $112 | 30k visitors/mo |
| Pages | ClickFunnels | No (14-day trial) | Launch $97 / $81 | **Scale $197** (most popular) / $164 | 75k contacts, 5 users |
| Pages | Carrd | Yes | Pro Standard $19/yr (~$1.58/mo), annual only | Pro Plus $49/yr, annual only | 25 sites |
| Pages | Framer | Yes | Basic $15 ⚠ / $10 | Pro $45 ⚠ / $30 | 150 pages |
| Pages | Webflow | Yes (Starter) | Basic $25 / $15 | Premium (CMS) $39 / $25 | 50 GB bandwidth base |
| Pages | Wix | Yes | Light — annual only shown, $17.77 | Business ("Recommended") $39.77, annual | 100 GB storage |
| Pages | Squarespace | No (14-day trial) | Basic $19 / $12 | Core ("Recommended") $27 / $17 | 5% fee on digital/membership sales |
| Webinars | Zoom Webinars | Zoom Basic free (meetings, 40 min) | Webinars $89 / $66.67 | — | capacity of this price not stated on page ⚠ |
| Webinars | Zoom Events | — | $149 / $124.17 | — | up to 100,000 (top of range) |
| Webinars | WebinarJam | No ($1 14-day trial) | Starter $49 / $39 | **Basic $99** (most popular) / $79 | 500 attendees, 2 hosts, 2 h |
| Webinars | EverWebinar (automated) | No ($1 14-day trial) | $199 / $99 (two-year: $79) | same | attendee limit not stated |
| Webinars | Demio | No (14-day trial) | Starter $63 / $45 | Growth — / $117 per host | 150-attendee room base |
| Webinars | Livestorm | Yes ⚠ (limits per reviews) | Pro €2.50 per attendee credit (shown at 400 credits = €1,000/yr) | — | 3,000 live/event, 4 h |
| Webinars | WebinarGeek | No (14-day trial) | Premium — / €59 | — | 1,000 viewers |
| Webinars | ClickMeeting | 14-day free plan | Live ~$32 ⚠ (reviews) | Automated (most popular), 500 attendees €209 (2024 article) | 50–1,000 attendee tiers |
| Webinars | eWebinar (automated) | No (14-day trial) | Level 1 $99 / ~$84 ($1,010/yr) | Level 2 $199 / ~$169 | 1 → 5 active webinars |
| Webinars | StreamYard | Yes | Essential $18.99 / $14.99 | **Core $44.99** (most popular) / $35.99 | 3 destinations |
| Webinars | Riverside | Yes | Pro $29 / $24 | Webinar $99 / $79 | 100 webinar registrants ⚠ (staging page) |
| Booking | Calendly | Yes (1 event type) | Standard $12 / $10 | Teams $20 / $16 ("Popular plan") | per seat |
| Booking | Acuity | No (7-day trial) | Starter $20 / $16 | Standard $34 / $27 | up to 6 calendars |
| Booking | Cal.com | Yes (1 user) | Teams — / $12 per user | — | monthly price not shown |
| Booking | SimplyBook.me | Yes (50 bookings) | Basic €13.9 / €11.9 | **Premium €59.9** (most popular) / €49.9 | 2,000 bookings, 30 providers |
| Booking | Fresha | No ⚠ | Independent $19.95 ⚠ | Team $14.95 per team member ⚠ | + 20% new-client marketplace fee ⚠ |
| Ticketing | Eventbrite | Free events free | 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket + 2.9% processing per order | Pro (email) from $15/mo | — |
| Ticketing | Tito | Free events free | 3% per paid ticket (cap €25), no subscription; Stripe fees extra | — | — |
| Ticketing | Luma | Yes — 5% platform fee on paid tickets | Luma Plus — / $59 (0% fee) | — | Stripe fees extra on both |
| Video | Vimeo | Yes (25 videos total) | Starter $20 / $12 | Standard $41 / $25 | 120 videos/seat/yr |
| Video | Wistia | Yes (25 GB) | Business — / $79 | Business + Signals — / $329 | 250 GB, 1 TB bandwidth |
| Video | Bunny Stream | No ($1/mo minimum, 14-day trial) | usage: storage from $0.01/GB, delivery from $0.005/GB, encoding free | ~$4.50/mo for 300 GB stored + 50 GB/mo (vendor calculator) | — |
| Social | Buffer | Yes (3 channels) | Essentials $5 per channel ⚠ (see notes) / $5 | Team $10 per channel / $10 | per channel |
| Social | Later | ⚠ (reviews say yes) | Starter $25 ⚠derived / $18.75 | **Growth $50** ⚠derived (most popular) / $37.50 | 2 social sets, 2 users |
| Social | Hootsuite | No (14-day trial) | Standard $99 (billing period not stated) | Professional $199 (most popular) | per user |
| Link-in-bio | Linktree | Yes | Starter $9 / $7 | Pro $17 / $14 | 0% seller fees on Pro |
| Meta ads | AdEspresso | No (14-day trial) | Starter $49 (≤$1,000 ad spend/mo) | Plus $99 (unlimited spend) | no annual price shown |
| Meta ads | Madgicx | No (7-day trial) | price shown only inside the app; ~$55–$99 ⚠ | + Tracking Pro $49 | priced by ad-spend bracket |
| Meta ads | Bïrch (ex-Revealbot) | No (14-day trial) | Essential $49 (≤$10K spend) ⚠ label unclear | Pro $99 (most popular) | annual −20% |

---

## 2. Details by group

### 2.1 Funnel & landing page builders

**Leadpages** (leadpages.com/pricing). Annual billing "saves 20%"; the page shows no annual dollar figures,
so annual prices below are derived (price × 0.8) ⚠. 7-day free trial, card required. No free plan.

| Plan | Monthly | Annual (derived ⚠) | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $29 | ~$23.20 | 25 pages, 1 site, 1 custom domain, 1 seat |
| Business | $49 | ~$39.20 | 50 pages, 2 sites, 2 domains |
| **Grow — Most Popular** | $99 | ~$79.20 (third-party reviews also say $79 ⚠) | unlimited pages, 4 sites, 4 domains, A/B tests |
| Optimize | $199 | ~$159.20 | 6 sites, 3 seats |
| Enterprise | custom | custom | — |

No traffic caps on any plan. The FAQ mentions a "Scale" plan at $399/mo with no plan card ⚠.

**Unbounce** (unbounce.com/pricing). 14-day free trial, no card. No free plan. Unlimited conversions.

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Visitors/mo | Pages | Domains | Users |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $29 | $22 | 500 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Build | $99 | $74 | 20k | unlimited | 1 | 1 |
| **Experiment — Most Popular** | $149 | $112 | 30k | unlimited | 2 | 3 |
| Optimize | $249 | $187 | 50k | unlimited | 3 | 5 |
| Concierge / Agency | talk to sales | — | 100k+ / 50k+ | — | — | — |

Note: the page's plan cards and toggle disagree on which figure is annual; the discounted figures
above are the toggle's annual values.

**ClickFunnels** (clickfunnels.com/pricing). 14-day trial, 30-day money-back. No free plan. Funnels,
pages and visitors unlimited on all plans ("limited time" for funnels). Includes email and courses —
it is more than a page builder; a funnel-only buyer still pays the full plan.

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Contacts | Emails/mo | Users | Domains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | $97 | $81 | 10K | 50K | 2 | 5 |
| **Scale — Most Popular** | $197 | $164 | 75K | 300K | 5 | unlimited |
| Optimize | $297 | $248 | 150K | 750K | 10 | unlimited |
| Dominate | — | $5,997/yr | 400K | 1.2M | 20 | unlimited |

**Carrd** (carrd.com/pro). Annual billing only. Free account exists (limits not listed on the Pro page);
Pro trial 7 days, no card.
Pro Lite $9/yr (3 sites, no custom domain) · Pro Standard $19/yr (10 sites, custom domain, forms) ·
Pro Plus $49/yr (25 sites, advanced forms); larger site counts up to $999/yr.

**Framer** (framer.com/pricing). Free plan ($0; Framer domain only, 1 GB bandwidth). The page shows
$10 (Basic: 30 pages, 50 GB bandwidth, 1,000 CMS items) and $30 (Pro: 150 pages, 100 GB, 2,500 CMS
items) and says prices follow the cycle chosen at checkout. Reviews (e.g. siter.io, read off Framer's
pages 2026-09-03) say these are the yearly rates and monthly billing is $15 / $45 ⚠. Extra editor $20/mo.
No "most popular" label.

**Webflow** (webflow.com/pricing; prices read from the page's price data). Site plans; "Yearly (save up
to 40%)".

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | free | free | webflow.io domain, 2 pages, 1 GB bandwidth, 50 form submissions |
| Basic | $25 | $15 | custom domain, 300 static pages, 10 GB bandwidth |
| Premium (CMS) | $39 | $25 | Webflow CMS, 50 GB+ bandwidth (add-ons) |
| Ecommerce Standard / Plus / Advanced | not captured | $29 / $74 / $212 | 2% / 0% fee on Standard / Plus |

**Wix** (wix.com/plans). Free plan ($0, no card). Only yearly-subscription prices are displayed
("Save 50%"); monthly-billing prices are not shown.
Light $17.77 (2 GB) · Core $29.77 (50 GB, basic eCommerce) · **Business $39.77 — "Recommended"**
(100 GB) · Business Elite $159.77 (unlimited). ⚠ The page also shows "$159/" for three plans, which looks
like a display error; per-month figures above are what the page labels "/mo".

**Squarespace** (squarespace.com/pricing). 14-day free trial, no card. Two figures per plan, read as
monthly / annual (not labelled on the page).

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Store fee | Digital content & memberships fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19 | $12 | 2% | 7% |
| **Core — "Recommended"** | $27 | $17 | 0% | 5% |
| Advanced | $36 | $25 | 0% | 0% |

Relevant to knowledge businesses: Squarespace takes 5–7% of course/membership sales on the lower two plans.

### 2.2 Webinar tools

**Zoom** (zoom.us/pricing, zoom.us/pricing/webinar, zoom.us/pricing/events).
- Zoom Workplace: Basic (100 participants, 40 min — the page does not say "free" but it is the no-cost
  tier); Pro $16.99 monthly / $14.16 annual per user (100 participants, 30 h); Business $21.99 /
  $18.33 per user (300 participants).
- **Zoom Webinars: $89.00 monthly / $66.67 annual.** The page does not state the attendee capacity at
  that price nor map capacity to price ⚠. Third-party trackers report larger tiers costing far more
  (CostBench snapshot July 2026: range $83.33–$415.83/mo ⚠). Whether a Workplace licence is also
  required is not stated on the page ⚠.
- **Zoom Events: $149.00 monthly / $124.17 annual**; up to 100,000 attendees in the comparison table
  (top of range, not the entry plan's capacity ⚠). Zoom Sessions: no price shown.

**WebinarJam** (home.webinarjam.com/pricing). 14-day trial for $1.

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Attendees | Hosts | Max session |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49 | $39 | 100 | 1 | 1 h |
| **Basic — Most Popular** | $99 | $79 | 500 | 2 | 2 h |
| Professional | $299 | $229 | 2,000 | 4 | 3 h |
| Enterprise | $499 | $379 | 5,000 | 6 | 4 h |

**EverWebinar** (everwebinar.com/pricing) — automated/evergreen webinars, single plan.
Month-to-month $199 · Annual $1,188 ($99/mo effective) · Two-year $1,896 ($79/mo effective) ·
14-day trial $1. Attendee limits not listed.

**Demio** (demio.com/pricing). 14-day free trial (20 attendees, 1 h). No free plan.
Starter $63 monthly / $45 annual (50-attendee room, 1 host, 3 h, no automated webinars) ·
Growth $117/host/mo annual (rooms 150 / 500 / 1,000 / 3,000; the base price is for 150; monthly price
blank on the page; automated webinars yes) · Premium $196/host/mo paid yearly ("Best Value").

**Livestorm** (livestorm.co/pricing). Attendee-credit model: **Pro €2.50 per attendee credit**, the
page's default selector showing 400 credits (one credit = one unique participant per session, live,
replay or on-demand, over 12 months). Up to 4 h/session, 3,000 live attendees/event, unlimited team
members. Enterprise custom (12 h). A 2026 guide reads the 400-credit entry as €1,000 / $1,200 per year ⚠.
Free tier limits differ between reviews ⚠. PricingSaaS logged the displayed Pro price changing
several times in spring 2026 ⚠.

**WebinarGeek** (webinargeek.com/pricing). Euro only. Premium €59/mo billed yearly (€99 struck
through), up to 1,000 viewers; monthly price not shown. Enterprise €349/mo, annual contract, up to 5,000.
14-day free trial.

**ClickMeeting** (clickmeeting.com/pricing). The official page loads prices by script and they could
not be read. Plans: Free (14-day trial plan, 25 attendees), Live, **Automated ("Most Popular")**,
Enterprise (up to 10,000). Attendee tiers 50 / 100 / 200 / 500 / 1,000.
- ClickMeeting's own knowledge-base article (last updated 2024-08-01, so possibly stale ⚠): 500
  attendees — Live €167/mo or €1,584/yr; Automated €209/mo or €1,980/yr. 1,000 attendees — Live
  €310/mo or €2,988/yr; Automated €355/mo or €3,420/yr.
- Entry tier per Capterra / Software Advice: Live from $32/mo, Automated from $48/mo ⚠.

**eWebinar** (ewebinar.com/pricing). Automated webinars. Annual saves 15%. 14-day trial.
Level 1 $99 monthly / $1,010 yr (1 active eWebinar, 1,000 registrants/mo) · Level 2 $199 / $2,030
(5, 3,000/mo) · Level 3 $299 / $3,050 (15, 5,000/mo) · Enterprise custom.

**StreamYard** (streamyard.com/pricing). Live-streaming studio, relevant for creators who stream to
social rather than run registration webinars.
Free (StreamYard logo, 6 on-screen) · Essential $18.99 / $14.99 (2 destinations) · **Core $44.99 /
$35.99 — most popular** (3 destinations, 10 on-screen) · Advanced $88.99 / $68.99 (8 destinations,
100 On-Air webinar viewers).

**Riverside** (riverside.com/pricing). ⚠ The page served was labelled a staging version.
Free · Pro $29 / $24 · Grow $39 / $34 ("Best Value") · Webinar $99 / $79 (up to 100 registrants) ·
Business contact sales (up to 10,000). The page's "billed annually" total for Webinar ($408) does not
match $79 × 12 ⚠.

### 2.3 Booking / scheduling

**Calendly** (calendly.com/pricing; prices read from the page's price data). Per seat.
Free (1 event type, 1 calendar) · Standard $12 monthly / $10 annual (unlimited event types, 6
calendars) · **Teams $20 / $16 — "Popular plan"** (round-robin) · Enterprise from $15k/yr (50-seat
minimum). Notetaker add-on $24 / $18.

**Acuity Scheduling** (acuityscheduling.com/signup.php). 7-day trial, no card. Annual saves 20%.
Starter $20 / $16 (1 calendar) · Standard $34 / $27 (6 calendars) · Premium $69 / $55 (36 calendars).
No "most popular" label.

**Cal.com** (cal.com/pricing). Free forever (1 user, unlimited event types). Teams $12/user/mo billed
annually ("save 25%"); Organizations $28/user/mo billed annually; monthly-billing prices not displayed
(derived from "save 25%": ~$16 and ~$37 ⚠derived). Enterprise custom.

**SimplyBook.me** (simplybook.me/en/pricing). Euro on the page.
Free €0 (50 bookings, 1 provider) · Basic €13.9 / €11.9 (100, 5) · Standard €29.9 / €24.9 (500, 15)
· **Premium €59.9 / €49.9 — "Most popular"** (2,000, 30) · Enterprise custom.

**Fresha** (salons/clinics). The official page served prices in GEL to our location (Team GEL 10.95 per
bookable team member/month, Independent GEL 15.95/month; free automated email/app notifications;
20 free texts/WhatsApp per member; one-time fee on brand-new marketplace clients, amount not stated).
USD figures from 2026 reviews ⚠: Independent $19.95/mo, Team $14.95 per team member/mo, new-client
marketplace fee 20% (min $6), US card processing ~2.19% + $0.20 and up. Payment-processing rates were
not on the official pricing page.

### 2.4 Event ticketing

**Eventbrite** (eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing). Free events: no fees. Paid tickets: **3.7% + $1.79
service fee per ticket + 2.9% payment processing per order**. Eventbrite Pro (email marketing to up to
10,000/day) from $15/mo. Fees can be passed to the buyer, but the buyer then pays them.
Worked example (our arithmetic): one $50 ticket → $1.85 + $1.79 + $1.45 = **$5.09 (10.2%)**.

**Tito** (ti.to/pricing). No subscription, no setup fee. **3% per paid ticket** (2.5% for
charity/community, by application), capped at €25 per ticket; free tickets free. Stripe fees extra
(US-style rate shown: 2.9% + 30¢). $50 ticket → $1.50 + $1.75 Stripe = $3.25 (6.5%).

**Luma** (luma.com/pricing). Free: unlimited events and guests, 500 invites/newsletters per week,
**5% platform fee on paid tickets**. **Luma Plus $59/mo billed annually ("Save 14%")**, 0% platform
fee, 5,000 sends/week; monthly-billed price not shown (~$69 derived ⚠). Stripe fee (typically 2.9% +
30¢) on top in both cases.

### 2.5 Video hosting

**Vimeo** (vimeo.com/pricing; prices read from the page's plan data). Per seat.

| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Videos | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 2/month, 25 total | 2 TB/mo bandwidth in Vimeo player |
| Starter | $20 | $12 | 60/seat/yr | embedding, password privacy |
| Standard | $41 | $25 | 120/seat/yr | branding, lead capture, CTAs |
| Advanced | $125 | $75 | 240/seat/yr | live events & webinars, Q&A/polls, simulive |
| Enterprise | custom | custom | — | — |

**Wistia** (wistia.com/pricing). Annual "save 20%"; only annual prices displayed.
Free $0 (25 GB, 200 GB bandwidth, 1 user, Wistia branding) · Business $79/mo billed annually (250 GB+,
1 TB bandwidth, 3 users, +$25/user; monthly ~$99 derived ⚠) · Business + Signals $329/mo billed
annually ("Best for marketing") · Enterprise custom. FAQ: "Most teams start on Business."

**Bunny Stream** (bunny.net/pricing/stream). Pay-as-you-go: storage from $0.01/GB/mo, CDN delivery
from $0.005/GB, encoding free, $1/mo minimum, 14-day trial. Vendor calculator example (300 GB stored,
50 GB/mo traffic, 1 replica): $4.50/mo Standard tier, $3.25/mo Volume tier. A raw video store with a
player, not a marketing video platform. (Stapilo itself uses Bunny underneath.)

### 2.6 Social scheduling & link-in-bio

**Buffer** (buffer.com/pricing). Free: up to 3 channels, 1 user. Essentials **$5 per channel/month**,
shown as "$60 billed yearly"; Team **$10 per channel/month** ("$120 billed yearly"), unlimited users.
FAQ: annual billing gives a 20% discount, so the month-to-month rate is higher than the displayed
figure (≈$6 / $12 derived ⚠). Essentials marked "Recommended". A business with 3 channels
(Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn) pays ~$15–$18/mo on Essentials.

**Later** (later.com/pricing). Displayed prices are yearly ("3 months free | 25% off"):
Starter $18.75 (1 social set = 8 profiles, 1 user, 30 posts/profile) · **Growth $37.50 — Most popular**
(2 sets, 2 users, 180 posts/profile) · Scale $82.50 (6 sets, 4 users, unlimited). Monthly billing
$25 / $50 / $110 — derived from the 25% line and confirmed by SocialPilot (Sept 2026) ⚠. Link in Bio
included. 14-day trial.

**Hootsuite** (hootsuite.com/plans). Plan cards show no prices; FAQ: "Paid plans start at $99 for a
Standard plan, $199 for a Professional plan, and range up to $399 for an Advanced plan." Reviews
(SocialPilot, Blotato Sept 2026 ⚠) say these are per user per month on annual billing. Standard 10
social accounts; Professional (most popular) unlimited. 14-day trial, no free plan.

**Linktree** (linktr.ee/s/pricing; figures read from page HTML).
Free $0 (unlimited links) · Starter $9 monthly / $7 annual · Pro $17 / $14 (remove branding, sell with
0% fees, mailing-list integrations) · Premium $35 / $30. Payout fee USD $0.25 per payout. Prices vary by
region.

### 2.7 Meta ads management tools (brief)

**AdEspresso** (adespresso.com/pricing). Starter $49/mo (ad spend up to $1,000/mo) · Plus $99/mo
(unlimited spend, up to 15 users) · Enterprise from $259/mo. No annual price shown. 14-day trial.

**Madgicx** (madgicx.com/pricing). Main plan "Pro Complete" — price shown only inside the app, scaled
by monthly ad-spend bracket (<$1K, $1K–2.5K, … $30K+); Tracking Pro add-on $49/mo; billing monthly,
quarterly or annual; 7-day trial. Third parties ⚠: ~$55/mo at the lowest bracket (Ryze AI, a rival);
PricingSaaS reports Pro Complete rose from $58 to $99/mo billed annually on 2026-01-01.

**Bïrch, formerly Revealbot** (bir.ch/pricing). Priced by monthly ad spend; slider default "up to
$10K": Essential shows "$49 $99 /mo" (which figure is current is not labelled ⚠), **Pro $99/mo — Most
popular**, Enterprise custom. Annual −20%. 14-day trial.

---

## 3. Analysis — what a typical small knowledge business realistically pays

"Small knowledge business" = a coach, course creator, consultant or expert with 1–5 people, running
paid ads to pages, webinars or calls, and teaching or selling online.

| Group | What they realistically buy | Monthly billing | Annual billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pages / funnels | Leadpages Pro → Grow, or Unbounce Build; ClickFunnels if they want the whole funnel tool | $29–$99 (ClickFunnels $97) | ~$23–$79 (ClickFunnels $81) |
| Website (if separate) | Squarespace Core / Webflow Basic / Wix Business | $25–$40 | $15–$25 (Wix shown annual only) |
| Live webinars | WebinarJam Basic (500 attendees) or Zoom Webinars | $89–$99 | $67–$79 |
| Automated / evergreen webinars | EverWebinar or eWebinar Level 1 | $99–$199 | $84–$99 |
| Booking | Calendly Standard (solo) to Acuity Standard | $12–$34 | $10–$27 |
| Ticketing | No subscription; fees per sale | Eventbrite ≈10% of a $50 ticket; Tito ≈6.5%; Luma 5% + Stripe or $59/mo (annual) + Stripe | — |
| Video hosting | Vimeo Standard or Wistia Business | $41 (Vimeo); Wistia monthly not shown | $25–$79 |
| Social scheduling | Later Growth or Buffer Essentials (3 ch.) | ~$15–$50 ⚠ | $15–$37.50 |
| Link-in-bio | Linktree Pro | $17 | $14 |
| Meta ads tool (if any) | AdEspresso Starter/Plus or Bïrch | $49–$99 | similar (AdEspresso shows no annual) |

**Two illustrative stacks** (our arithmetic on the figures above; ticketing excluded because it is
fee-based; ⚠-derived figures carried as such):

- **Lean stack, monthly billing:** Leadpages Pro $29 + Zoom Webinars $89 + Calendly Standard $12 +
  Vimeo Starter $20 + Later Starter $25 ⚠ + Linktree Starter $9 + AdEspresso Starter $49 =
  **$233/mo**.
- **Typical "webinar funnel" stack, monthly billing:** Leadpages Grow $99 + WebinarJam Basic $99 +
  EverWebinar $199 + Acuity Standard $34 + Vimeo Standard $41 + Later Growth $50 ⚠ + Linktree Pro $17 +
  AdEspresso Plus $99 = **$638/mo**.
  Same stack on annual billing: ~$79 ⚠ + $79 + $99 + $27 + $25 + $37.50 + $14 + $99 ≈ **$460/mo**
  (paid up front, mostly as yearly lump sums).

Without the ads tool the typical stack is ~$539/mo monthly or ~$361/mo annual; without automated
webinars ~$440/mo monthly.

**Observations useful for the pricing case**

1. **Webinars are the most expensive single delivery category**: $89–$99/mo for 500 live attendees and
   another $99–$199/mo for evergreen. A business that wants both live and automated webinars pays
   ~$190–$300/mo for webinars alone on monthly billing.
2. **Page builders split in two**: cheap site builders ($12–$40) that are not conversion tools, and
   conversion/funnel builders ($99–$197 at the "most popular" tier). Knowledge businesses running ads
   tend to need the second.
3. **Booking, link-in-bio and social scheduling are cheap individually** ($10–$50 each) but add up to
   ~$40–$100/mo together.
4. **Fees, not subscriptions, are the cost of ticketing**: Eventbrite takes ~10% of a $50 ticket;
   Squarespace takes 5–7% of digital/membership sales on its lower plans. A flat-price platform beats
   these at volume.
5. **Most vendors now hide the monthly-billing number** (Wix, Wistia, Hootsuite, Later, Luma, Cal.com,
   Leadpages annual) and push annual prepay at 14–40% off. Comparisons should state which billing
   basis is used; monthly billing is the like-for-like comparison for a month-to-month SaaS.
6. Against Stapilo's packages (stapilo-packages.md): the delivery-side tools for the **Webinar Funnel**
   job alone (pages + live + automated webinar) cost $29–$99 + $89–$99 + $99–$199 ≈ **$217–$397/mo**
   on monthly billing, before email marketing, CRM or checkout, versus Stapilo's $109. For
   **Coach & Consultant** (booking + pages), booking $12–$34 + pages $29–$99 ≈ $41–$133 before email.
   For **Creator & Audience** (video + social + link-in-bio), $20–$41 + $25–$50 ⚠ + $9–$17 ≈
   $54–$108 before newsletter. Email/CRM costs are in the other research files and must be added for
   a full comparison.

---

## 4. Sources (all checked 2026-10-25)

Official pricing pages:
- Leadpages — https://www.leadpages.com/pricing
- Unbounce — https://unbounce.com/pricing/
- ClickFunnels — https://www.clickfunnels.com/pricing
- Carrd — https://carrd.com/pro
- Framer — https://www.framer.com/pricing
- Webflow — https://webflow.com/pricing
- Wix — https://www.wix.com/plans
- Squarespace — https://www.squarespace.com/pricing
- Zoom Workplace — https://zoom.us/pricing
- Zoom Webinars — https://zoom.us/pricing/webinar
- Zoom Events / Sessions — https://zoom.us/pricing/events
- WebinarJam — https://home.webinarjam.com/pricing
- EverWebinar — https://everwebinar.com/pricing
- Demio — https://demio.com/pricing
- Livestorm — https://livestorm.co/pricing
- WebinarGeek — https://www.webinargeek.com/pricing
- ClickMeeting — https://clickmeeting.com/pricing (prices not readable); ClickMeeting knowledge base article (last updated 2024-08-01) — https://knowledge.clickmeeting.com/?p=8883
- eWebinar — https://ewebinar.com/pricing
- StreamYard — https://streamyard.com/pricing
- Riverside — https://riverside.com/pricing (served as a staging version)
- Calendly — https://calendly.com/pricing
- Acuity Scheduling — https://acuityscheduling.com/signup.php
- Cal.com — https://cal.com/pricing
- SimplyBook.me — https://simplybook.me/en/pricing
- Fresha — https://www.fresha.com/pricing (served in GEL)
- Eventbrite — https://www.eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing/
- Tito — https://ti.to/pricing
- Luma — https://luma.com/pricing
- Vimeo — https://vimeo.com/pricing
- Wistia — https://wistia.com/pricing
- Bunny Stream — https://bunny.net/pricing/stream/
- Buffer — https://buffer.com/pricing
- Later — https://later.com/pricing/
- Hootsuite — https://www.hootsuite.com/plans
- Linktree — https://linktr.ee/s/pricing
- AdEspresso — https://adespresso.com/pricing/
- Madgicx — https://madgicx.com/pricing
- Bïrch — https://bir.ch/pricing

Third-party sources used only for ⚠ figures:
- Framer monthly prices — https://siter.io/framer-pricing
- Zoom Webinars tiers — https://www.costbench.com/software/webinar-software/zoom-webinars/price-history/
- ClickMeeting entry prices — https://capterra.com/p/157063/ClickMeeting/ ; https://www.softwareadvice.com/lms/clickmeeting-profile/
- Livestorm credits/free tier — https://easywebinar.com/blog/livestorm-pricing/ ; https://pricingsaas.com/companies/livestorm/diffs/2026W10
- Fresha USD — https://pabau.com/blog/fresha-pricing/ ; https://www.costbench.com/software/salon-spa/fresha/
- Later monthly — https://www.socialpilot.co/insights/later-pricing
- Hootsuite billing basis — https://www.blotato.com/blog/hootsuite-pricing ; https://www.socialpilot.co/insights/hootsuite-pricing
- Leadpages annual — https://revenuegeeks.com/software/leadpages/pricing
- Madgicx — https://www.get-ryze.ai/blog/madgicx-pricing-2026 ; https://pricingsaas.com/companies/madgicx/diffs/2025Q4



---

## Research file: feature-matrix

# Feature matrix: Stapilo vs 15 all-in-one platforms for knowledge sellers

> Date: 2026-10-25. Machine-readable copy: `feature-matrix.json` (same folder).
> Prices and plan limits are in `pricing-all-in-one.md`; this file is about what each platform can do.

## 1. Method

**The feature list is a union, not Stapilo's list.** It was built from what the 15 competitors advertise on their own features, pricing and help-centre pages, then deduplicated into 80 features in 9 groups. Four more rows (X1–X4) were added after the first pass; they come from capabilities seen on both sides (SEO tools, interactive video, breakout rooms, ad-audience sync). Because those four lean towards Stapilo's strengths, the counts are also given without them (section 3).

**Competitor columns.** Every competitor was checked on its official domains only (vendor site, pricing page, help centre, official changelog), on 2026-10-25. Third-party review sites were never used for a "yes". Values:
- **yes**: offered natively on a normal self-serve plan.
- **partial**: only on the top or custom plan, a paid add-on, limited, beta, or only through a third-party integration. Every partial has a note.
- **no**: not offered, or not found on official pages after a real check.
- **unknown**: could not be settled from official pages (27 of 1,260 competitor cells).

**Stapilo column.** Filled from Stapilo's own codebase (read-only), not from marketing copy. "Yes" needs evidence: a database model, a service or a screen (section 6). "Partial" means built but limited, unreleased, or available only in some setups. "No" means searched and not found. This is stricter than the competitor test in one way (code, not claims) and looser in another: code shows that a feature is built, not how polished it is or how many customers use it.

**Limits of this table.**
- It counts features. It does not measure depth, polish, reliability, scale or support. A "yes" for a 10-year-old product and a "yes" for a young one are not the same thing.
- Vendors advertise what they have and stay quiet about what they lack, so a competitor "no" can be a feature that exists but is not documented.
- Plan gating differs. Many competitor "yes" values apply only from a mid-tier plan upward (see notes). Stapilo sells features one by one, so a Stapilo "yes" can also be a paid feature.


## 2. The matrix

Columns: STP = Stapilo · KAJ = Kajabi · GHL = HighLevel · CF = ClickFunnels · KAR = Kartra · THK = Thinkific · CIR = Circle · MN = Mighty Networks · LW = LearnWorlds · SYS = Systeme.io · SIM = Simvoly · POD = Podia · TCH = Teachable · STAN = Stan Store · HGT = Heights Platform · SKL = Skool

Values: **Y** = yes · **P** = partial (add-on, top plan only, limited, beta, or only through an integration) · **–** = no / not found after a real check · **?** = unknown. Notes for every P and many Y follow each group.


### Sell & get paid

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| S1 | Checkout pages / one-time payments | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| S2 | Subscriptions / recurring memberships | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| S3 | Payment plans (installments) | **P** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – |
| S4 | Order bumps / one-click upsells | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P |
| S5 | Coupons / discount codes | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – |
| S6 | Affiliate program (your own affiliates promote your products) | **–** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| S7 | Physical products / shipping | **–** | P | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | Y | – | – | P | – | – |
| S8 | Digital downloads | **P** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P |
| S9 | Free trials on subscriptions | **–** | Y | Y | ? | Y | Y | Y | Y | ? | Y | ? | Y | Y | ? | ? | Y |
| S10 | 0% platform fee on your sales (on at least one paid plan) | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – |
| S11 | Multi-currency pricing | **P** | Y | P | – | – | Y | Y | Y | ? | Y | ? | Y | Y | Y | Y | – |
| S12 | Sales tax / VAT handling (automatic) | **P** | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | P | Y | P | P | Y | Y | Y | – | Y |
| S13 | Invoices / quotes to customers | **–** | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | P | ? | P | P | P |
| S14 | Product bundles | **Y** | Y | ? | ? | ? | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | ? | Y | – |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **S1** Simvoly: full e-commerce on Premium+; add-on below
- **S2** LearnWorlds: Pro Trainer plan and up
- **S3** Stapilo: Only bank buy-now-pay-later through one regional bank partner; no split-pay instalments via Stripe/Paddle; LearnWorlds: installments on Pro Trainer and up; Stan Store: Creator Pro; also Afterpay/Klarna
- **S4** Stapilo: Order bumps; no one-click post-purchase upsell (upsell page is a redirect); Circle: post-purchase plan upgrades only (Oct 2026); no order bumps; Mighty Networks: 'targeted upsells' listed; no order bumps found; Simvoly: bump offers, one-click upsells and downsells; Podia: Shaker plan and up; Stan Store: Creator Pro; Heights Platform: Basic plan and up; Skool: in-classroom one-time course purchases only
- **S5** Stan Store: Creator Pro
- **S6** Stapilo: No affiliate/referral program found in code; Kajabi: Growth plan and up; payouts via PayPal; ClickFunnels: Affiliate Center, Optimize plan and up; Kartra: Growth plan and up; Thinkific: affiliate reporting on all plans; Circle: affiliates via paywall referral program; Mighty Networks: Rootabl/Rewardful integration on Scale+; LearnWorlds: Pro Trainer and up; Systeme.io: all plans, including Free; Simvoly: affiliates only for white-label resellers; Podia: Shaker plan and up; Teachable: Builder plan and up; Stan Store: Creator Pro (Affiliate Share); Heights Platform: Basic plan and up; Skool: member referral affiliates
- **S7** Stapilo: No shipping or physical product type (ProductType enum); Kajabi: only via Shopify Buy Buttons or Zapier fulfilment; Systeme.io: variants, inventory, shipping, cash on delivery; Stan Store: manual shipping; no inventory
- **S8** Stapilo: Files delivered via course file blocks, paid forms or the success link; no standalone download product type; Circle: files only behind paywalled spaces; no download product type; Mighty Networks: paid resource libraries; no download product type; Skool: files inside classroom; no download product
- **S9** Stapilo: No trial period on subscriptions found; ClickFunnels: not confirmed on official pages; LearnWorlds: not confirmed on official pages; Simvoly: not found on official pages; Skool: 7-day trial on subscription groups
- **S10** Stapilo: No application fee in payment code; the business connects its own Stripe/Paddle; Kajabi: no revenue share on Kajabi Payments; 0.5-2% with other gateways; HighLevel: no platform fee; processor fees only; ClickFunnels: no percentage of sales; Kartra: 0% on Starter and up; 5% on Essentials; Thinkific: no platform fee; processing fees apply; Circle: no 0% plan; lowest is 0.5% on custom Circle Plus; Mighty Networks: no 0% plan; lowest is 0.5% on Growth; LearnWorlds: none from Pro Trainer up; Starter $5/sale; Systeme.io: 0% on all plans, including Free; Podia: Shaker and Earthquaker; Mover 5%; Teachable: Builder and up with Teachable Payments; Starter 7.5%; Skool: Hobby 10%, Pro 2.9% (incl. processing)
- **S11** Stapilo: Currency set per product, limited to USD/EUR (+1 local currency); Kajabi: 140+ currencies via Kajabi Payments; HighLevel: currency per sub-account; payment links in other currencies; ClickFunnels: one currency per workspace; Kartra: one currency per account; Thinkific: local currency at checkout (Thinkific Payments); Circle: 22 currencies on paywall prices; Mighty Networks: hundreds of currencies; LearnWorlds: multi-currency selling not confirmed; Systeme.io: currency chosen per price plan; Simvoly: not found on official pages; Podia: 20+ currencies; Teachable: 120+ currencies; Stan Store: adaptive local-currency pricing; Heights Platform: 130+ currencies; Skool: all prices in USD
- **S12** Stapilo: Only when the business uses Paddle as merchant of record; Kajabi: Kajabi Sales Tax tool, $0.15 per transaction; HighLevel: International Automatic Taxes; ClickFunnels: via Stripe Tax / Payments AI; Kartra: tax rates set by hand per region; Thinkific: auto US/Canada tax; EU/UK VAT opt-in; 0.5% fee; Circle: Stripe Tax integration; Mighty Networks: via Quaderno integration; off by default; LearnWorlds: Stripe Tax or Quaderno; Systeme.io: VAT automatic for digital sales; physical by hand; Simvoly: tax rules at checkout; auto-calculation not stated; Podia: sales tax in 230 jurisdictions; Teachable: US sales tax, EU/UK VAT via Teachable Pay; Stan Store: Stripe tax; limited countries; Heights Platform: no automatic tax found; Skool: Skool is merchant of record
- **S13** Stapilo: Receipts only; no invoices or quotes; ClickFunnels: automatic Stripe invoices per order; no quotes; Kartra: automatic invoices, fixed layout; no quotes; Thinkific: B2B invoicing, Grow plan and up; LearnWorlds: invoices and credit notes automatic; Podia: automatic receipts/invoices; no quotes; Teachable: no invoicing found; Stan Store: purchase receipts only; Heights Platform: automatic invoices/receipts; no quotes; Skool: member invoices
- **S14** HighLevel: not confirmed on official pages; ClickFunnels: not confirmed on official pages; Kartra: not confirmed on official pages; Circle: one paywall can unlock several spaces or courses; Mighty Networks: bundles of tiers and offers

</details>


### Courses & learning

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| C1 | Online courses | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| C2 | Drip / scheduled content release | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| C3 | Graded quizzes / tests | **Y** | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | – | Y | – |
| C4 | Certificates of completion | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | – | Y | Y | – | – | Y | P | – | Y | – |
| C5 | Assignments / homework submissions | **Y** | P | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | – | P | – | Y | – |
| C6 | Cohort-based courses | **Y** | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | Y | – | – | Y | – |
| C7 | Native video hosting | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| C8 | Student progress tracking | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ? |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **C3** ClickFunnels: no native course quizzes found; Kartra: quizzes via Surveys; Growth plan and up; Thinkific: quizzes all plans; exams/question banks Grow and up; Simvoly: quizzes are for lead generation, not grading
- **C4** Kartra: certificate only via quiz success-page workaround; Circle: no certificate feature in help center; Mighty Networks: badges and certificates awarded automatically; LearnWorlds: Pro Trainer and up; Systeme.io: no native certificates; Teachable: Growth plan ($189/mo) and up
- **C5** Stapilo: Form with file/video upload in a lesson, reviewed and graded; Kajabi: file-upload quiz questions, graded by hand; LearnWorlds: reviewable submissions and grading; Teachable: open-ended responses; no assignment workflow
- **C6** Kajabi: Growth and Pro plans; Thinkific: live cohorts via Zoom; Circle: cohort delivery claimed on Circle's comparison pages; Podia: cohort courses with start dates

</details>


### Community

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| M1 | Community spaces / feed / posts | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | Y |
| M2 | Member chat / direct messages | **Y** | Y | Y | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | Y | – | ? | Y | Y |
| M3 | Gamification (points, levels, leaderboards) | **Y** | Y | Y | – | – | P | Y | Y | P | – | – | P | – | – | Y | Y |
| M4 | Member directory / profiles | **Y** | Y | Y | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | P | Y | – | ? | Y | Y |
| M5 | Live streaming inside the community | **P** | Y | Y | – | – | P | Y | Y | – | – | – | P | – | P | Y | Y |
| M6 | Community events calendar | **P** | Y | Y | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | P | P | Y |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **M1** Kartra: membership post comments only; no community feed; Teachable: community in maintenance mode; closed to new schools
- **M2** Systeme.io: DMs only a roadmap request
- **M3** Stapilo: Points and levels; public leaderboard removed from the member app; HighLevel: levels and rewards; leaderboard being reworked; Thinkific: third-party app (Pointagram) only; LearnWorlds: badges confirmed; points/leaderboards unconfirmed; Podia: badges only; no points or leaderboards; Skool: points, levels, leaderboards
- **M4** Stapilo: Per-course member area with profiles and people search; Simvoly: member profiles; no directory; Skool: members list and member map
- **M5** Stapilo: Native live rooms exist (live events) but run as separate events, not inside boards; Kajabi: Live Rooms / Meetups in community; Thinkific: community live events via Zoom; 5 on Start; LearnWorlds: live sessions via Zoom/Teams/Meet/Webex; Podia: events link to Zoom/YouTube Live/Meet; Stan Store: webinars via Zoom/Google Meet; Heights Platform: live streaming Pro+; meeting rooms Basic+; Skool: native Skool Call / Go Live
- **M6** Stapilo: Member app lists the person's events; no shared community calendar; Heights Platform: no calendar view

</details>


### Events & live

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| E1 | Native live webinars (host live inside the platform) | **Y** | P | P | – | P | P | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | Y |
| E2 | Automated / evergreen webinars | **Y** | P | Y | Y | P | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| E3 | Zoom integration | **Y** | P | Y | Y | P | Y | – | Y | Y | P | – | P | Y | Y | – | P |
| E4 | Ticketed online events | **Y** | Y | P | P | – | Y | Y | Y | P | – | – | Y | – | Y | Y | P |
| E5 | In-person event tickets / door check-in (QR) | **Y** | P | P | – | – | – | – | P | – | – | – | P | – | – | – | – |
| E6 | Event reminders by email/SMS | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | ? | P | Y | Y | ? | Y | – | Y | – | Y | Y | ? |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **E1** Kajabi: built-in live video for coaching, cohorts, community; no webinar room; HighLevel: native Live Streaming Engine/Go Live; webinar funnels use Zoom/YouTube links; Kartra: native webinar room being retired 1 Nov 2026; Thinkific: Zoom-based live lessons; no native room; LearnWorlds: hosted through Zoom, Meet, Teams, Webex; Systeme.io: only evergreen webinars; live is a roadmap request; Teachable: only embeds third-party livestreams; Stan Store: webinars hosted on Zoom/Google Meet; Heights Platform: built-in live stream (Pro+) and meeting rooms; Skool: Skool Call; webinar mode Pro only
- **E2** Kajabi: 'live evergreen webinar' recipe using Zoom-style links; HighLevel: on-demand webinars from uploaded video; ClickFunnels: evergreen webinar funnels on a recurring schedule; Kartra: 'Always On' webinars, retiring 1 Nov 2026; Systeme.io: Webinar plan and up
- **E3** Kajabi: no native integration; Zoom links only; ClickFunnels: pushes registrants to Zoom meetings/webinars; Kartra: Zoom for calendar meetings only, not webinars; Thinkific: Zoom app, Start plan and up; Circle: only pastes an outside Zoom link; Mighty Networks: Zoom events sync both ways; Systeme.io: Zoom for bookings meetings; Podia: Zoom link recognized; no API integration; Teachable: Zoom app in App Hub; Skool: Zoom/Meet as event location link
- **E4** Kajabi: Events + Offer sells online/in-person seats; HighLevel: Events in Labs (beta); ClickFunnels: event funnel templates; no ticketing system; Thinkific: webinar products sold, delivered via Zoom; Circle: paid event tickets through paywalls; Mighty Networks: paid one-time events on Scale plan and up; LearnWorlds: webinars sold as products through Zoom; Heights Platform: sell access to live streams; Skool: one-time-payment groups; no per-event tickets
- **E5** Kajabi: tickets sold, no QR check-in found; HighLevel: Events beta; QR check-in by default; Mighty Networks: in-person events; no tickets or QR check-in; Podia: paid in-person events; no QR check-in
- **E6** Kartra: not confirmed on official pages; Thinkific: Zoom live lessons send no automatic reminders; Circle: email and in-app reminders; no SMS; Mighty Networks: email and push notifications

</details>


### Marketing

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| K1 | Email broadcasts / newsletters | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – |
| K2 | Email automations / visual workflow builder | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | – |
| K3 | SMS marketing | **P** | P | Y | P | Y | – | – | – | – | P | P | – | – | – | – | – |
| K4 | WhatsApp messaging | **Y** | P | P | P | – | – | – | – | – | – | P | – | – | – | – | – |
| K5 | Forms / lead capture | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P |
| K6 | Surveys / lead quizzes (scored or branching) | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – |
| K7 | Landing pages / sales funnels | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P |
| K8 | Full website builder | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | – |
| K9 | Blog | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | P | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | – | Y | – |
| K10 | Link-in-bio page | **Y** | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | Y | – | – |
| K11 | A/B split testing | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – |
| K12 | Pop-ups | **–** | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | P | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – |
| K13 | Tracking pixels / conversion tracking (Meta pixel, GA) | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| K14 | Testimonials / reviews collection on your pages | **Y** | P | Y | – | – | Y | P | – | Y | – | Y | P | P | P | P | Y |
| K15 | Short links / QR codes | **Y** | – | Y | Y | ? | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **K1** Thinkific: bulk email Grow plan and up; Circle: Email Hub add-on, $99/mo per 10k contacts; Mighty Networks: 'message all members'; no newsletter builder; LearnWorlds: Pro Trainer and up (email credits); Simvoly: 100-2,500 subscribers by plan; Podia: capped at 100/500/1,000 subscribers by plan; Stan Store: Creator Pro; Skool: no email marketing
- **K2** Kartra: advanced automations Growth plan and up; Thinkific: basic automated emails; no visual builder found; Circle: workflows on Business plan and up; Mighty Networks: advanced automations on Growth; LearnWorlds: automations on Learning Center plan; Podia: trigger-based automations; no visual builder; Teachable: abandoned cart and system emails only; Stan Store: Creator Pro email flows; Heights Platform: sequences, cart recovery; no visual builder
- **K3** Stapilo: One regional SMS gateway only; no global SMS provider (e.g. Twilio) yet; Kajabi: SMS sending in closed beta; else Zapier; HighLevel: usage-billed; ClickFunnels: via Twilio/Bandwidth in MessageHub; Kartra: Starter plan and up; Systeme.io: through Twilio integration; Simvoly: SMS through Twilio
- **K4** Kajabi: WhatsApp chat widget only; HighLevel: add-on $10/mo per sub-account; ClickFunnels: via Meta Cloud API or Twilio in MessageHub; Simvoly: WhatsApp campaigns; provider not stated
- **K5** Thinkific: email-only lead capture section; Circle: forms are part of the Email Hub add-on; Mighty Networks: waitlist landing pages only; Skool: membership questions on join
- **K6** Kajabi: Assessments (surveys); ClickFunnels: Survey Workflows with answer-based split rules; Kartra: Growth plan and up; Thinkific: in-course surveys only
- **K7** Mighty Networks: 1 to 10 landing pages by plan; LearnWorlds: Pro Trainer and up; Skool: group About page only
- **K8** Stan Store: storefront only, no full site
- **K9** Kartra: blog templates in page builder; no blog engine; Teachable: via DropInBlog integration
- **K10** Kajabi: link-style landing page templates; HighLevel: link-tree templates in site builder; Systeme.io: creator store link-in-bio page
- **K11** Stapilo: Split by link (2-4 destinations) and price split tests; no email subject A/B; Simvoly: pages, pop-ups and email A/B tests
- **K12** Stapilo: No pop-up builder (the agent can code one into a page); Thinkific: via third-party app; Circle: form pop-ups through the Email Hub add-on
- **K13** Mighty Networks: pixels and GA on Scale plan and up
- **K14** Stapilo: Video testimonial collection; Kajabi: testimonial slider display widget; Circle: member reviews arriving Nov 2026; Podia: testimonial display only; no collection; Teachable: testimonial blocks; no collection; Heights Platform: testimonials on pages; Senja integration; Skool: native member reviews
- **K15** HighLevel: QR codes and trigger links; Kartra: not confirmed on official pages

</details>


### Sales & CRM

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| R1 | CRM contacts with tags / segments | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | P | – |
| R2 | Sales pipelines / deals | **P** | – | Y | Y | ? | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| R3 | Booking calendar / appointment scheduling | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | – | P | Y | Y | P | P | Y | – | – |
| R4 | Paid 1:1 coaching sessions | **Y** | Y | Y | ? | ? | Y | – | – | P | Y | ? | Y | Y | Y | Y | – |
| R5 | Proposals / contracts / e-signature | **P** | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| R6 | Phone calling (VoIP, call tracking) | **–** | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| R7 | Reputation management (Google reviews requests/replies) | **P** | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| R8 | Live chat widget for your website | **Y** | P | Y | Y | P | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **R1** Thinkific: student list/segments; CRM integrations on Plus; Stan Store: customer list; tags via email flows; Heights Platform: contacts with filters; tags not confirmed
- **R2** Stapilo: Filter-based funnel stages of contacts; no deal board with values; Kartra: 'lead management' only; pipelines not confirmed; Systeme.io: Kanban CRM pipelines
- **R3** ClickFunnels: Scale plan and up; Circle: embeds Calendly only; LearnWorlds: live 1:1 sessions; no native booking calendar; Podia: embeds Calendly/SavvyCal/Acuity; Teachable: coaching links to external calendar; Heights Platform: no booking calendar found
- **R4** ClickFunnels: not confirmed on official pages; Kartra: not confirmed on official pages; LearnWorlds: 1:1 sessions through Zoom; Systeme.io: bookings with deposits or payments; Simvoly: payment for appointments not confirmed; Heights Platform: coaching sold as digital product
- **R5** Stapilo: Signature field on forms; no proposal or contract documents
- **R6** Stapilo: No phone calling; HighLevel: usage-billed calling
- **R7** Stapilo: Reads Google reviews and drafts AI replies to copy; no review-request campaigns or posting
- **R8** Kajabi: WhatsApp/Telegram/ManyChat widgets; no native live chat; ClickFunnels: MessageHub website chat; Kartra: helpdesk live chat, Professional plan only; Podia: chat bubble with chat inbox

</details>


### Social & ads

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| A1 | Social media post scheduling | **P** | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| A2 | Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads creation & management | **Y** | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| A3 | Unified inbox (Messenger / Instagram DMs / email / chat in one place) | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| A4 | Instagram/Facebook comment & DM auto-replies (keyword auto-DM) | **Y** | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **A1** Stapilo: Facebook and Instagram only (posts, stories, scheduling); Kajabi: Creator Studio sharing ends 9 Nov 2026
- **A3** Stapilo: Messenger, Instagram DM, WhatsApp, FB/IG comments, web chat, email, member app; Kajabi: Universal Inbox (Instagram, Facebook); ClickFunnels: MessageHub: chat, Messenger, WhatsApp, SMS, email
- **A4** Kajabi: Growth plan and up; Stan Store: Instagram keyword AutoDM

</details>


### AI

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| I1 | AI content writing (copy, emails, posts) | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | – |
| I2 | AI generates a course / site / funnel from a prompt | **Y** | Y | Y | P | – | P | Y | Y | Y | P | – | P | P | – | Y | – |
| I3 | AI chatbot that replies to customers | **Y** | P | Y | – | – | – | P | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| I4 | AI voice agent (answers/makes phone calls) | **–** | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| I5 | AI agent that builds and operates the business across tools (multi-step, takes actions) | **Y** | P | P | – | – | – | P | P | – | P | – | P | – | – | P | – |
| I6 | AI tutor / teaching assistant inside courses | **P** | P | – | – | – | P | P | – | P | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| I7 | MCP server / outside AI assistants can operate the account | **Y** | Y | Y | P | – | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y | – | Y | – |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **I1** Kartra: Kartra AI writer, 30-500 uses/mo; Thinkific: course outline and quiz generators only; Circle: AI writer on Business plan and up; Systeme.io: no built-in AI; outside AI over MCP; Simvoly: AI Assistant for content and SEO text; Teachable: AI outlines, quizzes, lesson summaries; Stan Store: Stanley is a separate paid product
- **I2** Stapilo: Agent builds pages, courses, forms, campaigns; Kajabi: Cofounder builds a product and pages; ClickFunnels: 'Build with AI' funnel builder, beta; Thinkific: course outline generator only; Circle: Circle AI builds spaces and curricula from a prompt; Mighty Networks: Cohost sets up spaces, plans, landing page; LearnWorlds: AI course builder and AI page funnels; Systeme.io: only through outside AI (MCP); Podia: Podia Agent drafts products and site copy; Teachable: AI course outlines only; Heights Platform: AI product generator and AI website builder
- **I3** Stapilo: AI answers on all 8 inbox channels from a knowledge base; Kajabi: Expert Agents sales agent, $79/agent/mo; HighLevel: Conversation AI, usage-billed; Circle: AI agents on Scale plan and up
- **I4** Stapilo: No phone voice agent; HighLevel: Voice AI, usage-billed
- **I5** Stapilo: One agent with tools across every area (pages, campaigns, ads, inbox, shop, events); Kajabi: Cofounder plans and drafts; doesn't run operations; HighLevel: AI Employee add-on $50-97/mo; agents act inside workflows; Circle: Circle AI acts inside Circle only; agents on Scale+; Mighty Networks: Cohost acts only inside Mighty; Systeme.io: ChatGPT/Claude act in the account over MCP; Podia: Podia Agent drafts and acts with approval; Shaker+; Heights Platform: Copilot recommends; edits only via external MCP agents
- **I6** Stapilo: Inbox AI answers inside the member app; AI chat about a test result; no lesson-aware tutor; Kajabi: Expert Agents teaching assistant, $79/agent/mo; Thinkific: Thinker AI assistant, Plus plan only; Circle: AI agents answer from course content, Scale+; LearnWorlds: AI feedback chat on quiz results only
- **I7** Kajabi: MCP on all plans; writes saved as drafts; HighLevel: official MCP server; ClickFunnels: MCP server, beta; Thinkific: MCP read-only beta, Plus plan only; Circle: Circle MCP on Business plan and up; Mighty Networks: APIs and MCP on Scale plan and up; LearnWorlds: MCP launched Oct 2026; Systeme.io: MCP server on all plans, including Free; Podia: Podia MCP server; Teachable: Teachable MCP server; Heights Platform: MCP server (Basic+)

</details>


### Platform

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| P1 | Branded mobile app (your own iOS/Android app in the stores) | **P** | P | P | – | – | P | P | P | P | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| P2 | Member mobile app (platform's own app, not branded) | **P** | Y | Y | – | – | Y | Y | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | P | – | Y |
| P3 | White label / SaaS reselling | **–** | – | P | – | P | – | – | – | P | P | Y | P | P | – | P | – |
| P4 | Team seats & roles | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | Y |
| P5 | Custom domains | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | – | Y | – |
| P6 | Public API / webhooks | **P** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | – | Y | – | Y | P |
| P7 | Zapier / Make integration | **–** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| P8 | Multiple businesses / sub-accounts under one login | **Y** | P | Y | Y | Y | P | P | – | P | Y | P | ? | Y | P | ? | Y |
| P9 | Custom mini-app builder (build your own small apps/tools) | **Y** | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| P10 | Public marketplace / discovery for creators' products | **Y** | P | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | Y |
| P11 | Multi-language customer-facing area | **P** | Y | ? | ? | P | Y | Y | Y | P | P | P | P | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| P12 | Business analytics dashboard (revenue, traffic, funnel) | **Y** | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | P | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **P1** Stapilo: Tenant-branded installable web app (PWA) on own domain; no store-listed branded app; Kajabi: included on Pro ($199/mo value); HighLevel: white-label app add-on $497/mo; Thinkific: add-on $199/mo; Circle: branded apps only on custom Circle Plus; Mighty Networks: branded apps only on custom Mighty Pro; LearnWorlds: branded app is a paid add-on
- **P2** Stapilo: Member iOS app built but unreleased; web app installable; Systeme.io: mobile app only on the roadmap; Teachable: iOS and Android student apps; Stan Store: community iOS app for members; Heights Platform: desktop app only; mobile is responsive web; Skool: Skool mobile app
- **P3** Stapilo: No reseller / SaaS mode; HighLevel: SaaS mode only on Agency Pro ($497); Kartra: agency resells accounts at 40% discount; no white label; LearnWorlds: removes branding (Learning Center); no reselling; Systeme.io: white-label mentioned; details not public; Simvoly: white-label plans from $69/mo; Podia: removable branding only; no reselling; Teachable: remove branding on Growth; no reselling; Heights Platform: white-label branding (Pro+); no reselling
- **P4** Systeme.io: unlimited assistant accounts; Stan Store: no team access
- **P5** Stan Store: no custom domain; forwarding only; Skool: skool.com slug only
- **P6** Stapilo: Outgoing webhooks in automations and a full MCP door; no public REST API with keys; ClickFunnels: Scale plan and up; Kartra: API Growth plan and up; Thinkific: API and webhooks Grow plan and up; Circle: Admin API on Business+, webhooks on Scale+; Mighty Networks: Scale plan and up; LearnWorlds: API/webhooks on Learning Center and up; Podia: no public API or webhooks; Teachable: public API Growth and up; webhooks all plans; Heights Platform: API and webhooks, Basic+; Skool: API key for Zapier only
- **P7** Stapilo: No Zapier or Make integration; Mighty Networks: Zapier on Scale plan and up; Podia: Shaker plan and up
- **P8** Kajabi: Pro plan: 3 websites; ClickFunnels: workspaces: 1/5/10/20 by plan; Kartra: Kartra Agency dashboard; Thinkific: Plus Portal (enterprise); Circle: community switcher; each billed separately; LearnWorlds: client groups on Learning Center; Systeme.io: unlimited sub-accounts; Simvoly: multiple projects on white-label plans; Podia: not found on official pages; Teachable: multiple schools under one account; Stan Store: multiple stores, each billed
- **P10** Stapilo: Stapilo Academy marketplace; Kajabi: Amplify network, new; Circle: Circle Discover storefront; Skool: Skool Discovery
- **P11** Stapilo: 2 interface languages today; per-language message content; Kajabi: site language translates system text; custom text manual; HighLevel: not confirmed on official pages; ClickFunnels: not confirmed on official pages; Kartra: 24 checkout languages; interface English; Circle: interface in 6 languages; Mighty Networks: interface in 6 languages besides English; LearnWorlds: via Weglot integration; Systeme.io: languages per website; Simvoly: no multilingual sites (roadmap); Podia: one site language; Teachable: student UI in 12 languages; Stan Store: 12 languages; Heights Platform: 21 student languages; Skool: member UI in 11 languages
- **P12** Systeme.io: basic stats; no unified dashboard

</details>


### Extra capabilities (added after the first pass)

| # | Feature | **STP** | KAJ | GHL | CF | KAR | THK | CIR | MN | LW | SYS | SIM | POD | TCH | STAN | HGT | SKL |
|---|---|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| X1 | SEO toolkit (keyword research, rank tracking, site audit) | **Y** | P | P | P | P | P | P | – | P | P | P | P | P | – | P | – |
| X2 | Interactive video (in-video questions, polls, CTAs) | **Y** | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | Y | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – |
| X3 | Breakout rooms in native live sessions | **Y** | Y | – | – | – | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| X4 | CRM segments synced to Meta custom audiences (native) | **Y** | – | Y | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |

<details><summary>Notes</summary>

- **X1** Stapilo: Keyword research, rank tracking, Search Console, site audit, AI-answer visibility; Kajabi: basic page/blog SEO settings only; HighLevel: SEO add-on (Search Atlas) $79/mo; ClickFunnels: basic page/blog SEO settings only; Kartra: no SEO toolkit found; basic page settings; Thinkific: basic SEO settings only; Circle: basic website SEO settings only; LearnWorlds: page SEO settings only; Systeme.io: basic page SEO settings only; Simvoly: meta, alt-text and schema settings only; Podia: basic SEO fields only; Teachable: per-course SEO settings only; Heights Platform: basic built-in SEO only
- **X2** ClickFunnels: only via separate Voomly product; Kartra: in-video CTAs, opt-in forms, share-to-unlock; LearnWorlds: interactive video, Pro Trainer and up; Simvoly: video overlays and calls to action
- **X3** Kajabi: breakout rooms in group coaching/course live; Circle: breakout rooms in live rooms (Sept 2026); Mighty Networks: up to 9 speakers; no breakout rooms found; LearnWorlds: no native live rooms
- **X4** HighLevel: 'Add to Custom Audience' workflow action, Ad Manager audiences; Circle: pixel conversions only; no audience sync

</details>


## 3. Count per platform (84 features)

Score = yes + 0.5 × partial. A count of features is not a measure of quality: depth, polish, reliability and scale are not in this table.

| Platform | Yes | Partial | No | Unknown | Score |
|---|--:|--:|--:|--:|--:|
| HighLevel | 67 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 71.5 |
| **Stapilo** | 59 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 67 |
| Kajabi | 55 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 63.5 |
| Thinkific | 42 | 15 | 27 | 0 | 49.5 |
| LearnWorlds | 42 | 12 | 27 | 3 | 48 |
| Podia | 42 | 12 | 29 | 1 | 48 |
| Circle | 41 | 12 | 31 | 0 | 47 |
| Heights Platform | 43 | 7 | 32 | 2 | 46.5 |
| Systeme.io | 41 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 46 |
| ClickFunnels | 42 | 7 | 31 | 4 | 45.5 |
| Mighty Networks | 38 | 9 | 37 | 0 | 42.5 |
| Kartra | 36 | 11 | 32 | 5 | 41.5 |
| Teachable | 35 | 9 | 39 | 1 | 39.5 |
| Simvoly | 34 | 7 | 40 | 3 | 37.5 |
| Stan Store | 30 | 9 | 41 | 4 | 34.5 |
| Skool | 24 | 8 | 50 | 2 | 28 |

**Without the four added rows (80 features):** HighLevel 70 · **Stapilo 63** · Kajabi 62 · Thinkific 49 · Podia 47.5 · LearnWorlds 46.5 · Heights 46 · Circle 45.5 · Systeme.io 45.5 · ClickFunnels 45 · Mighty Networks 42.5 · Kartra 40 · Teachable 39 · Simvoly 36 · Stan Store 34.5 · Skool 28.

**How to read the ranking.** HighLevel has the widest feature list in this set, and Stapilo does not beat it on count. Stapilo and Kajabi are close behind, and everyone else sits 15–35 points lower. HighLevel is built for agencies that resell it to local businesses. Its phone, SMS and AI features are billed by usage on top of the plan, and its WhatsApp, white-label app and SEO are paid add-ons. Kajabi is the closest competitor built for knowledge sellers.

## 4. Where Stapilo is ahead

**Built in at Stapilo, and no competitor offers it natively on a normal plan:**
- **In-person event ticketing with seats and door check-in** (E5). Kajabi sells in-person seats with no check-in. HighLevel's events are in beta. Podia sells in-person events and Mighty Networks lists them, neither with QR check-in.
- **WhatsApp campaigns and inbox, built in** (K4). Four competitors get partial credit: HighLevel (a $10/mo add-on), ClickFunnels (through Twilio or the Meta Cloud API), Kajabi (a chat widget only) and Simvoly (provider not stated).
- **One AI agent that builds and runs the business across every area** (I5): pages, courses, campaigns, ads, inbox and shop. Seven competitors get partial credit, because their AI plans, drafts or acts inside one area: Kajabi Cofounder, HighLevel AI Employee, Circle AI, Mighty Cohost, Podia Agent, Heights Copilot, and Systeme.io through an outside AI over MCP.
- **A mini-app builder** (P9): the owner builds small custom tools, such as a screener or a calculator, and sells them like products.
- **An SEO toolkit** (X1): keyword research, rank tracking, a site audit and Search Console. HighLevel offers one only as a $79/mo add-on. Everyone else has basic page SEO settings.

**Rare (one or two competitors offer it):**
- **Meta ads management** (A2) and **CRM segments synced to Meta audiences** (X4): only HighLevel.
- **An AI that answers customers on every inbox channel** (I3): only HighLevel has it fully. Kajabi and Circle offer it as a paid add-on or on the top plan only.
- **Breakout rooms** in live sessions (X3): Kajabi and Circle.
- **Short links and QR codes** (K15): HighLevel and ClickFunnels.
- **A public marketplace** for creators' products (P10): Circle and Skool.

**Breadth for this audience.** Only Stapilo has every one of these: courses, community, automated webinars, native live rooms, Zoom, in-person ticketing, email, WhatsApp, a unified inbox, Meta ads and an AI agent. The nearest is HighLevel, which lacks native ticketing, cohort courses and a mini-app builder, and charges extra for WhatsApp and SEO.

## 5. Where Stapilo is behind (honest list)

**Standard features that most competitors have and Stapilo lacks or only partly has:**

| Gap | Stapilo today | Competitors with a full "yes" |
|---|---|---|
| Zapier / Make integration (P7) | none | 15 of 15 |
| Payment plans / instalments (S3) | only buy-now-pay-later through one regional bank partner | 14 |
| Affiliate program (S6) | none | 13 |
| Digital download as a product (S8) | files only inside courses, forms or the success link | 12 |
| Public API (P6) | outgoing webhooks and an MCP door; no REST API with keys | 11 |
| Free trials on subscriptions (S9) | none | 10 |
| Automatic sales tax / VAT (S12) | only when the business uses Paddle | 10 |
| Multi-currency (S11) | USD and EUR plus one local currency, set per product | 9 |
| Multi-language customer area (P11) | 2 interface languages | 8 |
| Member mobile app (P2) | iOS app built but unreleased; installable web app | 7 |
| Pop-ups (K12) | no pop-up builder | 7 |
| Community calendar / live inside the community (M6, M5) | live rooms exist but run separately from boards | 7 / 6 |
| Physical products and shipping (S7) | none | 5 |
| Invoices / quotes (S13) | receipts only | 5 |

**Features mostly only HighLevel has, which Stapilo also lacks:** phone calling (R6) and an AI voice agent (I4). Stapilo also lacks white-label / SaaS reselling (P3), contracts and e-signature (R5, a signature field on forms only), and a deal pipeline (R2, filter-based funnel stages only; HighLevel, ClickFunnels and Systeme.io have Kanban pipelines). Its reputation management (R7) only reads Google reviews and drafts replies. Its social scheduling (A1) covers Facebook and Instagram only.

**SMS (K3).** Stapilo sends SMS through a single regional gateway. For an international business this is close to a gap. Only HighLevel has native SMS; Kartra has it from its Starter plan; ClickFunnels, Systeme.io and Simvoly use Twilio.

**Teaching assistant inside courses (I6).** Nobody has this fully on a normal plan. Stapilo's inbox AI answers inside the member app, but it does not know which lesson the learner is on.

**Branded app in the app stores (P1).** No competitor includes one on a self-serve plan; it is an add-on or a custom tier everywhere. Stapilo has a tenant-branded installable web app, not a store app.

**What the gaps have in common.** Most are standard commerce and ecosystem features: integrations, affiliates, instalments, trials, tax, currencies, an API. Buyers expect these as basics, and each is a common reason to rule a platform out. The areas where Stapilo is ahead are newer: an AI that runs the business, WhatsApp, ads, ticketing and mini apps. That makes the investor case "different, and missing basics", not "ahead on everything".

## 5b. Features seen on competitor pages that are not scored above

These were advertised by one or a few competitors. They are listed here for completeness and are not in the counts:
- Abandoned-cart recovery: Thinkific, Teachable and Heights. Stapilo has an order-recovery switch on products (`Product.recoveryEnabled`), not verified in depth.
- SCORM import, learning paths, SSO: LearnWorlds, Mighty Networks, Thinkific; SSO on custom tiers.
- AI video transcription and subtitles: Kajabi, Circle, LearnWorlds, Skool.
- Podcast hosting: Kajabi.
- Member referral / ambassador programs: Mighty Networks, Teachable, Skool.
- Challenges and habit trackers: Mighty Networks, Heights.
- Countdown / deadline funnels: ClickFunnels, Systeme.io.
- Gifting and group (B2B seat) orders: Thinkific, Podia.
- Platform-funded discovery ads: Skool.
- Whole-account template snapshots: HighLevel.
- Done-for-you migration: Circle, LearnWorlds, Systeme.io.
- Things Stapilo has that are not scored: paid personality and assessment tests with paid result reports (`Assessment`), price split tests (`ProductPriceVariant`), a funnel and journey map of real contacts (`FilterFunnel`, `FunnelScan`), email warm-up (`WarmupConfig`), a desktop Cockpit app and a Mac screen recorder (`apps/cockpit`, `apps/screen`).


## 6. Stapilo evidence (codebase, read-only, 2026-10-25)

Paths are relative to the repo root. Model names refer to `packages/db/prisma/schema.prisma`; `services/` means `apps/api/src/services/`.

| # | Feature | Value | Evidence | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Checkout pages / one-time payments | yes | packages/db/prisma/schema.prisma Order, Product; apps/api/src/services/core/payment/{stripe,paddle}/adapter.ts |  |
| S2 | Subscriptions / recurring memberships | yes | Subscription model, SavedCard; ProductPaymentType SUBSCRIPTION |  |
| S3 | Payment plans (installments) | partial | Product.installmentEnabled, TenantPaymentConfig.bogInstallmentEnabled | Only bank buy-now-pay-later through one regional bank partner; no split-pay instalments via Stripe/Paddle |
| S4 | Order bumps / one-click upsells | yes | ProductOrderBump, OrderBumpItem; services/core/embed/payment-form-widget.ts | Order bumps; no one-click post-purchase upsell (upsell page is a redirect) |
| S5 | Coupons / discount codes | yes | Coupon, CouponRedemption, CouponProduct; services/core/coupons |  |
| S6 | Affiliate program (your own affiliates promote your products) | no | — (searched, not found) | No affiliate/referral program found in code |
| S7 | Physical products / shipping | no | — (searched, not found) | No shipping or physical product type (ProductType enum) |
| S8 | Digital downloads | partial | apps/agent/src/canvas/views/course-content/BlockEditor.tsx (file block); Form.products | Files delivered via course file blocks, paid forms or the success link; no standalone download product type |
| S9 | Free trials on subscriptions | no | — (searched, not found) | No trial period on subscriptions found |
| S10 | 0% platform fee on your sales (on at least one paid plan) | yes | services/core/payment/stripe/adapter.ts (no application_fee) | No application fee in payment code; the business connects its own Stripe/Paddle |
| S11 | Multi-currency pricing | partial | apps/api/src/capabilities/products.ts SHOP_CURRENCIES | Currency set per product, limited to USD/EUR (+1 local currency) |
| S12 | Sales tax / VAT handling (automatic) | partial | TenantPaymentConfig.paddle*; services/core/payment/paddle | Only when the business uses Paddle as merchant of record |
| S13 | Invoices / quotes to customers | no | — (searched, not found) | Receipts only; no invoices or quotes |
| S14 | Product bundles | yes | ProductInclude (one product grants several courses/webinars/apps) |  |
| C1 | Online courses | yes | Course, LmsModule, LmsLesson, LmsPart; services/core/courses |  |
| C2 | Drip / scheduled content release | yes | LmsPart.availableAfterHours / availableFromDate |  |
| C3 | Graded quizzes / tests | yes | quiz block -> Form; FormSubmissionStatus GRADED; Assessment model |  |
| C4 | Certificates of completion | yes | services/core/courses/certificates.ts, LmsCertificateStatus |  |
| C5 | Assignments / homework submissions | yes | FormFieldType FILE_UPLOAD/VIDEO_UPLOAD; FormSubmissionStatus PENDING_REVIEW/GRADED; FormSubmissionSource COURSE_MODULE | Form with file/video upload in a lesson, reviewed and graded |
| C6 | Cohort-based courses | yes | CourseClass (classes with start dates) |  |
| C7 | Native video hosting | yes | MediaAsset, VideoView; catalog row 'video'; Stapilo video player |  |
| C8 | Student progress tracking | yes | LmsPartProgress; apps/agent/src/canvas/views/LearningAnalytics.tsx |  |
| M1 | Community spaces / feed / posts | yes | Board, BoardPost, BoardComment, BoardLike |  |
| M2 | Member chat / direct messages | yes | DirectChat, DirectMessage; apps/portal/app/src/screens/Chats.tsx |  |
| M3 | Gamification (points, levels, leaderboards) | yes | apps/agent/src/canvas/views/CourseGamification.tsx | Points and levels; public leaderboard removed from the member app |
| M4 | Member directory / profiles | yes | apps/portal/app/src/screens/Person.tsx; components/new-chat.tsx | Per-course member area with profiles and people search |
| M5 | Live streaming inside the community | partial | LiveEvent (kinds BROADCAST/ONE_ON_ONE/CLASS) | Native live rooms exist (live events) but run as separate events, not inside boards |
| M6 | Community events calendar | partial | apps/portal/app/src/screens/Events.tsx | Member app lists the person's events; no shared community calendar |
| E1 | Native live webinars (host live inside the platform) | yes | LiveEvent, LiveEventSession; services/core/livekit, services/core/live-events |  |
| E2 | Automated / evergreen webinars | yes | Webinar, WebinarSession, WebinarWatch; catalog 'Automated webinars' |  |
| E3 | Zoom integration | yes | TenantZoomAuth, ZoomEvent, ZoomEventRegistrant, ZoomEventAttendance |  |
| E4 | Ticketed online events | yes | ProductType LIVE_EVENT / ZOOM_EVENT / WEBINAR |  |
| E5 | In-person event tickets / door check-in (QR) | yes | Event, EventTicketType, EventSeat, EventRegistration; apps/agent/src/canvas/views/TicketedEventDoor.tsx |  |
| E6 | Event reminders by email/SMS | yes | live-events/notifications.ts; NotificationTemplate; workflows/reminder-guards.ts |  |
| K1 | Email broadcasts / newsletters | yes | EmailCampaign; services/core/campaigns |  |
| K2 | Email automations / visual workflow builder | yes | Workflow, WorkflowStep, WorkflowEnrollment; services/core/workflows |  |
| K3 | SMS marketing | partial | TenantSmsConfig provider 'ubill'; SmsCampaign | One regional SMS gateway only; no global SMS provider (e.g. Twilio) yet |
| K4 | WhatsApp messaging | yes | WhatsAppCampaign, WhatsAppTemplate; inbox channel whatsapp |  |
| K5 | Forms / lead capture | yes | Form, FormField, FormSubmission; embed/lead-form-widget.ts |  |
| K6 | Surveys / lead quizzes (scored or branching) | yes | Form (scored) and Assessment, AssessmentTake |  |
| K7 | Landing pages / sales funnels | yes | Page, PageGroup, PageVersion; FunnelScan |  |
| K8 | Full website builder | yes | Page, PageGroup, Layout, CustomDomain, PageRedirect |  |
| K9 | Blog | yes | SeoArticleSchedule; apps/agent/src/canvas/views/BlogList.tsx |  |
| K10 | Link-in-bio page | yes | BioLink, BioClick, BioSocialIcon |  |
| K11 | A/B split testing | yes | ShortLinkVariant, ProductPriceVariant | Split by link (2-4 destinations) and price split tests; no email subject A/B |
| K12 | Pop-ups | no | — (searched, not found) | No pop-up builder (the agent can code one into a page) |
| K13 | Tracking pixels / conversion tracking (Meta pixel, GA) | yes | TrackingRule, TrackingDispatchLog, PlatformTrackingDefault |  |
| K14 | Testimonials / reviews collection on your pages | yes | Testimonial; apps/portal/app/src/collectlove | Video testimonial collection |
| K15 | Short links / QR codes | yes | ShortLink, ShortLinkClick; services/core/qr |  |
| R1 | CRM contacts with tags / segments | yes | Contact, Tag, Segment, CustomFieldDefinition; getContactView |  |
| R2 | Sales pipelines / deals | partial | FilterFunnel | Filter-based funnel stages of contacts; no deal board with values |
| R3 | Booking calendar / appointment scheduling | yes | BookingType, Booking, TenantUserAvailability |  |
| R4 | Paid 1:1 coaching sessions | yes | ProductType BOOKING |  |
| R5 | Proposals / contracts / e-signature | partial | FormFieldType SIGNATURE | Signature field on forms; no proposal or contract documents |
| R6 | Phone calling (VoIP, call tracking) | no | — (searched, not found) | No phone calling |
| R7 | Reputation management (Google reviews requests/replies) | partial | services/core/seo/reviews.ts, SeoLocalReview | Reads Google reviews and drafts AI replies to copy; no review-request campaigns or posting |
| R8 | Live chat widget for your website | yes | SupportWidget, SupportWidgetSession; inbox channel 'web' |  |
| A1 | Social media post scheduling | partial | SocialPost, ScheduledSocialPost; catalog 'social_scheduling' | Facebook and Instagram only (posts, stories, scheduling) |
| A2 | Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads creation & management | yes | FbAdAccount, FbCampaign, FbAdSet, FbAd, AdRule, AdAutomation; apps/agent/src/canvas/views/AdsManager.tsx |  |
| A3 | Unified inbox (Messenger / Instagram DMs / email / chat in one place) | yes | services/core/social/constants.ts INBOX_CHANNELS | Messenger, Instagram DM, WhatsApp, FB/IG comments, web chat, email, member app |
| A4 | Instagram/Facebook comment & DM auto-replies (keyword auto-DM) | yes | SocialKeywordRule, SocialKeywordRuleHit |  |
| I1 | AI content writing (copy, emails, posts) | yes | services/core/text-generation; workflows/ai-write.ts |  |
| I2 | AI generates a course / site / funnel from a prompt | yes | apps/api/src/agents/tools/{pages,learning} | Agent builds pages, courses, forms, campaigns |
| I3 | AI chatbot that replies to customers | yes | services/core/support/knowledge-base/channels.ts AGENT_CHANNELS; SupportAiLog | AI answers on all 8 inbox channels from a knowledge base |
| I4 | AI voice agent (answers/makes phone calls) | no | — (searched, not found) | No phone voice agent |
| I5 | AI agent that builds and operates the business across tools (multi-step, takes actions) | yes | apps/api/src/agents/engine/loop.ts; apps/api/src/agents/tools/* | One agent with tools across every area (pages, campaigns, ads, inbox, shop, events) |
| I6 | AI tutor / teaching assistant inside courses | partial | AGENT_CHANNELS 'portal'; AssessmentChatMessage | Inbox AI answers inside the member app; AI chat about a test result; no lesson-aware tutor |
| I7 | MCP server / outside AI assistants can operate the account | yes | McpClient, McpGrant, McpToken (outside door) |  |
| P1 | Branded mobile app (your own iOS/Android app in the stores) | partial | apps/portal/app/src/main.tsx injectPortalManifest; catalog 'own_app' | Tenant-branded installable web app (PWA) on own domain; no store-listed branded app |
| P2 | Member mobile app (platform's own app, not branded) | partial | IOSApp/stapilo | Member iOS app built but unreleased; web app installable |
| P3 | White label / SaaS reselling | no | — (searched, not found) | No reseller / SaaS mode |
| P4 | Team seats & roles | yes | TenantUser, Team, TeamMembership; views/SettingsTeam.tsx |  |
| P5 | Custom domains | yes | CustomDomain |  |
| P6 | Public API / webhooks | partial | services/core/workflows/actions.ts (webhook action) | Outgoing webhooks in automations and a full MCP door; no public REST API with keys |
| P7 | Zapier / Make integration | no | — (searched, not found) | No Zapier or Make integration |
| P8 | Multiple businesses / sub-accounts under one login | yes | Account -> many TenantUser; start_another_business |  |
| P9 | Custom mini-app builder (build your own small apps/tools) | yes | App, AppFile, AppEntry, AppAiCall; catalog 'apps' |  |
| P10 | Public marketplace / discovery for creators' products | yes | MarketplaceListing, MarketplaceReview; apps/academy | Stapilo Academy marketplace |
| P11 | Multi-language customer-facing area | partial | apps/portal/app/src/locales/{en,ka}; NotificationTemplate per-language content | 2 interface languages today; per-language message content |
| P12 | Business analytics dashboard (revenue, traffic, funnel) | yes | services/core/analytics; views/ShopAnalytics.tsx, SiteVisitors.tsx |  |
| X1 | SEO toolkit (keyword research, rank tracking, site audit) | yes | services/core/seo/*; SeoKeyword, SeoRankCheck, SeoAuditRun | Keyword research, rank tracking, Search Console, site audit, AI-answer visibility |
| X2 | Interactive video (in-video questions, polls, CTAs) | yes | Interaction (surface on media asset / webinar / live event) |  |
| X3 | Breakout rooms in native live sessions | yes | LiveEventBreakoutRoom; services/core/live-events/breakout.ts |  |
| X4 | CRM segments synced to Meta custom audiences (native) | yes | FbAudience, FbAudienceMembership; agent tool segment_to_meta_audience |  |

## 7. Competitor sources (official vendor pages, checked 2026-10-25)


**Kajabi**

- https://kajabi.com/pricing
- https://kajabi.com/features
- https://www.kajabi.com/product/expert-agents
- https://www.kajabi.com/product/mcp
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/products/courses/course-completion-certificates
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695109-course-quizzes
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/17174624-kajabi-payments-fees-united-states
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/17174628-create-and-manage-invoices-with-kajabi-payments
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/products/courses/can-i-sell-physical-products-with-kajabi
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695133-can-i-sell-webinars-and-in-person-trainings-with-kajabi
- https://help.kajabi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036722193-How-to-Create-an-Offer-for-Your-Event
- https://help.kajabi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043661393-How-to-Set-Up-a-Live-Zoom-Call-or-Webinar-for-Customers-of-a-Product
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/17174399-kajabi-built-in-live-video-faqs
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695237-how-to-create-breakout-sessions-with-kajabi-live
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/products/community/community-settings-gamification
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695291-how-to-direct-message-community-members
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/products/community/host-live-rooms-and-events-in-your-community
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12696010-does-kajabi-integrate-with-an-sms-text-marketing-platform
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/17174959-landing-page-a-b-testing-overview
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12696186-how-to-create-and-build-your-form
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/website/blog/blog-overview
- https://www.kajabi.com/blog/gtm-link-style-landing-page-templates
- https://www.kajabi.com/integrations/meta-pixel
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/website/pages/website-widgets-available-in-the-kajabi-page-builder
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/marketing/universal-inbox-comment-to-dm/universal-inbox-comment-to-dm
- https://help.kajabi.com/articles/sales/affiliates/affiliates-overview
- https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12696242-change-your-site-language
- https://help.kajabi.com/hc/en-us/articles/15493423323291-Sharing-Your-Creator-Studio-Content

**HighLevel**

- https://www.gohighlevel.com/pricing
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000006062-complete-guide-to-creating-webinars-in-highlevel
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000006672-live-streaming-and-video-calling
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000006673-communities-use-go-live-to-host-meetings-broadcasts
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000007834-live-rooms-in-communities-events
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/48001224429-how-to-create-assessments-quizzes-for-membership-courses
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000004599-default-certificates-in-courses-category-completion-certificate
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000000280-how-to-setup-customize-and-manage-your-communities
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000008071-how-to-create-and-manage-events-in-highlevel
- https://ideas.gohighlevel.com/changelog/events-beta-is-now-available-in-labs-for-everyone
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000003641-how-to-create-an-affiliate-campaign
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000005563-how-to-setup-and-use-international-automatic-taxes
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000001179-how-to-sell-saas-in-currencies-other-than-usd-
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000005909-how-to-use-the-testimonial-element
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000005741-how-to-setup-and-use-the-highlevel-mcp-server
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000000594-how-to-use-documents-contracts-
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000004646-workflow-trigger-instagram-comment-s-on-a-post
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000002294-a-list-of-workflow-actions
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000003236-create-custom-audiences-in-ad-manager
- https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/48001143786-how-to-build-check-in-loop-campaigns
- https://www.gohighlevel.com/linktree-vs-highlevel

**ClickFunnels**

- https://www.clickfunnels.com/pricing
- https://www.clickfunnels.com/features
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/how-to-enable-and-manage-course-completion-certificates/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/courses-module-settings/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/how-to-upload-and-use-course-videos-1/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/getting-started-with-messagehub/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/messagehub-whatsapp-chat-inbox-configuration/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/messagehub-sms-chat-inbox-configuration/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/how-to-create-a-webinar-funnel/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/integrating-zoom-meetings-and-webinars-with-clickfunnels/
- https://goto.clickfunnels.com/event-funnels
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/setting-up-tax-collection-sales-tax-vat-or-gst-in-clickfunnels-products/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/getting-started-setting-up-payments-in-clickfunnels/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/products-how-to-set-up-a-payment-plan/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/products-product-settings-overview/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/getting-started-with-community/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/clickfunnels-mcp-server/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/getting-started-with-clickfunnels-ai-beta/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/adding-a-popup
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/connecting-meta-pixel-and-the-conversions-api-to-clickfunnels/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/integrating-zapier-using-webhooks/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/how-to-add-and-configure-survey-element-in-funnels/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/affiliate-center-create-your-affiliate-program-in-clickfunnels/
- https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/managing-ab-split-testing-in-funnel-steps/

**Kartra**

- https://kartra.com/plans-and-pricing
- https://support.kartra.com/en/articles/15368803-add-quizzes-to-a-course
- https://support.kartra.com/en/articles/15368738-membership-access-progress-and-visibility-explained
- https://kartra.com/blog/creative-uses-kartra-membership/
- https://support.kartra.com/en/articles/15368736-membership-comments
- https://support.kartra.com/support/solutions/articles/153000244076-bump-offers-explained
- https://support.kartra.com/support/solutions/articles/153000168734-create-a-product-upsell-funnel
- https://support.kartra.com/support/solutions/articles/153000169620-charge-or-remove-sales-tax
- https://support.kartra.com/support/solutions/articles/153000163702-set-account-currency
- https://support.kartra.com/support/solutions/articles/153000163877-customize-your-sales-invoices
- https://support.kartra.com/en/articles/15368767-hosting-a-webinar
- https://kartra.com/kartra-zoom-integration/
- https://support.kartra.com/en/articles/15368847-kartra-ai-faqs
- https://support.kartra.com/en/articles/15368719-split-testing-pages
- https://support.kartra.com/support/solutions/articles/153000173233-settings-pop-ups
- https://home.kartra.com/feature-helpdesk
- https://support.kartra.com/support/solutions/articles/153000175314-install-meta-facebook-pixel-in-pages
- https://home.kartra.com/kartra-hosted-videos
- https://kartra.com/integrations-and-apis/
- https://support.kartra.com/support/solutions/articles/153000169612-hub-zapier-automations
- https://kartra.com/agency-dashboard/

**Thinkific**

- https://www.thinkific.com/pricing/
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/13769059862551-TCommerce-Sales-Tax-and-VAT-Solution
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/32324759426839-TCommerce-Invoicing
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/32401372005783-Communities-Direct-Messaging
- https://apps.thinkific.com/apps/pointagram
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/16342787791511-AI-at-Thinkific
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/34681678535191-Thinker-AI-Teaching-Assistant
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/16321227901335-AI-Course-Outline-Generator
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360030735733-How-to-Use-Affiliates
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360030740053-Create-a-Survey
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057435074-Site-Builder-Section-Lead-Capture
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057397893-Site-Builder-Section-Social-Proof-Testimonials
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360044656134-Live-Lessons-with-Zoom
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/41120594632343-Introducing-the-Thinkific-MCP-Manage-Your-School-Directly-from-an-AI-Agent
- https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/10664253689367-Get-Started-with-the-Thinkific-Mobile-App
- https://www.thinkific.com/thinkific-mobile/

**Circle**

- https://circle.so/pricing
- https://help.circle.so/p/payments/paywall-setup/paywalls-overviews
- https://help.circle.so/p/payments/paywall-trials/offer-paywall-trials
- https://help.circle.so/p/payments/paywall-setup/create-coupons-for-paywalls
- https://help.circle.so/p/courses/course-setup/set-up-quizzes
- https://help.circle.so/p/live-and-events/events/create-paid-events
- https://help.circle.so/p/live-and-events/events/using-circle-live-feature-with-events
- https://help.circle.so/p/live-and-events/events/set-up-custom-event-reminders
- https://help.circle.so/p/email-hub/audience-crm/create-forms
- https://help.circle.so/c/websites/getting-started-with-websites
- https://help.circle.so/p/basics/customization/default-language-for-new-members
- https://help.circle.so/p/administration/ai-agents/create-ai-agents
- https://circle.so/blog/ai-native-community-platform
- https://circle.so/compare/vs-teachable
- https://community.circle.so/c/product-updates/october-2023-update
- https://community.circle.so/c/product-updates/october-2026-release
- https://community.circle.so/c/product-updates/september-2026-release

**Mighty Networks**

- https://www.mightynetworks.com/pricing
- https://docs.mightynetworks.com/for-hosts/marketing-features/what-ai-features-does-mighty-networks-have
- https://docs.mightynetworks.com/en/articles/9596579-how-does-ai-set-up-my-mighty-network
- https://docs.mightynetworks.com/for-hosts/marketing-features/does-mighty-networks-have-built-in-affiliates
- https://docs.mightynetworks.com/for-hosts/payments-and-access/how-do-taxes-work-with-my-mighty-network
- https://docs.mightynetworks.com/for-hosts/analytics-and-integrations/does-mighty-networks-have-language-localization
- https://faq.mightynetworks.com/en/articles/3825249-can-i-quickly-message-or-notify-all-the-members-of-my-mighty-network
- https://faq.mightynetworks.com/en/articles/9140698-how-do-i-create-zoom-events-on-mighty-networks
- https://docs.mightynetworks.com/for-hosts/events-and-livestream/how-do-i-livestream-in-my-network

**LearnWorlds**

- https://www.learnworlds.com/pricing/
- https://www.learnworlds.com/product/features/marketing-tools/
- https://support.learnworlds.com/support/solutions/articles/12000081519-general-overview-taxes-and-vat-in-your-sales
- https://support.learnworlds.com/support/solutions/articles/12000031096-how-to-edit-your-users-invoices-receipts
- https://support.learnworlds.com/support/solutions/articles/12000078424-popup-builder
- https://support.learnworlds.com/support/solutions/articles/12000105310-how-to-activate-the-ai-feedback-assistant-for-learners
- https://support.learnworlds.com/support/solutions/articles/12000054221-how-to-create-a-blog-in-your-online-school
- https://support.learnworlds.com/support/solutions/articles/12000096288-how-to-integrate-weglot-for-a-multilanguage-school-experience
- https://support.learnworlds.com/support/solutions/articles/12000079746-how-can-learners-communicate-with-staff-or-classmates
- https://support.learnworlds.com/support/solutions/articles/12000052388-how-to-activate-and-navigate-the-profile-page
- https://www.learnworlds.com/docs/create-cohort-based-courses/
- https://www.learnworlds.com/oct-2026-releases/

**Systeme.io**

- https://systeme.io/pricing
- https://systeme.io/features
- https://systeme.io/mcp
- https://systeme.io/online-courses
- https://help.systeme.io/article/153-how-to-create-and-configure-a-price-plan
- https://help.systeme.io/article/902-how-to-setup-a-free-trial
- https://help.systeme.io/article/10860-how-uk-vat-is-handled-in-systeme-io
- https://help.systeme.io/article/1717-create-a-quiz
- https://help.systeme.io/article/1398-how-to-use-the-survey-element
- https://help.systeme.io/article/409-how-to-create-a-popup-on-a-page
- https://help.systeme.io/article/1632-how-to-add-facebook-pixel-and-setup-events
- https://help.systeme.io/article/2930-how-to-use-systeme-ios-webhook-service
- https://help.systeme.io/article/4483-how-to-send-sms-messages-with-systeme-io
- https://help.systeme.io/article/2048-how-to-sell-a-course-bundle
- https://roadmap.systeme.io/

**Simvoly**

- https://simvoly.com/pricing
- https://simvoly.com/features
- https://simvoly.com/sms-whatsapp-marketing
- https://simvoly.com/community-builder
- https://simvoly.com/integrations
- https://simvoly.com/affiliate
- https://simvoly.com/whitelabel-platform
- https://roadmap.simvoly.com/5
- https://roadmap.simvoly.com/263

**Podia**

- https://www.podia.com/pricing
- https://www.podia.com/features
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/16664966-getting-started-with-podia-mcp
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/11371075-does-podia-have-a-public-api-or-webhooks
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/14965608-events
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/15255084-events-faqs
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/11370451-creating-a-coaching-session
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/11370961-badges
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/11370909-creating-a-link-in-bio-page
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/11370289-can-i-have-a-multi-language-website
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/11370885-testimonials-page-section
- https://help.podia.com/en/articles/11370418-creating-a-contact-form

**Teachable**

- https://www.teachable.com/pricing
- https://www.teachable.com/features
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682476-price-your-products
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682410-new-teachable-plans-in-june-2025
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682449-create-and-manage-community
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682459-add-a-webinar-or-live-video-stream
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682580-zoom-and-teachable
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/12703527-teachable-mcp
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682401-emails
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682443-abandoned-cart-emails
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682404-courses
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682469-create-and-set-up-coaching
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682470-manage-clients-and-schedule-sessions
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682563-set-up-and-collect-email-lead-forms
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682448-teachable-ios-app-guide-for-creators
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682512-how-do-i-translate-my-school
- https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/11682555-teachable-pay

**Stan Store**

- https://stan.store/blog/stan-store-pricing
- https://help.stan.store/article/117-can-i-sell-physical-products-with-stan
- https://help.stan.store/article/88-webinar-product
- https://help.stan.store/article/150-what-can-stanley-do-for-you
- https://help.stan.store/article/151-can-i-create-a-custom-domain-for-my-stan-store
- https://help.stan.store/article/169-can-i-grant-administrative-access-to-a-team-member
- https://help.stan.store/article/198-can-i-change-the-language-of-my-stan-store
- https://help.stan.store/article/204-collecting-sales-tax-with-stan
- https://help.stan.store/article/457-adaptive-pricing-local-currency
- https://help.stan.store/article/21-ecourse-product
- https://help.stan.store/article/356-how-to-launch-your-community
- https://help.stan.store/article/377-stan-auto-dm
- https://help.stan.store/article/19-my-funnels-product
- https://help.stan.store/article/159-email-flows-overview
- https://help.stan.store/article/15-how-to-create-a-coaching-call-product
- https://help.stan.store/article/55-how-to-connect-stan-with-zapier

**Heights Platform**

- https://www.heightsplatform.com/pricing
- https://www.heightsplatform.com/full-feature-list
- https://www.heightsplatform.com/features/ai
- https://www.heightsplatform.com/features/mcp
- https://www.heightsplatform.com/features/coaching
- https://support.heightsplatform.com/article/22-events/
- https://support.heightsplatform.com/article/306-live-streaming-and-group-meeting-rooms-in-heights-platform/
- https://support.heightsplatform.com/article/198-all-about-emails-in-heights-platform/
- https://support.heightsplatform.com/article/227-integrations/
- https://support.heightsplatform.com/article/299-webhooks-in-heights-platform/
- https://support.heightsplatform.com/article/24-payment-settings/

**Skool**

- https://www.skool.com/pricing
- https://help.skool.com/article/210-how-to-go-live-on-skool
- https://help.skool.com/article/214-how-to-create-webinar
- https://help.skool.com/article/215-how-to-setup-pricing-for-the-group
- https://help.skool.com/article/86-subscriptions-faq
- https://help.skool.com/article/241-supported-languages-on-skool
- https://help.skool.com/article/245-growth-tab-and-skool-ads
- https://help.skool.com/article/239-how-do-reviews-work-on-skool
- https://help.skool.com/article/146-how-to-create-an-event-in-your-group
- https://help.skool.com/article/168-how-to-set-up-one-time-course-purchases
- https://help.skool.com/article/64-how-to-set-up-autodm
- https://help.skool.com/article/163-how-to-set-up-facebook-pixel-tracking
- https://help.skool.com/article/187-how-to-setup-affiliate
- https://help.skool.com/article/53-how-to-drip-the-content
- https://help.skool.com/article/183-how-do-points-and-level-work



---

## Research file: non-stripe-markets

# Non-Stripe markets: is "Channel 5" a real gap?

> Researched 2026-10-25 for Stapilo's investor case. Every number has a source and a date (see **Sources**, S-numbers).
> **⚠ = unverified**: a third-party claim, an inference from a page's layout, a stale figure, or my own judgement.
> *Derived* = my arithmetic on sourced inputs. Nothing is invented; where I found no source, the cell says so.
> Georgia is treated as one country among many, not as a home market.

**The thesis being tested ("Channel 5").** Coaches in countries without Stripe can't easily sell on Kajabi, Thinkific
and similar platforms unless they set up a company abroad. Stapilo would connect a local processor in each such
country, as it already did once with Flitt, verify sellers locally, and market there.

---

## Summary

1. **Stripe serves 51 countries/regions (S1, 2026-10-25).** India and Indonesia are "Preview" (sales-led). Five
   African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire) are an "Extended network" served through
   **Paystack**, which Stripe owns. Türkiye, all of the Caucasus and Central Asia, Ukraine, the non-EU Balkans,
   Egypt and the rest of MENA except the UAE, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Latin America
   except Brazil and Mexico are **not** on the list.
2. **"Can't get paid at all" is mostly false in 2026. "Can't sell on the all-in-one platforms" is mostly true.**
   - **Platforms that are the merchant of record already pay coaches in most of these countries.** Skool pays out
     to Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Serbia, Türkiye, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh
     and Vietnam; of the 13 test countries, only **Kazakhstan** is missing (S8, updated Sept 2026).
   - Gumroad pays to local bank accounts in 11 of the 13 test countries and through PayPal in the other two (S9).
   - Lemon Squeezy pays to banks in 11 of the 13 (S10), but it bans "services of any kind" (S11), so coaching is
     out.
   - **Stripe itself** can pay individuals in Armenia, Uzbekistan, Serbia, Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Vietnam
     through **Global Payouts**, sent from a US or UK platform (S2).
3. **The platforms where the coach is the merchant can't serve them.** On Kajabi, Thinkific, Teachable, Podia, Stan
   and HighLevel, the seller must hold their own Stripe or PayPal account, or must be in the platform's own payments
   country list (S3–S7, S16). Teachable's fallback for every other country is "connect your own Stripe Standard
   account" (S4, 2026-09-09), and that is impossible from a non-Stripe country. PayPal receiving works in Georgia,
   Kazakhstan, Serbia, Egypt and Vietnam. In Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Pakistan and Bangladesh it
   does not work or PayPal isn't there at all. Ukraine and Nigeria are partial (S12–S15 ⚠).
4. **So the real gap is narrower, and different from the pitch.** It is not "coaches can't get paid". It is:
   - **(a)** no all-in-one platform (pages + email + courses + bookings + checkout) works natively there;
   - **(b)** local buyers can't pay in local ways. Examples: Uzcard/Humo domestic cards in Uzbekistan; Kaspi in
     Kazakhstan; instalments in Türkiye, where **57.8% of e-commerce spending was in instalments in 2025** (S20);
     FX-capped bank cards in Egypt and Nigeria (S21, S22).
   - **(c)** money flows through a foreign platform in USD, with payout minimums, FX losses and a third party
     holding the coach's revenue.

   Skool shows the competing model already works: be the merchant of record and pay out everywhere.
5. **Competitors already do part of Channel 5.** Systeme.io (French, 500k+ users) connects **Flutterwave, Razorpay,
   Mercado Pago, Xendit**, Mollie, GoCardless and "Secure and Pay" next to Stripe and PayPal (S16, 2026-10-25). It
   already covers Africa, India, Latin America and Southeast Asia with local processors. The thesis is weakest
   there. It is strongest in the **ex-USSR belt and Türkiye**, where no all-in-one platform has local rails and
   (my judgement ⚠) the language and culture fit is closest.
6. **Flitt is a bigger asset than it looks.** Flitt (TBC Group) accepts merchants registered in **Georgia,
   Uzbekistan, Moldova and Armenia**, "soon across more CIS countries" (S17, S18, 2026-01-07). Stapilo's existing
   Flitt integration could open three more countries for close to zero extra engineering (⚠ to confirm with Flitt:
   same API, local cards such as Humo/Uzcard, and onboarding of sole proprietors).
7. **Shortlist (my judgement ⚠, reasons in §5):**
   - Uzbekistan, Armenia and Moldova via Flitt;
   - Kazakhstan (Kaspi), Azerbaijan, Türkiye (iyzico) and Egypt (Paymob);
   - Pakistan as a low-ARPU option;
   - and, if going wide, the **Mercado Pago** bloc: one integration, 7 Latin American countries (S27).

   Combined internet users in the core six (UZ, AM, MD, KZ, AZ, TR): **~143M** (*derived*, S30).
8. **Main risks.**
   - Most local processors onboard only **registered** businesses or sole proprietors (PayMongo, MoMo, Kaspi;
     S24–S26). Informal coaches are excluded, or must register first.
   - Fiscal receipt rules apply (Kazakhstan, S25).
   - The currency is weak. Türkiye GDP per capita is $18.6k, but Pakistan is $1.6k and Egypt $3.1k (S31). A USD
     subscription is hard to sell there.
   - Stapilo must also **bill the coach** in that country, and today it charges only in GEL via Flitt (BRIEF.md).
   - Each country needs its own legal pages, support language and marketing. The adapter code is the cheap part:
     ~500–730 lines plus tests each in Stapilo's repo today.

---

## 1. Where Stripe works, and the notable countries where it doesn't

### 1a. Stripe's official list (S1, read 2026-10-25)

**51 countries/regions:** Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire*, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana*, Gibraltar, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary,
India (Preview), Indonesia (Preview), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya*, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria*, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia,
Slovenia, South Africa*, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States.

\* "Extended network", linking to Paystack (Stripe-owned). In practice, a seller there uses Paystack.

How to read this:
- **Fully self-serve Stripe = 44** (*derived*: 51 minus 2 Preview minus 5 Extended network).
- **Stripe Atlas** is the "company abroad" escape hatch: a Delaware company, EIN, bank account and Stripe account for
  **$500 one-off + $100/yr**, "from almost anywhere" (S19, 2026-10-25). It is cheap in money and heavy in hassle: US
  tax filings, and a coach selling to local buyers in USD.

### 1b. Notable countries outside Stripe: population and internet users

Population = World Bank 2025. Internet % = World Bank/ITU, latest year shown. Internet users = *derived* (pop × %).
Source S30, pulled 2026-10-25. ⚠ Ukraine's population figure likely includes occupied areas and pre-war residents.
Turkmenistan's internet figure is from 2016.

**Caucasus and Central Asia**

| Country | Population (M) | Internet % (year) | Internet users (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armenia | 3.1 | 81% (2024) | 2.5 |
| Georgia | 3.9 | 84% (2024) | 3.3 |
| Azerbaijan | 10.2 | 91% (2025) | 9.3 |
| Kazakhstan | 20.8 | 93% (2024) | 19.5 |
| Uzbekistan | 37.1 | 90% (2024) | 33.2 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 7.3 | 92% (2024) | 6.8 |
| Tajikistan | 10.8 | 56% (2024) | 6.0 |
| Turkmenistan | 7.6 | 18% (2016) ⚠ | 1.4 |
| Mongolia | 3.6 | 85% (2024) | 3.0 |
| **Subtotal** | **104** | | **85** |

**Eastern Europe and Balkans outside Stripe** (Belarus is sanction-exposed; Russia is excluded for sanctions)

| Country | Population (M) | Internet % (year) | Internet users (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | 39.0 ⚠ | 82% (2024) | 32.1 |
| Moldova | 2.4 | 77% (2024) | 1.8 |
| Serbia | 6.5 | 88% (2024) | 5.7 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3.1 | 86% (2024) | 2.7 |
| North Macedonia | 1.8 | 93% (2025) | 1.7 |
| Albania | 2.3 | 86% (2024) | 2.0 |
| Montenegro | 0.6 | 89% (2024) | 0.6 |
| Kosovo | 1.6 | 89% (2018) ⚠ | 1.4 |
| Belarus | 9.1 | 94% (2024) | 8.6 |
| **Subtotal** | **66** | | **57** |

**Türkiye**

| Country | Population (M) | Internet % (year) | Internet users (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | 85.9 | 90% (2025) | 77.1 |

**Middle East and North Africa** (the UAE has Stripe. Iran is sanctioned and listed only for scale.)

| Country | Population (M) | Internet % (year) | Internet users (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 118.4 | 75% (2024) | 88.4 |
| Morocco | 38.4 | 91% (2024) | 35.0 |
| Algeria | 47.4 | 77% (2024) | 36.7 |
| Tunisia | 12.3 | 76% (2024) | 9.4 |
| Jordan | 11.5 | 96% (2024) | 11.0 |
| Iraq | 47.0 | 81% (2024) | 38.3 |
| Lebanon | 5.8 | 81% (2024) | 4.7 |
| Saudi Arabia | 37.0 | 100% (2024) | 37.0 |
| Iran (sanctioned) | 92.4 | 85% (2024) | 78.9 |
| **Subtotal** | **410** | | **339** |

**Sub-Saharan Africa**

| Country | Population (M) | Internet % (year) | Internet users (M) | Stripe? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 237.5 | 41% (2024) | 97.9 | via Paystack |
| Ghana | 35.1 | 72% (2024) | 25.3 | via Paystack |
| Kenya | 57.5 | 35% (2024) | 20.1 | via Paystack |
| South Africa | 64.7 | 78% (2024) | 50.7 | via Paystack |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 32.7 | 41% (2024) | 13.6 | via Paystack |
| Ethiopia | 135.5 | 22% (2024) | 29.7 | No |
| Tanzania | 70.5 | 31% (2024) | 22.0 | No |
| Uganda | 51.4 | 9% (2024) | 4.6 | No |
| Senegal | 18.9 | 60% (2024) | 11.4 | No |
| Rwanda | 14.6 | 32% (2024) | 4.6 | No |
| **Subtotal (no Stripe at all)** | **291** | | **72** | |

**South and Southeast Asia** (India 1,024M and Indonesia 208M internet users are Stripe "Preview", not counted)

| Country | Population (M) | Internet % (year) | Internet users (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | 255.2 | 57% (2024) | 146.1 |
| Bangladesh | 175.7 | 53% (2024) | 93.9 |
| Sri Lanka | 21.8 | 55% (2024) | 11.9 |
| Nepal | 29.6 | 46% (2024) | 13.7 |
| Vietnam | 101.6 | 84% (2024) | 85.5 |
| Philippines | 116.8 | 67% (2024) | 78.6 |
| Cambodia | 17.8 | 68% (2024) | 12.2 |
| Myanmar | 54.9 | 45% (2020) ⚠ | 24.9 |
| Laos | 7.9 | 66% (2024) | 5.2 |
| **Subtotal** | **781** | | **472** |

**Latin America outside Stripe** (Brazil and Mexico have Stripe)

| Country | Population (M) | Internet % (year) | Internet users (M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 45.9 | 90% (2024) | 41.1 |
| Colombia | 53.4 | 79% (2024) | 42.4 |
| Chile | 19.9 | 96% (2024) | 19.0 |
| Peru | 34.6 | 82% (2024) | 28.3 |
| Ecuador | 18.3 | 77% (2024) | 14.1 |
| Bolivia | 12.6 | 80% (2024) | 10.0 |
| Venezuela | 28.5 | 77% (2024) | 21.9 |
| Guatemala | 18.7 | 60% (2024) | 11.3 |
| Dominican Republic | 11.5 | 91% (2024) | 10.5 |
| Uruguay | 3.4 | 92% (2024) | 3.1 |
| Paraguay | 7.0 | 82% (2024) | 5.7 |
| Costa Rica | 5.2 | 87% (2024) | 4.5 |
| **Subtotal** | **259** | | **212** |

**Scale check (*derived*).** Excluding the Paystack countries, India/Indonesia and Iran, the non-Stripe countries above
hold **~1.2B internet users**. That number describes reach. It does not measure demand.

---

## 2. How competitors handle sellers in these countries today

### 2a. Each platform's payment model

| Platform | Who is the merchant? | Rails | Coverage outside Stripe countries | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Kajabi** | Coach | Kajabi Payments (US, CA, AU, UAE, UK, "select European countries"), own Stripe, own PayPal | Only through PayPal | S3 (undated, read 2026-10-25) |
| **Thinkific** | Coach | Thinkific Payments (US/CA/UK, others via support ⚠), own Stripe, PayPal | Through PayPal ⚠. Older reports say Thinkific's PayPal needs Stripe connected too; I could not verify this (the official page returned 403) | S5 ⚠ |
| **Teachable** | Teachable in 41 countries; otherwise the coach | Teachable Payments in **41** countries (all Stripe countries); everyone else → "Custom Payment Gateway" = **own Stripe Standard** account; PayPal only as an add-on under it | **None.** Without a Stripe account there is no way to sell | S4 (2026-09-09) |
| **Podia** | Coach | "Only Stripe and/or PayPal"; PayPal only on higher plans | Through PayPal | S6 |
| **Stan** | Coach (Stan creates a Stripe Custom account) | Stripe Custom in **39** countries; otherwise PayPal | Through PayPal | S7 (2026-09-28) |
| **HighLevel** | Coach/agency | Stripe, Authorize.net, NMI, Square, Adyen, Razorpay; PayPal in FAQ | Mostly PayPal; NMI/Authorize.net need a merchant account, usually US ⚠ | S23 |
| **Systeme.io** | Coach | Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, Flutterwave, Mercado Pago, Xendit, Mollie, GoCardless, Secure and Pay ("merchant restrictions: none") | **Already does local processors** for Africa, India, Latin America, Southeast Asia | S16 (2026-10-25) |
| **Skool** | **Skool (merchant of record)**: "all payment processing happens on Skool's merchant account"; Stripe Express used only for payouts | ~150 payout countries | Pays out in local currency in all 13 test countries except Kazakhstan | S8 (2026-09-29) |
| **Gumroad** | **Gumroad (MoR)** | Bank payouts in ~120 countries; PayPal elsewhere; none where PayPal can't receive | Bank in 11 of the 13 test countries | S9 (read 2026-10-25) |
| **Lemon Squeezy** | **LS (MoR)**, owned by Stripe since 2024 | Bank payouts in ~120 countries; PayPal "200+" | Bank in 11 of 13, but **bans services** (consulting, so coaching); courses unclear; roadmap reported quiet ⚠ | S10, S11, S28 ⚠ |
| **Paddle** | Paddle (MoR) | 200+ buyer countries | **Not for coaches.** The AUP prohibits human services, "coaching" included, and community access | S29 |
| **Hotmart** | Hotmart (MoR) | Pays creators in "100+" / "130" countries (reports differ) | **⚠ No country list found**; strongest in Latin America and Iberia | S32 ⚠ |
| **Stripe Global Payouts** (a rail Stapilo itself could use) | Platform | US/UK platform pays recipients by wire or local bank | Individuals in AM, UZ, RS, TR, EG, PK, VN: yes. GE, KZ, AZ, UA, NG, BD: no | S2 (read 2026-10-25) |

### 2b. Can a coach in each country sell a course and get paid?

Key: **Yes-Bank** = paid to a local bank. **Yes-PP** = only through a PayPal account that can receive.
**No** = no route without a foreign company. ⚠ = inferred or partly verified.

| Country | PayPal can receive? (S12–S15) | Kajabi / Podia / Stan / HighLevel | Thinkific | Teachable | Systeme.io | Skool (MoR) | Gumroad (MoR) | Lemon Squeezy (MoR, no services) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armenia | **No** (send-only site; 2024 and 2026 reports) | No | No | No | No ⚠ (Secure and Pay?) | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Georgia | Yes | Yes-PP | Yes-PP ⚠ | No | Yes-PP | Yes-Bank | Yes-PP | Yes-PP ⚠ |
| Kazakhstan | Yes | Yes-PP | Yes-PP ⚠ | No | Yes-PP | **No** | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Uzbekistan | **No** (PayPal not present) | No | No | No | No ⚠ | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Azerbaijan | **No** (send-only site ⚠) | No | No | No | No ⚠ | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Ukraine | Partial: personal receiving since 2022, business receiving restricted ⚠ | Weak ⚠ | Weak ⚠ | No | Weak ⚠ | Yes-Bank | Yes-PP ⚠ | PP ⚠ |
| Serbia | Yes | Yes-PP | Yes-PP ⚠ | No | Yes-PP | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Türkiye | **No** (PayPal not present) | No | No | No | No ⚠ | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Egypt | Yes | Yes-PP | Yes-PP ⚠ | No | Yes-PP (Flutterwave ⚠) | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Nigeria | Partial: send-only until Jan 2026; now via Paga link ⚠ | Weak ⚠ | Weak ⚠ | No | **Yes (Flutterwave)** | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Pakistan | **No** (PayPal not present) | No | No | No | No ⚠ | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Bangladesh | **No** (PayPal not present) | No | No | No | No ⚠ | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |
| Vietnam | Yes | Yes-PP | Yes-PP ⚠ | No | Yes-PP / Xendit ⚠ | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank | Yes-Bank |

How I got the PayPal column (⚠ partly inference):
- **Not present:** PayPal's country list (S12, 200 entries, read 2026-10-25) has **no** Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Pakistan
  or Bangladesh.
- **Receive markets:** the local sites for Georgia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Egypt, Vietnam (and Kenya, Moldova, Albania,
  Bosnia, Philippines, Ghana) show "Send & Request" plus a "Business / Accept Payments" menu.
- **Send-only markets:** the sites for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal,
  Belarus, North Macedonia and Montenegro show only "Send payments", with no business menu (S12, fetched
  2026-10-25).
- Reporting confirms this for Armenia (S13) and Nigeria (S14). Ukraine is personal-only (S15).

**What the table says.** In 13 of 13 countries a coach can sell *something* today, through Skool (12 of 13) or
Gumroad (11 of 13 to a local bank, plus Georgia through PayPal and Ukraine through PayPal ⚠). In **6–8 of 13** (Armenia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Pakistan, Bangladesh; Ukraine and
Nigeria weak), the coach-is-merchant platforms (Kajabi, Thinkific, Teachable, Podia, Stan, HighLevel) don't work
at all.

### 2c. What MoR platforms do NOT solve: the buyer side

The MoR platforms charge the **buyer** in USD (or a few major currencies) by international card or PayPal. In
several of these markets, local buyers mostly don't pay that way:

- **Uzbekistan:** the domestic Uzcard and Humo networks run most retail payments. In 2022 there were ~23M Uzcard
  and ~7M Humo cards out of ~34M cards (central bank figure, via S33 ⚠ dated). Online Humo payments run through
  Click/Paynet/Payme (84% of non-bank app share, Jan 2025; S33).
- **Kazakhstan:** Kaspi dominates. Kaspi reports **77 monthly transactions per active user** and payments volume
  up 19% in 2025 (S34). Its share of e-payments is quoted anywhere from 30% to 60% by low-quality sources ⚠.
- **Türkiye:** **57.8%** of e-commerce spending was in instalments in 2025 (Garanti BBVA / BKM data, S20).
  Foreign checkouts don't offer Turkish instalments ⚠.
- **Egypt:** banks have capped foreign-currency card spending since 2022–23. Some caps were tightened again
  (reported March 2026) and some eased (2025) (S21).
- **Nigeria:** naira cards were suspended for foreign use in 2022–23, restored in July 2025 with caps as low as
  $500/month, and raised during 2026 (GTBank $40k/quarter, Sept 2026) (S22).

**This is the part of Channel 5 that holds up:** local acquiring lets a coach take local cards, wallets and
instalments in local currency. A US merchant of record can't offer those.

---

## 3. Local processors in a sample of these countries

| Country | Main processors / methods | What onboarding needs (where found) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Moldova | **Flitt** (TBC Group): cards, Apple/Google Pay, open banking, BNPL, pay-by-link, subscriptions, payouts | Merchant registered in one of the four countries | **Already integrated in Stapilo** (merchant brings their own Flitt merchant id). "Soon more CIS countries". ⚠ Whether Humo/Uzcard are accepted is unconfirmed | S17, S18, repo |
| Uzbekistan | Payme, Click, Uzum, Paynet (Uzcard/Humo) | Via a licensed provider; Payme Business offers an embed snippet and next-day settlement ⚠. IE/self-employed eligibility not found | Open-source SDKs exist for the Payme JSON-RPC and Click APIs | S35 ⚠ |
| Kazakhstan | Kaspi Pay, CloudPayments, Freedom Pay | Kaspi Pay for registered IP (sole proprietors); **fiscal receipt** required unless "Kaspi Kassa" is used | Kaspi is also a super-app, so buyer habit is strong | S25, S34 |
| Türkiye | **iyzico**, PayTR, Param | Company or sole-proprietor documents and IBAN; ~4.29% + ₺0.25 corporate (iyzico's figure), 4.49% individual link payments (third party ⚠) | Instalments are table stakes | S36 |
| Ukraine | LiqPay (PrivatBank), WayForPay, monobank acquiring | FOP (sole proprietor) registration typical ⚠ | Not researched in depth ⚠ | — |
| Egypt | **Paymob** (390k+ merchants across EG/UAE/KSA/OM, Sept 2026), Fawry, Kashier | Individual eligibility not found ⚠ | 60+ payment methods via one integration (Paymob's own claim) | S37 |
| Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire | **Paystack** (Stripe-owned; licensed in Egypt and Rwanda too), Flutterwave (30+ African markets ⚠) | Business registration typical ⚠ | Systeme.io already has Flutterwave, so the gap here is small | S38, S39 |
| Pakistan | Safepay, PayFast, JazzCash, Easypaisa, Raast | NTN/CNIC requirements not found ⚠ | Wallets matter more than cards | S40 ⚠ |
| Bangladesh | SSLCommerz, bKash, aamarPay | Not researched ⚠ | — | — |
| Vietnam | VNPay, MoMo, payOS, OnePay | MoMo: **verified company account** needed to go live | — | S26 |
| Philippines | PayMongo, Xendit, Dragonpay | PayMongo: DTI + BIR 2303 + ID for sole proprietors; foreigners need apostilled documents; ~7 business days review | +1% on foreign cards | S24 |
| Latin America (AR, CL, CO, PE, UY + BR, MX) | **Mercado Pago** (one API, 7 countries, per-country credentials), dLocal, EBANX | — | Systeme.io already integrates Mercado Pago; Hotmart is the incumbent | S27 |

**What one integration involves (Stapilo's own anchor, repo read 2026-10-25).** Stapilo already runs five payment
adapters: Stripe, Paddle, Flitt, Bank of Georgia, Keepz.

| Adapter | Source lines | Test lines |
|---|---|---|
| Flitt | 688 | 838 |
| Bank of Georgia | 730 | 623 |
| Keepz | 666 | 525 |
| Stripe | 668 | 306 |
| Paddle | 482 | 225 |

Each adapter covers initiation, signatures, webhooks, refunds and recurring payments. The repo also has guards for
provider-capability parity.

My estimate ⚠ (judgement): **engineering is ~1–3 weeks per processor**, and it is not the bottleneck. The real costs
per country are:
- a processor contract and sometimes a local entity for Stapilo itself, so that it can bill coaches;
- coach onboarding with that processor's KYC (each coach holds their own merchant account, as with Flitt);
- legal pages, support in the local language, local marketing;
- for Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan-style regimes, fiscal receipts.

---

## 4. Size: how many potential coaches

There is no per-country count of coaches or course sellers in any of these markets. The **proxies** are marked.

| Country | Proxy | Figure | Source / date | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye | ICF credential holders | **495** | ICF fact sheet, Mar 2021 (via search excerpt) | ⚠ stale; not opened (PDF blocked) |
| Ukraine | ICF credential holders | **165** | same | ⚠ stale |
| Kazakhstan | ICF credential holders | **59** | same | ⚠ stale |
| World | ICF credential holders | **50,424** in 143 countries | ICF fact sheet, Sept 2023 | via search excerpt ⚠ |
| Pakistan | Online freelancers (proxy) | **2.37M** full- and part-time | ADB estimate, cited 2025–26 | ⚠ estimate, not a registry |
| Bangladesh | Active online freelancers (proxy) | **~650k** (range 500k–1.05M) | ICT Division figure, cited 2026 | ⚠ estimates vary |
| India + Bangladesh | Share of observed online workers (proxy) | India 24%, Bangladesh 16% | Online Labour Index supplement | ⚠ year unclear |
| Kazakhstan | Kaspi engagement (buyer-side proxy) | 77 transactions/month per active user | Kaspi 4Q 2025 results | primary (company) |
| All | Internet users | see §1b | World Bank 2024/25 | primary |

Paying-coach scenario (**⚠ my judgement, not data**):

- **Step 1, practitioner density.** Mature markets have roughly 1 professional coach per 1,000–1,500 people (ICF
  ~123k worldwide, US 232k+ per `market-size.md`).
- **Step 2, apply it to the core six.** In UZ, AM, MD, KZ, AZ and TR (~160M people, *derived*), assume a tenth of
  that density selling online. That gives **~10–15k** coaches and experts selling online.
- **Step 3, capture.** Taking 2–5% of them gives **~200–750 paying tenants**.

This is a sanity bound, not a forecast. Channel 5 is a wedge, not the core of the TAM.

---

## 5. Verdict

### How big the real gap is

- **Smaller than the pitch says.** Skool already pays coaches in 12 of the 13 test countries (S8), and Gumroad pays to a
  bank in 11 and through PayPal in the other 2 (S9; Ukraine ⚠). "Coaches can't get paid without a company abroad" is **false** for anyone willing to sell through a
  merchant-of-record platform. An investor who checks will find this in ten minutes, so the deck should not claim
  it.
- **Real in three narrower forms:**
  1. **No all-in-one platform with local rails.** In Armenia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Pakistan and
     Bangladesh, none of the coach-is-merchant all-in-ones (Kajabi, Thinkific, Teachable, Podia, Stan, HighLevel)
     can take a payment, because there is no Stripe and no PayPal receiving. Skool is a community plus course
     product, not pages + email + funnels + bookings.
  2. **Local buyers, local methods.** Uzcard/Humo, Kaspi, Turkish instalments, FX-capped cards in Egypt and Nigeria.
     MoR platforms charge in USD by international card, which loses many local buyers (⚠ no conversion data found;
     my inference from the payment-method data in §2c).
  3. **Money stays local and in the coach's own name.** No payout minimums (Gumroad's are $100 or higher; S9),
     no FX haircut, and no foreign platform holding the balance.
- **Where the gap is already closed by others:**
  - Africa: Paystack is Stripe's own extended network, and Systeme.io has Flutterwave.
  - Latin America: Hotmart is the incumbent, and Systeme.io has Mercado Pago.
  - Southeast Asia: Systeme.io has Xendit.
  - Georgia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Egypt and Vietnam: PayPal receiving works, so Kajabi and Podia work there, if
    clumsily.

### The most promising countries for the local-processor approach (⚠ ranking is judgement)

| Rank | Country | Why | Integration | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | **Uzbekistan** | 33M internet users; no Stripe, no PayPal; domestic cards dominate; Russian-language content travels | **Flitt (already built)** ⚠ confirm Humo/Uzcard | GDP/cap $4.0k, so low ticket sizes |
| 2 | **Türkiye** | 77M internet users; no Stripe, no PayPal; instalment culture; largest coaching base of the set (ICF 495, 2021 ⚠) | iyzico / PayTR | Lira inflation; Turkish-language product and support; local course platforms not researched ⚠ |
| 3 | **Kazakhstan** | 19.5M users; GDP/cap $14.7k; **Skool doesn't pay out there** and neither does Stripe Global Payouts | Kaspi Pay / CloudPayments | Fiscal-receipt rules; Kaspi onboarding needs registered IP |
| 4 | **Armenia** | No PayPal receiving; GDP/cap $9.5k | **Flitt (already built)** | Tiny (2.5M users) |
| 5 | **Azerbaijan** | 9.3M users; PayPal send-only; Stripe Global Payouts don't reach it | Local acquirer (not researched ⚠) | Smaller; regulatory climate not researched ⚠ |
| 6 | **Moldova** | Near-free add | **Flitt (already built)** | Tiny (1.8M users); PayPal works |
| 7 | **Egypt** | 88M users; FX-capped cards make local acquiring valuable | Paymob / Fawry | GDP/cap $3.1k; PayPal works; currency risk |
| 8 | **Pakistan** | 146M users; ~2.4M freelancers; no PayPal | Safepay / PayFast + wallets | GDP/cap $1.6k, so USD pricing is hard |
| 9 (optional) | **Mercado Pago bloc** (AR, CO, CL, PE, UY) | One integration, 5 non-Stripe countries, ~134M internet users (*derived*) | Mercado Pago | Hotmart and Systeme.io are already there |
| — | Ukraine | Big coaching culture; PayPal weak | LiqPay / WayForPay | War risk; Skool pays out there already |

**Cheapest first test:** Uzbekistan + Armenia + Moldova on the Flitt integration Stapilo already has. It costs a
Flitt conversation, local-language pages and marketing, not new payment code. Then Kazakhstan and Türkiye as the
first true new integrations.

### Risks

- **Fraud and chargebacks.** In the Flitt model the coach holds the merchant account, so chargeback liability sits
  with the coach and the processor, not Stapilo (repo: tenant supplies merchant id). If Stapilo instead becomes the
  merchant of record (the Skool model), it takes on fraud, tax/VAT and AML risk itself.
- **Seller verification.** Local processors KYC their merchants and usually require a registered business or sole
  proprietor (PayMongo S24, MoMo S26, Kaspi S25). Informal coaches must register first, which adds friction that
  Skool and Gumroad don't have.
- **Compliance per country.** Fiscal receipts (Kazakhstan), consumer law, data residency ⚠ and sanctions screening
  (Belarus, Iran, Russia excluded).
- **Stapilo's own billing.** Stapilo must charge the coach its subscription. Today it can charge only in GEL via
  Flitt (BRIEF.md). Each country needs a way to bill its coaches, through the same processor or by international
  card.
- **Cost per integration.** Code is cheap (~500–730 lines plus tests per adapter, repo). The per-country fixed
  cost is people and contracts: language, support, legal, marketing.
- **Small tickets.** GDP per capita (World Bank 2025, S31): US $90.0k; Türkiye $18.6k; Kazakhstan $14.7k; Serbia
  $15.3k; Georgia $9.7k; Armenia $9.5k; Azerbaijan $7.4k; Ukraine $5.9k; Vietnam $5.1k; Uzbekistan $4.0k; Egypt
  $3.1k; Bangladesh $2.6k; Pakistan $1.6k; Nigeria $1.2k. A USD-priced subscription needs local pricing in most of
  these.
- **Competitive response.** Skool already pays out in 12 of the 13 test countries, and Systeme.io adds local
  gateways steadily. The lasting advantage is local rails *plus* local-language all-in-one *plus* local marketing
  (meetups, ads), not payment coverage alone.

### What I would tell an investor

**Don't say:** "coaches there can't sell online".

**Say:** "In countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Türkiye, Armenia and Azerbaijan:
- no all-in-one platform can take a local buyer's local payment;
- Stapilo can, because its payment layer is built for many processors (five adapters today) and Flitt already
  opens four CIS countries;
- we test this cheaply first, then add one processor per country."

---

## Sources

All retrieved 2026-10-25 unless noted. Dates in brackets are the page's own date where shown.

- **S1** Stripe, Global availability — https://stripe.com/global (no date; "© 2026")
- **S2** Stripe Docs, Global Payouts recipient requirements — https://docs.stripe.com/global-payouts/recipient-requirements ; Cross-border payouts — https://docs.stripe.com/connect/cross-border-payouts
- **S3** Kajabi Help, Kajabi Payments overview — https://help.kajabi.com/en/articles/12695442-kajabi-payments-overview ("updated over a week ago")
- **S4** Teachable Support, Set up Teachable Payments and start selling — https://support.teachable.com/en/articles/15624639-set-up-teachable-payments-and-start-selling [2026-09-09]
- **S5** Thinkific: official article https://support.thinkific.com/hc/en-us/articles/360030357514 returned 403. Third-party: https://supplygem.com/thinkific-payment-gateways/ ⚠
- **S6** Podia Help, Accepting payments in Podia — https://help.podia.com/en/articles/11370248-accepting-payments-in-podia
- **S7** Stan Help, Countries available for Stripe Custom accounts — https://help.stan.store/article/217-countries-available-for-stripe-custom-accounts [2026-09-28]
- **S8** Skool Help, Skool Payments FAQs — https://help.skool.com/article/86-subscriptions-faq [list "updated Sept 2026"; page 2026-09-29]
- **S9** Gumroad Help, Getting paid — https://gumroad.com/help/article/13-getting-paid
- **S10** Lemon Squeezy Docs, Supported countries — https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/getting-started/supported-countries
- **S11** Lemon Squeezy Docs, Prohibited products — https://docs.lemonsqueezy.com/help/getting-started/prohibited-products
- **S12** PayPal, country list (200 entries) — https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/country-worldwide ; local home pages https://www.paypal.com/{am,ge,kz,az,ua,rs,eg,ng,vn,kg,tj,ke,md,al,ba,mk,me,by,np,ph,gh}/home (layout compared 2026-10-25; ⚠ inference). Merchant fee pages "Last updated 28 September 2026".
- **S13** Armenian Weekly, "Does PayPal work in Armenia?" — https://armenianweekly.com/2024/04/29/does-paypal-work-in-armenia/ [2024-04-29]
- **S14** TechCabal, "PayPal returns to Nigeria… through Paga" — https://techcabal.com/2026/01/27/paypal-returns-to-nigeria-after-two-decades-this-time-through-paga/ [2026-01-27]
- **S15** Kyiv Post, Ukraine PayPal receiving — https://www.kyivpost.com/amp/post/10626 [2022]; WesternBid guide (2026, commercial ⚠) — https://westernbid.com/en/?p=22078
- **S16** systeme.io Help, Payments category — https://help.systeme.io/category/538-payments ; Secure and Pay — https://help.systeme.io/article/2967-how-to-integrate-secure-and-pay-with-systeme-io [2026-07-29]
- **S17** Flitt, "Simple and versatile international payments platform" — https://flitt.com/simple-and-versatile-international-payments-platform/ [2026-01-07]
- **S18** Flitt home — https://flitt.com/en
- **S19** Stripe Atlas — https://stripe.com/atlas
- **S20** Garanti BBVA / BKM 2025 card report — https://www.bbva.com/en/tr/economy-and-finance/garanti-bbva-report-shows-robust-growth-in-card-payments-in-turkiye/
- **S21** Cairo Scene (Mar 2026) — https://cairoscene.com/Buzz/Egypt-s-Banks-Tighten-Limits-for-Foreign-Currency-Credit-Card-Spending ; Ahram Online (2025) — https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentMulti/551158/Multimedia.aspx
- **S22** Nairametrics [2026-09-07] — https://nairametrics.com/2026/09/07/gtco-firstbank-others-raise-dollar-spending-limits-as-fx-scarcity-eases/ ; BusinessDay — https://businessday.ng/news/article/banks-resume-naira-cards-use-abroad-as-fx-improves/
- **S23** HighLevel Help, Connect Stripe — https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000005073-getting-started-connect-stripe
- **S24** PayMongo Docs, Philippine and non-Philippine entities — https://developers.paymongo.com/docs/philippine-entities , https://developers.paymongo.com/docs/non-philippine-entities
- **S25** finratings.kz, Kaspi Pay and fiscal receipts — https://finratings.kz/news/9037-kaspi-pay-ne-vsegda-zameniaet-onlain-kassu-chto-dolzhny-znat-ip/ ; Kaspi partner guide — https://guide.kaspi.kz/partner/ru/app/connection
- **S26** MoMo Developers, Merchant profile — https://developers.momo.vn/v3/docs/payment/onboarding/merchant-profile/
- **S27** Mercado Pago Developers, Checkout API — https://mercadopago.com.uy/developers/en/docs/checkout-api/landing
- **S28** Lemon Squeezy and Stripe Managed Payments (third-party ⚠) — https://fungies.io/lemon-squeezy-stripe-acquisition-saas-founders-2026/ ; https://www.issoh.co.jp/tech/details/18599/
- **S29** Paddle, Acceptable Use Policy — https://paddle.com/support/aup ; https://paddle.com/help/start/intro-to-paddle/what-am-i-not-allowed-to-sell-on-paddle
- **S30** World Bank API, SP.POP.TOTL (2025) and IT.NET.USER.ZS (latest) — https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/…/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL , …/IT.NET.USER.ZS
- **S31** World Bank API, NY.GDP.PCAP.CD (2025) — https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/…/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
- **S32** Hotmart reach: ABC da Comunicação — https://www.abcdacomunicacao.com.br/hotmart-company-recebe-aporte-de-r-735-milhoes-liderado-pela-tcv-e-reforca-status-de-unicornio/ ; Mercado&Consumo (2024-03-21) — https://mercadoeconsumo.com.br/21/03/2024/inovacao/hotmart-plataforma-de-venda-online-alcanca-us-10-bilhoes-em-vendas-de-parceiros/amp ⚠
- **S33** UzDaily, Humo online payments (Jan 2025) — https://www.uzdaily.uz/en/banking-vs-non-banking-apps-who-leads-in-online-payments-with-humo-cards/ ; Kun.uz (2024-02-08) — https://kun.uz/en/news/2024/02/08/volume-of-p2p-transfers-via-uzcard-and-humo-payment-systems-increased-by-15-times-in-2023
- **S34** Kaspi.kz 4Q 2025 results / earnings call — https://ir.kaspi.kz/media/3Q_2025_Results.pdf ; https://www.aol.com/articles/kaspi-kz-kspi-q4-2025-145110563.html
- **S35** Payme Business (spot.uz, 2024-02-27) — https://www.spot.uz/ru/2024/02/27/payme-business/ ; Uzcard/Humo integration — https://sayt.uz/en/blog/uzcard-humo-tolov-integratsiya ⚠
- **S36** iyzico Help Center — https://www.iyzico.com/en/support/help-center ; FitGap listing ⚠ — https://us.fitgap.com/products/iyzico
- **S37** Paymob Docs — https://developers.paymob.com/paymob-docs ; TechCrunch (2024-09-11) — https://techcrunch.com/2024/09/11/paymob-lands-another-22-million-and-is-profitable-in-egypt
- **S38** Techpoint Africa, Paystack — https://techpoint.africa/news/paystack-expands-apple-pay-cote-divoire-south-africa/
- **S39** Flutterwave coverage (third-party ⚠) — https://learnwithhasan.com/payment-gateways/flutterwave/
- **S40** Pakistan gateways (vendor ⚠) — https://www.photonpay.com/hk/blog/article/payment-gateway-in-pakistan
- **Proxies in §4:** ICF fact sheets (Mar 2021, Sept 2023), seen via search excerpts; PDFs blocked ⚠ — https://coachingfederation.org/app/uploads/2021/03/March2021_FactSheet.pdf , https://coachingfederation.org/app/uploads/2023/09/Sep2023_FactSheet.pdf ; Pakistan freelancers (ADB est.) — https://digitalpakistan.pk/pakistan-freelance-economy/ ⚠ ; Bangladesh freelancers — https://socialprotection.gov.bd/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Bangladeshs-500M-Industry.pdf ⚠ ; Online Labour Index — https://onlinelabourobservatory.org/paper/oli2021/ ⚠
- **Repo (internal):** `apps/api/src/services/core/payment/{flitt,bog,keepz,stripe,paddle}/` line counts, and `investors/BRIEF.md` (GEL-only billing), read 2026-10-25.



---

## Research file: masterminds-deep

# Masterminds, workshops and guru events: the real cost per attendance, and an 18-month plan

Researched 2026-10-25. This goes deeper than `masterminds-events.md`. Prices already listed there (Digital Course Academy, SMMW, VidSummit, LevelUp, OMR, UPW, the Skool platform, the base travel rows) are not repeated; this file only refers back to them.

**⚠ = unverified.** It comes from a third party, a reseller, an affiliate review, a search snippet I could not open, or a page older than 2025. Check before paying. Nothing here is invented. "Not published" means the organiser hides the price behind a sales call.

---

## 1. Summary

- **The founder's numbers are about right for one-off events, and too low for memberships.**
  - **Big in-person workshop or high-ticket event: ≈ $7,500–$11,500 per attendance with travel.** Hormozi's workshop is $5,000 a seat (official), and Date with Destiny is $7,995 (official). "$10k each" is a fair planning number.
  - **Mid-tier in-person event: ≈ $3,000–$4,500 with travel**, a little below the founder's $5k. It reaches $5k only with VIP tickets or a long-haul flight (Australia).
  - **Online program: $1,000–$2,500 one-off**, so the founder's "$2k" is right for a course. Online *coaching* is a different product and costs much more: Two Comma Club X is $2,500/month (official).
- **The top rooms are annual memberships, not tickets.** Inner Circle costs $50k+/yr ⚠, Genius Network $25k/yr ⚠ (it says it wants $1M+ revenue), King Solomon's Court (Myron Golden) $55k/yr, and Strategic Coach $15k/yr for 4 one-day sessions. Counted per meeting, that is **$5,500–$17,000 per attendance with travel**.
- **Many of the best rooms are locked by revenue.** Acquisition.com wants $250k+ top-line. Strategic Coach (2026 Chicago cohort) wants $500k+ personal income. Genius Network and Inner Circle want $1M+. Myron Golden's mastermind is aimed at $10k–$50k/month businesses. In the first months the open doors are Tony Robbins events, Grant Cardone events, guru live events and the coaches-for-coaches programs.
- **Most coaches-for-coaches gurus don't publish prices** (Taki Moore, Jon Penberthy, Ben Heath's mentorship, Russ Ruffino, Ravi Abuvala, Sabri Suby, Jeremy Haynes). The few public figures say: a Skool community or course costs $59/month–$2,500; a 12-month mentorship £5,000–$12,000 ⚠; and the one priced in-person mastermind found is $5,000 a day (Dan Henry, Dubai).
- **The upsell is the hidden cost.** Big events end with a pitch. One Acquisition.com attendee spent another $35,000 ⚠. Budget a reserve, or decide beforehand to buy nothing in the room.
- **18-month plan (30 attendances):** **realistic ≈ $121,500 (≈ $134k with a 10% reserve)**; **premium ≈ $241,500 (≈ $266k with reserve)**. Monthly costs by phase are in section 6.

---

## 2. Price table (new findings)

### 2a. The big names

| Guru / program | Format, length | Price | Who gets in | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Hormozi: Acquisition.com Scaling / Offers / Sales workshop** | In person, 2 days, Acquisition.com HQ, Las Vegas; ~100 seats; breakfast and lunch included, hotel and travel not | **$5,000/seat; $10,000 for two** (partner or key employee) | **≥ $250k top-line revenue**; "best for $1M+"; you qualify on a call with a workshop consultant | acquisition.com/workshop-offers (read 2026-10-25: "100/100 seats claimed", waitlist); acquisition.com/scalingworkshopsfaqs ("scale in 2026", read 2026-10-25) |
| Acquisition.com next dates | Dec 9–10, 2026 Las Vegas; "multiple dates throughout 2026" | "From $5000" | as above | success.events listing (2026) ⚠ |
| Acquisition.com: what attendees spend afterwards | In-room offer | ~$35,000 further spend reported | attendees | artandbiz substack (2025) ⚠ |
| **Hormozi: Skool Games** | Online competition for owners of paid Skool groups; ~30-day rounds | **Free to enter**; you need a Skool group ($9 or $99/mo). Q1 2025 version: $99/mo for the Games training | Paid Skool community; members' price capped at $100/mo | skool.com newsletter (Jan 2025); skoolprep.com (says Games relaunched 2026-07-14) ⚠ |
| Skool Games prizes | 2025: top 5 per category get an all-expenses trip to LA and a **1-day mastermind with Hormozi**; 2026: cash ($30k+ for 1st) plus a dinner with Hormozi in Las Vegas ⚠ | It's a prize, not for sale | Winners only | same |
| Hormozi: Gym Launch | Licensing for gym owners | No current price found | Gym owners | — |
| Hormozi: ALAN | AI lead-nurturing product | No price found | — | — |
| **Russell Brunson: Two Comma Club X** | Group coaching and masterminds "with the team"; in-person content not stated | **$25,000/yr or $2,500/mo** (non-refundable $2,500 deposit) | Not stated on the order page; older guides say application only ⚠ | ClickFunnels order page funnels.myclickfunnels.com/imallin (undated, read 2026-10-25) |
| **Brunson: Inner Circle** | Hybrid: in-person masterminds, monthly calls; capped ~120 ⚠ | **$50,000/yr**; Category Kings $150,000/yr; a reported $250,000 tier ⚠ | **Verified $1M+ revenue** (2023 member); Two Comma Club | growthmentor.com (2026-02-15) ⚠; diygenius.com (2026) ⚠; damonburton.com (2023) ⚠ |
| Brunson: FHL AI encore | 1 night, Las Vegas theatre, Sept 2026 | No price published; floor sold out | Open | russellbrunson.com (2026-06-29) |
| **Sabri Suby / King Kong: Quantum Growth** | Online coaching program for coaches, consultants and agencies | **~$9,800** ⚠; price given on the discovery call | Discovery call | ippei.com review ⚠; sidehustlesdatabase (2021) ⚠ |
| Sabri Suby: "Sell Like Crazy" | A book (free plus shipping, then $169–$258 upsells ⚠). **No "Sell Like Crazy" live event or King Kong mastermind could be found** for 2025–2026 | — | — | kingkong.co (read 2026-10-25: lists Quantum Growth, book and a strategy call only); myfunnelsecrets review ⚠ |
| **Tony Robbins: Date with Destiny** | In person or virtual, 6 days, Dec 4–9 2026, Palm Beach FL | **GA $7,995** (only tier shown) | Open | tonyrobbins.com DWD 2026 page (read 2026-10-25) |
| **Tony Robbins: Business Mastery** | In person and virtual, 5 days; Aug 12–16 2026 Palm Beach; next is virtual, Jan 13–17 2027 | **Not published (apply)**. "From $2,995" ⚠; $10,995 virtual (2022) ⚠; $10,000 (Inc., 2016) ⚠ | Application | tonyrobbins.com BM page (no price, read 2026-10-25); 360businesstour.com (Apr 2026) ⚠; leadersadapt.com (2026-10-24) ⚠ |
| Tony Robbins: Platinum Partnership | Annual: international trips, 1:1 coaching, all events | Not published | Application/invitation | tonyrobbins.com (no price) |
| **Dean Graziosi / Tony Robbins: Mastermind.com Business System** | Online: monthly live Inner Circle training, courses, community; includes a VIP ticket to the 3-day virtual World Summit ⚠ | **$997/yr or $97/mo** (Success plan $423/yr or $47/mo) | Open | mastermind.helpscoutdocs.com (official help pages) |
| Graziosi/Burchard: Legacy Mastermind | 3 in-person masterminds, 12 calls, Elite GrowthDay Live ticket | **$24,997** (or 4×$6,750 / 6×$4,670) | Application, **closed**; dates 2023–24 ⚠ | learn.mastermind.com/join-legacy-mastermind (read 2026-10-25) |
| **Grant Cardone: 10X Business Summit** | In person, 3 days, Fort Lauderdale; Oct 23–25 2026 and Jan 22–24 2027 | GA **$497** ⚠ / General $997 ⚠ / Executive **$2,000** ⚠ | Open | 10xbusinesslive.com (dates read 2026-10-25; prices from search snippets of it and store.grantcardone.com) ⚠ |
| Cardone: 10X Wealth Conference | In person, Dec 13–14 2026, Miami | Not shown (Super VIP sold out) | Open | 10xwealthcon.com (read 2026-10-25) |
| Cardone: 10X Growth Con | Only a free 1-afternoon edition found (Apr 2, 2026, Las Vegas, listed $0); the old big con had $997–$7,500 tiers ⚠ | — | — | success.events ⚠; old grantcardone ticket page ⚠ |
| Cardone: masterminds / Cardone Ventures | — | $9,970–$25,000 ⚠; coaching $30–35k/yr (Trustpilot) ⚠ | — | third-party guide 2026 ⚠; Trustpilot ⚠ |
| **Dan Kennedy / Magnetic Marketing: Diamond** | Online: masterclasses, live Q&A, weekly memos | **$297/mo or $2,970/yr** (intl $337 / $3,370) | Open | support.magneticmarketing.com (modified Aug 2025) |
| Magnetic Marketing: Insiders' Circle (quarterly 2-day intensives) / Peak Performers | — | No price found | — | — |
| **Jay Abraham: Entrepreneur's Triumvirate** (with Daymond John) | In person, ~30 people | $10,000 ("usually $20,000"); partner +$5,000 ⚠ (undated) | — | eofire.com/jay ⚠ |
| **Joe Polish: Genius Network** | Hybrid; members pick 2 meetings/yr in Tempe AZ | $25,000/yr ⚠; $100,000/yr tier ⚠ | **$1M+ revenue** (membership page, via leadersadapt); average member ~$9M | leadersadapt.com (2026-10-25) ⚠; geniusnetwork.com/faq (no price) |
| Genius Network Annual Event | Nov 5–7 2026, Scottsdale | 2025 event: **$12,500 normal tuition** ($2,500 early-bird rebate) ⚠; members free | — | geniusnetwork.com page via search snippet (2024) ⚠ |
| **Dan Sullivan: Strategic Coach** (reference point) | 4 one-day in-person sessions/yr (e.g. Chicago Nov 13 2026 – Aug 13 2027) | **$15,000/yr** ($2,500 deposit); London £9,000; 2025 Chicago $13,500 | **$500k–$1M+ personal income** (Chicago cohort); £150k income or £500k turnover (London) | connect.strategiccoach.com registration pages (read 2026-10-25) |
| **Iman Gadzhi: Educate.io** | Online courses | ~$1,500 or $125/mo × 12 ⚠; Agency Navigator $1,499 ⚠; Monetise $1,995 ⚠ | Open | moonlitemoney.com (Jul 2026) ⚠; scamrisk.com (Oct 2026) ⚠ |
| Iman Gadzhi: events/mastermind | None found | — | — | — |
| **Dan Lok: High Ticket Closer** | Online, 7 weeks | $2,495 ⚠; High-Ticket Influencer $10,000 ⚠; old mastermind $50,000 ⚠ | — | carminemastropierro.com (~2024) ⚠; autarch.co ⚠ |

### 2b. Webinar specialists

| Guru / program | Format | Price | Who gets in | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Jason Fladlien: GOAT Webinars** | Online course | **$1,497** or 3×$599 ⚠; coaching recordings $497 ⚠ | Open | findfocus.net (2025, 2026) ⚠; entrepreneursclass.com (2026) ⚠ |
| Fladlien: Product eClass v5 / Webinar Legend eClass | Online | $499 ⚠ / 2×$97 ⚠ | Open | jasonfladlienproducteclass.com (2026) ⚠; jason-fladlienproducts.com ⚠ |
| Fladlien: "Rapid Crush" mastermind | — | Nothing indexed; ask directly | — | — |
| **Joel Erway: The Webinar Agency** | Group coaching; done-for-you webinars | Group coaching **$8,000**, done-for-you **$25,000** ⚠ (his own words on an older podcast) | Call | pipelineology.com E14 ⚠ |
| **Jon Schumacher: Webinar Launchpad** | Online course | **$2,497** lifetime ⚠ (official page ~3 years old) | Open | jonschumacher.com/go-launchpad2 ⚠ |
| **Amy Porterfield: Webinars That Convert** | Older course, now folded into her launches | No price found | — | — |
| **Dan Henry: Get Clients University** | Online membership | **$97/mo or $997/yr** ⚠ | Open | ippei.com, Trustpilot ⚠ |
| Dan Henry: Epic Pitch Mastermind | Online | $1,997/mo × 12 ⚠ (low-quality page) | Application | epic-pitch-mastermind.netlify.app ⚠ |
| **Dan Henry: in-person mastermind, Dubai** | In person, 1 day 9am–5pm, Ritz-Carlton JBR, 5–10 people a room; "Aug 23" (year not stated) | **$5,000** | Invite only, request by WhatsApp | getclients.com/uae (read 2026-10-25) ⚠ year |
| **Myron Golden: Offer Mastery Live** | In person, 3 days, Tampa (May 2024) | General **$997**, VIP **$1,997**, Platinum **$2,997** | Open | myrongoldenchallenge.com/offer-mastery-live (2024 event) ⚠ old |
| **Myron Golden: King Solomon's Court** (yearly mastermind) | Mastermind | **$55,000/yr** | Mastermind aimed at $10k–$50k/month businesses | vipwithmyron.com/vip_day (undated, read 2026-10-25) |
| Myron Golden: VIP Day | 1:1, 8 hours | **$375,000**, no payment plans | $50k–$500k/month revenue and $300k+ cash | same page |
| Myron Golden: "Boss Room" | No program by that name found | — | — | — |
| **Jeff Walker: Platinum Plus** | Meets 2–3 times a year | Not published ("significant investment") | Application | jeffwalker.com mastermind posts |
| Jeff Walker: Launch Club | Membership with an annual conference | Not published | — | Mighty Networks case study |

### 2c. Coaches who teach coaches and agencies to get clients (the founder's examples, plus more)

| Guru / program | What they teach | Format | Price | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Taki Moore: Million Dollar Coach** | Coaching-business marketing, webinars, offers | **Black Belt** (6 figures → $1M; for coaches at >$10k/month) and **Boardroom** (>$1M; call first, then a "boardroom session" invite) | **Not published.** An older post put a high-end program at ~$1,500/month (~$10k/yr) ⚠; his 2-day Intensive was a $497 ticket ⚠ (old) | milliondollarcoach.com/go (read 2026-10-25, ©2020); jamesschramko.com ⚠; medium.com/@takimoore ⚠ |
| **AlexanderTheCreate** = **Thomas Alex Norman** ("Alexander" is his middle name) | YouTube for coaches, entrepreneurs, creators; talking to camera | Online: "3 Hour YouTube System", "30 Day Talking To Camera Challenge" | **No official price found**; resellers quote $354 ⚠ | youtube.com/@AlexanderTheCreate; course listings ⚠ |
| **Jon Penberthy** (Aducated) | Facebook/YouTube ads for coaches and experts | Online academies; "Ad Value InnerCircle" with weekly live calls and a bonus in-person event | Aducated Coaching Academy $1,997 ⚠; AdValue 2.0 $997 ⚠; Social Traffic Blueprint $997 ⚠; Expert Accelerator $999 ⚠ (all reseller "original prices") | bizarena.org, trustedcourse.com, tscourses.com ⚠ |
| **Ben Heath** (Heath Media; "Lead Guru" is his YouTube brand) | Meta ads | **Meta Ads Academy on Skool**, weekly live Q&A | **$59/month** (official); 1:1 hour £2,995 ⚠; 12-month mentorship £5,000 ⚠ (Trustpilot); done-for-you ~£2,700/mo ⚠ | skool.com/benheath/about (read 2026-10-25); heathmedia.co.uk via snippet ⚠; Trustpilot ⚠ |
| **Dan Henry** (GetClients) | Ads and webinars for coaches | See 2b: $997/yr membership; **$5,000 in-person day in Dubai** | | |
| **Jeremy Haynes** (Megalodon Marketing) | Ads and webinars for coaches and info businesses; ran a "$1M/month mastermind" (2025) | Masterclasses; in-person Miami session | Webinar Mastery masterclass **$750** (official Whop store); Miami "Business Breakthrough Session" $2,000 ⚠ (undated); mastermind price not published | whop.com Megalodon store (read 2026-10-25); podcast (Jul 2025) |
| **Ravi Abuvala** (Scaling With Systems) | Client acquisition for coaches and agencies (ads, VSL, systems) | Coaching program | **~$7,000–$12,000** ⚠ (reports $6,800–$25,000); VIP Day $20,000 ⚠ | unemployable.com, scamrisk.com, ippei.com (2026) ⚠ |
| **Jordan Platten** (Affluent / "Agency Launch") | Agency lead generation with Facebook ads | Online plus coaching | **$3,800–$4,500** ⚠ (not public; call); older $947–$1,497 | roasform.com (2026) ⚠ |
| **Cole Gordon** (Closers.io) | High-ticket sales teams for coaches | Online training, 6 coaching calls a week | **$8,400** ⚠ | ippei.com citing WealthyByDefault ⚠ |
| **Stu McLaren** (The Membership Experience) | Membership businesses for coaches | Online, yearly launch | "$2,499 value"; **$297/mo × 12** plan ⚠ | membership.io checkout (undated) ⚠ |
| **Stirling Gardner** (1-Slide Offer) | High-ticket offers for coaches | $37 workshop → group coaching (1/3/6/12-month terms) | $37 entry (official); coaching priced at enrolment | 1slideoffer.com; legal.stacktdigital.com |
| **Russ Ruffino** (Clients on Demand) | High-ticket programs for coaches | Coaching | Not published | — |
| **Chris & Lori Harder** (Elite Entrepreneur Mastermind) | Business growth for coaches and creators | Hybrid: biweekly calls, in-person events | **$3,495 (3 months) – $7,999 (12 months)** ⚠; Elite tier application-only, $500k+ revenue | growthmentor.com (2026-02-15) ⚠ |
| **Natalie MacNeil** (Visionary Collective) | Women founders at multi-six or seven figures | Mostly online, optional retreat | **$15,000** or $2,000/mo ⚠ | growthmentor.com (2026-02-15) ⚠ |

**What the coaches-for-coaches tier really costs:** an open community runs $59–$99/month and a course $750–$2,500. A coaching program with calls is $4,000–$12,000 for 3–12 months ⚠, and a small in-person mastermind day is around $5,000 (Dan Henry). These gurus sell through calls, so expect the real price only on the call. Their rooms are full of coaches, which makes them Stapilo's customers, not its partners.

---

## 3. Travel cost per trip (from Tbilisi)

The US and Europe rows come from `masterminds-events.md` section 5 and are kept as they were. Dubai, Australia and Miami/Palm Beach are new.

| Destination | Round-trip flight | Hotel | Meals and ground | **Trip total (3–5 nights)** | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **US: Las Vegas / Dallas** | $566–$1,422 | $600–$1,200 for 4 nights | ~$500–$650 | **$1,700–$3,200; plan $2,600** | earlier file |
| **US: Miami / Palm Beach (Robbins, Cardone)** | **$760–$1,104** (Expedia, Kayak snapshots 2026 ⚠) | GSA FY2026 Miami $145–$232/night (peak Feb–Mar) → 4 nights $580–$930; event hotels more | GSA meals $92/day → ~$460, plus ground $100–$200 ⚠ | **$1,900–$3,000; plan $2,600** (6-night Robbins events: plan **$3,500**) | expedia.com, kayak.com ⚠; federalpay.org / engine.com (FY2026) |
| **Europe** (Lisbon / London / Hamburg) | $190–$590 | €520–€960 for 4 nights ⚠ | €350–€500 ⚠ | **$1,000–$2,000; plan $1,500** | earlier file |
| **Dubai** | **$270–$500** (Skyscanner €269; Expedia $307; Kayak average $437–$497) ⚠ | Dubai average room rate 2025: AED 579 (~$158, DET) to AED 746 (~$203, Cavendish Maxwell) → 4 nights $630–$810; Ritz-type venue hotels much more ⚠ | $300–$500 ⚠ (estimate, no source) | **$1,200–$2,200; plan $1,600** | skyscanner.ie, expedia.com, kayak.com ⚠; traveldailynews / gulfnews (DET 2025) |
| **Australia: Sydney / Gold Coast** | **$1,100–$2,300** (Expedia $1,177; Farecompare average $1,715; Emirates $2,296) ⚠ | ATO 2025-26 reasonable amount for Sydney A$223/night (~US$145 ⚠ at ~0.65) → 5 nights ~$725; event hotels more | $400–$600 ⚠ | **$2,400–$4,000; plan $3,200** (one more night for jet lag) | expedia.com, farecompare.com ⚠; forgov.qld.gov.au (ATO TD 2025/4) |

**Before you fly to the US:** a Georgian passport needs a US B1/B2 visa (application fee $185 ⚠, not re-checked in this session) and an interview, which can mean months of waiting. Apply before booking the first US event, or start with Dubai and Europe.

**How to cut travel cost:** stack two events on one US trip. For example, Date with Destiny (Dec 4–9) and 10X Wealth (Dec 13–14) are both in Florida in December 2026, and 10X Business Summit (Jan 22–24) and Affiliate Summit West (Jan 26–28) fall in the same week of January 2027. Stacking saves one long-haul flight (~$1,000) per pair.

---

## 4. Total realistic cost per attendance

| Type | Examples (ticket) | Ticket | Travel | **Total per attendance** |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **(a) Big in-person mastermind or high-ticket workshop** | Acquisition.com $5,000 (2 days); Date with Destiny $7,995 (6 days); Dan Henry Dubai $5,000; Business Mastery $2,995–$10,995 ⚠; Genius Network event $12,500 ⚠; Legacy-type mastermind ~$8,300 per meeting ⚠ | $5,000–$12,500 | $1,600–$3,500 | **$6,600–$16,000; typical ≈ $9,000** (Acquisition.com ≈ $7,600; DWD ≈ $11,500; Dan Henry Dubai ≈ $6,600; Genius event ≈ $15,000) |
| Same, per meeting of an annual membership | Strategic Coach $15k ÷ 4; Genius Network $25k ÷ 2 ⚠; Inner Circle $50k ÷ ~3–4 ⚠ | $3,750–$17,000 | $1,800–$2,600 | **$5,500–$19,500** (membership is paid up front for the year) |
| **(b) Mid-tier in-person event** | 10X Business Summit $497–$2,000 ⚠; Myron Golden live $997–$2,997 ⚠; UPW, SMMW, LevelUp (earlier file) $795–$1,297 | $500–$3,000 | $1,500–$2,600 (Australia $3,200) | **$2,000–$5,600; typical ≈ $3,500** |
| **(c) Online program** | Mastermind.com $997/yr; Diamond $2,970/yr; GOAT Webinars $1,497 ⚠; Webinar Launchpad $2,497 ⚠; Educate ~$1,500 ⚠; Ben Heath $59/mo | $700–$3,000 | $0 | **$700–$3,000; typical ≈ $1,500** |
| (c+) Online coaching program | 2CCX $2,500/mo; Quantum Growth ~$9,800 ⚠; Scaling With Systems ~$7k–$12k ⚠; Closers.io $8,400 ⚠ | $4,000–$25,000 | $0 | Not "$2k". Treat these as a big item |

**Against the founder's belief:**
- In person ≈ $10k: **true for the top tier.** A $5k ticket plus a US trip lands at ~$7.6k; Robbins' 6-day events land at ~$11.5k.
- Some ≈ $5k: **mid-tier events usually cost $3–4.5k.** $5k means VIP tickets, Australia, or a cheap mastermind day such as Dan Henry's in Dubai at ~$6.6k.
- Online ≈ $2k: **true for courses and memberships.** Online coaching with calls costs $4k–$25k.

---

## 5. Qualification check for a founder in year 1

| Open now | Gated by revenue or income |
|---|---|
| Date with Destiny, UPW, Business Mastery (application, no published gate), Cardone 10X events, Myron Golden live events, SMMW, LevelUp, Mastermind.com, Diamond, every online course, Skool communities (Ben Heath etc.), Dan Henry Dubai (invite: ask) | Acquisition.com (≥ $250k revenue), Strategic Coach (≥ $500k personal income in the Chicago cohort), Genius Network (≥ $1M), Inner Circle (≥ $1M), King Solomon's Court ($10–50k/month aimed), Taki Moore Black Belt (>$10k/month), Harder Elite ($500k+) |

The plan below therefore puts the gated rooms in phases 2–3 and fills phase 1 with open big events.

---

## 6. 18-month attendance plan

Pattern: **3 a month in months 1–3 (9), 2 a month in months 4–9 (12), 1 a month in months 10–18 (9) = 30 attendances.**
Unit costs from section 4. Realistic: big $9,000 / mid $3,500 / online $1,500. Premium: big $13,000 (VIP tiers, venue hotel, longer stays, Genius-level rooms) / mid $5,000 (VIP ticket, better hotel) / online $2,500.

### Realistic version

| Phase | Mix | Phase cost | **Per month** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Months 1–3 (9) | 2 big + 3 mid + 4 online | $18,000 + $10,500 + $6,000 = **$34,500** | **≈ $11,500** |
| Months 4–9 (12) | 3 big + 5 mid + 4 online | $27,000 + $17,500 + $6,000 = **$50,500** | **≈ $8,400** |
| Months 10–18 (9) | 2 big + 4 mid + 3 online | $18,000 + $14,000 + $4,500 = **$36,500** | **≈ $4,050** |
| **18-month total** | 7 big, 12 mid, 11 online | **≈ $121,500** | avg ≈ $6,750 |
| + 10% reserve (upsells, price rises, visa) | | ≈ $12,000 | **≈ $133,500** |

### Premium version

| Phase | Mix | Phase cost | **Per month** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Months 1–3 (9) | 4 big + 3 mid + 2 online | $52,000 + $15,000 + $5,000 = **$72,000** | **≈ $24,000** |
| Months 4–9 (12) | 5 big + 5 mid + 2 online | $65,000 + $25,000 + $5,000 = **$95,000** | **≈ $15,800** |
| Months 10–18 (9) | 4 big + 4 mid + 1 online | $52,000 + $20,000 + $2,500 = **$74,500** | **≈ $8,300** |
| **18-month total** | 13 big, 12 mid, 5 online | **≈ $241,500** | avg ≈ $13,400 |
| + 10% reserve | | ≈ $24,000 | **≈ $265,500** |

Premium does not include an annual membership. Adding one, such as 2CCX ($25k), Genius Network ($25k ⚠) or Strategic Coach ($15k), replaces 2–3 of the "big" slots in phases 2–3, not on top of them.

### Example calendar, realistic version (month 1 = Nov 2026; dates are the ones known on 2026-10-25)

| Month | In person | Online |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Nov 2026 | Dan Henry Dubai day (big, ask for the next date) **or** Genius Network event Nov 5–7 (if admitted) | Mastermind.com ($997/yr); Ben Heath Meta Ads Academy ($59/mo) |
| 2 Dec 2026 | **Date with Destiny** Dec 4–9 (big) + 10X Wealth Dec 13–14 Miami (mid), one trip | — |
| 3 Jan 2027 | 10X Business Summit Jan 22–24 (mid) + Affiliate Summit West Jan 26–28 (earlier file), one trip | GOAT Webinars or Webinar Launchpad (webinar method) |
| 4–9 Feb–Jul 2027 | SMMW Apr 1–3 (mid), OMR May 3–5 (mid, Europe), a Myron Golden or Brunson live event (mid), Business Mastery (big), Acquisition.com once revenue ≥ $250k (big), a coaches-for-coaches in-person day (big/mid) | Diamond ($2,970/yr); a coaches-for-coaches program (Taki Moore, Stirling Gardner, Jeremy Haynes masterclass) |
| 10–18 Aug 2027 – Apr 2028 | VidSummit, LevelUp (earlier file), UPW, one gated mastermind meeting if admitted (Strategic Coach / Genius / 2CCX), one Australia or Dubai event | 3 online seats chosen by what the in-person rooms showed |

---

## 7. Sources (all read or searched 2026-10-25 unless dated otherwise)

**Hormozi / Acquisition.com / Skool**
- https://www.acquisition.com/workshop-offers · https://www.acquisition.com/scalingworkshopsfaqs · https://www.acquisition.com/workshop-faqs
- https://www.success.events/events/alex-hormozi-acquisition-scaling-workshop-2026-11-09 ⚠
- https://artandbiz.substack.com/p/acquisitioncom-workshop-review-15 ⚠ · https://www.scamrisk.com/acquisition-com-workshop-review-is-alex-hormozi-legit/ ⚠
- https://www.skool.com/newsletter-9619/how-to-win-the-skool-games-alex-hormozi (Jan 2025) · https://skoolprep.com/skool-games-what-it-is-how-it-works-how-to-win ⚠

**Brunson**
- https://funnels.myclickfunnels.com/imallin (2CCX order page)
- https://www.growthmentor.com/blog/mastermind-groups (2026-02-15) ⚠ · https://www.diygenius.com/mastermind-groups-for-entrepreneurs/ ⚠ · https://www.damonburton.com/this-is-my-third-year-in-russell-brunsons-inner-circle/ ⚠
- https://www.russellbrunson.com/blog/we-killed-funnel-hacking-live-but-something-big-is-rising-from-the-ashes-success-ep-134

**Sabri Suby**
- https://kingkong.co/ · https://ippei.com/quantum-growth/ ⚠ · https://sidehustlesdatabase.com/sabri-suby-quantum-growth-review/ ⚠ · https://www.myfunnelsecrets.com/sales-funnel-books/sell-like-crazy-review/ ⚠

**Robbins / Graziosi**
- https://www.tonyrobbins.com/es/events/date-with-destiny/date-with-destiny-2026/a9eb6c26-9f7b-41d9-acbe-ed4e70b71839
- https://www.tonyrobbins.com/events/business-mastery/bm-august-2026 · https://www.leadersadapt.com/tony-robbins-business-mastery/ ⚠ · https://360businesstour.com/travel/events/tony-robbins-2026/ ⚠
- https://mastermind.helpscoutdocs.com/article/766-what-is-included-with-the-997-annual-or-3-payments-of-380-business-plan · https://mastermind.helpscoutdocs.com/article/765-what-is-included-in-the-success-system-plan-423year-or-47month
- https://learn.mastermind.com/join-legacy-mastermind · https://ark7.com/blog/articles/dean-graziosis-program-review/ ⚠

**Cardone**
- https://10xbusinesslive.com/ · https://10xwealthcon.com/ · https://store.grantcardone.com/collections/money-finances/products/10x-business-summit-2026-october ⚠ (snippet) · https://www.success.events/events/10x-growth-conference-2026 ⚠ · https://de.trustpilot.com/review/grantcardone.com ⚠

**Kennedy / Abraham / Polish / Sullivan**
- https://support.magneticmarketing.com/support/solutions/articles/156000022271-what-are-the-benefits-of-joining-diamond
- https://www.EOFire.com/jay ⚠
- https://www.leadersadapt.com/genius-network/ ⚠ · https://geniusnetwork.com/faq/ · https://www.success.events/events/genius-network-annual-event-2026-2026-11-05 ⚠
- https://connect.strategiccoach.com/registrations/302308 · https://connect.strategiccoach.com/reservation/301741

**Webinar specialists**
- https://findfocus.net/goat-webinars-review/ ⚠ · https://www.entrepreneursclass.com/jason-fladlien-goat-webinars/ ⚠ · https://jasonfladlienproducteclass.com/ ⚠ · https://www.jason-fladlienproducts.com/webinar-legend/ ⚠
- https://www.pipelineology.com/e14/ ⚠ (Joel Erway)
- https://jonschumacher.com/go-launchpad2/ ⚠
- https://getclients.com/uae · https://ippei.com/get-clients-university/ ⚠ · https://epic-pitch-mastermind.netlify.app/ ⚠
- https://www.myrongoldenchallenge.com/offer-mastery-live/ (2024) · https://www.vipwithmyron.com/vip_day
- https://jeffwalker.com/masterminds-multiplying-business-growth/

**Coaches for coaches**
- https://milliondollarcoach.com/go/ · https://www.jamesschramko.com/tag/taki-moore ⚠ · https://medium.com/@takimoore/your-hero-product-a9a09a29cc84 ⚠
- https://www.youtube.com/@AlexanderTheCreate · https://imarketing.courses/product/thomas-alex-norman-30-day-talking-to-camera-challenge/ ⚠
- https://bizarena.org/coaching/2416-jon-penberthy-aducated-coaching-academy.html ⚠ · https://trustedcourse.com/course/jon-penberthy-advalue-2-0/ ⚠ · https://tscourses.com/courses/jon-penberthy-expert-accelerator/ ⚠
- https://www.skool.com/benheath/about · https://heathmedia.co.uk/consulting-sessions/ ⚠ (snippet; page now 404) · https://www.trustpilot.com/review/heathmedia.co.uk?page=3 ⚠
- https://whop.com/joined/megalodon-marketing/products/jeremy-s-masterclass-webinar-mastery/
- https://unemployable.com/abuvala/ ⚠ · https://www.scamrisk.com/scaling-with-systems-ravi-abuvala/ ⚠
- https://www.roasform.com/reviews/affluent-academy-review ⚠
- https://ippei.com/closers-io/ ⚠
- https://membership.io/summit-plan ⚠
- https://www.1slideoffer.com/ · https://legal.stacktdigital.com/
- https://moonlitemoney.com/blog/agency-navigator-review-2026 ⚠ · https://www.scamrisk.com/iman-gadzhi/ ⚠
- https://carminemastropierro.com/dan-lok-course-review/ ⚠

**Travel**
- Dubai flights ⚠: https://www.skyscanner.ie/routes/tbs/dxba/tbilisi-to-dubai.html · https://expedia.com/lp/flights/tbs/dxb/tbilisi-to-dubai · https://www.kayak.com/flight-routes/Tbilisi-Intl-TBS/Dubai-Intl-DXB
- Dubai hotel rates: https://www.traveldailynews.com/statistics-trends/dubai-records-19-59m-international-visitors-in-2025/ · https://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/dubais-hotel-boom-why-is-the-average-daily-room-rate-now-dh745-1.500260746
- Sydney flights ⚠: https://www.expedia.com/cn/lp/flights/tbs/syd/tbilisi-to-sydney · https://www.farecompare.com/flights/Sydney-SYD/Tbilisi-TBS/market.html · https://www.travelocity.com/es/lp/flight-routes/emirates-from-kingsford-smith-intl-to-tbilisi-intl/ek/syd/tbs
- Sydney allowance (ATO TD 2025/4 via Queensland): https://www.forgov.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/620113/domestic-travel-rates-adjusted-2025.pdf
- Miami flights ⚠: https://www.expedia.com/cn/lp/flights/tbs/mia/tbilisi-to-miami · https://www.kayak.com/flight-routes/Tbilisi-Intl-TBS/Miami-MIA
- Miami per diem FY2026: https://www.federalpay.org/perdiem/2026/florida/miami · https://engine.com/blog/miami-per-diem-rates
- US, Europe travel rows and the events not repeated here: `masterminds-events.md`, section 7



---

## Research file: team-and-studio-costs

# Stapilo: team and studio costs in Tbilisi (for the first investment round budget)

Researched 2026-10-25. Every figure has a source and a date (or "date not stated" when the source gives none).
**⚠ = unverified**: the figure comes from a search snippet, a small sample, a vendor blog, a page we could not open
ourselves, or our own assumption. Nothing here is invented; where no source was found, the gap is named.

**Exchange rate used throughout: 1 USD = 2.5971 GEL** — official National Bank of Georgia rate valid from
2026-10-24 (set 2026-10-23), read directly from the NBG API
(`nbg.gov.ge/gw/api/ct/monetarypolicy/currencies/en/json/?currencies=USD`) on 2026-10-25.

**How Georgian pay is quoted.** Georgian job ads usually quote **net** pay ("ხელზე ასაღები" = take-home). Salary
surveys (Paylab, Geostat) quote **gross**. For an employee in the funded pension scheme:
`net = gross × 0.98 × 0.80 = gross × 0.784`; the employer adds 2% on top, so
**employer cost = gross × 1.02 = net × 1.301**. (Details in section 4.)

---

## 1. Summary tables

### 1a. Salaries — budget figure per role (monthly, full-time unless noted)

"Market range (net)" is what the sources below support; "Budget" is the single figure we suggest for the plan.
Founder's guide for developers (₾2,500 at start, ~₾5,000 within a year) is taken as **net**, which is how Georgian
pay is normally quoted; if the founder meant gross, the developer cost lines fall by ~22%.

| Role | Market range, net GEL | Budget net GEL (USD) | Gross GEL (USD) | **Employer cost GEL (USD)** | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior developer (TS/React/Node) | 2,000–3,000 | **2,500** ($963) | 3,189 ($1,228) | **3,253 ($1,252)** | good (founder + job ad + Paylab) |
| Mid developer (TS/React/Node) | 4,000–5,500 | **5,000** ($1,925) | 6,378 ($2,456) | **6,505 ($2,505)** | medium (founder + Paylab top decile + Geostat ICT average) |
| Performance marketer / Meta ads | 2,500–3,500 | **3,000** ($1,155) | 3,827 ($1,473) | **3,903 ($1,503)** | medium |
| Content & social media manager | 2,000–3,000 | **2,500** ($963) | 3,189 ($1,228) | **3,253 ($1,252)** | good (5 live job ads) |
| Video editor | 2,000–3,000 ⚠ | **2,500** ($963) | 3,189 ($1,228) | **3,253 ($1,252)** | low ⚠ (no editor-only ad with pay found) |
| Videographer / camera operator | 1,500–2,500 | **2,000** ($770) | 2,551 ($982) | **2,602 ($1,002)** | medium |
| Graphic / motion designer | 2,000–3,500 | **2,750** ($1,059) | 3,508 ($1,351) | **3,578 ($1,378)** | good (5 live job ads) |
| Community / customer success manager | 1,500–2,500 | **2,000** ($770) | 2,551 ($982) | **2,602 ($1,002)** | medium |
| Partnerships / events coordinator | 2,000–3,000 | **2,500** ($963) | 3,189 ($1,228) | **3,253 ($1,252)** | medium (Paylab event manager has <20 respondents) |
| Accountant, part-time (~0.4 FTE) ⚠ | 600–1,200 ⚠ | **1,000** ($385) | 1,276 ($491) | **1,301 ($501)** | low ⚠ (derived from full-time ads) |
| **Team of 10 (one of each)** | | **25,750** ($9,915) | 32,844 ($12,647) | **33,501/month ($12,899)** | |
| **Per year** | | | | **≈402,000 GEL ($154,800)** | |

With **International Company status** (5% income tax instead of 20%, section 4), the same net pay would cost the
employer about **16% less** (e.g. junior developer 2,739 GEL instead of 3,253 GEL). Eligibility must be confirmed
with a tax adviser before it is assumed in the plan.

Context: Geostat's average monthly gross pay in Information & Communication was **4,290.7 GEL** in Q1 2026
(≈3,364 net, $1,652 gross); the all-sector average was **2,466.2 GEL** in Q4 2025.

### 1b. Guerrilla studio — one-off equipment (US retail prices)

| Group | Items | USD | GEL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameras | 2× Sony ZV-E10 II body | 2,396.00 | 6,223 |
| Lenses | 2× Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN (Sony E) | 1,318.00 | 3,423 |
| Media | 2× SanDisk Extreme PRO 256GB UHS-II V60 | 599.98 | 1,558 |
| Support | 2× Manfrotto Befree Live aluminium video tripod kit | 599.90 | 1,558 |
| Lighting | amaran Halo 200x 2-light kit (2 softboxes, 2 stands, bag) | 788.00 | 2,047 |
| Podcast audio | Zoom PodTrak P4next (4 mic inputs) | 179.99 | 467 |
| Podcast mics | 4× RØDE PodMic kit with studio boom arm + XLR cable (host + 3 guests) | 1,040.96 | 2,703 |
| Field / talking-head mic | DJI Mic 3, 2 transmitters + 1 receiver | 259.00 | 673 |
| Teleprompter | Elgato Prompter | 299.99 | 779 |
| Backdrop | Savage 107" seamless paper + Savage 12×12' background stand | 242.98 | 631 |
| Editing computer | Mac Studio M5 Max, 36GB / 512GB | 2,499.00 | 6,490 |
| Storage | Synology DS225+ NAS + 2× WD Red Plus 12TB (mirrored = 12TB usable) | 1,442.97 | 3,748 |
| Storage | Samsung T7 Shield 2TB portable SSD (working drive) | 574.99 | 1,493 |
| **Subtotal** | | **12,241.76** | **31,793** |
| Contingency 10% (cables, batteries/power, monitor, small parts — not priced ⚠) | | 1,224.18 | 3,179 |
| **Total** | | **≈13,466** | **≈34,972** |
| If imported: + 18% Georgian import VAT (+ 20–100 GEL customs fee) | | +2,424 | +6,295 |
| **Landed in Tbilisi (imported)** | | **≈15,890** | **≈41,270** |

Optional upgrades: swap one ZV-E10 II for a Sony FX30 (+$900; B&H $2,098) as the main camera; a second edit seat
Mac mini M5 Pro 24GB/512GB ($1,699 = 4,412 GEL). A display for the Mac Studio is **not** included.

### 1c. Software subscriptions

| Tool | Price | Per month (USD / GEL) |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Creative Cloud Pro (all apps, 1 seat for designer) ⚠ | $69.99/mo, annual plan | 69.99 / 182 |
| CapCut Pro (shorts) ⚠ | ~$19.99/mo (US list) | 19.99 / 52 |
| Riverside "Grow" (remote podcast guests, 15 h/mo separate tracks) ⚠ | $34/mo billed yearly ($39 monthly) | 34.00 / 88 |
| **Monthly total** | | **≈$124 / 322 GEL (≈$1,488 / 3,864 GEL a year)** |
| DaVinci Resolve Studio (editors) | $295 one-time (on sale $236 until 2026-11-20) | one-off 766 GEL |

Cheaper path: Premiere Pro single app $22.99/mo instead of CC Pro; Riverside Pro $24/mo (billed yearly, 5 h).

### 1d. Space in Tbilisi

| Option | Monthly | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Small office/studio, 90–115 m², Vake / Mtatsminda (asking) | $1,000–1,200 (2,597–3,117 GEL) | korter.ge, read 2026-10-25 |
| Office, 100–103 m², Saburtalo / Sololaki (asking) | 3,900–4,280 GEL ($1,502–1,648); one Saburtalo 100 m² at $2,400 | ss.ge / korter.ge, read 2026-10-25 |
| Market average office rent (2024) | $23.4/m² (Class A $28, Class B $15.1) | TBC Capital via Investor.ge, Apr 2025 |
| **Suggested budget: ~80–100 m² Class B office with one room treated as a studio** | **≈$1,500 ≈ 3,900 GEL** ⚠ (our midpoint of the listings) | |
| Co-working fixed desk (alternative for non-studio staff) | 200–525 GEL per desk ($77–202) ⚠ | guides, dates not stated |

### 1e. Freelance overflow vs in-house

| Work | Freelance (Upwork/Fiverr) | In-house equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube long-form editing | Upwork median ~$35/h ⚠; long-form $50–150/h, short-form $15–40/h ⚠; Fiverr 8–10 min edit ~$125 ⚠; retainers $800–2,500/mo for 4–8 videos ⚠ | Editor at 3,253 GEL ($1,252)/mo employer cost ≈ **$7.8/h** at 160 h |
| Thumbnails | $5–30 budget, $30–50 mid, $100–300 premium per thumbnail ⚠; Upwork posting $15–30/h | done by the in-house designer |
| Meta ads specialist | Upwork category median $20–40/h ⚠; agencies ~$75/h | marketer at 3,903 GEL ($1,503)/mo ≈ **$9.4/h** |

Daily long-form (≈22 videos/month) at ~$100–125 per Fiverr edit would be **$2,200–2,750/month** for long-form
alone, about **2×** an in-house editor's full cost; freelance makes sense only for overflow and spikes.

---

## 2. Salary details by role (sources)

Paylab figures are the **middle 80% of respondents (10th–90th percentile), monthly gross including bonuses**,
Georgia-wide; the pages carry no survey date (site © 1997–2026; newest linked articles June 2026). Net shown in
brackets = gross × 0.784. Job ads are from **jobs.ge** (Georgian text of each ad, read 2026-10-25; the date is the
publish date, all 2026) unless another board is named.

### Junior and mid software developer (TypeScript / React / Node)
- **Founder:** start ~₾2,500, ~₾5,000 within a year (founder's statement, 2026-10-25).
- **Job ad:** "Developer", Webapp Group — **2,500–3,000 GEL net** (jobs.ge, published 15 Oct 2026).
- **Paylab (gross):** Frontend developer 1,174–4,765 (≈920–3,736 net); Javascript programmer 1,223–4,297; Backend
  developer 1,268–4,689; Programmer 1,237–4,446; Software Engineer 2,016–11,180; Lead developer 2,094–6,687.
- **Geostat:** Information & Communication average gross **4,290.7 GEL** in Q1 2026 (+3.1% y/y); 4,373.2 in Q4 2025.
- **Glassdoor ⚠ (search snippets only; pages return 403 to our fetch; tiny samples, gross/net not stated):** junior
  front-end median ~2K GEL/mo (7 salaries); junior software developer median ~3K GEL/mo; junior web developer
  800–2K GEL/mo (3 salaries, Mar 2025).
- **Levels.fyi ⚠:** software engineer median total compensation in Tbilisi GEL 133,056/yr (172 submissions) ≈
  11,100/mo — skewed to international employers' engineers; not a fit for junior Tbilisi hiring.
- **Not used:** ERI/SalaryExpert "entry level ~117,000–123,000 GEL/yr" — modelled estimates, ~4× every Georgian
  source above.
- **Budget:** junior 2,500 net; mid 5,000 net (founder's figures sit inside the evidence).

### Performance marketer / Meta ads specialist
- **Paylab (gross):** PPC specialist 974–2,216; Media buyer 998–2,982; Digital marketing specialist 940–2,498;
  Digital marketing manager 1,049–3,729 (≈822–2,924 net).
- **Job ads:** Social media & marketing manager (runs ad budgets, reach, campaigns), Ikalto winery —
  **2,000–3,000 GEL** (8 Oct 2026); Marketologist, Avangardi — 3,000 GEL; Marketing manager, GSN — 3,000 GEL;
  Marketing specialist, GSN — 2,000 GEL, 2,500 after probation; B2B growth manager, Bright Industry — 3,000 GEL
  (all Oct 2026); Marketing manager — **2,500–3,000 GEL take-home** (samushao.ge, read 2026-10-25, date not stated).
- A freelance/part-time Meta-ads role (Janzen Ventures, 22 Oct 2026) and "Ads manager – half-time" (Velocity Muse,
  15 Oct 2026) were advertised without pay.
- **Budget:** 3,000 net (someone who can run paid acquisition for an international product sits at the top of the
  local marketing band).

### Content and social media manager
- **Paylab (gross):** Social media specialist 772–2,266; Copywriter 790–2,305.
- **Job ads (Oct 2026):** Social media manager, Clipart — **2,000 GEL NET**; Social media & sales coordinator, Nix
  Development — 2,000 GEL; Content manager, GEZ Motors — 2,000–3,000 GEL (29 Sep 2026); mobilographer/content
  creator/SMM, Georgian Cynological Academy — **2,600–3,000 GEL** (24 Oct 2026); SMM manager, furniture company —
  1,000 GEL fixed (15 Oct 2026, low end); SMM/content creator, KMG Marketing — from $300 (junior/agency, 7 Oct 2026).
- **Budget:** 2,500 net.

### Video editor
- **Paylab (gross):** Film editor 860–2,029 (≈674–1,591 net) ⚠ — likely below what a daily-YouTube editor costs.
- **Job ads:** Head of Post-Production (manages editors, also edits), Studio 9:16 — **3,500–4,500 GEL** (21 Oct
  2026; net/gross not stated) — ceiling for a lead. Video editor ads at Crocobet (25 Sep 2026) and
  Simple Steps "videographer/editor" (20 Oct 2026) gave no pay.
- **Budget:** 2,500 net ⚠ (between the Paylab top decile and the post-production lead ad). Confirm in interviews.

### Videographer / camera operator
- **Paylab (gross):** Camera operator 1,001–2,223 (≈785–1,743 net); Photographer 795–2,085 (<20 respondents).
- **Job ads:** Photo/video operator, Medical World laboratory — **from 1,200 GEL** (9 Oct 2026); Photo operator,
  Foto Maiko — 1,300 GEL (Oct 2026).
- **Budget:** 2,000 net (above entry ads because daily shoots need someone who also lights and records sound).

### Graphic / motion designer
- **Paylab (gross):** Graphic designer 904–2,104; Senior graphic designer 1,059–2,541; Junior 697–1,649.
- **Job ads (Oct 2026):** Graphic designer, Digitaler — **2,000–3,500 GEL** (22 Oct); Designer, Time — **2,750 GEL
  net** (22 Oct); Graphic designer/site admin, Energy — 2,000 GEL; Product designer, STIPFOLD — 3,000 GEL; Senior
  designer, Bel Maison — 4,500 GEL. No motion-designer ad with pay was found ⚠.
- **Budget:** 2,750 net.

### Community / customer success manager
- **Paylab (gross):** Customer support specialist 1,031–1,880; CRM specialist 1,184–2,582; Customer relationship
  manager 1,331–3,648.
- **Job ads (Oct 2026):** Client service manager, international financial institution — **from 2,000 GEL** (23 Oct);
  Customer support specialist, Hash Bank — **1,200 GEL take-home**, 1,400 after 6 months (19 Oct); Gzavnili — 1,200
  GEL (2 Oct); IndigoCars — 1,000 GEL + bonus "average 2,000–2,500" (13 Oct).
- **Budget:** 2,000 net (English-speaking community work for an international product sits above support-desk pay).

### Partnerships / events coordinator
- **Paylab (gross):** Event manager 1,041–2,844 (after 5 years ≈2,007; **fewer than 20 respondents** ⚠); Key account
  manager 1,412–3,668; PR manager 958–3,138.
- **Job ads (Oct 2026):** B2B business development & growth manager, Bright Industry — 3,000 GEL; Brand manager,
  Kanti — 3,000 GEL fixed + 500 GEL monthly bonus pool + 1,500 GEL quarterly bonus.
- **Budget:** 2,500 net.

### Part-time accountant
- **Full-time accountant ads (jobs.ge, Sep–Oct 2026):** ABG Consulting 1,400 GEL; Akhali Khedva 1,700–2,000; Bookkeepers
  from 2,000; Mihouse 2,000; Bermeli 2,500; Elmontage **2,500 net**; NN Service 3,000; Kaia 2,000–3,000 take-home;
  Coloresco accountant/office manager 1,500.
- **Paylab (gross):** Accountant 802–2,309; Chief accountant 1,023–3,291.
- **Outsourced firms** (bookkeeping.ge, Aviaan, PB Services) **publish no prices** — get quotes.
- **Budget:** 1,000 GEL net for ~0.4 of a full-time 2,500 ⚠ (our derivation, not a quoted fee).

---

## 3. Studio details

### Why this list
Two identical APS-C cameras (same colour, same lens) cover talking-head long-form plus a second podcast angle;
both shoot vertical-friendly 4K for shorts. One 2-light kit with softboxes is the minimum for consistent daily
footage. The PodTrak P4next records up to 4 XLR mics on separate tracks, so host + 3 guests in the room; Riverside
covers remote guests. DJI Mic 3 covers walk-and-talk and on-location shorts. A NAS mirrors footage (daily 4K
fills drives fast); the T7 is the working/transport drive.

### Prices (all USD, read 2026-10-25)
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sony ZV-E10 II body | $1,198 | B&H listing (search result 2026-10-25; was $999 at 2024 launch) |
| Sony FX30 body (upgrade) | $2,098 | B&H listing (search result 2026-10-25) |
| Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN (Sony E) | $659 | B&H listing |
| SanDisk Extreme PRO 256GB UHS-II V60 | $299.99 | B&H listing (other B&H pages show up to $359.99) ⚠ |
| Manfrotto Befree Live aluminium video tripod kit | $299.95 | B&H listing |
| amaran Halo 200x 2-light kit with softboxes & stands | $788 (list $1,037.85) | B&H listing; shown temporarily out of stock ⚠ |
| Zoom PodTrak P4next | $179.99 | B&H listing (another B&H page $149.99) |
| RØDE PodMic 1-person kit with studio boom arm + XLR cable | $260.24 | B&H listing |
| RØDE PodMic USB (alternative, no interface needed) | $209 | rode.com (fetched 2026-10-25) |
| DJI Mic 3, 2 TX + 1 RX | $259 | B&H listing |
| Elgato Prompter | $299.99 | elgato.com (fetched 2026-10-25) |
| Savage 107"×36' seamless paper | $76.99 | B&H listing |
| Savage 12×12' background stand | $165.99 | B&H listing |
| Mac Studio M5 Max 36GB/512GB | $2,499 | Apple (launch 2026-08-25; price confirmed by MacTech / Appleosophy / iClarified; $2,499 also appears in apple.com store page source) |
| Mac mini M5 Pro 24GB/512GB (2nd seat) | $1,699 | Apple launch 2026-08-25 (iGeeksBlog / iClarified; $1,699 in apple.com page source) |
| Synology DS225+ (2-bay, no drives) | $364.99 | B&H listing |
| WD Red Plus 12TB | $538.99 each | B&H listing ⚠ (page age unclear) |
| Samsung T7 Shield 2TB | $574.99 | samsung.com US (fetched 2026-10-25) |

**Note on 2026 prices:** storage and memory are far above 2024 levels (a 2TB portable SSD at $575, the base Mac
mini at $899 vs $599 in 2024) — budget at today's prices, not older guides.

**Buying from Tbilisi:** goods imported above 300 GEL per parcel pay **18% VAT** (on goods + delivery) plus a customs
fee of 20 GEL (300–3,000 GEL) or 100 GEL (3,000–10,000 GEL) — madloba.info guide (rates "as of October 2026") and
WKO; 18% import VAT confirmed by an rs.ge brochure. Local Georgian retail prices were **not** researched ⚠.

### Software
- **Adobe:** Premiere Pro single app $22.99/mo (individual, annual billed monthly) — adobe.com plans page via search
  (2026); Creative Cloud Pro $69.99/mo ⚠ (secondary review, May 2026; adobe.com page did not render prices).
- **DaVinci Resolve Studio:** $295 one-time; 20% off ($236) until 2026-11-20 (Newsshooter, 2026-10-20). Free
  version exports up to 4K/60p.
- **CapCut Pro:** ~$19.99/mo or $179.99/yr (US) ⚠ — third-party blogs, varies by region/app store.
- **Riverside:** Pro $29/mo or $24/mo yearly; Grow $39/mo or $34/mo yearly — riverside.com pricing page as fetched
  2026-10-25 (served as a staging page ⚠); CostBench reports a top-tier increase on 2026-09-07.

### Space
- **Listings read 2026-10-25:** korter.ge — Vake 90 m² $1,200; Mtatsminda 115 m² $1,000; Mtatsminda 90 m² $1,200;
  Saburtalo 100 m² $2,400; Isani 33 m² $1,300 (outlier). ss.ge — Saburtalo 103 m² 4,280 GEL; Sololaki 100 m²
  3,900 GEL. myhome.ge blocked our fetch (403) ⚠. All are **asking** prices.
- **Market reports:** TBC Capital 2024 average $23.4/m² (Class A ~$28, Class B ~$15.1), via Investor.ge
  (2025-04-06); Colliers Georgia $15–20/m² (bm.ge, ~2 years old ⚠).
- **Co-working** (dates not stated ⚠): Impact Hub Tbilisi unlimited fixed desk 525 GEL, unlimited flex 410 GEL
  (expathub.ge); Terminal dedicated desk 425 GEL (guide, possibly outdated); Regus dedicated desk from $159–209/mo
  on 24-month contracts (regus.com); Space Z fixed desk 200 GEL (pbservices.ge). Co-working cannot host daily
  recording (noise, no fixed set), so it fits only non-studio staff.
- **Hourly studio hire in Tbilisi:** no prices found ⚠.

---

## 4. Georgian payroll taxes and tax regimes

### Standard employment (what the employer budgets)
| Item | Rate | Who pays | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal income tax | **20% flat** | withheld from employee's gross | no bands |
| Funded pension — employee | **2%** of gross | withheld from gross | deducted **before** income tax |
| Funded pension — employer | **2%** of gross | employer, on top | the only employer cost above gross |
| Funded pension — state | 2% (income ≤24,000 GEL/yr), 1% (24,000–60,000), 0 above ⚠ | state budget | tiered rule from 2019 law reports (Caucasian Knot, Mondaq); a recent GBC article describes a flat 2% — confirm with the Pension Agency |
| Social security / health / other payroll tax | **none** | — | |

- Worked example (valem calculator; hireborderless guide): 5,000 GEL gross → 100 pension → 980 income tax →
  **3,920 net**; employer pays 5,100. So **net = 78.4% of gross; employer cost = 130.1% of net**.
- Pension membership is **mandatory for employees who were under 40 when the scheme started in 2019**; older
  workers may join voluntarily (teamed.global, reviewed 2026-06-13). One calculator says foreigners are exempt ⚠.
  For non-members, net = 80% of gross and the employer pays no 2%.

### Regimes worth knowing
- **Virtual Zone person** (IT company exporting software/digital services to non-residents): **0% profit tax** on
  that income; dividends 5% (often 0% under treaties). **Employees still pay 20%** — it does not lower payroll
  (Andersen Georgia, 2026-04-27; IBCCS).
- **International Company status** (IT services to non-residents, core work done in Georgia, ≥2 years' experience in
  the activity, real staff/office): **5% profit tax on distribution, 5% personal income tax on employees' salaries,
  0% dividend withholding** (Andersen Georgia, 2026-04-27; Gegidze 2025 guide). On the same net pay this cuts
  employer cost by **~16%** (net = gross × 0.98 × 0.95). Sources disagree on details (dividends) ⚠ — confirm with
  the Revenue Service or an adviser.
- **Small Business status** (individual entrepreneurs only, sole owner): **1% tax on turnover up to 500,000 GEL/yr**,
  3% above (Andersen; ExpatHub). Relevant for **freelancers/contractors** invoicing Stapilo, not for the company.
  Exclusion list is disputed (ExpatHub says consulting is excluded; Andersen says IT and digital marketing fit) ⚠.
  Treating full-time staff as contractors carries labour-law and tax reclassification risk.

---

## 5. Freelance details
- **Upwork video editors:** median ~$35/h, most contracts $10–60 (ruahcreativehouse.org citing Upwork) ⚠; tiers
  $20–45 beginner / $45–85 intermediate / $85–150 senior (adsnipper, golance) ⚠; short-form $15–40/h, long-form
  YouTube $50–150/h, retainers $800–2,500/mo for 4–8 long videos (Wirestock, Aug 2026) ⚠. Georgia-based Upwork
  editors list $5–20/h (search snippet of upwork.com/hire/video-editors/ge; page 403 to our fetch) ⚠. Upwork's
  freelancer fee 0–15% (Wirestock).
- **Fiverr YouTube editing:** sample gig 3-min $25 / 5-min $75 / 8–10-min $125; premium filmmaker $265 (≤15 min)
  (fiverr.com gig pages via search, 2026) ⚠ — asking prices, not a market average.
- **Thumbnails:** $5–30 budget, $30–50 mid-tier, $100–300 premium per thumbnail (Ad Snipper 2026 guide, vendor) ⚠;
  Upwork posting $30/thumbnail; another $15–30/h; Dribbble designer $80 for 1, $200 for 4.
- **Meta/Facebook ads:** Upwork Facebook-ads category shows $20–40/h median (no date/method) ⚠; postings $13–45/h
  expert, $8–15/h intermediate; agencies ~$75/h (AdvertiseMint on Upwork).
- **Reading:** an in-house hire in Tbilisi costs **$7–10 per working hour** (employer cost ÷ 160 h) against $20–50
  on the platforms; freelancers are the overflow valve, not the base team.

---

## 6. Gaps and what to verify next
1. No video-editor-only or motion-designer job ad with stated pay was found — test in interviews.
2. Developer pay: only one Tbilisi developer ad showed pay; Glassdoor pages could not be opened directly.
3. Outsourced accounting fees are not published — request 2–3 quotes (bookkeeping.ge, Aviaan, PB Services).
4. State pension contribution rule (tiered vs flat) and International Company eligibility — confirm with an adviser.
5. Tbilisi hourly studio hire and local (Georgian) retail prices for the equipment — not researched.
6. Office rents are asking prices from listings read on one day.

---

## 7. Sources
**Exchange rate**
- National Bank of Georgia official rate API, USD valid 2026-10-24: https://nbg.gov.ge/gw/api/ct/monetarypolicy/currencies/en/json/?currencies=USD

**Salaries**
- Geostat, Average Monthly Nominal Earnings, Q1 2026: https://geostat.ge/media/80106/Average-Monthly-Nominal-Earnings-of-Employees---%28I-Quarter%2C-2026%29.pdf
- Geostat, Q4 2025: https://geostat.ge/media/77567/Average-Monthly-Nominal-Earnings-of-Employees---%28IV-Quarter%2C-2025%29.pdf
- Paylab Georgia — IT: https://www.paylab.com/ge/salaryinfo/information-technology
- Paylab — Marketing, Advertising, PR: https://paylab.com/ge/salaryinfo/marketing-advertising-pr
- Paylab — Journalism, Printing Arts & Media: https://www.paylab.com/ge/salaryinfo/journalism-printing-arts-media
- Paylab — Customer Support: https://www.paylab.com/ge/salaryinfo/customer-support
- Paylab — Economy, Finance, Accountancy: https://www.paylab.com/ge/salaryinfo/economy-finance-accountancy
- Paylab — Commerce: https://www.paylab.com/ge/salaryinfo/commerce
- Paylab — Event manager: https://www.paylab.com/ge/salaryinfo/management/event-manager
- Paylab — Photographer: https://www.paylab.com/ge/salaryinfo/arts-culture/photographer
- jobs.ge ads (Georgian text, `https://jobs.ge/ge/?view=jobs&id=<id>`), read 2026-10-25: developer 760999; SMM manager 761082;
  social media manager 760980; social media & sales coordinator 761584; content manager 756721; mobilographer/SMM 763349;
  SMM/content creator 758929; social media & marketing manager 759267; marketologist 756542; marketing manager 760338;
  marketing specialist 760339; brand manager 760820; B2B growth manager 761459; head of post-production 762544;
  photo/video operator 759766; photo operator 762915; graphic designer 762987; designer 762816; graphic designer/site admin
  762805; product designer 755977; senior designer 759504; client service manager 763224; support specialists 761804,
  757997, 760764; accountants 756548, 756607, 756686, 758306, 759165, 759789, 760122, 760677, 760938, 761085
- samushao.ge (marketing manager 2,500–3,000 take-home; marketing specialist 2,500): https://samushao.ge/
- Glassdoor junior front-end / junior software developer, Tbilisi (snippets only ⚠): https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/tbilisi-georgia-junior-front-end-developer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,15_IM1416_KO16,42.htm · https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/tbilisi-junior-software-developer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,7_IC3901219_KO8,33.htm
- Levels.fyi, Software Engineer, Tbilisi: https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/tbilisi-geo
- ERI SalaryExpert (not used, cited for contrast): https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/job/software-engineer/georgia/tbilisi

**Payroll tax and regimes**
- teamed.global, Georgia tax & payroll (reviewed 2026-06-13): https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/georgia/tax-and-payroll
- Net salary calculator (pension before tax): https://valem.onrender.com/calculators/georgia/net-salary
- hireborderless, payroll in Georgia (2026-08-27): https://www.hireborderless.com/post/how-to-run-payroll-in-georgia
- Pension state contribution tiers: https://eng.kavkaz-uzel.media/articles/45706 · https://www.mondaq.com/employee-benefits-compensation/1433340/georgias-pension-evolution-from-mandatory-participation-to-tailored-investment-strategies · flat-2% description: https://gbc.ge/en/news/finanse/pension-fund-savings-reach-gel-69-billion
- Andersen Georgia, special tax regimes (2026-04-27): https://ge.andersen.com/?p=8124
- Andersen Georgia, Small Business status: https://ge.andersen.com/1-tax-regime/
- ExpatHub, small business FAQs: https://expathub.ge/georgia-small-business-faqs/
- IBCCS, Virtual Zone vs International Company: https://ibccs.tax/blog/virtual-zone-vs-international-company-status-georgia/
- Gegidze, IT International Company status 2025 guide: https://www.gegidze.com/post/how-to-apply-for-it-international-company-status-in-georgia-the-complete-2025-guide

**Equipment and software**
- B&H: ZV-E10 II https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1838825-REG/sony_zv_e10_ii_mirrorless_camera.html · FX30 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1729317-REG/sony_ilme_fx30_fx30_digital_cinema_camera.html · Sigma 18-50 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1667228-REG/sigma_18_50mm_f_2_8_dg_dn.html · SanDisk 256GB V60 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1973171-REG/sandisk_sdsdxem_256g_gn4in_256gb_extreme_pro_sdxc.html · Manfrotto Befree Live aluminium video tripod kit (product URL not captured; B&H search) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=manfrotto-befree-tripod ⚠ · amaran Halo 200x 2-light kit https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1974028-REG/amaran_halo_200x_bi_color_led.html · Zoom P4next https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1924208-REG/zoom_podtrak_p4next_portable_multitrack.html · RØDE PodMic kit https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1815148-REG/rode_podmic_1_person_podcasting_microphone.html · DJI Mic 3 https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1900679-REG/dji_cp_rn_00000480_01_mic_3_2_person_compact.html · Savage paper https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/552037-REG/Savage_66_12_107_x_12yds_Background.html · Savage stand https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1234674-REG/savage_601212_12_x_12_background.html · Synology DS225+ https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1908413-REG/synology_diskstation_ds225_2_bay_nas.html · WD Red Plus 12TB https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1890766-REG/wd_wd120efgx_spcphn0_12tb_red_plus_7200.html · RODECaster Duo (alternative) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1762232-REG/rode_rodecaster_duo.html · Shure MV7+ (alternative) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1808586-REG/shure_mv7_k_podcast_microphone.html
- RØDE PodMic USB: https://rode.com/en-us/microphones/usb/podmic-usb
- Elgato Prompter: https://www.elgato.com/us/en/p/prompter
- Samsung T7 Shield 2TB: https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/memory-storage/portable-solid-state-drives/portable-ssd-t7-shield-usb-3-2-2tb-beige-mu-pe2t0k-am/
- Apple Mac Studio / Mac mini store pages: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-studio · https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/mac-mini ; launch coverage: https://www.mactech.com/2026/08/25/apple-introduces-new-mac-studio-with-m5-max-and-m5-ultra/ · https://www.iclarified.com/101880/apple-launches-mac-mini-with-m6-and-m5-pro-starting-at-899
- Adobe Premiere plans: https://adobe.com/products/premiere/plans ; CC Pro price (secondary): https://www.costbench.com/software/design/adobe-creative-cloud/
- DaVinci Resolve Studio sale (2026-10-20): https://www.newsshooter.com/2026/10/20/blackmagic-davinci-resolve-studio-20-off/
- CapCut pricing (secondary): https://blog.reviewaitool.com/2026/09/03/capcut-pricing-2026/
- Riverside pricing: https://riverside.com/pricing ; change log: https://costbench.com/changelog/riverside-fm-price-increase-2026-09/
- Georgian import VAT/fees: https://madloba.info/en/blog/life-in-georgia/cargo-and-shipping-belongings-to-georgia/ · https://www.wko.at/aussenwirtschaft/georgien-export-import · rs.ge brochure https://rs.ge/Media/Default/Images/CustomsBrochures/exsport%20import.pdf

**Space**
- korter.ge offices for rent: https://korter.ge/en/offices-for-rent-tbilisi
- ss.ge commercial for rent: https://home.ss.ge/en/real-estate/l/Commercial-Real-Estate/For-Rent?cityIdList=95
- TBC Capital via Investor.ge (2025-04-06): https://www.investor.ge/2025/04/06/tbc-capital-georgias-commercial-real-estate-market-sees-rising-demand-shifting-vacancy-trends/
- Colliers via bm.ge: https://bm.ge/en/news/rents-for-office-spaces-range-from-15-to-20-per-m2-in-tbilisi-colliers-georgia
- Co-working: https://expathub.ge/coworking-spaces-in-tbilisi/ · https://pbservices.ge/blog/coworking-spaces-tbilisi-batumi/ · https://www.regus.com/en/ge/tbilisi/coworking

**Freelance**
- https://ruahcreativehouse.org/blog/video-editing-rates/ · https://wirestock.io/blog/remote-video-editing-jobs · https://adsnipper.com/?p=2494 · https://golance.com/hiring/best-freelance-video-editors-hourly-rate
- Fiverr YouTube editing gigs: https://fiverr.com/rivinityagency/edit-your-youtube-videos · https://fiverr.com/airiyazul/youtube-long-and-short-video-editing
- Thumbnails: https://adsnipper.com/?p=2496 · https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~022069048015929882282 · https://dribbble.com/services/155167-Thumbnil-Design
- Facebook ads: https://www.upwork.com/freelance-jobs/facebook-ads/ · https://www.advertisemint.com/?p=1070



---

## Research file: ads-and-operating-costs

# Ads, partner payouts, local meetups and operating costs: research for the first-round budget

Prepared 2026-10-25. Every figure carries its source and date. **⚠ = unverified**: a vendor
blog, a single case, an undated page, or my own estimate or arithmetic. Nothing here is
invented. Where no source exists, the file says so. Currency is USD unless noted.
Exchange rates used for conversion (ECB via frankfurter.dev, 2026-10-23): 1 EUR = $1.119,
1 CHF = $1.213, 1 GBP = $1.337. UZS: ~12,102 per USD (top.uz ticker, read 2026-10-25 ⚠).

---

## Summary tables

### S1. Paid acquisition benchmarks

| Metric | Figure | Scope | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meta cost per lead, all industries | **$27.66**, up ~20–21% YoY | 1,000+ US lead campaigns | WordStream 2025 benchmarks, via Search Engine Land (2025) |
| Meta CPL, Education & Instruction | **$28.22** (CPC $1.65, CTR 1.86%, CVR 10.08%) | same | WordStream / LocaliQ (2025) |
| Meta CPL, Education | **$34.85**; B2B SaaS **$63.40** | 138 North American campaigns, Mar–Jun 2026 | Focus Digital (published 2026-08-21) |
| Meta median CPL, all industries, world | **~$44.10** yearly average; range $20.82–$53.22 by month | ~$3B spend, Superads users | Superads (Jul 2025–Jul 2026) ⚠ vendor |
| Meta median CPL, UK | **£37.80** (≈ $50.5), ~14% below global | same | Superads (same period) ⚠ |
| **Meta cost per webinar / masterclass registration** (coaching, course creators) | **$8–12** typical | agency estimate, English markets | Fempire Media on LifterLMS podcast (undated) ⚠ |
| Same, single case (business education) | **$8.06** and **$12.96** per registration | one anonymous client | RapidDevelopers case study (undated) ⚠ |
| **Stapilo's own data: Georgia, Georgian-language webinars** | **$0.67, $0.83, $0.95** per sign-up; "Open Door Day" **$2.03** | Business A (the founder's own coaching business) ad account, real spend $547 on these 4 campaigns | Meta Ads API, read 2026-10-25 (window 2026-09-25 → 10-24) |
| Meta CPM, English markets | US **$16–21**, UK $10–13, CA $11–14.5, AU $11–14 | 2026 ranges | Adligator (2026-03-31) ⚠ no method |
| Meta CPM, US/UK/CA/AU (second source) | US **$16.08**, UK $11.81, CA $11.47, AU $11.63 | e-commerce | Lebesgue (2026-07-27) ⚠ |
| Meta CPM, cheaper regions | Poland $3.5–5.5, Romania $2.5–4, Ukraine $1.5–3, **Kazakhstan $1.5–2.8**, Turkey $2–3.5, Brazil $2.5–4, Mexico $2–3.5, Argentina $1.5–3, Colombia $1.8–3, India $1–1.8 | 2026 ranges | Adligator (2026-03-31) ⚠ |
| Meta CPM, **Georgia** (own) | **$1.47–$3.79** across 9 campaigns | Business A (the founder's own coaching business) account | Meta Ads API (2026-09-25 → 10-24) |
| Meta CPM / CPL **Uzbekistan, Armenia, Moldova** | **No published figure found** | — | searched EN/RU, 2026-10-25 |
| Webinar registrant → attendee (B2B) | **57%** (2024 data); 60% (2025) ⚠; Goldcast **33%** | B2B webinars; definitions differ (replays counted or not) | ON24 via MarketingProfs (2025) ⚠; Goldcast 2025 |
| Webinar registrant → live attendee, **cold ad traffic** | **20–40%** planning range; email-list registrants attend at 2–3x the rate of cold traffic | vendor claims | Segmetrics; podcast "20–30%"; learnybox (2026) ⚠ |
| Webinar show-up, Russian-language online schools | ~20% → 35–40% after reminders; one case 27% | cases | GetCourse magazine; vc.ru case ⚠ |
| Stapilo's own: registrations → attendances | 60,478 → 34,573 (57%); 8,379 to the end (13.9%) | 6 tenants, all-time; "attendance" may count repeat joins ⚠ | Stapilo production DB, 2026-10-25 (investors/BRIEF.md) |
| Webinar attendee → purchase | **5–20%** education-led; 15–25% high-ticket | single vendor estimate | ClickMeeting blog (2025) ⚠ |
| YouTube CPV | **~$0.026** avg ($0.02–0.03); in-stream ~$0.05 | $1M+ spend, 2023–24 | AdConversion via Store Growers (2026-02-19) ⚠ |
| YouTube CPM | **$9.29** standard video ($8.15 smaller advertisers); "$5–10 most advertisers" | $14.3B spend analysis | Adzoola via Store Growers / megadigital (2026) ⚠ |
| YouTube, education / business & finance | view rate 35.4%; CPV **$0.037** (education), **$0.048** (business & finance) — 2018 data, "likely ~4x higher now" | Strike Social 2018 | Store Growers (2026-02-19) ⚠ old |

### S2. Monthly Meta + YouTube budget to produce the account targets (arithmetic in Part 1D)

Account = a new Stapilo account (free plan, trial or single product), as in `customers.html`.

| Case | Cost per registration | Show-up | Attendee → account | **Ad cost per account** | Month 1 (40) | Month 12 (100) | Month 24 (200) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Low** (cheap regions lead, Georgia-like costs) | $3 | 40% | 15% | **$50** | **$2,000** | **$5,000** | **$10,000** |
| **Middle** (blend: half English markets, half cheaper) | $8 | 30% | 10% | **$267** | **$10,700** | **$26,700** | **$53,300** |
| **High** (mostly US/UK/CA/AU, cold) | $15 | 25% | 5% | **$1,200** | **$48,000** | **$120,000** | **$240,000** |

All inputs are assumptions ⚠ anchored on the benchmarks in S1. The step "attendee → opens a
Stapilo account" has **no published benchmark**; it is the single biggest uncertainty and
should be measured on the first 2–3 webinars before the budget is locked.

### S3. Affiliate and partner economics

| Platform | Commission | Source (checked 2026-10-25) |
|---|---|---|
| Systeme.io | **60% lifetime recurring**; "$5,000,000+" paid to affiliates | systeme.io/affiliate-program (official) |
| Skool | **40% of MRR for life** | skool.com/affiliate-program (official) |
| HighLevel | **40% recurring** | gohighlevel.com/affiliate (official) |
| ClickFunnels | **30% recurring, up to 40%**; second tier (5%) dropped in 2026 | Funnelish community post, updated 2026 ⚠ (official page gives no rate) |
| Kajabi | 1–4 referrals: one-time bounty = 100% of first month; 5–24: **10%** recurring; 25–49: 15%; 50+: **20%** | help.kajabi.com Partner Program Overview (official) |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | 50% for 12 months | kit.com/affiliate (from `growth-and-funnels.md`, checked 2026-10-25) |
| Systeme.io share of sales from affiliates | **70%** (2021) | Latka founder interview, 2021-07-15 |

Budget treatment: a **variable cost, a % of collected revenue from referred customers**
(Part 2B).

### S4. One local coach meetup (30–60 people), per event

| Line | Tashkent | Yerevan | Chișinău | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue, 4 hours | $50–70 (training room) to ~$800 (business-centre hall) | $100–800 ⚠ | $100–800 ⚠ | Tashkent: OLX 150–200k UZS/h ⚠; Tashkent Plaza £150/h (Hirespace) ⚠. Yerevan, Chișinău: **no published hall price found**, assumed similar ⚠ |
| Coffee break and snacks, 60 people | $300–600 ($5–10/person ⚠) | $480–900 ($8–15/person ⚠) | $420–840 ($7–14/person ⚠) | Proxy from Numbeo prices (2026-10-24/25); no catering price list found |
| AV (projector, sound) | $0–300 | $0–300 | $0–300 | Often included in training rooms (OLX listing); hotel AV extra ⚠ |
| Local ads to fill it (120–150 registrations) | $120–450 | $120–450 | $120–450 | $1–3 per registration ⚠, anchored on own Georgia data $0.67–2.03 |
| Badges, print, photographer | $100–300 ⚠ | $100–300 ⚠ | $100–300 ⚠ | estimate |
| **Total per meetup (excl. travel)** | **≈ $600–2,500** | **≈ $800–2,750** | **≈ $750–2,700** | ⚠ estimate; travel for the team not researched |

### S5. Operating costs

| Item | Figure | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|
| Paddle (merchant of record) | **5% + $0.50** per transaction; no monthly fee; chargebacks, tax, fraud included | paddle.com/pricing (read 2026-10-25) |
| Paddle restriction | AUP prohibits human services, **coaching included** → Stapilo's own courses / mastermind cannot be sold through Paddle; the software subscription can | paddle.com/support/aup (via `non-stripe-markets.md` S29) |
| Stripe (US) | **2.9% + $0.30**; +1.5% international card; +1% currency conversion; Billing 0.7%; Tax 0.5%; Managed Payments (MoR) +3.5%; dispute $15 | stripe.com/pricing (read 2026-10-25) |
| Company: Delaware C-corp via Stripe Atlas | **$500** one-time (incl. 1st year registered agent), then $100/yr agent; franchise tax ~$400 min + $50 annual report; federal return $1,500–3,000 ⚠; total upkeep ~$2,000–4,000/yr ⚠ | stripe.com/atlas; Clerky; SpryTax summary ⚠ |
| Company: Estonia OÜ (e-Residency) | state fee **€265**; e-Residency card €100–130; address/contact €200–400/yr; accounting from €50/month; **first year ~€600 DIY / ~€1,300 with accounting**; running €1,500–4,000/yr ⚠ | e-resident.gov.ee (2025); enty.io (2026) ⚠ |
| Company: UK Ltd | incorporation **£100** digital; confirmation statement **£50**/yr (since 2026-02-01) | ICAEW; HSF Kramer (2025-11, 2026) |
| Company: Georgia (International Company status) | 5% profit tax on distributed profit, 5% salary tax; registration and accounting fees **not found** | Andersen Georgia; BDO ⚠ |
| Trademark, Madrid (WIPO) | basic fee **CHF 653** (b/w) / **CHF 903** (colour); +CHF 100 per country unless an individual fee applies; US **CHF 460/class** (from 2026-04-12); UK **CHF 240** + 64/extra class (from 2026-04-01); EU **CHF 789** first class ⚠ | WIPO schedule (in force 2023-02-01); WIPO notice 21/2026; WIPO notices ⚠ |
| Example: Madrid filing, 3 classes, US + EU + UK | **≈ CHF 3,380 ≈ $4,100** + base national filing + attorney ⚠ | my arithmetic, Part 4C |
| Software tools, 10-person team | **≈ $700–2,600/month** depending on AI seats | Part 4D |
| Claude (AI coding assistant) | Pro $20; **Max 5x $100, Max 20x $200** per month; Team standard $25 ($20 annual), Team premium $125 ($100 annual) | claude.com/pricing; support.claude.com (read 2026-10-25) |
| Cyber / tech E&O insurance, small SaaS | **$1,800–5,000/yr** early stage; $10–12k as limits grow ⚠; small-business cyber avg $1,740/yr for $1M ⚠; Hiscox tech E&O $1,000–8,000/yr ⚠ | Secureframe; TechInsurance; QuoteSweep ⚠ |
| General liability, $1M | median **~$500/yr** ($300–2,000+); software LLCs avg $806 (2023 data) | Insureon; MoneyGeek ⚠ |

---

## Part 1. Paid acquisition costs

### 1A. Meta cost per lead and per webinar registration

**English-speaking markets (US/UK/CA/AU).**
- WordStream's 2025 report (1,000+ US campaigns): average Meta CPL **$27.66**, up ~20–21% year
  on year; Education & Instruction **$28.22**, CPC $1.65, CTR 1.86%, conversion 10.08%. Meta
  remains far cheaper than Google ($70.11). (WordStream page 403'd on direct fetch;
  figures via Search Engine Land and LocaliQ, which republish the same report.)
- Focus Digital (138 North American Meta campaigns, 2026-03-03 → 06-21, spend-weighted,
  published 2026-08-21): Education **$34.85**, B2B SaaS **$63.40**, Financial Services $58.70.
  No coaching, consulting or "business opportunity" line.
- Superads (≈$3B spend, medians): world yearly average **~$44.10**, monthly low $20.82
  (Jul 2026), peak $53.22 (Feb 2026); UK **£37.80**. Period on the page is inconsistent ⚠.
- These are **generic "lead" campaigns** (often lead forms, any industry). A webinar
  registration is a cheaper, lower-commitment lead. The only coaching / course-creator
  figures found:
  - **$8–12 per registration** for a webinar, masterclass or 5-day challenge (Shelby Fowler,
    Fempire Media, LifterLMS podcast; undated ⚠).
  - **$8.06 and $12.96** per registration for two webinars of one business-education client
    (RapidDevelopers case study ⚠).
  - Kalungi (B2B SaaS): Meta registrations "well under $10" vs ~50x on LinkedIn ⚠ one test.
- **"Business opportunity" niche:** no public benchmark found. It is also a category Meta
  scrutinises ("make money" claims), which can raise costs and rejection rates ⚠ (judgement,
  not sourced).

**Cheaper regions (Eastern Europe, Central Asia, LatAm).**
- No published **CPL** benchmark for these regions was found (Superads' country pages expose
  only UK/France; searches in English and Russian for Uzbekistan returned nothing usable).
- **CPM** is the usable proxy. Adligator 2026 ranges (Facebook feed, ⚠ no method): US $16–21
  vs Poland $3.5–5.5, Romania $2.5–4, Ukraine $1.5–3, Kazakhstan $1.5–2.8, Turkey $2–3.5,
  Brazil $2.5–4, Mexico $2–3.5, Argentina $1.5–3, Colombia $1.8–3, India $1–1.8. Lebesgue
  (2026-07-27, e-commerce ⚠): US $16.08, UK $11.81, CA $11.47, AU $11.63, Poland $5.55,
  Romania $5.38, Mexico $3.92, Brazil $2.63, Colombia $2.00, India $1.36.
  → cheaper regions run **roughly 4–10x below US CPM**.
- Uzbekistan: Instagram audience grew from 8.6M (Jul 2024) to 13M (Apr 2025); women cost more
  to reach than men (Admixer via spot.uz, 2025-06-02). No CPM figure published.
- **Stapilo's own data, Georgia (same region type as Armenia/Moldova).** Business A (the founder's own coaching business) ad
  account, Meta Ads API, 2026-09-25 → 2026-10-24, read 2026-10-25:

  | Campaign (objective: leads) | Spend | Registrations | Cost each | CPM |
  |---|---|---|---|---|
  | ზაფხული 2026 (summer webinar) | $320.33 | 477 | **$0.67** | $1.51 |
  | Webinar "რასაც ირჩევ, ის ხდება" | $117.11 | 141 | **$0.83** | $2.55 |
  | Webinar "36 წლის ხარ?" | $8.51 | 9 | $0.95 | $3.79 |
  | Open Door Day | $101.66 | 50 | **$2.03** | $1.82 |

  Caveat: this is a **consumer personal-development audience in Georgian**, partly warmed by
  video-view retargeting; coaches are a narrower, B2B-like audience, so expect several times
  higher. It still calibrates the low case: $3/registration is ~3–4x the Georgian consumer
  rate.

### 1B. Webinar funnel rates

| Step | Figure | Notes / source |
|---|---|---|
| Registrant → attendee, B2B | 57% (ON24, 2024 data) ⚠; 60% (2025) ⚠; Goldcast 33% (2025; 238 registrants, 51 attendees avg) | B2B, many warm registrants; replays counted differently |
| Registrant → live attendee, cold Meta traffic | 20–40% | Segmetrics: list registrants attend 2–3x cold traffic; podcast "most webinars 20–30%"; learnybox "cold 35–45%" ⚠ |
| Russian-language online schools | ~20% → 35–40% with reminders; one auto-webinar case 27% at 148 RUB/registration (8,551 registrations, YouTube traffic) | getcourse.ru magazine; vc.ru ⚠ |
| Stapilo tenants (own) | 57% "attendances" / registrations; 13.9% stayed to the end | prod DB 2026-10-25; may count repeat joins ⚠ |
| Attendee → purchase | 5–20% education-led; 15–25% high-ticket | ClickMeeting (2025) ⚠, no independent study found |
| Attendee → opens a Stapilo account | **no benchmark exists** | must be measured |

### 1C. YouTube ads

- CPV ~$0.026 average ($0.02–0.03), in-stream ~$0.05 (AdConversion, $1M+ spend 2023–24, via
  Store Growers 2026-02-19 ⚠). Shorts CPV $0.10–0.30 ⚠.
- CPM $9.29 standard video (Adzoola, $14.3B spend ⚠); smaller advertisers $8.15; "most
  advertisers $5–10".
- Education: view rate 35.4%, CPV $0.037; Business & Finance CPV $0.048, CTR 0.38% — **2018
  Strike Social data**; Store Growers says no large study since and CPV has likely risen ~4x ⚠.
- No published benchmark for **YouTube view → webinar registration**. Visitors arriving from
  YouTube opt in at 1.03% (NP Digital, Oct 2024, site traffic not ad views; from
  `growth-and-funnels.md`).
- Treatment in the budget: YouTube is funded **inside** the same envelope as Meta and judged by
  the same yardstick (cost per registration, cost per account). No separate line is
  justified by data yet.

### 1D. The ad-budget arithmetic

**Formula.** For a month's account target A:

```
registrations needed  R = A / (show-up × attendee→account)
monthly ad budget     B = R × cost per registration
ad cost per account     = cost per registration / (show-up × attendee→account)
```

**Inputs per case (all ⚠ assumptions, with the anchor they come from):**

| Input | Low | Middle | High | Anchor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per registration | $3 | $8 | $15 | Georgia own $0.67–2.03 (×~2–4 for coaches); English webinar cases $8–13; generic Education CPL $28–35 is the ceiling for a lead-form lead |
| Show-up (live) | 40% | 30% | 25% | cold traffic 20–40%; own tenants 57% incl. repeats |
| Attendee → account | 15% | 10% | 5% | purchase rate 5–20% for a paid offer; a free account is easier but is the webinar's second ask |
| Combined registration → account | 6.0% | 3.0% | 1.25% | product of the two rates |

**Low case** — $3 / (0.40 × 0.15) = **$50 per account**
- Month 1: 40 / 0.06 = 667 registrations × $3 = **$2,000**
- Month 12: 100 / 0.06 = 1,667 × $3 = **$5,000**
- Month 24: 200 / 0.06 = 3,333 × $3 = **$10,000**

**Middle case** — $8 / (0.30 × 0.10) = **$267 per account**
- Month 1: 40 / 0.03 = 1,333 registrations × $8 = **$10,667**
- Month 12: 100 / 0.03 = 3,333 × $8 = **$26,667**
- Month 24: 200 / 0.03 = 6,667 × $8 = **$53,333**

**High case** — $15 / (0.25 × 0.05) = **$1,200 per account**
- Month 1: 40 / 0.0125 = 3,200 registrations × $15 = **$48,000**
- Month 12: 100 / 0.0125 = 8,000 × $15 = **$120,000**
- Month 24: 200 / 0.0125 = 16,000 × $15 = **$240,000**

**From accounts to paying customers.** `customers.html` uses 8% / 12% / 15% of accounts
becoming paying. Pairing the low case with 15%, middle with 12%, high with 8%:

| Case | Ad cost per account | Paying share | **Ad cost per paying customer** | Months of $350 ARPU to recover (before fees) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | $50 | 15% | **$333** | ~1 |
| Middle | $267 | 12% | **$2,222** | ~6.3 |
| High | $1,200 | 8% | **$15,000** | ~43 |

The middle case lands near the earlier estimate in `BRIEF.md` ("a Meta-ads customer ≈
$1,400"); the high case shows that cold English-market traffic alone does not pay back on
subscription revenue.

**Offset by course sales (the channel's design).** The webinar sells Stapilo's own course
and mastermind, so the ads are partly paid by course revenue. Break-even condition per
registrant: `show-up × attendee purchase rate × course price ≥ cost per registration`.
Illustration only ⚠ (the course price is not set): at 30% show-up and 5% purchase, a $197
course returns 0.30 × 0.05 × $197 = **$2.96 per registrant**, which covers the low case
($3) and ~37% of the middle case ($8). Payment fees and affiliate cuts on the course come off
that.

**Two cautions (judgement ⚠, not sourced):** cost per registration usually rises as a fixed
audience is saturated, so month-24 spend at month-1 efficiency is optimistic; and the
"attendee → account" rate is unmeasured. A sensible round budget is the **middle case**, with
the first 2–3 months spent as a measured test (e.g. ~$10k/month) before scaling.

---

## Part 2. Affiliate and partner economics

### 2A. What comparable platforms pay

See S3. Official pages read 2026-10-25: Systeme.io 60% lifetime; Skool 40% of MRR for life;
HighLevel 40% recurring; Kajabi tiered (one-time first month for 1–4 referrals, then 10% / 15%
/ 20% recurring at 5 / 25 / 50 active referrals). ClickFunnels' official docs confirm
"recurring commissions" but list no rate; third parties give 30% base up to 40%, second tier
removed in 2026 ⚠. Typical range in the category: **30–40% recurring**, outliers 60%
(Systeme.io) and 10–20% (Kajabi).

**What it means per referred customer per month (my arithmetic):**

| Commission | at $350 ARPU (early) | at $125 ARPU (year-3 average) |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | $70 | $25 |
| 30% | $105 | $37.50 |
| 40% | $140 | $50 |
| 60% | $210 | $75 |

### 2B. How payouts are treated in a budget

- **Variable cost, % of revenue actually collected from referred customers**, not a fixed
  budget line. It scales to zero if the channel brings nothing, which is why investors
  treat affiliates as low-risk acquisition.
- Model it as: `affiliate payout = commission % × MRR from affiliate-sourced customers`,
  paid after a refund hold (ClickFunnels: payouts on the 1st/15th after a 30-day hold,
  $100 minimum, per Funnelish 2026 ⚠; Kajabi: $100 threshold, 60-day delay, per SchoolMaker
  2026 ⚠).
- **Accounting:** under US GAAP (ASC 340-40) incremental costs of obtaining a contract are
  capitalised and amortised, but there is a practical expedient to **expense as incurred when
  the contract period is one year or less** (beancount.io 2026-05-17; Everstage). Monthly
  subscriptions qualify, so payouts are expensed monthly. Placing them in **Sales &
  Marketing** (not cost of revenue) is common practice ⚠ (no source found that settles the
  COGS vs S&M question).
- Guru partnerships with a revenue share are the same mechanism with a negotiated rate; a
  fixed fee or sponsored appearance is a fixed marketing cost instead.

---

## Part 3. Local launch meetups (Tashkent, Yerevan, Chișinău)

Data on event venues in these cities is thin. What was found:

- **Tashkent.**
  - Training rooms on OLX.uz: **150,000 UZS/hour** without computers, 200,000 with;
    Wi-Fi, projector, furniture and parking included; discount over 50 hours (listing undated ⚠).
    ≈ **$12–17/hour** at ~12,102 UZS/USD.
  - Another OLX title advertised a conference room "for just $12 an hour near the metro" (page
    gone, title only ⚠).
  - Hirespace: Tashkent Plaza conference halls **£150/hour venue fee** (≈ $200/h); Congress Hall
    Tashkent City **£850/hour** (large hall) ⚠.
  - Hotel halls of suitable size exist (Grand Capital 24–50 seats, Bek Tashkent up to 40) but
    no prices published (orexca.com).
  - Coworking desk ≈ $184/month in Tashkent (CMWP via spot.uz, 2025-05-19) — context only.
- **Yerevan.** Hotels with meeting rooms (Radisson Blu 450 m², Ani Grand 505 m², Marriott,
  Courtyard); spyur.am lists 18 venues renting conference halls; **no hall prices published**.
- **Chișinău.** Urban Business Center hall (up to 200 theatre / 54–56 U-shape) shows a 63,900 MDL
  figure without the unit (hour/day/event unknown ⚠); Jolly Alon 65-seat hall in a 2026 tender
  with empty price columns; Tekwill rents halls (tenders) with no price; **no usable price**.
- **Food and drink proxy** (Numbeo, updated 2026-10-24/25): meal at an inexpensive restaurant
  Tashkent $6.69, Yerevan $11.09, Chișinău $11.09; cappuccino $2.60 / $3.65 / $2.17; water
  0.33 l $0.34 / $0.64 / $0.91. A coffee break with snacks is estimated at roughly one cheap
  meal per person ⚠.
- **Local ads to fill the room:** for 60 people, plan ~120–150 registrations, assuming 40–50%
  of free in-person registrants come ⚠ (no in-person benchmark found). At $1–3 per
  registration (anchored on Georgia's $0.67–2.03) → **$120–450**.

Per-event totals: S4 above. **≈ $600–2,750 per meetup, excluding the team's travel.**
Three cities × one launch meetup ≈ $2,000–8,000 ⚠. Quotes from 2–3 venues per city are needed
before the budget is final.

---

## Part 4. Operating costs

### 4A. Payment providers

- **Paddle** (paddle.com/pricing, read 2026-10-25): 5% + 50¢ per checkout transaction; no
  monthly fee; tax, fraud, chargebacks and buyer support included; custom pricing for high
  volume or products under $10. Payout and FX costs not stated on the page; competitors argue
  the FX spread is the hidden cost ⚠ (Dodo Payments 2026).
  - Effective rate: $350 → $18.00 (5.1%); $125 → $6.75 (5.4%); $60 → $3.50 (5.8%) (my arithmetic).
  - **Restriction:** Paddle's AUP excludes human services including coaching, so Paddle can
    bill the **Stapilo software subscription** but not Stapilo's own courses, mastermind or
    coaching (`non-stripe-markets.md`, S29).
- **Stripe** (stripe.com/pricing, read 2026-10-25): 2.9% + 30¢ domestic US card; +1.5%
  international card; +1% if currency conversion; Billing 0.7% (pay-as-you-go); Tax Basic
  0.5% (or $0.50/API transaction); Managed Payments (Stripe as merchant of record) +3.5% on top
  of payment fees; disputes $15 (+$15 to contest); standard payouts free.
  - Example, $350 subscription on an international card with Billing + Tax: 2.9 + 1.5 + 0.7 +
    0.5 = 5.6% + $0.30 = **$19.90** (5.7%), without merchant-of-record tax handling; with
    Managed Payments add 3.5% → ~9.2% (my arithmetic).
- **Budget rule of thumb:** ~5–6% of subscription revenue for payment processing ⚠ (derived
  from the two price lists above).

### 4B. Company formation and annual accounting / legal (jurisdiction not decided)

| Jurisdiction | Formation | Yearly upkeep | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware C-corp (Stripe Atlas) | $500 (state fees, expedited filing, 1st-year registered agent, EIN, 83(b), templates) | agent $100/yr; franchise tax ≈ $400 min (assumed-par method) + $50 annual report; Form 1120 prep $1,500–3,000 ⚠; total ~$2,000–4,000 ⚠ | stripe.com/atlas; Clerky help; SpryTax summary ⚠ |
| Estonia OÜ (e-Residency) | €265 state fee + €100–130 card; first year ~€600 DIY / ~€1,300 with accounting | address/contact €200–400; accounting from €50/month; €1,500–4,000/yr ⚠ | e-resident.gov.ee live Q&A (2025-01); enty.io (2026) ⚠ |
| UK private limited | £100 digital incorporation | £50 confirmation statement; accountant not researched | ICAEW (2025-11); HSF Kramer (2026) |
| Georgia (International Company status) | not found | 5% tax on distributed profit; requires local staff/management per advisors ⚠ | Andersen; BDO; Gegidze ⚠ |

Budget range for a small company, formation plus first year of compliance: **≈ $1,000
(Estonia DIY) to ≈ $4,500 (Delaware with CPA)** ⚠, before legal work for an investment round
(SAFE/equity documents, shareholder agreement), which was not researched and is typically the
larger cost.

### 4C. Trademark (WIPO / Madrid)

- Basic fee **CHF 653** (black and white) or **CHF 903** (colour), 10 years; CHF 100 per class
  beyond three; CHF 100 complementary fee per designated country unless that country charges an
  individual fee (WIPO Schedule of Fees, in force since 2023-02-01). Renewal basic CHF 653.
- Individual fees: **US CHF 460 per class** (from 2026-04-12; WIPO Information Notice 21/2026,
  2026-03-12); **UK CHF 240** first class + CHF 64 per extra (from 2026-04-01; WIPO notice);
  **EU CHF 789** first class, +48 second, +144 each further ⚠ (page layout jumbled).
- A Madrid filing needs a base national application in the applicant's home office first
  (fee not researched).
- **Example (my arithmetic ⚠):** 3 classes (software, SaaS, education), US + EU + UK:
  653 + (3 × 460) + (789 + 48 + 144) + (240 + 64 + 64) = 653 + 1,380 + 981 + 368 =
  **CHF 3,382 ≈ $4,100**, plus base filing and attorney fees. Adding UZ, AM, MD at CHF 100 each
  only if they charge no individual fee (not checked ⚠).

### 4D. Software tools for a 10-person team

| Tool | Price | Seats assumed | Monthly | Source (read 2026-10-25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace Business Standard | €13.60/user/month (annual) ≈ $15.22 | 10 | ≈ $152 | workspace.google.com/pricing (EUR only shown) |
| Slack Pro | $7.25 annual / $8.75 monthly per user | 10 | $73–88 | slack.com/pricing |
| Figma Professional | Full $16, Dev $12, Collab $3 per month | 2 full + 4 collab | $44 | figma.com/pricing |
| Adobe Creative Cloud Pro | $69.99/month individual (annual, billed monthly); teams ~$99.99/licence ⚠ | 2 (production) | $140–200 | Dieline; Redress Compliance ⚠ |
| CapCut Pro | ~$19.99/month ⚠; Teams $15–30/seat (official help page, varies by region) | 2–3 | $40–90 | capcut.com/help; Temperstack ⚠ |
| Claude (AI coding / work assistant) | Pro $20; Max 5x $100; Max 20x $200; Team standard $25 ($20 annual); Team premium $125 ($100 annual) | see scenarios | see below | claude.com/pricing; support.claude.com |

Claude scenarios (my arithmetic): **low** 10 × Team standard $25 = $250; **middle** 4 developers
on Max 20x ($800) + 6 on Pro/Team standard ($150) = **$950**; **high** 10 × Max 20x = $2,000.

**Total tools, 10 people: ≈ $700 (low) / ≈ $1,450 (middle) / ≈ $2,600 (high) per month** ⚠
(sum of the rows above; excludes Stapilo's own infrastructure, domains, Zoom, accounting
software).

### 4E. Insurance

- **Cyber / tech E&O.** Most small tech companies buy a tech E&O policy that includes cyber
  (TechInsurance). Small-business cyber average **$1,740/yr** for $1M limit, $2,500 deductible
  (TechInsurance / brokers ⚠). SaaS storing customer data: **$1,800–5,000/yr** early stage,
  $10,000–12,000 as limits rise (Secureframe ⚠). Hiscox tech E&O $1,000–8,000/yr (QuoteSweep ⚠).
  Rule of thumb: $0.5–1M E&O per $5M revenue (TechInsurance ⚠).
- **General liability.** Insureon median **~$500/yr** ($42/month) for $1M, range $300–2,000+;
  The Hartford customers ~$810/yr; software LLCs $806/yr (MoneyGeek, 2023 data ⚠).
- These are US-market prices; a non-US company may buy differently ⚠.
- **Budget: ≈ $2,300–5,500/yr** for cyber/E&O + general liability ⚠ (sum of ranges).

---

## Sources

All read 2026-10-25 unless a date is given.

**Meta ads**
- WordStream, Facebook ads benchmarks 2025: https://www.wordstream.com/blog/facebook-ads-benchmarks-2025 (403 on fetch; via the two below)
- Search Engine Land, "Facebook ad costs jump 21% in 2025": https://searchengineland.com/facebook-ad-costs-jump-beat-google-461690
- LocaliQ, Facebook advertising benchmarks: https://localiq.com/blog/facebook-advertising-benchmarks/
- Focus Digital, average CPL on Facebook (published 2026-08-21): https://focus-digital.co/average-cost-per-lead-on-facebook-july-2025-report/
- Superads, CPL global and UK ⚠: https://www.superads.ai/facebook-ads-costs/cost-per-lead ; https://www.superads.ai/facebook-ads-costs/cost-per-lead/united-kingdom
- Adligator, Meta CPM by country (2026-03-31) ⚠: https://adligator.com/blog/meta-ads-cpm-by-country-benchmarks
- Lebesgue, Facebook CPM by country (2026-07-27) ⚠: https://lebesgue.io/facebook-ads/facebook-cpm-by-country
- spot.uz / Admixer, Uzbekistan Instagram audience (2025-06-02): https://www.spot.uz/ru/2025/06/02/admixer-advertising/
- LifterLMS podcast with Shelby Fowler (Fempire Media) ⚠: https://podcast.lifterlms.com/?p=2247
- RapidDevelopers webinar case study ⚠: https://www.rapidevelopers.com/case-study/meta-ads-lead-generation-webinar-registration-case-study
- Kalungi, Meta vs LinkedIn B2B webinar ads ⚠: https://www.kalungi.com/blog/meta-vs-linkedin-b2b-webinar-ads
- Stapilo own data: Meta Ads API via Stapilo `read_ads insights`, account "ნებისწერის 2024 სექტემბერს" (act_1270589393932476), 2026-09-25 → 2026-10-24, read 2026-10-25

**Webinars**
- Goldcast 2025 webinar statistics: https://www.goldcast.io/blog-post/2025-webinar-statistics-b2b-marketers-should-know
- ON24 via MarketingProfs (2025) ⚠: https://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2025/52917/b2b-webinar-benchmarks-conversion-attendance-personalization
- Segmetrics, webinar attendance playbook ⚠: https://segmetrics.io/wp-content/uploads/Playbook-Webinar-Attendance.pdf
- Learnybox, webinar conversion rate (2026) ⚠: https://learnybox.com/en/blog/webinar-conversion-rate/
- Founders Go Naked podcast #61 ⚠: https://metacast.app/podcast/founders-go-naked-digital-marketing-and-branding/fmAhGxV3/61-5-proven-ways-to-advertise-webinars-2-8x-case-study/tGEnCSvG
- GetCourse magazine ⚠: https://getcourse.ru/magazine/vebinar-posle-registracii-povyshayet-dohodimost
- vc.ru auto-webinar case ⚠: https://vc.ru/marketing/2194378-avtovebinar-dlya-shkoly-peregovorov
- ClickMeeting ⚠: https://blog.clickmeeting.com/webinars-that-convert
- Stapilo usage figures: `investors/BRIEF.md` (prod DB, read-only, 2026-10-25)

**YouTube**
- Store Growers, YouTube ads benchmarks (2026-02-19) ⚠: https://www.storegrowers.com/youtube-ads-benchmarks/
- megadigital, YouTube ad benchmarks ⚠: https://megadigital.ai/en/blog/youtube-ad-benchmarks/

**Affiliates**
- Systeme.io: https://systeme.io/affiliate-program
- Skool: https://www.skool.com/affiliate-program
- HighLevel: https://www.gohighlevel.com/affiliate
- Kajabi Partner Program Overview: https://help.kajabi.com/articles/resources/kajabi-partner-program/partner-program-overview
- ClickFunnels affiliate docs: https://support.myclickfunnels.com/docs/clickfunnels-affiliate-program.md ; Funnelish community ⚠: https://community.funnelish.com/t/whats-clickfunnels-affiliate-payout/80
- SchoolMaker Kajabi affiliate review (2026) ⚠: https://schoolmaker.com/blog/kajabi-affiliate-program.md
- Latka, Systeme.io founder interview (2021-07-15): https://getlatka.com/companies/systemeio/interviews/systemeio-aurelien-amacker-2021
- beancount.io on ASC 340-40 (2026-05-17): https://beancount.io/blog/2026/05/17/capitalizing-sales-commissions-asc-340-40-costs-to-obtain-a-contract-saas-deferred-commission-amortization-renewal-commensurate-test-one-year-expedient-guide
- Everstage, ASC 606 sales commissions: https://www.everstage.com/sales-commission/asc-606-sales-commissions

**Meetups**
- OLX.uz training rooms ⚠: https://www.olx.uz/d/obyavlenie/arenda-auditoriy-klassov-pod-uchebnyy-tsentr-kursy-trening-i-pr-ID2V2oZ.html
- Hirespace, Tashkent Plaza ⚠: https://hirespace.com/Spaces/Tashkent/264044/Tashkent-Plaza/Conference-Halls-And-Meeting-Rooms/Business ; Congress Hall Tashkent City ⚠: https://hirespace.com/Spaces/Tashkent/263930/Congress-Hall-Tashkent-City/Meeting-Rooms/Business
- Orexca, Tashkent conference halls: https://www.orexca.com/rus/uzbekistan/mice-tourism/conference_halls/tashkent.htm
- spot.uz / CMWP coworking (2025-05-19): https://www.spot.uz/ru/2025/05/19/cmwp-coworking/
- spyur.am, Yerevan conference-hall rental directory: https://www.spyur.am/ru/business_directory/bd/13727
- mtender.gov.md tenders (Chișinău venues, no prices): https://storage.mtender.gov.md/get/6898c813-096d-4e54-bf24-f664d8b12fc1-1774852395401
- Numbeo, Tashkent vs Yerevan (updated 2026-10-24): https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Uzbekistan&city1=Tashkent&country2=Armenia&city2=Yerevan
- Numbeo, Chișinău (updated 2026-10-25): https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Chisinau
- top.uz (UZS rate ticker) ⚠: https://top.uz/section/keytering-vyezdnoe-obsluzhivanie-kofe-breyki-furshety-obedy

**Payments, company, trademark**
- Paddle pricing: https://www.paddle.com/pricing ; Paddle AUP: https://paddle.com/support/aup
- Dodo Payments on Paddle fees (competitor) ⚠: https://dodopayments.com/blogs/paddle-fees-explained
- Stripe pricing: https://stripe.com/pricing
- Stripe Atlas: https://stripe.com/atlas
- Clerky, minimum ongoing costs of a Delaware C-corp: https://help.clerky.com/article/2824-minimum-ongoing-costs
- Zenind, Delaware fees 2026 ⚠: https://www.zenind.com/help/post/delaware-c-corp-and-llc-fees-in-2026-formation-costs-annual-taxes-and-filing-deadlines
- e-Residency: https://e-resident.gov.ee/start-transforming-your-business/ ; live Q&A (2025-01): https://www.e-resident.gov.ee/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/e-Res_liveQA_January_2025.pdf
- enty.io, Estonian company running cost 2026 ⚠: https://enty.io/blog/real-cost-running-estonian-e-resident-company-2026
- ICAEW on Companies House fees (2025-11): https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2025/nov-2025/significant-hikes-to-companies-house-fees-in-2026
- HSF Kramer, fees in force (2026): https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/corporate/2026-posts/company-administration-amended-companies-house-fees-now-in-force
- Andersen Georgia ⚠: https://ge.andersen.com/?p=6269 ; BDO ⚠: https://bdocca.tst.bdo.global/en-gb/services/legal-advisory/tax-reliefs-for-international-it-and-software-companies
- WIPO Madrid Schedule of Fees: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/madrid-system/fees/sched
- WIPO Information Notice 21/2026 (US individual fee): https://www.wipo.int/documents/d/madrid-system/information-notices-en-2026-madrid_2026_21_e.pdf
- WIPO individual fees page (EU, UK) ⚠: https://www.wipo.int/th/web/madrid-system/fees/ind_taxes

**Tools and insurance**
- Google Workspace pricing: https://workspace.google.com/pricing
- Slack pricing: https://slack.com/pricing
- Figma pricing: https://www.figma.com/pricing/
- Claude pricing: https://claude.com/pricing ; Max plan cost: https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11049744-how-much-does-the-max-plan-cost
- Adobe price change (Dieline): https://thedieline.com/adobe-announces-changes-including-price-hikes-to-creative-cloud-subscriptions/ ; teams pricing ⚠: https://redresscompliance.com/adobe-creative-cloud-teams-pricing-2026
- CapCut Teams price (official help): https://www.capcut.com/help/capcut-teams-price ; Temperstack ⚠: https://www.temperstack.com/plans/capcut/
- Secureframe, cyber insurance costs ⚠: https://secureframe.com/blog/cyber-insurance-costs
- TechInsurance, cyber liability: https://www.techinsurance.com/cyber-liability-insurance/how-much-do-you-need
- QuoteSweep, Hiscox technology ⚠: https://www.quotesweep.com/carriers/hiscox/appetite/technology-companies
- Insureon, $1M general liability: https://www.insureon.com/small-business-insurance/general-liability/1-million-dollar-liability-cost
- MoneyGeek ⚠: https://moneygeek.com/insurance/business/cheap-general-liability-insurance
- Exchange rates: https://api.frankfurter.dev/v1/latest?base=USD (ECB, 2026-10-23)



---

## Research file: exits

# Exits — how an investor gets money back, and when (research notes, 2026-10-25)

> For the "exit" section of the investor pack. Every figure has a source and a date.
> ⚠ = not verified from a primary source (press report, aggregator, estimate) or my own
> assumption. "My arithmetic" = computed here from sourced inputs.
> Pack figures used (updated 2026-10-26): step 1 $100k at $2.5M pre, step 2 $300k at $3.5M, step 3 $200k at $3.6M; investors 3.8% → 11.4% → 16.1%; 1× non-participating preference;
> realistic yearly revenue (ARR) **$2.2M at month 18** and **$4.0M at month 36** (slow case
> $0.6M / $1.0M); next round m15–18, ~$1.5–2M, ~20% dilution; plan.html uses 4× revenue.

---

## 1. Summary

- **Companies like Stapilo do get bought — mostly small, quietly, at 2.5–5× revenue.** The
  famous prices (Mailchimp $12B ≈ 15× revenue, Klaviyo IPO ≈ 15×, Kajabi $2B ≈ 20×) were
  large, fast-growing companies in 2021–2023. Today's medians are far lower: private SaaS deals
  ~4.0× trailing revenue (SEG, 2Q26 ⚠ via secondary write-ups), ~3.1× for smaller deals
  (Aventis, Q1 2026), ~3.3× for companies under $5M ARR (Aventis ⚠ via aggregator).
- **The sobering comparable:** Thinkific (public course platform, ARR $61.7M, growth 2%) is
  valued by the stock market at well under 1× revenue after cash (Aug 2026). Buyers pay for
  growth and retention, not for "being a course platform".
- **Who buys in this space:** platforms filling a gap (Hotmart → Teachable, Squarespace →
  Acuity, Linktree → Koji, Kit → SparkLoop, Patreon → Memberful), suites buying AI teams
  (HubSpot → XFunnel $30M, Wix → Base44 $80M, Canva → Ortto + Simtheory, Klaviyo → Agency,
  MoEngage → Aampe), PE and operator-buyers (Permira → Squarespace, Bending Spoons → Vimeo,
  Eventbrite, StreamYard; Clearlake/Siris → Constant Contact + SharpSpring; Tiny → Serato,
  Letterboxd; Awesome Motive → Thrive Themes).
- **Typical timeline:** a small exit (<$100M) comes ~3 years after founding for YC companies,
  median ~4 years overall (Heyman, 2025 ⚠ YC-only data). For a regional company starting its
  first outside round now, **year 4–6 from this round** is the honest window for a sale; a
  partial cash-out at the next round (m15–18) is possible but not promised.
- **What the $60k example investor could get** ($10k + $30k + $20k across the three steps, arithmetic in §6): sold in year 4–6 at
  3–5× revenue → **~$155k–386k (2.6–6.4×)**; the ambitious case → **~$590k (~10×)**; held and paying dividends →
  **~$8k a year** once profitable, plus the shares; half sold at the next round → **~$70k at m15–18** and half kept.
  Slow case: roughly the money back via the 1× preference *if* the company can be sold at all. Failure: $0.

---

## 2. Acquisitions and valuations, 2018–2026

Implied multiple = price ÷ the target's revenue at the time. Blank = not disclosed.

| Year | Buyer | Target (what it does) | Price | Target revenue at the time | Implied multiple | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Square | Weebly (website builder, 625k paid subs) | ~$365M cash + stock | not disclosed | — | [Square 8-K, 2018-04-26](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001512673/000119312518135060/d582033dex991.htm) |
| 2018 | Patreon | Memberful (white-label memberships; 7 people, ~500 clients) | undisclosed | — | — | [TechCrunch, 2018-08-08](https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/08/patronage-empire/) |
| 2018 | Vista Equity | Mindbody (booking for studios/coaches) | $1.9B | not found in this search | — | [privsource / Playlist–EGYM coverage](https://athletechnews.com/classpass-mindbody-playlist-egym-merger-7-5-billion-deal/) |
| 2019 | Squarespace | Acuity Scheduling (booking; 45 staff) | undisclosed | — | — | [TechCrunch, 2019-04-23](https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/23/squarespace-acquires-acuity-scheduling); [Fenwick](https://www.fenwick.com/insights/experience/fenwick-represents-squarespace-in-acquisition-of-acuity-scheduling) |
| 2020 | Hotmart | Teachable (course platform) | ⚠ ~$250M (sources, not disclosed) | ⚠ ~$60M ARR (secondary) | ⚠ ~4× | [TechCrunch, 2020-03-16](https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/16/edtech-notches-a-win-as-teachable-is-acquired-by-hotmart/amp/) |
| 2021 | HubSpot | The Hustle (newsletter media, 1.5M subs) | ⚠ ~$27M (Axios source) | — | — | [Axios, 2021-02-03](https://www.axios.com/2021/02/03/hubspot-acquisition-the-hustle) |
| 2021 | Squarespace | Tock (reservations, events) | >$400M cash + stock | — | — | [Squarespace press release, 2021-03-31](https://www.squarespace.com/press-releases/2021/3/31/squarespace-acquires-tock-the-online-reservations-takeout-and-events-platform-to-advance-hospitality-offering) |
| 2021 | Clearlake + Siris | Constant Contact (email for small businesses) — carved out of Endurance | $400M investment (JV); terms otherwise undisclosed | — | — | [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant_Contact); [Newfold](https://newfold.com/newsroom/clearlake-completes-acquisition-of-endurance-international-group) |
| 2021 | Constant Contact (Clearlake/Siris) | SharpSpring (marketing automation) | ~$240M incl. debt | FY2020 revenue ~$29M ⚠ (Preqin) | ~8× trailing (my arithmetic); ~7× FY22 (Needham) | [SEC press release, 2021-06-22](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1506439/000165495421008854/shsp_ex991.htm); [TipRanks](https://www.tipranks.com/news/sharpspring-to-be-acquired-by-constant-contact-for-240m) |
| 2021 | Intuit | Mailchimp (email marketing) | $12.0B ($5.7B cash + $6.3B stock) | ~$800M (2020) | ~15× (2020); ~12× if 2021 ≈ $1B | [Intuit 10-K FY2022](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/896878/000089687822000028/intu-20220731.htm); [Analysys Mason](https://analysysmason.com/research/content/articles/intuit-mailchimp-purchase) |
| 2021 | Sendinblue (Brevo) | Metrilo, Chatra, PushOwl (analytics, chat, push) | ~$47M for all three | — | — | [tech.eu, 2021-09](https://tech.eu/brief/sendinblue-acquires-chatra-metrilo-and-pushowl-for-47-million/) |
| 2021 | Kit (ConvertKit) | FanBridge (musician fan email) | undisclosed | — | — | [ConvertKit](https://convertkit.com/convertkit-acquires-fanbridge) |
| 2021 | (funding, not a sale) Tiger Global et al. → Kajabi | $550M round at $2B valuation | ~$100M ARR ⚠ | ~20× (2021 peak) | [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/kajabi) |
| 2022 | Kajabi | Vibely (community app → Kajabi Communities) — Kajabi's first acquisition | undisclosed | — | — | [OC Business Journal](https://www.ocbj.com/technology/kajabis-1st-acquisition-boosts-digital-entrepreneurs/) |
| 2022 | ActiveCampaign | Postmark + DMARC Digests (from Wildbit; transactional email) | undisclosed | — | — | [ActiveCampaign press release, 2022-05](https://www.activecampaign.com/news/press-releases/activecampaign-acquires-postmark) |
| 2022 | Calendly | Prelude (interview scheduling) | undisclosed | — | — | [DP Tribune](https://business.dptribune.com/dptribune/news/read/42718886/calendly_acquires_hiring_scheduling_startup) |
| 2023 | Kit (ConvertKit) | SparkLoop (newsletter growth / paid recommendations) | undisclosed | — | — | [Kit, 2023-06-09](https://convertkit.com/news/convertkit-acquires-sparkloop); [BoiseDev](https://boisedev.com/news/2023/06/16/converkit-sparkloop/) |
| 2023 | Awesome Motive | Thrive Themes (WordPress marketing suite, 200k users) | undisclosed | — | — | [WP Tavern, 2023-01-23](https://wptavern.com/awesome-motive-acquires-thrive-themes) |
| 2023 | Linktree | Bento, then Koji (link-in-bio + creator mini-apps; Koji shut down) | undisclosed | — | — | [Tubefilter, 2023-12-14](https://www.tubefilter.com/2023/12/14/linktree-link-in-bio-acquires-koji/) |
| 2023 | HubSpot | Clearbit (B2B data) | ⚠ ~$225M reported, not confirmed | — | — | [HubSpot IR, 2023-12-04](https://ir.hubspot.com/news/hubspot-completes-acquisition-of-b2b-intelligence-leader-clearbit) |
| 2023 | Tiny | Letterboxd, 60% stake | ~$50M (valued $50–60M) | — | — | [Gizmodo](https://gizmodo.com/letterboxd-majority-acquired-by-tiny-for-50-million-1850887306) |
| 2023 | (IPO) Klaviyo | email/SMS marketing, NYSE | $9.2B fully diluted | $585M TTM (to 2023-06-30) | ~15.7× TTM (my arithmetic); 14.3× annualised H1 (TechCrunch) | [NBC/CNBC, 2023-09-20](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/business/money-report/klaviyo-jumps-23-in-nyse-debut-after-software-vendor-priced-ipo-at-30/4696438/); [CMC Markets](https://cmcmarkets.com/en-gb/news-and-analysis/klaviyo-is-set-to-debut-at-an-ipo-price-of-30) |
| 2024 | Bending Spoons | StreamYard / Hopin (live streaming) | undisclosed, "much less" than Hopin's $250M (2021) | — | — | [Sifted](https://sifted.eu/articles/bending-spoons-italy-startup-ipo); [Skift](https://meetings.skift.com/hopin-acquired-by-bending-spoons/) |
| 2024 | Permira (PE take-private) | Squarespace (websites, commerce, Acuity) | $7.2B, all cash (closed 2024-10-17) | ~$1.19B run-rate (Q × 4, my arithmetic ⚠) | ~6× ⚠ | [SiliconANGLE](https://siliconangle.com/2024/10/17/permira-completes-7-2b-acquisition-squarespace/); [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/17/permira-completes-squarespace-acquisition-after-upping-bid-to-7-2b) |
| 2025 | Tiny | Serato (DJ software), 66% stake | $66M cash + shares | $42.4M annualised revenue, 62% recurring | ⚠ ~2.4× if $100M total; sources conflict ($175M also reported) | [Pulse 2.0](https://pulse2.com/tiny-buying-controlling-stake-in-serato-for-66-million); [Techcouver](https://techcouver.com/2025/03/31/tiny-acquires-majority-stake-in-dj-giant-serato/) |
| 2025 | Wix | Base44 (AI app builder; 6 staff, 250k users, profitable) | ~$80M + earn-outs to 2029 | "inconsequential" to 2025 revenue | n/a (a bet on AI) | [Globes](https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-wix-acquires-israeli-vibe-coding-co-base44-1001513267) |
| 2025 | Klaviyo | Gatsby (social DMs → email/SMS subscribers) | undisclosed | — | — | [PitchBook / Indeed feed ⚠](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/85669-30) |
| 2025 | Bending Spoons | Vimeo (video hosting) | ~$1.38B cash ($7.85/share) | not found in this search | — | [privsource](https://www.privsource.com/acquisitions/deal/bending-spoons-acquires-vimeo-for-1-38-billion-B6Svee); [TechCrunch, 2025-10-31](https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/31/what-is-bending-spoons-everything-to-know-about-aols-acquirer/) |
| 2025 | HubSpot | XFunnel (AI search / answer-engine optimisation) | ⚠ $30M (MarketScreener) | — | — | [MarketScreener, 2025-10-30](https://www.marketscreener.com/news/hubspot-inc-entered-into-an-agreement-to-acquire-xfunnel-inc-for-30-million-ce7d5cdddf81f625) |
| 2025 | Bending Spoons | Eventbrite (ticketing), take-private | ~$500M cash ($4.50/share, 82% premium) | not found in this search | — | [Business Wire, 2025-12-02](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251202408560/en/Eventbrite-Enters-into-Definitive-Agreement-to-Be-Acquired-by-Bending-Spoons-for-Roughly-$500-Million-to-Accelerate-Eventbrites-Next-Phase-of-Growth) |
| 2025–26 | Coursera | Udemy (all-stock merger) | ~$2.5B implied equity | combined >$1.5B pro forma | ~1.7× combined (my arithmetic ⚠) | [HR Dive](https://www.hrdive.com/news/coursera-to-acquire-udemy-to-create-25b-mooc-giant/808317/) |
| 2026 | Playlist (Mindbody, ClassPass) | EGYM merger | $7.5B combined; $785M new equity | — | — | [Athletech News](https://athletechnews.com/classpass-mindbody-playlist-egym-merger-7-5-billion-deal/) |
| 2026 | Webflow | Vidoso.ai (on-brand AI marketing content; 4 engineers, $3.7M raised) | undisclosed | — | — | [agentmarketcap ⚠, 2026-04-08](https://agentmarketcap.ai/blog/2026/04/08/webflow-acquires-vidoso-ai-agentic-marketing-content-generation) |
| 2026 | Canva | Ortto (marketing automation, 11k customers) + Simtheory (AI agents) | undisclosed (Ortto raised $46M) | — | — | [Constellation Research, 2026-04-08](https://www.constellationr.com/insights/news/canva-acquires-simtheory-ortto) |
| 2026 | MoEngage | Aampe (an AI agent per customer for messaging) | ⚠ "tens of millions", all cash | — | — | [TechCrunch, 2026-06-23](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/23/indias-moengage-bets-marketings-future-on-millions-of-ai-agents/) |
| 2026 | Klaviyo | Agency (AI customer support; raised $32M) | undisclosed | — | — | [usagepricing ⚠, 2026-08-11](https://usagepricing.com/blueprint/activity/2026-08-11-klaviyo-agency-acquisition) |

**Not sold (for context — the direct competitors are mostly still independent):**

| Company | Status (date) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Thinkific (TSX: THNC) | Public; ARR $61.7M (+2%), Q2 2026 revenue $18.6M, adj. EBITDA +$0.3M; bought back up to ~$35M of shares in 2024 | [Newswire, 2026-08-05](https://newswire.ca/news-releases/thinkific-announces-second-quarter-2026-financial-results-802101214.html) |
| Kajabi | Private; $2B valuation (2021); 2024 revenue est. ~$75M ⚠ | [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/kajabi); [Latka](https://getlatka.com/companies/kajabi) |
| Kit (ConvertKit) | Private, bootstrapped; founder says he turned down a ⚠ $200M Spotify offer | [Russell Brunson Show](https://podscripts.co/podcasts/the-russell-brunson-show/shut-it-down-or-double-down-nathan-barrys-road-to-45m-with-kit-convertkit) |
| Circle.so | Private; ⚠ ~$21M ARR (May 2024), ~$200–250M valuation (2021) | [Sacra](https://sacra.com/c/circle-so) |
| Mighty Networks | Private; ~$66M raised, last $50M Series B (2021) ⚠ | [Clay](https://www.clay.com/dossier/mighty-networks-funding) |
| Systeme.io | Private, founder-owned, no outside money; ⚠ ~$20M revenue 2024 (Latka) | [Latka](https://getlatka.com/companies/systemeio) |
| ClickFunnels | Private; ⚠ ~$170M revenue / $2.8B valuation (Latka, undated, conflicts with CB Insights) | [Latka](https://getlatka.com/companies/clickfunnels/vs/landingi) |
| Kartra (Genesis Digital) | Private, founder-owned; no sale found | [Genesis Digital](https://yespress.io/genesis-digital-llc.md) |
| HighLevel, Skool, Stan, Podia, Gumroad, Typeform | No sale found in this search (2026-10-25); no reliable revenue figures found | — |

**What the table says:**
1. Most deals in creator/coach software are **undisclosed and small** — tuck-ins of a team and
   a product (Memberful, Acuity, Koji, SparkLoop, Vibely). That is the realistic class for
   Stapilo, not Mailchimp.
2. Where prices are known for small/mid targets, multiples cluster at **~2–8× revenue**
   (Teachable ~4× ⚠, SharpSpring ~7–8×, Serato ~2.4× ⚠, Squarespace ~6× ⚠, Coursera–Udemy ~1.7× ⚠).
3. **2025–2026 AI deals price the team and the technology, not revenue** (Base44 $80M with
   almost no revenue; XFunnel $30M; Vidoso, Aampe, Agency). An AI agent that really runs a
   coach's business is the kind of asset these buyers paid for — but that is upside, not a
   plan.
4. **Operator-buyers and PE now dominate the larger end** (Bending Spoons, Permira, Clearlake,
   Tiny) and pay less for slow growers (Coursera–Udemy ~1.7× combined revenue ⚠; Bending Spoons' Eventbrite bid was only an 82% premium on a depressed share price).

---

## 3. Market multiples (2025–2026)

| Measure | Figure | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|
| Private SaaS M&A, median EV / trailing revenue | 4.0× (2Q26), 4.2× (1Q26); average 6.2× | SEG via [Windsor Drake](https://windsordrake.com/software-ma-update/) & [Peony](https://www.peony.ink/blog/saas-valuation-multiples) ⚠ secondary |
| Public SaaS (SEG index), median EV / TTM revenue | 3.2–3.6× (2026), vs 5.9× (2025), 6.7× (2024) | SEG via [Windsor Drake](https://windsordrake.com/saas-business-valuation-methods/), [Fungies](https://fungies.io/saas-valuation-statistics-2026/) ⚠ |
| Aventis, median EV / revenue, all deals | 3.1× (Q1 2026); 4.5× long-run 2015–2026 | via [Peony](https://www.peony.ink/blog/saas-valuation-multiples) ⚠ |
| Aventis by size: $0–5M ARR | ~3.3× | via [Fungies](https://fungies.io/saas-valuation-statistics-2026-4/) ⚠ |
| Aventis by size: $5–10M ARR | ~4.0–4.2× | same ⚠ |
| Aventis by size: $10–25M ARR | ~4.5× | same ⚠ |
| Acquire.com listings, < $1M ARR | 2.5–4× revenue, or 4–6× SDE; 600+ listing average ~2.6× TTM revenue / 10.7× profit | [Beancount guide, 2026-07-11](https://beancount.io/blog/2026/07/11/bootstrapped-saas-valuation-multiples-2026-acquire-com-indie-founders-guide) ⚠ |
| Acquire.com listings, $1–5M ARR (healthy retention, growth) | 4–6× ARR | same ⚠ |
| FE International, owner-operated businesses < ~$10M value | ~2–4× SDE (seller's discretionary earnings); EBITDA basis above | [FE International, 2025](https://feinternational.com/blog/how-much-business-worth-valuation-2025) |
| Small SaaS by SDE (brokers incl. FE, Quiet Light, Acquire) | 2–2.5× (high churn, flat) → 4–5× (low churn, 20–40% growth) | [Development Corporate](https://developmentcorporate.com/startups/sde-calculation-for-saas-the-complete-valuation-guide-for-sub-5m-companies/) ⚠ |
| PE buyers, $5–15M ARR | ~10–15× EBITDA | same ⚠ |
| What moves the multiple | +10 pts net revenue retention ≈ +2–3× EV/ARR; +10 pts Rule of 40 ≈ +1.0–2.2× | Aventis via [Fungies](https://fungies.io/saas-valuation-statistics-2026/) ⚠ |

Empire Flippers: no 2025–2026 SaaS multiple table found in this search (⚠ gap).

**Read for Stapilo:** at $2–5M ARR the honest range is **3–5× revenue**; 4× (the pack's
number) is the market median, not a stretch. Growth above ~30% and low churn are what lift it
toward 5–6×; the Thinkific case shows what happens without growth.

---

## 4. Exit routes and timelines for a small SaaS company

| Route | How the investor gets cash | Typical timing | How common at this size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Strategic sale** (a platform buys Stapilo) | Cash or buyer's shares for all shares, at the sale price; 1× preference protects a low sale | Small exits ~3 yrs after founding (YC); median ~4 yrs; $100M+ exits ~6 yrs ([Heyman, 2025](https://jaredheyman.medium.com/on-yc-startup-exits-2025-update-c6017e8e526e) ⚠ YC-only) | The main route in this space (§2) | Often with an earn-out (Base44) or retention packages; tag-along in the terms makes sure small holders sell on the same terms |
| **PE / operator buyer** (Bending Spoons, Tiny, roll-ups) | Cash, sometimes for a majority only (Tiny buys 60–66% and leaves the founders the rest) | Once profitable, typically $2M+ ARR | Common for profitable, slower growers | Values on profit (SDE/EBITDA) more than growth; a majority sale may leave minority holders in place — the drag/tag clauses matter |
| **Secondary sale at a later round** | A new investor buys some existing shares, usually at a discount | At the next priced round (pack: m15–18) | Uncommon at small rounds; growing overall: 396 tender offers on Carta in 2025 (+62%), 39% of them seed–Series B | [Carta, 2025](https://carta.com/data/linkedin-startup-tender-offers-employee-liquidity-2025/); [Carta H1 2026](https://carta.com/data/tender-offer-update-h1-2026/). Needs pre-emption/transfer clauses that allow it; new investors prefer money into the company |
| **Buyback** (company or founder buys shares back) | Cash at an agreed price | When cash builds up | Real precedent: Thinkific's ~$35M issuer bid (2024) | Needs a profitable company; price formula should be set in the partners' agreement |
| **Dividends** (profits paid out) | Yearly cash in proportion to shares | After break-even and once growth spending slows | Normal for bootstrapped, profitable companies (Systeme.io, Kit, Kartra are founder-owned and pay themselves this way ⚠ inferred) | Georgia taxes profit only when distributed (15% corporate on distribution, 5% personal on dividends ⚠ [Trading Economics](https://www.tradingeconomics.com/georgia/withholding-tax-rate) — confirm with an accountant) |
| **IPO** | Shares become sellable on a market | 8–10+ yrs; needs ~$100M+ revenue | Not realistic for this plan; do not mention as a route | Klaviyo, Thinkific are the examples — and Thinkific's shows an IPO is not a happy ending |
| **Failure** | Nothing, or a little from selling the software/customers | Any time | The most common outcome for early companies | Must be stated plainly |

Context on time: Carta's 2025 medians put company age at 1.2 yrs at seed, 2.8 at Series A,
4.9 at Series B ([Carta](https://carta.com/data/linkedin-startup-decade-timeline-funding-milestones/));
Carta's own headline is "it will take a decade even if your startup succeeds". Stapilo's
software already exists (the product is built), so its clock starts later than a typical seed
company's — but the outside-money clock starts now.

---

## 5. Who could plausibly buy a company like Stapilo, and why

| Group | Examples | Why they would buy | What they would pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Creator / course platforms adding AI and "all-in-one"** | Kajabi, Teachable/Hotmart, Thinkific, Kit, Podia, Circle, Mighty Networks, Skool, Systeme.io, Kartra | Their customers ask for the AI agent and for the jobs they lack (SMS/WhatsApp, booking, ads, webinars); buying is faster than building; Kajabi bought Vibely for community, Kit bought SparkLoop | The AI agent and the code base; customers in new markets |
| **Website builders and marketing suites** | Wix (Base44), Squarespace/Permira (Acuity), HubSpot (XFunnel, Clearbit), Klaviyo (Gatsby, Agency), ActiveCampaign (Postmark), Brevo, Canva (Ortto, Simtheory), Webflow (Vidoso), MoEngage (Aampe) | Every one of them bought an AI or a missing channel in 2025–2026; Stapilo is a working AI agent that operates a whole small business, not a demo | Team + agent technology; the "AI does the work" product |
| **Payments / fintech and local "super-apps"** | Hotmart (Brazil, bought Teachable for the US), Square/Block (bought Weebly for recurring revenue), Stripe-adjacent players, regional banks and payment companies in the Caucasus/CEE | Software subscriptions bring sticky merchants and payment volume; Hotmart and Square both bought abroad for reach | Merchant base and payment flow (Stapilo already handles local, non-Stripe payments) |
| **PE / operator roll-ups** | Bending Spoons, Tiny, Constellation-type vertical software buyers, Clearlake/Siris (Constant Contact + SharpSpring), Awesome Motive | Buy profitable software and run it lean; Constant Contact bought SharpSpring at ~7–8× | Profit and retention; usually once ARR is $2M+ and profitable |
| **Regional players** | Hotmart (Latin America, already expanding), regional telecoms/media groups, CEE/Turkey/Middle East SaaS consolidators ⚠ (no specific deal found) | A localised all-in-one with Georgian/Russian/other-language support and local payments is hard to build from the US | Local market position, language and payments |

Honest caveats: no buyer is lined up, and none should be named as interested. Most
precedents are US/EU companies buying US/EU targets; a Georgia-registered company with mostly
non-US customers may need a holding company abroad before a large buyer will sign (already
noted in BRIEF as a later option).

---

## 6. The arithmetic: what the $60k example investor could get

**Ownership.** $10k of step 1 at $2.5M pre ($2.6M post) = **0.385%**. Step 2 ($300k at $3.5M pre, $3.8M post)
dilutes it to 0.354% and adds $30k / $3.8M = 0.789% → **1.144%**. Step 3 ($200k at $3.6M pre, $3.8M post) dilutes
that to 1.083% and adds $20k / $3.8M = 0.526% → **1.61%** after the round (investors together 16.1%).

**Next round.** The pack assumes a round at m15–18 that takes ~20%: 1.61% × 0.8 = **1.29%**.

| Case | Revenue at sale | Multiple | Company price | Stake | Value | Return on $60k | Yearly over ~5 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary | $4.0M (pack realistic m36) | 3× | $12.0M | 1.29% | **$155k** | 2.6× | ~21% |
| Expected | $4.0M | 4× | $16.0M | 1.29% | **$206k** | 3.4× | ~28% |
| High | $6.0M (⚠ ~20%/yr growth for 2 more years) | 5× | $30.0M | 1.29% | **$386k** | 6.4× | ~45% |
| Ambitious | $11.5M (pack ambitious m36) | 4× | $46.0M | 1.29% | **$593k** | 9.9× | ~58% |
| Slow | $1.0M (pack slow m36) | 3× | $3.0M | 1.61% (no next round) = $48k → **the 1× preference pays the $60k back** if the sale covers all investors' $600k | | 1.0× | 0% |

**Dividends.** In the independent path there is usually no VC round, so the stake stays **1.61%**. At $4.0M of
revenue, a 25% profit margin ($1.0M) and half paid out ($0.5M): **~$8k a year** (~13% a year cash on $60k), from
around year 3–4. Estimates, not plan figures; taxes to be confirmed with an accountant.

**Partial sale at the next round.** At month 18 the expected value is about $8.8M (4× $2.2M yearly revenue), so the
stake is about $142k on paper; selling half the shares to the next round's investors at that price gives **~$70k**,
more than the money back, keeping the other half.

## 7. Gaps and what to check before the pack goes out

- ⚠ Teachable price/revenue, Clearbit price, XFunnel price, Serato total valuation, Vimeo and
  Eventbrite and Mindbody revenue at sale (not found — needed to compute their multiples): press/aggregator figures, not filings.
- ⚠ SEG 2Q26 and Aventis figures are from secondary write-ups; get the original reports.
- Missing: FE International / Empire Flippers published 2025–26 SaaS multiple tables; Acuity,
  Weebly revenue at sale; any deal by HighLevel, Skool, Stan, Podia, Gumroad, Typeform,
  Calendly (2024–26), Constellation Software in this niche; a regional (Caucasus/CEE/Turkey)
  comparable deal.
- ⚠ Georgian distribution tax (15% + 5%) — confirm with an accountant before quoting.
- Scenario A "high" (6.0M revenue) and Scenario B (25% margin, 50% payout) are my assumptions,
  not pack figures; label them as such on the page.



---

## Research file: technical-metrics

# Stapilo: technical metrics (measured)

Measured 2026-10-25 from the repository at `/Users/apple/Coding/stapilo` (branch `main`, HEAD `e9d1d2390`).
Every number comes from a command that was run (git log, git ls-files, grep, wc, small Python scripts over their
output). Nothing was built, compiled or tested to get these numbers. **Estimates are marked as estimates.**

**Scope limit:** the current repository starts on **2026-02-18**. An earlier version of the platform existed in a
different repository and is **not included**. So all effort numbers cover **18 Feb – 25 Oct 2026 only** (about 8
months) and undercount the total effort behind the product.

---

## Headline numbers

| What | Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Period covered | 18 Feb – 25 Oct 2026 | earlier platform not included |
| Commits | **6,449** total, **6,438** by people | 11 bot commits excluded |
| People who committed | **7** | after merging same-person aliases |
| Merged pull requests | **3,074** (GitHub) | pull-request workflow used consistently from June 2026 |
| Estimated hours with commits | **~2,500 h** (range 2,060–2,830 h) | **estimate**, see method; misses thinking/design/testing without commits |
| Lines added / removed | **3.07 M / 1.49 M** | lockfiles excluded; includes rewrites |
| Product code today | **~930,000 lines** in 5,201 files | TypeScript, Swift, Prisma schema; migrations and translations excluded |
| Test code today | **~476,000 lines** in 3,211 files | about **34%** of all code is tests |
| Test files | **3,173** | `*.test.ts(x)`, `*.spec.ts(x)`, `*Tests.swift` |
| Automated rule checks ("guards") | **573** guard files; **245** pinned in a registry so they can't be silently deleted | `enforce-*.test.ts` |
| Database | **336 tables (models)**, 188 enums, **1,043 migrations** | `packages/db/prisma/schema.prisma` |
| Apps | **11** live apps/programs | web apps, desktop app, Mac app, sandboxes |
| AI agent tools | **163** tools in 27 families | one shared engine |
| Background job queues | **175** declared queues | Postgres-backed (pg-boss) |
| Security audits (Oct 24–25, 2026) | **4 audits, 143 findings, 133 fixed** | rest: owner actions, deferred, or skipped by decision |
| AI-assisted development | **6,092 of 6,449 commits (94%)** carry a `Co-Authored-By: Claude` line | the team builds with AI coding assistants |

---

## 1. Effort (from git history)

### 1.1 Commits per person

Command: `git log --format='%an <%ae>'`, then grouped by person.

Same-person aliases merged (same email address or obvious handle variants):
- **Levan** = `the founder` + `the founder` (both `[email removed]`)
- **Developer 1** = `Developer 1` + `Developer 1` (same email)
- **Developer 2** = `Developer 2` (two emails, one a placeholder `[email removed]`) + `Developer 2` (GitHub noreply of `Developer 2`)
- **Developer 4** = `Developer 4` + `Developer 4` (same email)
- **Developer 5** = `Developer 5` + `Developer 5`

Excluded as bots: `dependabot[bot]` (9 commits), `stapilo-ops` (2 commits).

| Person | Commits | Active days | Work sessions | Est. hours (2 h gap) | First commit | Last commit |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---|---|
| Levan | 3,369 | 194 | 376 | 1,245 | 2026-02-18 | 2026-10-25 |
| Developer 1 | 961 | 154 | 256 | 380 | 2026-02-25 | 2026-10-22 |
| Developer 2 | 830 | 91 | 148 | 329 | 2026-03-03 | 2026-08-15 |
| Developer 3 | 656 | 75 | 106 | 224 | 2026-03-03 | 2026-06-30 |
| Developer 4 | 529 | 100 | 144 | 282 | 2026-03-23 | 2026-10-06 |
| Developer 5 | 81 | 27 | 36 | 41 | 2026-06-09 | 2026-08-10 |
| Developer 6 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2026-08-10 | 2026-08-27 |
| **Total** | **6,438** | — | **1,072** | **~2,511** | | |

"Active days" = distinct calendar days (laptop's local time zone) with at least one commit.

### 1.2 Hours estimate (ESTIMATE)

Method (script over `git log --format=%H|%an|%ae|%at|%s`):
1. Sort each person's commit times.
2. A new work session starts when the gap since that person's previous commit is **more than 2 hours**.
3. Session length = last commit − first commit, **plus 30 minutes** before the first commit.
4. Sum all sessions.

Result: **~2,511 hours** across all people.

Sensitivity (same method, different gap):
| Gap that starts a new session | Total hours | Sessions |
|---|---:|---:|
| 1 hour | 2,061 | 1,579 |
| **2 hours (main figure)** | **2,511** | **1,072** |
| 3 hours | 2,827 | 909 |

Limits of the method (why this is a floor, not a total):
- It sees only time between commits. Thinking, design, reading, meetings, customer work, manual testing and
  research that did not end in a commit are invisible.
- Work that happened in the earlier platform repository (before 18 Feb 2026) is not counted.
- Squash-merged pull requests collapse many working commits into one, which shortens visible sessions.
- One person running several AI-assisted sessions in parallel is counted as one stream of wall-clock time,
  not as several.
- 94% of commits are co-authored with an AI coding assistant, so hours here mean hours of human-directed,
  AI-assisted work, not hours of hand-typing.

### 1.3 Merged pull requests

- GitHub search API (`is:pr is:merged` on `stapilo/stapilo`): **3,074 merged PRs**.
- Cross-check from commit subjects: **3,040** distinct `(#NNNN)` numbers (3,031 excluding bot PRs). Highest PR
  number: #3162.
- Merged PRs by month (first appearance of each `(#NNNN)` in commit subjects):

| Month | PRs |
|---|---:|
| 2026-04 | 2 |
| 2026-05 | 17 |
| 2026-06 | 384 |
| 2026-07 | 251 |
| 2026-08 | 609 |
| 2026-09 | 1,232 |
| 2026-10 (to the 25th) | 545 |

Before June most work went straight to the main branch as plain commits; from June every change goes through a
pull request with required CI checks.

### 1.4 Lines added and removed, by month

Command: `git log --no-merges --numstat`, summed by commit month. Lockfiles (`pnpm-lock`, `package-lock`,
`*.lock`) excluded; binary files excluded. Includes code, tests, docs and config. Large "removed" figures in
Sept–Oct reflect deliberate rewrites (e.g. the old dashboard app and old agent engine were deleted and replaced).

| Month | Commits | Lines added | Lines removed |
|---|---:|---:|---:|
| 2026-02 (from 18th) | 125 | 103,767 | 27,956 |
| 2026-03 | 486 | 224,629 | 60,205 |
| 2026-04 | 985 | 253,122 | 75,796 |
| 2026-05 | 1,524 | 374,066 | 129,425 |
| 2026-06 | 468 | 267,542 | 86,663 |
| 2026-07 | 275 | 89,641 | 25,165 |
| 2026-08 | 731 | 421,555 | 158,054 |
| 2026-09 | 1,232 | 972,633 | 639,375 |
| 2026-10 (to 25th) | 545 | 361,358 | 284,331 |
| **Total** | **6,371** | **3,068,313** | **1,486,970** |

(6,371 = all commits minus 78 merge commits.)

---

## 2. Size and structure

### 2.1 Product code vs test code

Method: `git ls-files` for `.ts`, `.tsx`, `.swift`, `.prisma`; excluded paths containing `/migrations/` or
`/locales/` and `.d.ts` files; counted lines with Python. A file counts as a test if its path contains `.test.`,
`.spec.`, `/test/`, `/tests/`, `/__tests__/`, `/e2e/`, or is a Swift test file.

| | Files | Lines |
|---|---:|---:|
| Product code | 5,201 | 930,312 |
| Test code | 3,211 | 476,211 |
| **Total** | 8,412 | 1,406,523 |

By language: product TypeScript 681,199 + TSX (UI) 200,410 + Swift 31,625 + Prisma schema 17,078;
tests TypeScript 456,048 + TSX 18,620 + Swift 1,543.

Test files by name (`*.test.ts(x)`, `*.spec.ts(x)`, `*Tests.swift`): **3,173**.

### 2.2 Guards (automated rule checks)

- Files named `enforce-*.test.ts`: **573** (`git ls-files | grep enforce-*.test.ts`).
- `scripts/guard-registry.txt`: **245** guards listed as "must still exist", so a guard cannot be deleted together
  with the code it protects without a visible line in the diff.

### 2.3 Database

From `packages/db/prisma/schema.prisma`:
- **336 models** (database tables), **188 enums**.
- **1,043 migrations** (`packages/db/prisma/migrations/*/migration.sql`), i.e. 1,043 recorded schema changes in 8 months.
- **283 models** are listed as tenant-scoped (`packages/db/src/tenant-scoped-models.ts`): the database client adds
  the business filter to them automatically (see 3.3).

### 2.4 Apps (`apps/`)

11 apps with tracked files (`apps/tenant` is an empty leftover folder of a retired app):

| App | Tracked files | What it is |
|---|---:|---|
| `api` | 5,627 | the backend: one codebase run as five processes |
| `agent` | 1,053 | agent.stapilo.com, the business owner's app (AI agent + screens) |
| `portal` | 363 | the customer-facing app on every business's domain |
| `vibenar` | 143 | Vibenar-branded dashboard |
| `cockpit` | 100 | Stapilo Cockpit desktop app (Electron) |
| `admin` | 94 | internal platform admin |
| `screen` | 66 | Stapilo Screen, native Mac screen recorder (Swift) |
| `connect` | 35 | real-time connection server (live updates) |
| `preview-host` | 28 | isolated host for previewing user/AI-made HTML |
| `academy` | 22 | public marketplace of what businesses offer |
| `app-sandbox` | 11 | isolated host where tenant-built mini apps run |

### 2.5 Backend structure

- Services (`apps/api/src/services`): **132** service areas (106 under `core/`, 26 under `platform/`), in **1,596**
  non-test `.ts` files.
- API route files (`apps/api/src/routes`): **133** non-test files, holding at least **437** endpoint registrations
  (counted by the pattern `.get/.post/.put/.patch/.delete('/...` ; routes registered another way are not counted, so
  this is a floor).
- AI agent tools (`apps/api/src/agents/tools`): **134** non-test files; **163** distinct tools named in the
  **27** tool-family maps (`apps/api/src/agents/tools/*/family.ts`).
- Background job queues: **175** `defineQueue(` records in `apps/api/src/lib/jobs/queues/`.

---

## 3. Quality and safety mechanisms (inventory)

### 3.1 CI pipeline (`.github/workflows/`)

Runs on **every pull request and every push to main** (`ci.yml`, plus `e2e.yml` as a second required run):

| Check | What it does |
|---|---|
| `shell-syntax` | syntax-checks every shell script |
| `nginx-config` | validates the web-server config (`nginx -t`) |
| `api-tests-unit` (sharded) | unit tests + guards for shared/db/preview-host/API, plus a "guard-of-guards" harness |
| `api-tests-integration` (sharded) | integration tests against a real Postgres; applies all migrations and checks schema drift |
| `api-tests-routes` (sharded) | HTTP route tests against a real database |
| `frontend-hook-tests`, `frontend-tests` | UI unit tests (portal, agent, admin), screen-registry contracts, ads-screen vs Meta payload checks, translation parity (English/Georgian), real-time tests with real Redis |
| `build` | dependency security audit (`pnpm audit --audit-level=high`), ESLint, typecheck of all packages, full build, Sentry source-map tagging |
| `cockpit-tests` | desktop app tests |
| `ci-required` | single gate: build and all test jobs must pass |
| `e2e.yml` | end-to-end browser tests of the customer portal |

Scheduled / supporting workflows: `coverage.yml` (nightly coverage), `mutation.yml` (weekly mutation testing: the
code is deliberately broken to prove tests catch it; ratchet in `scripts/mutation/`), `clock-expiry.yml` (weekly:
finds tests that will break on a future date), `dependency-report.yml`, `ci-culprit.yml` (finds which merge broke
main), `sentry-sourcemaps.yml`, `upkeep-issue.yml`, `dependabot-auto-merge.yml`, release pipelines
`cockpit-release.yml` and `screen-release.yml`.

Merging: PRs are auto-merged only after required checks pass (`CLAUDE.md` → Shipping).

### 3.2 The guard system

A guard is a test that reads the codebase itself and fails CI when a structural rule is broken. Stapilo has 573
of them. `scripts/guard-registry.txt` lists 245 that must always exist; its header records every rename or removal
with the reason. `apps/api/src/lib/enforce-guards-can-see.test.ts` checks that guards actually scan files (a guard
that sees nothing passes for the wrong reason).

Ten representative guards, in plain words:

| Guard (file) | What it enforces |
|---|---|
| `enforce-raw-sql-is-scoped` (`apps/api/src/lib/`) | Any hand-written SQL on business data must include the business filter (and the deleted-records filter), or carry a written justification. |
| `enforce-tenant-ai-and-stranger-ai-never-share-a-process` (`apps/api/src/routes/`) | The AI that serves paying businesses and the AI that talks to anonymous visitors must run in separate programs, so a stranger can't crash a customer's AI. |
| `enforce-secrets-files-stay-encrypted` (`apps/api/src/scripts/`) | Every secret in the repo stays encrypted, each readable only by the servers meant to read it. |
| `enforce-checkaccess` (`apps/api/src/services/core/access/`) | "Does this customer have access?" is answered by one function only, never by reading tables directly. |
| `enforce-grantaccess` (same folder) | Giving someone access (after a purchase, import, etc.) goes through one function only. |
| `enforce-entitlements-are-not-discarded` (same folder) | When money has already moved, the result of granting access must be checked and reported, never ignored. |
| `enforce-logevent` (`apps/api/src/services/core/events/`) | Every event in a customer's history is written through one function, so the timeline has no gaps. |
| `enforce-delete-impact-coverage` (`apps/api/src/services/core/_references/`) | Deleting anything people are attached to (attendance, answers, posts) must first show how many records it would affect. |
| `enforce-one-enqueue-door` (`apps/api/src/lib/jobs/`) | Background jobs are sent through one function only, so every job gets the same retries, timing and limits. |
| `enforce-prompt-cache-stability` (`apps/api/src/agents/guards/`) | The fixed start of every AI prompt must stay byte-identical between messages so the AI provider's cache keeps working (lower cost and latency). |

Other examples visible by file name: `enforce-rate-limit-keys-are-bounded`, `enforce-nginx-locations-keep-security-headers`,
`enforce-platform-admin-guard`, `enforce-payment-webhook-limits`, `enforce-typebox-schema` (input validation on
every new write endpoint).

### 3.3 Tenant isolation (keeping one business's data from another's)

- **Tenant-scoped database client:** `packages/db/src/index.ts` (`withTenant(tenantId)`) wraps every query on the
  283 tenant-scoped models (`packages/db/src/tenant-scoped-models.ts`) and adds `tenantId = <this business>` to every
  read, write, update and delete; the filter is added with `AND`, so caller code can't override it.
- **No global client in new services:** `apps/api/src/services/enforce-no-global-prisma-in-new-services.test.ts`.
- **Raw SQL:** `apps/api/src/lib/enforce-raw-sql-is-scoped.test.ts` refuses hand-written SQL without a business
  condition. The 2026-10-24 security audit #2 walked 338 raw-SQL sites and found none leaking another business's data.
- **Customer sessions are business-scoped:** portal sessions are tied to one business; `contactId` always comes
  from the session (`CLAUDE.md`, `.claude/docs/portal-auth.md`).

### 3.4 Security measures

- **Secrets encrypted in the repo** (`.claude/docs/secrets.md`, since 2026-10-25): every production key is stored
  as `age` ciphertext in `secrets/*.env`; each server has its own private key made on the box; the public-facing
  real-time box can decrypt only its own small allowlisted file and never the database password. A master key is
  kept offline. Guarded by `enforce-secrets-files-stay-encrypted`.
- **Field encryption** (`apps/api/src/lib/field-encryption.ts`): third-party credentials stored in the database
  (Zoom tokens, SMS keys, AI provider keys) are encrypted with AES-256-GCM; production refuses to start without the
  key. Runtime keys in `platform_credentials` are encrypted the same way.
- **Isolated hosts for user-made content** (`CLAUDE.md`): `preview.stapilo.com` (`apps/preview-host`) and
  `sandbox.stapilo.com` (`apps/app-sandbox`) run business- or AI-made HTML on a separate origin, so it cannot read
  app cookies.
- **Auth model** (`.claude/docs/portal-auth.md`): customers sign in by email one-time code at `/auth`; the
  session is an HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite=Lax cookie (30 days); there is one person record (the Contact) and one
  access table (`ContactAccess`) checked by one function. After the October audits, staff and visitor cookies use
  `__Host-` names and the visitor id is server-signed.
- **Rate limits:** `apps/api/src/lib/rate-limit.ts` (e.g. 10 failed sign-in codes per email per 15 min, Redis-backed),
  `rate-limit-keys.ts`, `contact-rate-limit.ts`; **399** `rateLimit:` settings on routes in `apps/api/src/routes`;
  **21** `limit_req` (flood-limit) directives in `infra/nginx/stapilo.conf`.
- **Dependency audit** on every CI build (`pnpm audit --audit-level=high`); GitHub Actions SHA-pinned (audit #4, O5).
- **Security audits** (`audits/`, 18 files in total; the four whole-platform security audits):

| File | Date | Findings | Fix status (from the file's "Fix Results") |
|---|---|---|---|
| `audits/audit-2026-10-24-security.md` | 2026-10-24 | 25 (3 critical, 4 high, 12 medium, 6 low) | 25 fixed |
| `audits/audit-2026-10-24-security-2.md` | 2026-10-24 | 50 (0 critical, 4 high, 18 medium, 28 low) | 50 fixed; all 25 earlier fixes re-tested and holding |
| `audits/audit-2026-10-25-security-3.md` | 2026-10-25 | 27 (0 critical, 0 high, 5 medium, 22 low) | 25 fixed, 2 skipped (owner decision / self-expiring) |
| `audits/audit-2026-10-25-security-4.md` | 2026-10-25 | 41 (0 critical, 9 high, 17 medium, 15 low) | 33 fixed (one partial); rest are owner actions (e.g. tokens, DNSSEC) or deferred. Fix PR #3150 merged; the file notes it was not yet deployed at writing time |
| **Total** | | **143** | **133 fixed** |

  Earlier focused audits also exist, e.g. `audits/audit-2026-10-03-sign-in-and-sessions.md`, plus audits of the
  Cockpit, Screen, ads manager, automations and tests (2026-10-12 to 10-23).
  Audit #1's own summary: "the wall between businesses held everywhere we traced it ... no secrets are committed."

### 3.5 Backups (`.claude/docs/backup-restore.md`)

- Database backed up **every 6 hours** to **three providers**: Hetzner Object Storage, Cloudflare R2 and Backblaze
  B2, each keeping 7 days. B2 uses a compliance lock that nobody (including Stapilo) can delete for 7 days.
- Weekly and monthly long-retention copies, and **every off-site copy encrypted** (`age`), live since 2026-10-25.
- Media files (images, documents) mirrored nightly to B2; original videos mirrored nightly to B2; both live since 2026-10-25.
- Failed backup copies raise an alert. Scripts: `infra/database/scripts/run-backup.sh`, `run-media-backup.sh`,
  `run-video-backup.sh`, `run-backup-drill.sh`.
- Honest gap: the doc's drill log says the **off-site restore drill has not been recorded yet** ("empty until first
  drill"); a recovery runbook for losing the database box exists in the same file.

### 3.6 Monitoring (`.claude/docs/sentry.md`)

- Sentry error tracking in two projects: `stapilo-api` (fast API, agent, sales door, worker, connect) and
  `stapilo-web` (admin, agent app, portal, academy, vibenar). Source maps uploaded per build.
- Fixes reference Sentry issue IDs; issues are resolved automatically at deploy.
- An hourly health snapshot (`apps/api/src/services/platform/health/snapshot.ts`) checks that every production
  process is up and reports drift.

### 3.7 Multi-process design (`CLAUDE.md`)

One backend codebase runs as **five processes**: the fast API, the **agent** (signed-in businesses' AI), the
**sales door** (anonymous visitors' AI), the **worker** (background jobs) and **connect** (live updates). The agent
and sales door are the same program started twice so a visitor-side failure cannot take down a paying business's
AI (guarded). Production runs on four servers on a private network (main, Postgres, worker, connect). On the main
box each process has two copies (blue-green: e.g. ports 3001/3002) so deploys swap without downtime
(`snapshot.ts` `PRIMARY_UNITS`, `scripts/zero-downtime-swap.sh`).

---

## 4. Efficiency signals (documented or visible in code; no performance claims)

- **AI prompt caching:** `apps/api/src/ai/openrouter.ts` places a cache breakpoint at the end of the fixed system
  prompt; the guard `enforce-prompt-cache-stability` keeps that prefix (about 6,000 tokens of tool schemas and
  prompt, per the guard's comment) byte-identical. The current time is added after the cached part
  (`formatNowStamp()`, `apps/api/src/lib/dates.ts`) so it doesn't break the cache. Prompt assembly orders "stable
  first" (`apps/api/src/agents/engine/prompt/assembly.ts`).
- **Bounded AI context:** the agent reads a moving window of the conversation by size, clearing old tool output
  first (`apps/api/src/agents/README.md`, `engine/conversation/history.ts`).
- **One AI engine** for all agents (`apps/api/src/agents/engine/loop.ts`), so timeouts, error reporting and caching
  are shared, not duplicated.
- **Caching layers:** Redis cache helpers (`apps/api/src/lib/cache.ts`); an in-process cache of per-business
  database clients (up to 100, 5-minute lifetime) in `packages/db/src/index.ts`.
- **Job queue design** (`.claude/docs/jobs.md`): 175 declared queues on pg-boss (Postgres-backed), each with
  required retry and expiry settings; one way in (`enqueue()`), one way out (`defineWorker()`); queues pinned to the
  box that runs them; every job's duration recorded per business in `job_timing_samples`.
- **Scaling decisions written down** (`.claude/docs/scaling-decisions.md`): explicit, data-based rules for when to
  split a queue per business or add worker concurrency, using measured p50/p99 latencies. The doc states pg-boss
  handles "thousands of jobs/second" on one Postgres while Stapilo is "at low-hundreds" (a documented statement, not
  measured here), and that marketing sends are rate-gated atomically (`reserveSendSlots()`).
- **Cost-aware CI:** tests are sharded across runners, and a run stops early when a newer merge overtakes it
  (`scripts/ci/overtaken.sh`).

---

## Reproduce

All numbers above came from these commands (run from the repo root):
- Commits/aliases: `git log --format='%an <%ae>' | sort | uniq -c`
- Sessions/hours/active days: Python over `git log --format='%H|%an|%ae|%at|%s'` (gap 1/2/3 h, +30 min per session)
- PRs: `gh api 'search/issues?q=repo:stapilo/stapilo+is:pr+is:merged'` → `total_count`; `(#NNNN)` regex over subjects
- Lines by month: `git log --no-merges --numstat --date=format:%Y-%m`
- Code/test lines: `git ls-files` filtered by extension and path, lines counted in Python
- Guards: `git ls-files | grep -E 'enforce-[^/]*\.test\.ts$' | wc -l`; registry non-comment lines
- Models/enums: `grep -c '^model '` / `'^enum '` on `schema.prisma`; migrations: count of `migration.sql`
- AI-assisted share: commits whose message contains `Co-Authored-By: Claude`