← Every exhibit
Comprehensive Topical Taxonomy and Architectural Variants
| Architectural Variant | Primary Gating Mechanism | Ideal Market Segment | Revenue Velocity | Margin Protection | Primary Operational Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature-Gated Good-Better-Best | Product capabilities and workflow depth | B2B SaaS, productivity software, vertical platforms | High velocity; clear self-selection | High; premium features drive expansion | Leaky fences cause enterprise downgrade cannibalization |
| Capacity-Tiered Architecture | Quantifiable volume bands (users, data, API calls) | Cloud infrastructure, developer tools, database services | Automated expansion as customer data grows | Moderate; requires precise infrastructure cost modeling | Customers artificially suppress usage to avoid tier jumps |
| Two-Part Hybrid Tariff | Platform tier fee plus variable metered consumption | Marketing automation, payment gateways, communications | Maximum expansion; aligns with customer business scaling | High; base fee covers fixed costs while usage scales | Unpredictable monthly billing creates customer invoice anxiety |
| Core Tier + Modular Add-Ons | Standard base packages plus unbundled compliance modules | Heavily regulated industries (finance, healthcare, defense) | Flexible; accommodates divergent customer requirements | Very High; monetizes niche requirements without tier bloat | High CPQ complexity; sales reps create confusing bespoke bundles |
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Reference & Evidence
Source: Table from this essay. Sources and interpretation are given in the article.