Side Hustle School Ep. 3374 - Q&A: “Should I offer a pay-what-you-will price?”
Mar 28, 2026
Nikki, founder of the XO Project who sends calligraphed greeting cards by snail mail, joins to discuss scaling a handcrafted pen-to-paper business. She asks about target audience and whether pay-what-you-will pricing works. The conversation covers growth strategies, fixed pricing alternatives, and ways to sell non-handmade items while keeping personalized offerings.
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Pen To Paper Snail Mail Project
- Nikki launched the XO Project to connect people offline by hand-writing and mailing calligraphed notes for others.
- She started free to test the idea, then moved to a choose-what-you-pay model and mailed 59 notes year one, 67 notes last year.
Scaling Can Be Optional For Artistic Projects
- Chris observes that not every side hustle needs to scale and some projects can remain intentionally small and meaningful.
- He suggests scaling by creating non-handmade products while keeping the personalized service as a promotional or premium offering.
Use Handcrafted Notes To Promote Core Services
- Use your XO Project as a promotional showcase for your main paid service (Spot Calligraphy) rather than forcing it to scale on its own.
- Promote the handcrafted notes to attract attention while expanding revenue with other Spot Calligraphy offerings.