How Nick went from $25 landing pages to a $1.7M design studio

Nick from Baked Design has been my favourite designpreneur over the past two years.

If you’ve been living under a rock, here’s a snapshot. He went from a $300k Meta design job to a $1m/year agency in just 2 years. No fancy tricks, no gatekeeping — just an incremental pricing strategy and consistent value on X (Twitter).

This week's 96mins dives into how Nick went from $25 landing page designs into having 10s of clients on $6,317 monthly retainers. In February alone, he made $120,000+ with nearly 80% profit margins. And no, his fancy Meta background didn't hand him these clients.

If you're looking for the TL:DR, skip straight to the checklist below. But if you want the full playbook on transforming your pricing strategy to attract serious clients, keep reading.

Start somewhere, and start small

Like most designers, Nick started exactly where you're likely at: with a low follower count and no name recognition.

His secret? Free design roasts on Twitter that showcased his thinking, not just his portfolio. While most designers hide behind polished case studies, Nick publicly critiqued products, showing exactly how he'd fix real problems.

"No one cares where you come from," Nick told me. "All your work experience only matters once you show the value."

Unlike designers who get stuck charging peanuts forever, Nick had a plan: start cheap, but don't stay there. His focus wasn't finding dream clients day one – it was building enough momentum to attract them eventually.

Better clients at higher prices

The pricing shift from $4,999 to $6,317 unearthed a pretty cool unexpected discovery. The prices were so close that most clients chose the more expensive option, effectively filtering his client base toward businesses who valued design as an investment rather than an expense.

As his prices climbed, clear patterns emerged:

• Low end ($25-$1,999): Clients obsessed over deliverables, micromanaged every detail, and expected unrealistic timelines.

• Middle tier ($2,000-$4,999): Less handholding, more focus on outcomes, but still flinched at price discussions.

• Premium clients ($5,000+): Treated design as a strategic investment, respected boundaries, and focused on results rather than price tags.

Build authority to justify premium pricing

"Roasts work! This roast didn't get us the Coolify project (at least for now), but generated over 15+ leads in the last 6 days and generated over $25k+ in revenue and $36k in upcoming revenue," Nick explains.

His approach was genius in its simplicity: public design critiques that showcased his expertise while providing genuine value. These roasts became what he calls "the best organic lead engine ever existed for design services." We talked about this method in last week’s newsletter, check it out here: Daryl’s $2,000 weekend doing design roasts.

The beauty is you don't need a Meta background or massive following to start. You just need to consistently show your work and thought process in public. Be helpful first, pitch second.

Charm pricing that works

You've seen this everywhere – that $19.99 price tag instead of $20, the $997 online course, the $6,317 design package. Nick used what’s known as charm pricing to stand out.

The magic happens when clients ask, "Why $6,317?" That number creates conversations that rounded figures never do. It transforms pricing from an awkward topic into an intriguing one.

Climb the pricing ladder strategically

"Never go 10 to 100 at once, always do an incremental price increase so you can gauge the interest and act accordingly"

Announcing price increases before they happen. Nick posted about his upcoming price change three days in advance, creating urgency that closed six new deals at his "old" pricing. Those clients felt like they were getting a deal, while Nick was already planning his next increase.

Your Pricing Evolution Checklist

Based on Nick's journey and our work with successful designers, here's your actionable checklist for evolving from starter rates to premium positioning:

Start Small, Think Big

• Begin with accessible pricing to build your initial portfolio

• Document results and client feedback meticulously

• Set boundaries even with lower-priced work

• Identify your most valuable services from client feedback

Strategic Pricing

• Test unconventional numbers ending in 7 or 9

• Use specific figures ($4,317 rather than $4,300)

• Create price anchoring with multiple tiers

• Place your preferred option in the middle

• Track conversion rates at different price points

Authority Building

• Share work and thought process publicly

• Create educational content showing expertise

• Document case studies with business impact

• Engage in communities where clients exist

• Develop consistent content schedule

Price Increases

• Announce upcoming changes to create urgency

• Raise prices for new clients before existing ones

• Add value before raising prices on current clients

• Consider seasonal timing (avoid summer)

• Use "grandfathered" rates for early clients

Wrapping Up

Nick's journey from $25 projects to a $1.2M revenue business proves that pricing is more than a financial decision—it's strategic positioning. The right prices attract the right clients, filter out poor fits, and signal your value before you deliver work.

Your pricing journey is personal. Nick's specific numbers worked for him, but your evolution may follow a different path based on your specialty and target market.

The universal principle remains: intentional pricing that evolves with your authority will transform not just how much you make, but who you work with and how they value your contribution.

Cheers,

Zaire

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