R2-04 · backs slide 14
R2-04 Value proposition iterations
Supports slide 14.
Three value propositions, and the rule for “landed”: a named buyer took a next step with money attached. The ladder (quote, verbal, invoiced, paid) comes from the PR/FAQ funnel we wrote for STIGViewer’s own paid launch, 24 Feb 2026.
The three versions
| Version | What it is | Evidence | Landed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free: the STIGViewer website | STIG lookup, free by design | About 36,000 visits a month (R1-01) | Yes |
| Paid: the crosswalks on the website | Mappings across DISA, NIST, SCF and CIS with provenance per cell | 2 to 9 Sep: 78 upgrade-CTA events, 2 paid-tier clicks (one visitor), 0 checkouts. 9 to 16 Sep: 61 events, 50 visitors, 1 paid-tier click. | Not yet |
| Paid, bundled: proof of absence with API and MCP | Which requirements aren’t covered, stated. API and MCP in the price. | Bundle decided 24 Sep on Strike Graph’s evidence (below) | Partly: one embed, one invoice, one beta, one quote |
The moments that moved it
- 9 Sep: I told a DHS visitor “the self-serve checkout is probably not your path anyway.” Our visitors buy through procurement, not cards.
- 15 Sep: John Koyish, Georgia Department of Public Health: “do you guys do direct sales with a PO or work with any vendors?” First buyer to ask how to pay.
- Week of 16 to 23 Sep: Heidi at IT Convergence was “surprised to see the fees even existing.” The next week I told her why we charge, and the same evening she assigned an engineer to the MCP beta. The fee surprised her; the reason didn’t.
- 24 Sep: Micah Spieler at Strike Graph: “when we tried to charge for it, we got a lot of push back.” I bundled API and MCP the same morning.
Buyer states
| Buyer | Step | State | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strike Graph | Our content embedded in every Strike Graph sale | Embed agreed; release November 2026. $3,500 a licence and 400 in Q1 are my planning figures; terms not yet signed. | 15 Oct 2026 |
| Hugh, Deura InfoSec | $1,000 a year, full plan | Verbal 18 Sep; invoiced 1 Oct; payment reported, record pending (R2-05) | 1 Oct 2026 |
| Heidi’s engineer, IT Convergence | Assigned to the MCP beta | Active beta | Sep 2026 |
| John Koyish, Georgia DPH | Asked how to buy by PO | Quote | Sep 2026 |
Sources:
- Weekly check-ins 9 Sep, 16 Sep, 23 Sep, 30 Sep 2026 (OneDay project docs)
- Capstone Facts Reconciled, 17 Oct 2026: Hugh, Strike Graph 15 Oct meeting, PR/FAQ funnel dates
- R1-01 PostHog traffic export (36,000 visits)