How should I interpret the scoring?

Total scores of 5-10 indicate low switching friction; 11-17 moderate; 18-25 high, guiding the required strategy.

What strategies help win switches?

Offer migration tooling (import/export), time outreach around renewals, build a compelling ROI case, and ensure you address all five cost types without relying solely on product quality.

switching-cost-evaluation

Scanned

npx machina-cli add skill Dragoon0x/Product-Skills/switching-cost-evaluation --openclaw

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SKILL.md

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Switching Cost Evaluation

Understand the real cost of switching — it's never just money.

How to use

/switching-cost-evaluation Apply switching cost constraints to this conversation.
/switching-cost-evaluation <from> <to> Evaluate switching costs between two specific products.

Constraints

Five Types of Switching Costs

MUST assess all five. Most teams only think about the first.

Financial: remaining contracts, migration costs, duplicate subscriptions during transition
Technical: data migration, integration rewiring, custom config loss, API changes, learning curve
Operational: team retraining, process changes, productivity dip, documentation updates
Political: who championed the current tool, executive approval needed, blame risk if switch fails
Emotional: familiarity, identity ("we're a Slack company"), fear of the unknown, vendor relationships

Scoring

Rate each type 1-5 (1 = negligible, 5 = could prevent the switch)
Total score out of 25
5-10: low. Compete on product merit. Easy to win, easy to lose.
11-17: moderate. Need clear ROI story and migration support.
18-25: high. Need a compelling event (contract renewal, failure, leadership change) to create an opening.

Offensive Strategy (Winning Switchers)

SHOULD offer free migration tools or import-from-competitor features
SHOULD time outreach around contract renewals and competitor price increases
MUST build a clear ROI case: (new product value - current value) > total switching cost
NEVER assume product quality alone overcomes high switching costs

Defensive Strategy (Keeping Customers)

SHOULD increase healthy switching costs through deep workflow integration, historical data, and team expertise
NEVER increase switching costs through toxic lock-in (hard-to-export data, hidden cancellation, contract handcuffs)
Goal: be hard to leave because you're valuable, not because you've trapped them

Anti-Patterns

Only evaluating financial costs and ignoring the other four
Assuming switching cost is zero because your product is better
Using lock-in tactics that breed resentment and eventually backfire
Ignoring political dynamics — the person who championed the old tool has veto power

Source

git clone https://github.com/Dragoon0x/Product-Skills/blob/main/skills/competitive-intelligence/switching-cost-evaluation/SKILL.md

View on GitHub

Overview

Switching Cost Evaluation helps teams quantify the true cost of moving from one product to another across financial, technical, operational, political, and emotional dimensions. It guides whether to win customers with migration support or reinforce retention with ROI framing, and informs pricing and roadmaps by foregrounding switching friction.

How This Skill Works

For each cost type, rate 1-5 (1 = negligible, 5 = could prevent the switch) and sum to a 25-point score. Use the total and bands to drive strategy, such as building migration tooling, creating ROI narratives, and aligning pricing with switching friction. Apply the framework via the /switching-cost-evaluation command to assess specific from/to product pairs.

When to Use It

Win customers from competitors by quantifying and reducing switching costs with migration tooling.
Assess churn risk for accounts approaching renewal or considering alternatives.
Design or justify migration tools (data export/import, adapters, API compatibility) to lower technical costs.
Set pricing, packaging, or contract terms that reflect switching friction and ROI considerations.
Evaluate competitive threats and opportunities during product roadmap and strategy planning.

Quick Start

Step 1: Assess each cost type (Financial, Technical, Operational, Political, Emotional) and rate 1-5.
Step 2: Sum to a 25-point score and classify as low (5-10), moderate (11-17), or high (18-25).
Step 3: Decide actions such as offering migration tools, crafting an ROI narrative, and adjusting pricing or packaging.

Best Practices

Evaluate all five cost types; don’t rely only on financial costs or product merit.
Score each type 1-5 and total to 25 to reveal true switching friction.
Build a clear ROI argument: (new value - current value) > total switching cost.
Prioritize migration tooling and data-exchange capabilities to reduce barriers to Switch.
Be mindful of political dynamics and avoid tactics that create resentment or hard-to-export data.

Example Use Cases

A provider offers free data migration and one-click import from competitor tools to reduce financial and technical switching costs.
Sales teams align renewal timelines with executive sponsorship to lower political cost risk when switching is considered.
The product roadmap includes robust APIs and integrations to minimize operational disruption during a move.
Pricing strategy pairs migration assistance with favorable terms, making switching ROI-positive for customers.
Onboarding and training materials are enhanced to shorten learning curves, reducing emotional and operational costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

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