To kick off Season 3 of The Pricing Guys, Michael Stanisz and Avy Punwasee try something a little different. Instead of discussing strategy or frameworks, they put their instincts to the test with a simple challenge: guessing the price of everyday items. The results are not exactly what you might expect.
What starts as a lighthearted game quickly raises an interesting question. If pricing professionals spend their careers analyzing markets, value, and willingness to pay, should they be better than most at estimating the price of common products?
In this episode, Michael and Avy take turns guessing the prices of items ranging from everyday purchases to surprisingly tricky examples. Along the way, they discuss what influences price perception, how consumers form expectations, and why even experienced pricing professionals can get it wrong.
The exercise is entertaining, but it also highlights a deeper point about pricing strategy. Price is rarely as obvious as it seems. What feels “right” to one person can be wildly different for another, shaped by context, experience, and expectations.
Watch the full episode below to see who ends up the champion of price guessing.
