Two revenue streams — stack, don't substitute

Summary

Chitragupt earns from two orthogonal streams: SaaS unlock revenue (one-time-per-AY platform plans) and marketplace fee revenue (the 10% platform cut on Ask CA engagements) — they stack, they don't substitute.

Why it matters

Conflating the two streams collapses the model. A user on Free can still buy an Ask CA engagement; a user on Pro Family can also buy one. The platform plan unlocks the engine; the marketplace fee monetises the human escape hatch. Keeping them orthogonal is what lets us price the engine for affordability (it's a tool, not a service) and let CAs price their own services (we are the panel, not the principal). Stacking — not substituting — is also why we never offer a "bundle" that includes a CA engagement in a platform plan: bundling would force a platform price on a CA service and break the marketplace.

Implications

• Platform plans (Free / Self / AI Self / Pro Family) unlock the deterministic engine and AI assistant — see freemium-per-ay.
• Marketplace fees (10% of CA's quote, §194J 10% TDS withheld) monetise human services — see marketplace-economics.
• Ask CA is buyable on every tier — no plan "includes a CA".
• CA prices are CA-set per category. No platform floors or ceilings.
• The two streams must be billed, refunded, and reported separately. Don't blend ledgers.
• A user can simultaneously hold an active platform plan and an active CA engagement for the same AY.

Related

• freemium-per-ay — stream 1 (SaaS unlock)
• ask-ca-stream — stream 2 (marketplace)
• marketplace-economics — the 90/10 + TDS mechanics
• pricing — cross-cutting synthesis spanning both streams
• tier-free — the only free entry into the SaaS stream
• 2026-05-30-marketplace-90-10-split — split pin
• 2026-06-10-marketplace-fee-10-percent — platform fee pin

Sources

• .context/wiki/concepts/* § "Pricing — two streams, they stack, they don't substitute"
• .context/wiki/concepts/* § "Ask CA — separate stream" — "Orthogonal to Platform plans"