Delhi founder shares sugarcane vendor's 'MBA level' pricing trick, internet approves

A Delhi startup founder shared a picture of a sugarcane juice vendor's pricing board on LinkedIn. The menu drew praise online for turning simple choices into smarter margins.

In Short

• Ananya Narang shared the vendor's signboard on LinkedIn, praising his pricing logic
• The board offered full glasses with or without ice, plus half servings
• Customers paying slightly less with ice likely received less juice overall

A Delhi startup founder said a roadside sugarcane juice vendor appeared to have mastered "unit economics" after spotting a cleverly priced menu that encouraged customers to opt for the more profitable choice.

The observation was shared on LinkedIn by Ananya Narang, founder of Entourage, who posted a picture of the vendor's pricing board alongside the caption: "This guy cracked unit economics better than most founders :)"

The image showed a small signboard placed next to the sugarcane juice cart with three pricing options: "Without ice – Rs 30," "With ice – Rs 25," and "Half glass – Rs 20."

The pricing caught attention because the full glass with ice cost less than one without ice, meaning customers choosing the chilled version received less juice due to the ice while paying only Rs 5 less.

Meanwhile, a half glass was priced at Rs 20, making it comparatively more expensive per serving than a full glass. The pricing strategy effectively nudged customers towards options that could improve the vendor's margins while still appearing like a better deal.

Take a look at the post here:

The post sparked discussion online, with many praising the vendor's practical business sense.

One user remarked that many street vendors may not know MBA jargon, but they often understand unit economics better than people sitting in boardrooms.

Another commenter said such business skills are earned in the real world, where vendors interact directly with customers every day and rely on instinct, adaptability and intelligence to succeed, adding that these experiences are raw, practical and invaluable.

A third user joked that the sugarcane vendor looked like someone who had completed an MBA in Finance.

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