The renewal decision matrix: keep, renegotiate, or cut

The renewal decision matrix: keep, renegotiate, or cut

Don't renew creators on gut feel or how nice they were to work with. Run every creator through the same matrix at contract end.

Score on two axes (owner: you, trigger: contract end −14 days):
— Performance: contribution margin vs your target
— Reliability: hit deadlines, disclosure-clean, on-brief

The four quadrants:
— High perf + high reliability → renew, offer better rate or exclusivity
— High perf + low reliability → renew with tighter gates + a deadline penalty clause
— Low perf + high reliability → renegotiate to performance-weighted payout
— Low perf + low reliability → close-lost, no renewal

If X then Y:
— If margin is positive but thin → move them to RPC-based payout, not flat fee
— If they were late >2x → reliability score caps their tier

Definition of done: every expiring creator has a quadrant, a decision, and a next-action with a date.

Rule: a likable creator who loses money still goes in the cut column. The matrix removes sentiment from a money decision.