// description
Your BATNA is what you'll do if a negotiation fails — your best alternative if no deal is reached. Knowing your BATNA before any negotiation determines your real walk-away point and prevents you from accepting a bad deal simply because you don't know you have options.
// history
Roger Fisher and William Ury introduced BATNA in "Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In" (1981), one of the most widely read negotiation books ever written. Fisher and Ury argued that effective negotiation is not about positional bargaining but about understanding interests and generating options. BATNA is the cornerstone of their approach — the stronger your BATNA, the more leverage you have in any negotiation, regardless of the other party's behaviour.
// example
A brand offers you a collaboration deal at a fee below your rate. Your BATNA: you already have three other brands in your pipeline, your own product revenue covers your expenses, and you have a waitlist of collaboration requests. With a strong BATNA, you can decline confidently or counter at your full rate without anxiety. A weak BATNA (you need this deal to pay your bills) forces you to accept unfavourable terms.
// katharyne's take
Your BATNA is your negotiating power — and building it is an ongoing business strategy, not just a negotiation tactic. The reason I can say no to bad deals is because my own product revenue gives me options. When creators rely on a single income stream or a single platform, their BATNA is terrible, which means they're at the mercy of whoever they're dealing with. Build your BATNA through diversification, and you'll negotiate from strength.
// creative uses
- Before approaching any brand partnership, document your BATNA in writing: your current monthly product revenue, your pipeline of other enquiries, and how long you could operate without the deal. That number is your floor — anything below it is a no.
- Use BATNA thinking when negotiating print-on-demand supplier pricing. If one POD platform raises fees, your BATNA is switching to Printify, Printful, or going direct to a supplier. Know your switching cost before the conversation.
- Apply it to platform dependency: if Etsy suspended your shop tomorrow, what is your BATNA? A Gumroad or Stan Store backup, an email list, a direct website. Creators who build their BATNA proactively never panic when platforms change.
// quick actions
- Write down your current BATNA for your primary income source. If a brand, platform, or client disappeared today, what would you do? If the answer is "nothing — I'd be in trouble," you have work to do.
- Before your next collaboration negotiation, set a written minimum fee below which you will decline. Having it in writing before the conversation prevents in-the-moment capitulation.
- Add one revenue stream this quarter that strengthens your BATNA — a Gumroad product, a Patreon tier, or an evergreen course on Teachable — so no single platform or partnership holds all your leverage.
// prompt ideas
Help me define and strengthen my BATNA before a negotiation. I'm about to discuss [brand deal / licensing agreement / collaboration / contract] with [type of party]. My current situation: [describe your income sources, alternatives, and how much you need this deal]. What is my real walk-away point, and what should I do before this negotiation to improve my BATNA?
I rely heavily on [one platform / one client / one income stream] for most of my revenue. Using BATNA thinking, help me identify what would happen if that disappeared tomorrow and map out three concrete moves I can make this quarter to build genuine alternatives — so I negotiate from strength rather than dependency.
I've been offered [describe a deal or opportunity]. My gut says the terms aren't great but I feel like I need it. Help me think through this using BATNA: what are my actual alternatives, what is the real cost of walking away, and what counter-offer would make this deal worth accepting?