The pros and cons of selling yourself by the hour

The pros and cons of selling yourself by the hour

Author: The Happy Startup School November 23, 2021 Duration: 37:49

Earlier in the week I found this article on Medium entitled "What to charge as a freelancer: does value-based pricing live up to the hype?"

You can read it here - https://medium.com/free-code-camp/what-to-charge-as-a-freelancer-does-value-based-pricing-live-up-to-the-hype-1af1d4d88ef7

It's a really interesting take on the challenges freelancers face when it comes to pricing.

What Benek talks about applies to most people in the service industry, particularly if you do work that can't always be easily packaged and defined.

Creative work.

In summary, Benek says hourly pricing is the easiest way to go because everyone does it. Customers understand it and there's a level of clarity that comes from "you pay for what you use".

However, this can also mean that you either count every minute you work or you lose out by doing some work for free.

Hourly based pricing can also put you into the commoditised category of "selling time". Everyone can sell time and so it's easy for customers to go for the cheapest rate.

Another challenge with hourly based pricing is there are only so many hours in the day and so your income has a natural ceiling.

What are the alternatives?

Project based and value based.

But they also have their pros and cons.

Listen to this episode as Ben and I explore the idea of "selling our time". It's the first part for a 3 episode series. The next episode will be about pricing projects.


For freelancers and founders who believe their work has genuine purpose, the conversation around money can feel like the most awkward part of the job. The Happy Pricing Podcast, from The Happy Startup School, steps directly into that discomfort. It operates from a simple, radical premise: pricing shouldn't be a silent calculation of fear or greed, but a clear, confident dialogue about shared value. This isn't about racing to the bottom to please clients or inflating rates to exploit them. Instead, each episode focuses on building the practical capability to have those necessary, often avoided, financial conversations. You'll hear real strategies for articulating your worth in a way that feels authentic, ensuring the exchange is equitable and that you are properly compensated for the impact you create. The discussions move beyond theory into the nuanced reality of running a purpose-driven business, exploring how to structure fees, negotiate with clarity, and ultimately create arrangements where both you and your clients feel good about the investment. Tuning into this podcast means re-framing pricing from a transactional headache into a core component of your professional integrity and happiness. It's for those ready to move past anxiety and into a practice where everyone truly shares in the value being delivered.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 75

The Happy Pricing Podcast
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While you may feel like selling something is difficult remember that buying is difficult too.Our customers are always conscious about whether they’re making the right decisions. When choosing a product or service they’re…