Co-founder and Head of Design at Under, Eden Vidal, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about productizing design sprints, optimizing your business to suit your personality, and convincing contractors to ditch hourly billing.

Eden's Links:

• https://edenvidal.com/
• https://weareunder.design/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/edenvidal/

AI Summary:

Eden Vidal, a designer and developer, shares his success with value-based concepts for his design studio. He specializes in brand sprints, a niche methodology for running branding processes for young technology companies. The brand sprint focuses on creating a brand story and developing a visual language, primarily for the homepage of a website. Eden emphasizes the importance of speed and delivering quick and fancy results for startups. The ideal clients for brand sprints are funded startups that already have some branding but feel a mismatch and a need for a quick and premium solution. Eden discusses his approach to managing his time between brand sprints and his own creative projects. He explains that while his wife focuses on optimizing brand sprints, he wants to pursue more and work on his own entrepreneurial ventures. They also discuss the challenges of transitioning from hourly contracts to fixed-price projects and the importance of clear communication and expectations. Eden shares his experience of hiring contractors and the benefits of focusing on delivering results rather than selling time. They also explore the idea of creating a platform that simplifies the process of defining project requirements and finding the right freelancers.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Background
• 06:22 The 10-Day Brand Sprint Process
• 08:38 Ideal Clients for Brand Sprints
• 29:16 Balancing Brand Sprints and Personal Creative Projects
• 37:36 Transitioning from Hourly Contracts to Fixed-Price Projects
• 42:18 The Benefits of Delivering Results Instead of Selling Time
• 53:01 Simplifying the Freelancer Hiring Process with a Platform

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Sam Browne, lifestyle entrepreneur and LinkedIn expert with more than 100k followers joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his insights on growing your audience on LinkedIn.

Sam’s Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-browne/
• Gumroad: https://sambrowne.gumroad.com/

Takeaways

• Know what you want to be known for on LinkedIn and focus on educational content to build authority.
• Map out a series of questions to answer in your content and use case studies and testimonials to showcase the value of your work.
• Engage with comments on your own posts and on other people’s posts to build relationships and expand your network.
• Frequency of posting is flexible, but consistency is key. Replying to comments on LinkedIn posts is important, especially for thoughtful and insightful comments.
• Engaging with other creators’ posts can help expand your reach and build relationships.
• Using carousels and images in posts can increase visibility and engagement.
• Avoid including links in posts to maximize reach, but consider using them in comments to drive traffic and build relationships.
• Engaging with comments can lead to valuable insights and growth opportunities.

Sound Bites

• “Pick the thing that is going to be the most effective for you to monetize.”
• “Case studies are a great way to show the value of working with you.”
• “Post with whatever frequency is comfortable for you, ideally no less than once a week.”
• “I always try and repay people who take the time to comment on my posts.”
• “You don’t need that many people who are showing up and enjoying your posts every time you post to create real momentum on LinkedIn.”
• “A post can take on a new life like six hours later, eight, eight, 10 hours later.”

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Background
• 07:29 Setting Up Your Profile for Success
• 24:00 Showcasing the Value of Your Work
• 28:13 Engaging with Comments and Frequency of Posting
• 30:34 Engaging with Other Creators’ Posts for Reach and Relationships
• 36:28 Using Carousels and Images to Increase Visibility
• 45:29 Maximizing Reach by Avoiding Links in Posts
• 48:34 Driving Engagement and Building Relationships through Comments

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Long-time friend-of-the-show Kevin Freidberg joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he helps freelancers and consultants create effective websites by starting with email conversations.

Kevin's Links:

• https://marketyourselffirst.com/

AI-Generated Info:

Summary

Kevin Friedberg shares his approach to helping freelancers and consultants create effective websites by starting with email conversations. He suggests that instead of focusing on building a website, which can be overwhelming and time-consuming, freelancers should start by writing emails that address the problems their clients are facing. These emails can serve as the foundation for a content solar system and can eventually be repurposed for a website. Kevin also shares his strategy for growing an email list using LinkedIn, where he sends personalized messages to potential subscribers. Overall, his approach emphasizes the importance of one-on-one conversations and providing value to potential clients.

Takeaways

- Instead of starting with a website, freelancers and consultants can begin by writing emails that address the problems their clients are facing.
- These emails can serve as the foundation for a content solar system and can eventually be repurposed for a website.
- LinkedIn can be a valuable platform for growing an email list by sending personalized messages to potential subscribers.
- The key to success is providing value and engaging in one-on-one conversations with potential clients.

Sound Bites

• "A website, it's not a one-on-one conversation. An email is."
• "You'll have this conversation with someone, and they go off... they like brain dump about the problems that they solve for their clients. And it's gold. It's great."
• "I'm obsessed with the very idea of a one-on-one conversation. I just don't understand how else to do it."

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Pain Points
• 03:05 Starting with Email Conversations
• 13:10 Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Email List
• 25:31 Transitioning from Emails to Websites
• 28:31 Conclusion and Next Steps

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Residential architect Jason Comer joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm how he might migrate from commodity labor to productized leverage with his expertise in home design. Even if you're not an architect, I think you'll find the discussion useful.

Jason’s Website:

https://www.jasoncomerarchitect.com/

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

WP Engine founder Jason Cohen joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about why AI is different from other big tech advancements. We also discussed why niching down in a single ideal customer profile will bring you 10x more customers than you expect and how a regular writing practice makes the world a better place (and maybe even builds a legacy).

Jason’s Links: 

• A Smart Bear
• AI is Different
• Selling to Carol
• WP Engine
• Twitter

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Corey Quinn joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his excellent new book, “Anyone, Not Everyone.” In it, Corey shares insights on deep specialization, selecting a target vertical market, and using gifts like cookies to transform outbound marketing. 

Corey's Links:

• Anyone, Not Everyone by Corey Quinn
• Deep Specialization podcast by Corey Quinn
• Corey's Website

0:00 - Episode intro
0:17 - About Corey Quinn and his background 
1:30 - Corey's ideal client: agency founders doing $1-5M and looking to specialize
3:07 - Benefits of specializing in a vertical market vs. skillset
5:17 - How to define a vertical market
7:19 - Detecting traction in a potential vertical to specialize in
11:33 - Identifying a vertical market that's the right size (2,000-10,000 businesses)
15:25 - How specializing enables you to speak your target market's language 
17:35 - Creating a "point of view" to differentiate beyond just positioning
22:33 - Shifting from founder-led sales through deep specialization 
25:09 - Using gifting (like cookies) to transform outbound marketing
30:42 - Creating an ongoing gifting campaign, not just a one-time gift
32:21 - Reaching your target market in multiple channels beyond just gifting
37:46 - The multi-million dollar cookie budget that drove Scorpion's growth
41:17 - Adapting this approach for smaller shops through focus and consistency
45:01 - Advice for soloists: specialize, do thought leadership, focus on dream clients
48:54 - Consistently engaging with a target industry year after year to build trust
50:34 - Where to find Corey's book and other free resources

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Geraldine Carter and I swapped interviews about why niching down doesn't lead to boredom. 

Geraldine's Links:

• Geraldine's website
• Geraldine's newsletter
• Geraldine's podcast

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Tim Dietrich and Eric Grubaugh invited me to join them on SuiteScript Stories to talk about the pros and cons of a platform specialization, the paradox of positioning, and, of course, the horrors of hourly billing.

Tim and Eric were kind enough to let me post the interview here on Ditching Hourly, but if you're a NetSuite developer, you should check out their podcast at https://suitescriptstories.com/ 

We discuss:

• Jonathan's and Tim's shared history in the FileMaker Pro space
• Jonathan's AHA moment when he realized hourly billing was killing his business
• The misaligned financial incentives created by hourly billing
• How specializing in a narrower target market amplifies your opportunities
• The various forms of specialization: Vertical, Horizontal, Platform
• The obstacles an agency faces when trying to specialize

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Indie game consultant Joe Quadara (aka Joe Q) joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his journey from putting out fires for indie game studios to advising them to accurately scope and fund their projects.

Joe's Links:

• Joe's website: Recurver
• Joe on LinkedIn 

AI Summary:

In this episode, game developer turned consultant Joe Quidara shares his journey from putting out fires for game studios to helping studios accurately scope and fund their projects. He explains how developing deep expertise about the indie game industry allows him to quickly assess and advise studios, creating leverage in his consulting business.

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Introductions

[00:07:00] The size of the video game market

[00:10:00] What is indie game consulting?

[00:14:00] The appeal of weird, indie games 

[00:19:00] What an indie game studio looks like

[00:23:00] From firefighting to preventing fires in game studios  

[00:28:00] Helping studios accurately scope and fund projects

[00:32:00] Creating a sustainable indie game studio model 

[00:35:00] Leveraging expertise to streamline the consulting process

[00:41:00] The benefits of specialization for consultants

[00:46:00] Keeping an open mind while leveraging expertise  

[00:48:00] Conclusion

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!

Bryghtpath CEO and Ditcherville lifetime resident Bryan Strawser joined me on Ditching Hourly to share the secrets behind his huge business wins in 2023.

Bryan's Links:

• Website: https://bryghtpath.com/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Bryghtpath
• Podcast: https://bryghtpath.com/resources/managing-uncertainty-podcast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanstrawser/

Summary (ai generated):

In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark interviews Bryan Strausser of BrightPath about how positioning his consulting firm and using program evaluation "roadmaps" as a first engagement with clients has led to major growth and 7-figure revenue. They discuss Bryan's journey from generalist consultant to focused niche positioning, using content marketing and authority building to attract ideal clients, the roadmapping process to diagnose client needs before prescribing solutions, how to price and sell high-value services, and building ongoing managed services for recurring revenue. 

Chapters:

[00:00:00] Introduction 

[00:02:00] From generalist to focused positioning

[00:08:00] Attracting clients through content marketing 

[00:13:00] Client onboarding with program evaluation roadmaps

[00:21:00] Using the podcast to build authority 

[00:25:00] The importance of positioning

[00:28:00] Pricing and selling high-value services 

[00:36:00] The roadmapping sales process

[00:44:00] Writing effective proposals 

[00:51:00] Increasing profits through pricing 

[00:53:00] Growing through managed services

[00:56:00] Conclusion

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Before you go!

The next time someone asks you for your hourly rate, I want you to stop what you're doing and head on over to valuepricingbootcamp.com to sign up for my free value pricing email course.

Hope to see you there!