Ditching Hourly Tim Dietrich - Lessons Learned from Decades of Surfing Tech Waves
(NOTE: this ep was recorded in October 2025, but I didn't get around to publishing it until March 2026. It was WILD listening to the AI portions of the conversation five months later - post OpenClaw.)
Old friend and self-described “workaholic” developer Tim Dietrich joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his journey from FileMaker freelancer to the undisputed SuiteQL expert in the NetSuite ecosystem — a niche so specific that the platform itself became his marketing engine.
We also dig into what happens when AI comes for your platform and how to think about the next wave.
Chapters
- (00:00) - Introduction
- (00:53) - Tim's Background
- (03:02) - Early Career and FileMaker Days
- (06:08) - Transition to NetSuite
- (16:02) - SuiteQL and SQL Integration
- (21:00) - Positioning as SuiteQL Expert
- (30:03) - Managing Demand and Consulting Opportunities
- (34:39) - Current Client Work and Scaling Back
- (36:01) - The Rise of AI in NetSuite
- (50:27) - Comparing to Other Waves and Platforms
- (01:05:37) - Exploring Monetization Strategies
- (01:22:31) - Future Trends and Opportunities
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Do you have questions about how to improve your business?
Things like:
- Value pricing your work instead of billing for your time?
- Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your space?
- Productizing your services so you never have to have another awkward sales call or spend hours writing another custom proposal?
Book a one-on-one coaching call with me and get answers to these questions and others in the time it takes to get ready for work in the morning.
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