Ditching Hourly

Eden Vidal, co-founder of Under, discusses productizing design sprints for startups. He emphasizes speed and premium results, ideal clients being funded startups. Transitioning from hourly to fixed-price projects, he stresses clear communication and value-driven mindset. Also touches on balancing personal creative projects and managerial duties.

Sam Browne, a lifestyle entrepreneur and LinkedIn expert with over 100k followers, shares tips on growing your LinkedIn audience. Focus on educational content, engage with comments, and use case studies. Consistency is key, utilize carousels and images for better engagement. Avoid including links in posts to maximize reach. Engage with other creators' posts to expand your network.

Kevin Freidberg helps freelancers create effective websites by starting with email conversations. He emphasizes writing emails addressing client problems as the foundation for content. LinkedIn is suggested for growing email lists. Value and one-on-one conversations with clients are crucial for success.

Residential architect Jason Comer discusses transitioning from commodity labor to productized leverage in home design. Topics include authentic project images, marketing strategies, building relationships with developers, testing designs digitally, and navigating housing market dynamics.

Jason Cohen, WP Engine founder, discusses the uniqueness of AI, the benefits of niching down in marketing, and the importance of a regular writing practice. Learn how targeting a specific customer profile can bring in more customers than expected and how writing can leave a lasting legacy.

Corey Quinn, author of 'Anyone, Not Everyone' and host of Deep Specialization podcast, shares insights on deep specialization, vertical market selection, and using gifts like cookies in outbound marketing. Topics include defining a vertical market, detecting traction, founder-led sales, ongoing gifting campaigns, reaching target markets through multiple channels, and adapting strategies for smaller businesses. Quinn emphasizes the benefits of specialization, consistent engagement with target industries, and focusing on dream clients for business growth.

Geraldine Carter, an expert in niching down strategies, discusses with Jonathan the benefits of specializing in a specific niche, debunking the fear of boredom. They explore how niching down can lead to more success, fulfillment, and increased revenue through tailored solutions and deep expertise in a niche market, emphasizing the courage and excitement needed for niche mastery and business growth.

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 spaceJonathan's AHA moment when he realized hourly billing was killing his businessThe misaligned financial incentives created by hourly billingHow specializing in a narrower target market amplifies your opportunitiesThe various forms of specialization: Vertical, Horizontal, PlatformThe obstacles an agency faces when trying to specialize ----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.Best of all, you're covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don't feel like it was worth it, just say the word, and I'll refund your purchase in full.To book your one-on-one coaching call, go to: https://jonathanstark.com/callI hope to see you there!

Joe Quadara, former indie game developer turned consultant, shares his journey from fighting fires in indie game studios to advising them on scoping and funding projects. Topics include the size of the video game market, the appeal of weird, indie games, preventing fires in game studios, accurately scoping and funding projects, creating a sustainable indie game studio model, leveraging expertise in consulting, and the benefits of specialization for consultants.

Bryan Strawser, Bryghtpath CEO, shares the secrets of his business wins, including focused niche positioning, using content marketing and authority building. They discuss the roadmapping process to diagnose client needs, pricing and selling high-value services, and building ongoing managed services for recurring revenue.