April 9, 2026
From Hourly to Outcomes: Packaging, Positioning, and Pricing That Scales
Robert Patin was kind enough to invite me to join him on The Agency Blueprint to talk about why agencies should price around outcomes instead of hours.
From Robert’s show notes:
Do you get paid for the expertise you bring to the table or simply for the number of hours you spend delivering it? And if your skill allows you to solve problems faster and better, should that mean earning less?
In this episode of The Agency Blueprint podcast, I’m joined by Jonathan Stark to discuss why the hourly model fundamentally misaligns incentives for agencies, consultants, and clients alike. Jonathan is the author of Hourly Billing is Nuts, host of the Ditching Hourly podcast, and writes a daily newsletter on pricing for independent professionals. He helps experts package, price, and sell outcomes rather than time, leading to higher margins, stronger client relationships, and, ultimately, saner businesses and agencies.
Listen in to learn how hourly billing often leads to strained client relationships, unpredictable budgets, and capped revenue potential for agencies. You will also learn about three powerful alternatives to hourly billing that agencies can implement to improve profitability and client satisfaction.
Key Questions:
- (01:04) If hourly billing creates so many limitations, what alternative pricing models could your agency adopt today?
- (04:56) Are you unintentionally rewarding slower work and discouraging expertise by billing clients by the hour?
- (26:44) Do you think it’s unethical to advocate for the idea of different prices for the same service depending on the person that’s in front of you?
- (29:31) What kind of agency do you want to build over the next three years? One with predictable productized services or one focused on high-value custom projects?
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Yours,
—J