April 14, 2026
The Pricing Strategy That Doubled This Solopreneur’s Income in Year One
Joe Rando and Carly Ries had me on The Aspiring Solopreneur to talk about why hourly billing works against solopreneurs and how to replace it with value-based pricing.
From the show notes:
- Value-based pricing means setting your fee based on the business outcome your work creates, not the hours it takes
- Hourly billing creates a direct conflict of interest — the faster you work, the less you earn
- The “Why Conversation” framework: three categories of strategic questions to ask before writing a proposal
- Use a three-option proposal format at three price points, each a fraction of the value you identified
- Scope creep is actually caused by hourly billing — fixed-price projects tied to a defined goal prevent it naturally
- Define scope last, not first: figure out the value, set the prices, then decide what you’d deliver at each price point
- Hourly billing is fine when you’re brand new, but staying on it long-term means a race to the bottom
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Yours,
—J