August 10, 2026

Hourly billing feels safe

One of the things that scares hourly billers about switching to some sort of fixed pricing is this:

Quoting a fixed price feels risky.

What if the scope creeps?

What if there are surprises?

What if it takes longer than expected?

Hourly billing protects you from all these possibilities.

No matter how long it takes, you’re safe.

The thing is...

No risk, no reward.

Taking some risk by quoting a fixed price can lead to very profitable projects, especially if you base the price on the client’s desired outcome.

Hourly billing, on the other hand, typically results in very thin margins which leads to feast/famine cycles and can make it quite difficult to create a durable business.

So even though hourly feels safe in the short term, it might be more risky overall.

Yours,

—J

BackRandomNext