Longtime software developer Tim Burris joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his transition from annual salary to hourly billing to fixed pricing and the positive effects the transition had on his day-to-day. Pretty good AI summary:In this episode, I had a fascinating conversation with Tim Burriss about his journey from being a software developer to running a product development department and eventually switching to custom software development with a focus on fixed pricing and value pricing. We discussed his unique approach to finding clients, particularly through Upwork, and how focusing on delivering outcomes rather than tech jargon has resulted in successful projects and satisfied clients. We also explored the transition from working part-time to going solo as a developer, using platforms like Upwork to find the right clients and maintain a steady income. Tim shared his experience with coaching retainers and mentoring junior developers as alternative sources of income during this transition. Throughout the conversation, we touched on the importance of trust in client relationships, the advantages of working on a fixed-price basis, and the art of determining the value of a project. We also discussed the importance of managing client expectations and scope while working on fixed-price projects and how focusing on delivering outcomes can minimize the impact of scope creep. Overall, this episode provides valuable insights and practical advice for anyone looking to move away from hourly billing and embrace a more outcome-focused approach to their work. So if you're ready to ditch hourly and build trust-based working relationships with your clients, this episode is a must-listen!Chapters:(0:00:00) - Moving Away From Hourly Billing(0:13:27) - Going Solo With Freelance Development(0:18:29) - Outcome-Based Projects(0:25:18) - Trust-Based Working Relationships(0:33:39) - Software Development Pricing(0:40:51) - Managing Risk on ProjectsTim's bio:Tim has been developing software since the late 90's. After a decade of Department of Defense Research & Development followed by a decade split between non-profit and manufacturing, he set out on his own to provide custom software at a 100% guaranteed fixed price. While his target audience ranges from those who need an Excel monolith replaced with a custom web solution to pulling information from physical sensors for a total shop floor overview, his specialty is simply helping people without all the tech jargon.Tim's links:https://chalklogic.com/https://www.youtube.com/@TimBurrishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-burris ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

Steve Folland, creator of the Being Freelance podcast and Doing it for the Kids podcast, joined me on Ditching Hourly to chat about his journey into freelancing, organic business growth, and tips for getting into the business mindset. Chapters:(0:00:00) - The Freelance Journey of Steve Folland(0:05:00) - Organic Growth of a Freelance Business(0:15:52) - Freelancing for Beginners(0:20:26) - Getting Into the Business MindsetSteve's Links:https://www.beingfreelance.com/https://twitter.com/beingfreelancehttps://www.instagram.com/beingfreelance/https://www.youtube.com/stevefollandhttps://www.doingitforthekids.net/ ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

Angular expert Alain Chautard joined me on Ditching Hourly to share the novel ways he escaped the trap of trading time for money by packaging and pricing his platform expertise.Alain's BioAlain is a Google Developer Expert in Web Technologies, Angular, and Google Maps. His daily mission is to help development teams adopt Angular and build at scale with the framework. He has taught front-end development on all six continents. A world traveler and photographer, Alain is also an international conference speaker, and a published author of several video courses.Alain's LinksWebsite: https://www.angulartraining.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/achautard/Daily Newsletter: https://www.angulartraining.com/daily-newsletter/Certification program: https://www.angulartraining.com/angular-certification.html ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

Ex-Googler Kartick Vaddadi joined me on Ditching Hourly to brainstorm which of his offerings might be most compelling and to find ways to increase the number of leads flowing into his business.Kartick’s LinksWebsite: https://kartick.orgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConsultingCTO ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

This week I am joined by Ed Gandia. Ed is the co-author of The Wealthy Freelancer, the host of the High-Income Business Writing podcast, and a coach to ambitious writers and copywriters who want to earn more in less time doing work they love for better clients.As you can probably tell from this bio, Ed and I are very much kindred spirits, so this episode is a bit different than most. Instead of me interviewing Ed like a normal guest appearance, we decided to just have a chat where we compared notes on what were see working in our respective spaces. There was a lot of overlap but also some interesting differences. Ed will also be posting our recording on his podcast, so if you're subscribed to both, you don't need to listen twice :)Ed's Links: https://b2blauncher.com/ ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

Legal operations advisor and law professor Mitch Kowalski joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about innovation in the legal profession, including alternatives to hourly billing.Talking PointsThe history of hourly billing in the legal professionTransparency in pricing (and why hourly billing isn't transparent at all)The perverse incentives of hourly billingWhy billing hourly short changes you if you are good at what you doThe importance of breaking a big project into small chunksWhy lawyers remain in the “dark ages,” technologically speakingThe mental health effects of hourly billing”Working toward the price”Price as an initial design constraintReverse engineering your costs to support your desired pricingMitch’s LinksWebsite: https://kowalski.caTwitter: https://twitter.com/MEKowalskiLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchkowalski ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

Sew Heidi is a business coach and educator who helps freelance fashion designers build better businesses. She joined me on Ditching Hourly to compare notes on the similarities and differences between freelancing in fashion vs. freelancing in software. Spoiler alert: There was a lot more in common than you might expect.Episode SummaryIn this episode, we discuss the journey of fashion freelancing, the business of fashion design, the complexities of product development, the transition to permanent freelancing, and the business-building principles for freelancing. Our guest Heidi shares her success story of becoming a fashion freelancer in 2009 and building a six-figure income in just 30-40 hours a week. We discuss the roles and processes involved in the fashion industry, from fashion design to pattern-making and textile design. We also cover the importance of niche-down and positioning for business success and the importance of cash flow and finance. This episode is full of valuable insight for anyone looking to become a successful freelancer of any type.Heidi’s BioAfter running a brand I grew to hate and working 60+ hours in a toxic fashion job, I almost burnt out of the fashion industry. But then I found freelancing. I reached $100k+ and was living my dream, working when I wanted, traveling, and I never worried about paying the bills.I worked for myself, earned steady income, and loved my clients. #winwinwinSince then, I’ve taught 1000s of fashion freelancers to do the same through my free content, my podcast, and my program, Freelance Accelerator: from Surviving to Thriving (FAST).Heidi’s Linkshttps://successfulfashiondesigner.com/ https://successfulfashiondesigner.com/fast/  (Heidi’s Freelance Accelerator program)https://successfulfashiondesigner.com/podcast/ ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

Jason Lengstorf joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the novel way he's using his generalist web skills to create value, have fun, and make a living.Jason's Bio:Jason Lengstorf is the host of Learn With Jason, a web generalist and the undefeated smashburger champ. A creative technologist and educator, Jason helps tech companies connect with developer communities through better devrel strategy and creative media production. He advocates for continued learning through collaboration and play as the fastest path to growth, and models this on weekly livestreams where he pair programs with experts from around the community to learn something new in 90 minutes. He’s trying his very best to follow his own advice. When this whole internet thing goes out of style, he'll probably open a food truck in his home city of Portland, Oregon.Jason's Links:https://www.jason.af/linkshttps://www.learnwithjason.dev/ ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

Home studio architect and author Junaid Ahmed joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about why it's important to look and sound your best on camera, how to level up your home studio without spending a lot of time or money, and the novel approach he took to writing and publishing his new book, Mastering iPhone Video Production.Junaid's Bio:Junaid Ahmed is a Home Studio Architect, podcast host, and filmmaker with over three decades of experience. He specializes in creating optimized home studios for confident content creation and high-quality video production. As a seasoned professional, Junaid has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this field and shares it through his podcast, "Hacks and Hobbies."Junaid's Links:Book Link: https://superjunaid.com/iphonevideo/5-Day Challenge Link: https://homestudiomastery.com/5DayChallenge/Home Studios: https://homestudiomastery.comBlog/Personal: https://superjunaid.com ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!

Jeff Doolittle is a software architect, transformational leader, and se-radio.net host who’s on a mission to make good software professionals great.Jeff joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his journey from a web dev working for free pizza to an in-demand software architect.Along the way, we talked about the importance of strategy, systems thinking as applied to software, and finding a balance between “wonk” and “geek” in order to deliver real business value.Related LinksJeff's websiteJeff's LinkedInJeff's TwitterJeff's GithubExploring Requirements: Quality Before DesignOn the Criteria To Be Used in Decomposing Systems into ModulesiDesign.netLean Software Systems Engineering for DevelopersThinking in Systems: A Primer ----What if your ideal buyers looked forward to getting an email from you. every. single. day?That’d be pretty sweet, right? But how would you get started...Email365 will show you the way.Sign up to get notified about the next session before "life happens" and you forget:KEEP ME IN THE LOOP »I hope to see you in the next session of Email365!