Leaving 30% to 50% of your potential income on the table

landed a new client yesterday actually

signed same day, which felt good — like I didn't waste time going back and forth

I kept growing in experience and impact, speed, outcomes, but I was paid the same or almost the same as the dev next to me doing 5 times less work.

wait that's actually annoying when you put it that way

I always figured the market just... sets the rate you know

I thought so too, but then I remembered the old times when i started web development and something that really made me think twice about how I spend my future time.

what happened

what happened where?

ah, I've build a custom CMS from scratch that paired with client training on how to use it was placing website after website in Google first page results. So I build a product that was practically selling itself, with only 10-20% of the original work required for new clients.

so you basically built yourself out of the work

and still charged the same per project?

I had to read three times your reply to get it, nice and interesting choice of words. I'm glad I didn't snapped at you. and to answer your point, I've bought myself more time, to make the product better.  The point is that I started to have more people looking for me to build websites for them than I could handle, so I had to postpone some projects, and even say no to some of them.

and you were still charging the same rate through all of this?

I see it differently, the charge more has to be justified. At least for me. I dont know how and what rules apply in how you run your business.

So I I'm offering the same product, I charge the same. If I add new features to the product or invest into a breakchanging approach, than yes, the value that I am offering changes, so I should charge more.

well, it is the same product to me. my time is scarce. So what I'm saying is aim to optimize how much time is required in the process of developing a website in your style.

and charge more for new features that haven't been yet developed. Like win from reducing time, and win from spending your future effort for specific scenarios that don't repeat that much, not reuse themselves that much.

yes, my point is if I build something I do while working for a company in the UK, then I position myself in the middle of clients wanting more or less the same services, I can start saving on time to delivery, by specializing in that aspect. And I no longer need to feel sad about delivering  5 - 10 times, 100 times more outcome, and being paid the same as my workmated who changed 3 titles and 2 images and called it a day.

so the rate doesn't change because of how good you are

it changes because of how many people want specifically you

it that what you understood from all this chat or today you are a bit uninspired ?

fair, I flattened it

so what's the actual mechanic — you had more clients than you could take, so you just... started saying no to the low offers?

if a client wants me to sort out n files in pdf that takes two weeks, and another asks me do develop an AI to automate video production, that takes about two weeks, one pays pennies one pays above market rates ... which one would you pick, when you have more to pick from?

the AI project obviously

but I think I've been in the other situation for a while without even noticing

Ok, catch you later, still have to work on two more stories to reach my goal before I consider anything else.