They Used to Laugh At My Rates

My business partner told me something a few years back that I still think about.

We were talking about the old days, before I joined as a partner. He said it plainly, almost fondly: they used to laugh at what I charged.

I laughed too, in the moment. Then I got home and did the math on what I'd actually left on the table. It wasn't a small number, and it wasn't flattering.

That sent me down a rabbit hole I ended up turning into a full framework, because I realized the standard advice on this is wrong.

▶ Watch the video

Here's the part that surprised me most: "charge more" is bad advice. Not because you shouldn't charge what you're worth, but because chasing higher rates on their own makes you more fragile, not less. Fewer clients. No room to bring on help. And with AI compressing how long the work actually takes, a rigid premium rate is a target, not a strength.

What actually works is more specific than "raise your prices," and it's in the video.

If you've ever quoted a number and immediately wondered whether you left money on the table, this one's for you.

Until next Saturday,
Jeff Sauer

P.S. If you want the actual system I built out of this (the calculator, the rate card templates, all of it), I put it together here.