PODCAST · business
Ditching Hourly
by Jonathan Stark
For solo professionals who want to make more and work less without hiring.
Episodes
-
Joel Miller - Nine Years After Ditching Hourly
In 2017, Joel Miller came on Ditching Hourly episode 33 to talk about his recent switch to value pricing. Nine years later, Joel and his identical twin brother Alan still run The Sky Floor as a two-person shop. They do all the client work themselves, their average client has been with them for...
-
Rob Walling - Stop Building Stuff Nobody Wants
Software entrepreneur, author, and investor Rob Walling joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain why faster software development does not remove the need to validate a software product idea before building it. We talked about the future of SaaS in the age of AI, the 2-20-200 validation framework,...
-
Bob Rogers - Designing Experiences That Change Behavior
Experience designer and BRC Imagination Arts founder Bob Rogers joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how to create experiences that change behavior instead of merely entertaining. His new book, Deep Story, is a practical guide to doing exactly that. We talked about defining the change before...
-
Paul Giese - The Power of Triple Specialization
NetSuite data migration consultant Paul Giese joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how triple specialization helped him build a highly referable, fixed-price consulting business. Paul explains how his accounting background, NetSuite expertise, and data-migration focus combine into a defensible...
-
Nick Richtsmeier - The Damn Rules
Growth consultant and author of The Damn Rules, Nick Richtsmeier joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about why internet-based inbound marketing systems have stopped working, aren't coming back, and what might work instead. 00:27 Nick's Background and Work 01:10 Why the Internet Is Toast 03:09…
more -
Jason Cohen - Hidden Multipliers
Double-unicorn founder (WP Engine and A Smart Bear), Jason Cohen, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the ideas behind his new book, Hidden Multipliers. We talked about using AI as a facilitator rather than an answer machine, choosing ideal customers, differentiating a consulting business,...
-
Bill Sherman - Scaling Thought Leadership
Thought leadership expert Bill Sherman joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss how experts can scale their ideas to create impactful thought leadership. Bill shares insights from his extensive experience in helping individuals and organizations codify and amplify their ideas. In this episode, we...
-
Shannon Mattern - Strategic Pricing for Service Providers
Pricing strategist Shannon Mattern joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss how to present pricing options in a project proposal based on the mindset of the buyer: investment-minded, expense-minded, and hustle-minded. In this episode, we dive into Shannon's Package Matrix method, a framework she...
-
Wes Wheless - The Expert's Privilege
”Expertise whisperer” Wes Wheless joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about turning corporate expertise into a solo consulting business. We talked about his new book, The Expert's Privilege, how corporate professionals can recognize transferable expertise, why visual IP helps consultants explain...
-
Brian Herriot - Time Freedom
Author, financial advisor, and former management consultant Brian Herriot joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about pursuing time freedom before financial freedom. Brian and I talk about his new book Time Freedom, the difference between time freedom and financial freedom, how flexible work can...
-
Jed Byrne - Self-Publishing Your First Book
Business development director and Raleigh commercial real estate enthusiast Jed Byrne joined me on Ditching Hourly to walk through the entire process of self-publishing his first book, Start Small Selling, from idea validation to Kickstarter funding to final production. We cover testing your book...
-
David Guttman - Delegating Outcomes to AI with OpenClaw
Principal at Superstruct and author David Guttman joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about using OpenClaw and AI agents to delegate outcomes instead of micromanaging code. We talked about AI employees, chat-based agents, why OpenClaw feels different from coding tools, how David qualifies...
-
Nikki Cross - The Private Podcast Book Club
Learning and development facilitator Nikki Cross joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how she turned business books into a private podcast book club that helps members apply what they read. Nikki explains the mechanics of her Inner Work Business Book Club, how she uses a private podcast to turn...
-
Shawn Yeager - AI and the Billable Hour
Founder of Upshift, Shawn Yeager, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how AI is killing the billable hour and what professional services firms can do about it. Jonathan and Shawn dig into judgment versus execution, what firms should commercialize after AI, why cost-cutting is only the…
more -
Alain Chautard - Scaling Angular Certification
Angular expert Alain Chautard rejoined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he scaled his certification business through partnerships and automation. Jonathan and Alain talk about turning niche expertise into a certification business, reducing support demands, using expert partners across time…
more -
Genevieve Hayes - Podcasting for Expertise-Based Businesses
Data science consultant and podcast host Genevieve Hayes joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about podcasting as a boost for an expertise-based business. Chapters 00:00 - Genevieve Hayes and Value-Driven Data Science 02:27 - Committing to Start a Podcast 05:35 - Simple Production Is Good Enough...
-
Carl Franklin - A Love Letter to Value Pricing
In this episode of Ditching Hourly, host Jonathan Stark welcomes Carl Franklin, co-host of the .NET Rocks podcast, to discuss the intricacies and benefits of value pricing. Listeners will gain insights into how value pricing can transform their business approach, moving away from the traditional...
-
An Insider's Perspective with Pranav Kale: Jonathan’s Productivity System for Soloists
Pranav Kale returns for another reverse interview — this time grilling Jonathan about his personal productivity and time management system. Jonathan walks through the system he's refined over two decades and used with his private coaching students: from consolidating all your to-dos in one place,...
-
Joe Pine - The Transformation Economy
Best-selling author, speaker, and management adviser Joe Pine joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his new book, The Transformation Economy, why it applies especially well to consultants, coaches, and advisors, and gives some tips on how to price transformations. Joe's Bio B. Joseph Pine II is...
-
Jason Staats - From Employee to Owner to Influencer
Jason Staats joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his progression from being an employee in an accounting firm to running the top accounting community on the planet. Links Jason's website Jason's YouTube Chapters ---- Sales Conversations That Don’t Feel Sleazy — live Oct 20 at noon ET Learn...
-
Ben Kettle - Risk-Based Pricing Options
Rural planning advisor Ben Kettle joined me on Ditching Hourly to share his transition from hourly billing “nonsense” to risk-based project pricing. Links Ben's website » https://areteruralplanning.co.uk/ Chapters (00:00) - Ben Kettle (00:20) - Meet the Guest: Ben Kettle (00:36) - Ben's…
more -
Zach Stevens - Year 3 of Growing a Subscription Business
Co-founder of Conversion Factory, Zach Stevens, rejoined me on Ditching Hourly to give us an update on how he's growing his subscription SaaS marketing agency in year 3. Links We Mentioned Conversion Factory Website Zach's partner Corey, on X The Superstruct Manifesto by David Guttman The "If...
-
Charles Miller - What Is “Good” Taste And Why Would Anyone Want It?
Charles Miller of Platoon joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss “good” taste, how you get it, why you might want it, and what to do when your clients don’t have it. Links Charles’ personal site » https://www.charlesmiller.com/ Charles’ portfolio site » https://www.platoon.studio/ Chapters…
more -
Alex M H Smith - Understanding Value
Author of No BS Strategy, Alex M H Smith, rejoined me on Ditching Hourly to help define a very important word that few business people understand correctly. Chapters (00:00) - Introduction and Welcome (00:11) - Guest Introduction: Alex Smith (01:30) - Understanding Business Strategy (02:02) - The...
-
Dr. J.J. Peterson - Finding the Balance Between Badass and Softie
Professor-in-residence at StoryBrand and host of the new podcast Badass Softie, Dr. J.J. Peterson, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss how to strike a balance between authority and empathy. And be sure to stick around to the end to hear J.J.'s take on AI's impact on professional services and...
-
Shachar Meir - How To Go Solo After 20 Years In Corporate (And What To Expect)
Solo data advisor Shachar Meir (ex-Meta, ex-PayPal) joined me on Ditching hourly to share the details of his transition from being a manager in massive corporate environments to becoming a successful solo consultant. Chapters (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (01:05) - Shachar's…
more -
Tim Dietrich - Lessons Learned from Decades of Surfing Tech Waves
(NOTE: this ep was recorded in October 2025, but I didn't get around to publishing it until March 2026. It was WILD listening to the AI portions of the conversation five months later - post OpenClaw.) Old friend and self-described “workaholic” developer Tim Dietrich joined me on Ditching Hourly…
more -
An Insider's Perspective with Pranav Kale: Jonathan Stark's Journey to Ditching Hourly
Big Idea archaeologist Pranav Kale joined me on Ditching Hourly for a reverse interview about my journey to the center of the solar system. Chapters (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:39) - Pranav's Evolution and Current Focus (03:01) - Jonathan's Epiphany on Hourly Billing (06:26)…
more -
Joel Clermont - The Pros And Cons Of Selling Software Development As A Subscription
Laravel expert Joel Clermont joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he and his co-founder run their successful dev subscription business. Chapters (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Introduction (00:16) - Joel's Background and Business Model Transition (01:54) - Launching the Dev Subscription...
-
Eleanor Mayrhofer - Productized Web Design
Digital marketing strategist Eleanor Mayrhofer joined me on Ditching Hourly to describe exactly how she productized her web design services. Links: Eleanor's website » https://www.eleanormayrhofer.com/ditching Eleanor's LinkedIn » https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanormayrhofer/ Chapters: (00:00) -...
-
Erin Halper - Pro Tips for Building and Sustaining a Thriving Online Community
Founder of The Upside, Erin Halper, joined me on Ditching Hourly to share her pro tips on creating and sustaining a premium online community. Erin's Links: Erin's community » https://betheupside.com/ Erin's LinkedIn » https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinhalper/ Chapters (00:00) - Introduction and…
more -
Coaching Call with Communications Consultant Lynn Safranek
Communications consultant Lynn Safranek joined me on Ditching Hourly to learn how to apply value pricing to an industry where the consultant can't control the outcome. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:11) - Understanding Upstream Contributions (00:23) - Lynn's Background and Expertise...
-
Diane Whiddon - Branding in the Age of AI
Brand strategist and founder of SwayRise Creative, Diane Whiddon, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about how adding a discrete - and legitimately useful - AI-based productized service to her branding business tapped into a longstanding demand in her client base. Diane's Links SwayRise…
more -
Alastair McDermott - The AI Powered Thought Leader
Author, speaker, and human-first AI strategist, Alastair McDermott, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about his new book and how experts can use AI to enhance productivity, decision-making, and learning. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:46) - Alistair's Background and Journey…
more -
Jessica Lackey - Stop Betting On Tactics
Author of Leaving The Casino, Jessica Lackey, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the importance of understanding different business models, pricing strategies, and the concept of the 'zone of enoughness' in building a sustainable business. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:09) -...
-
Robin Bonn - Market of One
Author Robin Bonn joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the importance of differentiation as described in his book Market of One. About Robin Robin Bonn is the CEO of Co:definery, one of the world's leading consultancies specialising in agency positioning. From renowned global networks to the...
-
Ed Kless - A Revelation for the Transformation Economy
Ed Kless joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about what he and his Threshold co-founder Ron Baker think is the next big thing (spoiler alert: transformations). Talking Points The Concept of the Experience Economy Progression of Economic Value Transformations and Their Impact Threshold: Guiding...
-
Geraldine Carter - Melting The Pyramid
Geraldine Carter joined me on Ditching Hourly to give us a behind-the-scenes recap of what went into her pivot from selling one-time $9,500 mastermind programs to selling a $995/mo ongoing subscription model. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:34) - Defining 'Melting the Pyramid'…
more -
Craig Hewitt - The Current State and Potential Future of Podcasting
Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the current state and potential future of podcasting as a medium for building trust with your audience. AI Summary In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark speaks with Craig Hewitt, founder of Castos, about the...
-
Jason Lengstorf - Navigating the Transformation of the Video Production Business
Jason Lengstorf, founder of Code TV, joined me on Ditching Hourly to share how he is successfully navigating the transformation of the video production business. Jason's Links: https://jason.energy/ https://codetv.dev/ AI Summary: In this episode of Ditching Hourly, Jonathan Stark is joined by...
-
Martin Stellar - Sales Coaching for Nice People
Author/creator of Sales for Nice People, Martin Stellar, joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about sticking to your guns in a sales meeting and how to build the confidence to do so. Martin's Links: https://martinstellar.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinstellar/...
-
Yuval Yeret - The Status of Agile as a Platform and Navigating Career Pivots
Yuval Yeret, founder of Yeret Agility and OG Agile expert, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the current state of Agile as a platform, how it has evolved over the years, and what practitioners should consider when pivoting their careers as the platform matures. About Yuval Yuval Yeret is a...
-
Barry van Someren - Good Business Advice From The IRS?
Ex-java developer and CoffeeSprout founder Barry van Someren joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the surprising alignment between “Ditcherville ethos” and the government of the Netherlands. LINKS MENTIONED Barry’s website Barry’s LinkedIn California Law AB 5 AI SUMMARY In this episode of...
-
Louis Grenier - The Stand The F*ck Out Book Interview (explicit, obvs)
The handsome and talented Louis Grenier joined me on Ditching Hourly to talk about the strategy behind writing, publishing, and launching his new book, Stand The F*ck Out. Links: Stand The F*ck Out Bonuses for Ditching Hourly Listeners AI Summary: In this conversation, Jonathan Stark interviews...
-
Dale Davidson - Solo Subcontracting For The Federal Government
The author of “Going 1099: How To Become Solo Federal Sub-Contractor”, Dale Davidson, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss the journey of becoming a solo federal subcontractor. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:17) - Dale Davidson's Background (00:49) - Navigating Hourly Billing in...
-
Lauren Pearl - The Daily CFO Pricing Framework
Advisory CFO, daily emailer, and podcast host Lauren Pearl joined me on Ditching Hourly to unpack the nuances of the pricing framework she uses with her start-up and small business clients. CHAPTERS (00:00) - DH358 Lauren Pearl - The Daily CFO Pricing Framework (00:09) - Lauren Pearl's Background...
-
Andrew Croasdale - From Counter Terrorism to Leadership Consulting
Andrew Croasdale, a former police officer turned consultant, joined me on Ditching Hourly to discuss his transition from policing to consulting. (00:00) - Introduction and Guest Welcome (00:18) - Andrew's Background in Policing (01:05) - Transition to Consulting (05:11) - First Steps in Business...
-
Barry LaBov - The Power of Differentiation
Author, founder, and CEO Barry LaBov joined me on Ditching Hourly to geek out about niching down - while walking me through the five-step process he describes in his book The Power of Differentiation. Barry's Bio: Barry LaBov is the founder and CEO of LABOV Marketing Communications and Training.…
more -
Russ Waddell - The “Secret” To Successfully Going Out On Your Own
Guest Russ Waddell joined me on Ditching Hourly to explain how he successfully went out on his own for the first time after more than a decade as a full-time employee. Guest Links: https://www.russwaddell.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-waddell/ ---- Sales Conversations That Don’t Feel...
-
Zach Stevens - Year Two of Running a Subscription-Based Service Business
Zach Stevens, co-founder of Conversion Factory, came back on Ditching Hourly to give an update about how things are going with his “all-you-can-eat” subscription-based service business after two years in business. Zach's Links Conversion Factory Zach's LinkedIn Zach's Twitter Other Links…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
For solo professionals who want to make more and work less without hiring.
HOSTED BY
Jonathan Stark
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ditching Hourly have?
Ditching Hourly currently has 404 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ditching Hourly about?
For solo professionals who want to make more and work less without hiring.
How often does Ditching Hourly release new episodes?
Ditching Hourly publishes regularly with 404 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Ditching Hourly?
You can listen to Ditching Hourly on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ditching Hourly?
Ditching Hourly is created and hosted by Jonathan Stark.
URL copied to clipboard!