Ask HN: Should we charge $700/hour? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Should we charge $700/hour?

3 pointsmatteomosca6 comments

What I can build in 1x hour with Bubble.io is equals to what I would build in 10x hours as a React developer.

A React developer gets $70/hour, more or less (depending on where they are based).

What’s a fair hourly rate for a No-code developer?

I’m pretty sure you cannot solve a non trivial domain specific problem with no code tools. You are trying to compare prices for two different markets.

If you can do it with no-code tools, then you most likely had a trivial app to begin with. I used to make custom websites over 10 years ago. Those folks can now just set up their branding and payment with social media sites and things like Shopify. I haven’t worked for those customers in a long time. Their problems are solved. In other words, those who are building trivial apps and can resort to no code tools won’t even be your customer in the long run. Don’t focus on it. Let them go and find better markets (big data, industries with complex business logic, need for accountability, on call support, etc).

If you're framing it as selling someone's time it may be a tough sell. Focus on the outcome and sell it at a fixed price, based on its value.

I assume you're freelancing? An order of magnitude faster delivery is not a huge priority to many such clients. Most of them don't have deadlines that are date sensitive (i.e. they don't have TV/radio ad campaigns lined up). What they care about is that their pet features work. And features may or may not be things that exist within the Bubble.io toolset. If a requested feature does not exist or only exists in a limited/unsatisfactory capacity, how long is it going to take you to familiarize with the generated codebase and implement it properly or glue in an existing 3rd party solution? This is essentially the issue that freelance wordpress folks go through: What inexperienced freelancers often miss is that the client feedback is what destroys your estimates.

If you are pricing based on the value to your customer, you do not charge an hourly rate. You charge a project rate. It is none of their concern if it takes you 100 hours, 10, or 1, as long as you deliver the value you promised, and they cut the check.

If I told you I had a solution to your problem that would save you $50,000 a year, but it would only take me 20 hours to build it, what should I charge you? What would you be willing to pay for that? Would you care if it didn’t take me very long to build it?

you should charge what people are willing to pay, if you are willing to work for that price :)

if you can find a person who believes the work is worth $7,000, and you estimate you can do it in 10 hours... just charge them $7,000 and ask them when they would like it delivered.

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