Hacker News Reader

Comment by goethes_kind | Hacker News Reader

Would that not end up hurting your reputation after a while?

It filters clients quite good.

When I started freelancing, I only took multi month projects that paid thousands of dollars. I never had to discuss money with any of these clients.

A friend of mine focused on per hour contracts, in the hopes they would be ongoing. His clients constantly haggled.

Does that mean you bid a fixed price?

Usually, yes.

It would help their reputation. They are now one of the most expensive options.

Business don’t spend money like frugal people.

Would you want a 10.000USD or the 30.000USD surgery? There is a paradoxon that people associate costs with quality.

High rates never hurt anyone, given that they actually deliver on it.

> Would you want a 10.000USD or the 30.000USD surgery?

I'd like to have the 0USD surgery, but maybe that's just my inner European.

We don’t have a VAT tax. Free just means you pay with other peoples money while they pay with yours.

The VAT isn't funding the health insurances.

The money for health insurance is taken out of your salary before you even receive it.

> Free just means you pay with other peoples money while they pay with yours.

That doesn't make any sense to me, you contribute by paying your taxes and you benefit when you need it.

> Free just means you pay with other peoples money while they pay with yours.

You've just described insurance

I think that was what the parent was pointing out: it's not a matter of if the surgery costs anything, but of how it is paid for.

It's also how much it costs for the same level of care. The US spends twice as much per head on healthcare as the most costly european countries like Norway. The amount spent on medicare/medicaid alone could fund a system like the NHS for everyone in the US.

Sure but we pay thousands of dollars in Insurance Premiums, copays, deductible and even then there is no guarantee. I would rather pay a VAT if that can give me peace of mind.

For profit healthcare just means doctors have no incentive to cure diseases and just charge for ongoing therapy that treats symptoms instead.

It also works that way for socialized medicine. When doctors are paid per action more actions are taken.

Does any country pay doctors per outcome?

We do have sales tax. And plenty of other taxes. And lots of things that we refer to as “free” that are taxpayer funded.

I think a better way to put it is your client has a budget. If you fit within that budget it's OK, being the most expensive option is a good thing, gives the impression of quality, as long as it fits in the budget they have. It's price is right rules.

A blind man was shopping for carpets. Another shopper noticed him and asked:

"How do you discern quality?"

"I look at the price."

only with the now 'cheap' clients :) at some point you are in a different league. gotta keep moving and growing.

but in actuality, no, unless you have a social group where all your old clients get together and mingle. my clients do not know the other ones exist, for the most part.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com