If wealth were the inevitable result of hard work and enterprise, every woman in Africa would be a millionaire.
—George Monbiot
The greatest failure of effort-based pricing isn’t just that it punishes efficiency and focuses on the wrong thing.
– A translator isn’t valued for counting words but for preventing costly misinterpretations.
– IT consultants aren’t hired for advice but to prevent breaches and eliminate downtime.
– Architects aren’t paid for drawings but for spaces that enhance flow, usability, and property value.
When you need a hole, you buy the drill—but what you’re really buying is the hole.
|- Like those African women Monbiot references, you’re working incredibly hard. But labor alone doesn’t create wealth—capturing the value of that work does.
The next time you price a project, don’t ask, “How many hours will this take me?”
Ask: “What would the client gladly pay to make this problem disappear?” Even attempting this calculation changes everything.
A surgeon isn’t paid for cutting but for saving lives, which sometimes involves cutting.
Just because you do something (write, design, analyze, coach) doesn’t mean the value is in the doing.
– Employees get paid for hours worked.
– Business owners, even if solo, get paid for outcomes delivered.
The biggest value you bring isn’t doing the work—it’s knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it best.
So stop selling your sweat. Nobody wants it.