The Win Without Pitching Manifesto
by Blair Enns · first published 2010
11mentions
6recommended by
6HN commenters
2012–2024first – last mentioned
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
A practical guide for freelancers and service businesses on value pricing and moving away from hourly billing. It is a free, short read for anyone starting out or rethinking how they sell their work.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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…business, I wish they'd been there when I started. To name a few. - Jonathan Stark.com - Hourly Billing is Nuts - Gareth Healey - Standout or Die - Jason Swenk - Agency Playbook - Blair Enns - The Win Without Pitching Manifesto - Blair Enns - Pricing Creativity - Traction - Gino Wickman Running a dev shop can be incredibly rewarding and fun, especially if you love the work you're doing. Building a business will be like learning…
on “Ask HN: Starting a Development Shop” ↗Three non-fiction books that really changed my life, at different moments of my life: 1. Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone 2. The Teenage Liberation Handbook 3. The Win Without Pitching Manifesto I read a lot of fiction across many genres, but my long-time favourite is Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon.
on “Ask HN: Which books you have read till now that were worth investing time in?” ↗…resources for value pricing and ditching hourly billing: Jonathan Stark - Any of his books, podcast and website www.jonathanstark.com Ronald J. Baker -- Implementing Value Pricing Blaire Enns -- The win without pitching manifesto
on “Ask HN: Hourly billers, do you bill for only focused work?” ↗…this before you commit to building it because if you don't have chemistry, you're not going to take the gig. What you do is the literal best-case scenario for value based pricing. After having read "The Win Without Pitching Manifesto" by Blair Enns, some of the comments on this thread feel like mosquitoes trying to get in between your toes. If you absolutely must, you can say something that alludes pricing that won't get you fired…
on “Ask HN: How do people create those sleek looking demos for startups?” ↗Read the book - "Win Without Pitching Manifesto" by Blair Enns
on “Ask HN: How to convince my client to pay more?” ↗…spanning between Japan and the US in a little-impacted industry (education). Don't put all your eggs in one basket. - I would strongly encourage everyone who's considering making a leap to read "The Win Without Pitching Manifesto" https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/the-manifesto/ - Due to a sheer volume of my incoming emails I can't answer all of them, but do let me know if you are interested in working with me!
on “My First Year as a Freelance AI Engineer” ↗Mandatory reading: win without pitching manifesto I was skeptical for too long about this kind of advice and I've paid my fair share in lost opportunities. It really, really works. http://www.winwithoutpitching.com/the-manifesto/
on “Ask HN: How do I start my own consulting firm?” ↗…Breaking the Time Barrier (free ebook) https://www.freshbooks.com/ebooks/breaking-the-time-barrier 2) The Single Founder Handbook (not free but worth it) http://www.singlefounderhandbook.com/ 3) The Win Without Pitching Manifesto (read for free online) http://www.winwithoutpitching.com/the-manifesto/
on “Ask HN: Solo founders, what do you struggle with the most?” ↗…different, there is no apples to apples comparison possible. Likewise, are you going to take every customer that is willing to pay you? I sure hope not. I recommend that you block off some time and read The Win Without Pitching Manifesto. It is free online and seriously worth your time if you plan to work as a freelancer. http://www.winwithoutpitching.com/manifesto?toc
on “Ask HN: So, what is your problem?” ↗The hardest part for me was learning how to spot good clients from bad clients. Reading the "Win without pitching" manifesto"[1] transformed my business (I'm not affiliated in any way). "Breaking the time barrier"[2] is also a good book I wish to have found earlier. [1] https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/the-manifesto/ [2]…
on “Ask HN: Resources/Steps for Becoming a Consultant?” ↗…arbitrarily limiting the value you capture to the number of hours you work. Likewise, a client that doesn't trust you or sees no value in discovery is a client you want to avoid. I urge you to read the Win Without Pitching manifesto, which might be the most important business book I've ever read: https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/ I don't really consider one person to be a consultancy, so I'm going to presume that there's going…
on “Ask HN: What was your experience starting a tech consultancy?” ↗