This entire article fully resonates with me and it's exactly why I prioritized my finances. I wanted to put myself in a position to quit those meaningless jobs and do work I found meaningful.
This is so true. Not where I want to be yet but doing the 3 things you mentioned - an aspirational hourly rate, concentration of force, and giving myself no other option but to succeed – allowed me to get further in 3 years than I ever would have otherwise.
Dan, I can't believe this essay is free. I read it, then read it again, and spent a few hours thinking. For that, and only that, I appreciate it a lot.
What I like most here isn't the obsession with wealth per se, more the clarity of purpose. The idea of setting a delusional hourly rate works like a confrontation with our inner apathy. This too gave me a headache (in a good way, from thinking about it too much 😅). I really loved what you said about rejecting a 5k hourly gig, because of the honesty behind giving a value good enough to make that money worth it. That would probably take you more than a few hours, and I can relate to that train of thought completely!
On that note, do you set a healthy balance between a realistic hourly rate compared to that aspirational rate? From my perspective, that is the sweet spot, right?
Well, i have seen plenty of people obsessed with being rich. Taxi drivers, toilet cleaners. There is no guaranteed way to become rich. This involves luck, and thas beyond human control.
The aspirational hourly rate is powerful—but not universally applicable.
In general, it only makes sense if a person’s actual hourly rate is in fact higher than the value gained by doing something like returning an item. It's not about an "impossible" fiction one might imagine.
If you don't have the money to buy a new toy for your child, working instead on your next product launch might be a good aspiration for the future—but it doesn't help your child's current situation.
In this situation, you have to do both: work on the next product launch and spend 5–10 minutes returning the item. The Pareto Principle often applies here—focus on the small efforts that deliver large results.
Moreover, for living systems, this principle can't be applied at all, I think. Take caring for your elderly or sick parent. If you were to outsource this as a paid service, you might be able to earn more money elsewhere. Yet the intrinsic value of caring, and all it encompasses, can't be measured in money. In such cases, a healthy form of selfishness—acting in alignment with your values—is more meaningful than following an aspirational hourly rate.
The same applies to repairing a cherished item—maybe something old but beloved, belonging to your child or yourself. The value that is restored when that item works again, or is “healed,” can’t be replaced or traded for any other money payment, although that money could instead buy 100 or what not of such items.
The world doesn’t need more passive minds waiting to be told what to do. It needs people who are ruthless enough to choose their game, master their voice, and become someone no system can swallow.
This wasn’t a motivational post. It was a line in the sand. And I heard it. 😊
The aspirational hourly rate discussion is really helpful for me. I am coming from a billable hour environment (law) where we bill for all (well, mostly all) hours worked. Very different than what you described where a client call may last 1 hour, but the payment for that hour has to cover all associated time, so it's not $5k/hr, it's 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 of that depending on what you need to do outside the call itself to create that value.
This entire article fully resonates with me and it's exactly why I prioritized my finances. I wanted to put myself in a position to quit those meaningless jobs and do work I found meaningful.
This is so true. Not where I want to be yet but doing the 3 things you mentioned - an aspirational hourly rate, concentration of force, and giving myself no other option but to succeed – allowed me to get further in 3 years than I ever would have otherwise.
Thank you, Dan. I always look forward to your letters. You are appreciated!
Thanks Dan!
Dan, I can't believe this essay is free. I read it, then read it again, and spent a few hours thinking. For that, and only that, I appreciate it a lot.
What I like most here isn't the obsession with wealth per se, more the clarity of purpose. The idea of setting a delusional hourly rate works like a confrontation with our inner apathy. This too gave me a headache (in a good way, from thinking about it too much 😅). I really loved what you said about rejecting a 5k hourly gig, because of the honesty behind giving a value good enough to make that money worth it. That would probably take you more than a few hours, and I can relate to that train of thought completely!
On that note, do you set a healthy balance between a realistic hourly rate compared to that aspirational rate? From my perspective, that is the sweet spot, right?
I really enjoy your spiritual/philosophical tone paired with brutal realism and clarity. These are great insights.
Well, i have seen plenty of people obsessed with being rich. Taxi drivers, toilet cleaners. There is no guaranteed way to become rich. This involves luck, and thas beyond human control.
We set our rates too low because we rate other people's lives around us too high.
I’ve chased momentum before clarity way too many times! Slowing down to actually think feels underrated, and kind of like the real flex. 🤔
I am so fucking adicted to your writing Dan. ;-)
Dam, no matter what I open it revitalize me and help me push forward. I am in deep awe of your Art of writing.
The aspirational hourly rate is powerful—but not universally applicable.
In general, it only makes sense if a person’s actual hourly rate is in fact higher than the value gained by doing something like returning an item. It's not about an "impossible" fiction one might imagine.
If you don't have the money to buy a new toy for your child, working instead on your next product launch might be a good aspiration for the future—but it doesn't help your child's current situation.
In this situation, you have to do both: work on the next product launch and spend 5–10 minutes returning the item. The Pareto Principle often applies here—focus on the small efforts that deliver large results.
Moreover, for living systems, this principle can't be applied at all, I think. Take caring for your elderly or sick parent. If you were to outsource this as a paid service, you might be able to earn more money elsewhere. Yet the intrinsic value of caring, and all it encompasses, can't be measured in money. In such cases, a healthy form of selfishness—acting in alignment with your values—is more meaningful than following an aspirational hourly rate.
The same applies to repairing a cherished item—maybe something old but beloved, belonging to your child or yourself. The value that is restored when that item works again, or is “healed,” can’t be replaced or traded for any other money payment, although that money could instead buy 100 or what not of such items.
Which rich are you aiming at?
Go for the impossible one — aim for all of them.
The world doesn’t need more passive minds waiting to be told what to do. It needs people who are ruthless enough to choose their game, master their voice, and become someone no system can swallow.
This wasn’t a motivational post. It was a line in the sand. And I heard it. 😊
The aspirational hourly rate discussion is really helpful for me. I am coming from a billable hour environment (law) where we bill for all (well, mostly all) hours worked. Very different than what you described where a client call may last 1 hour, but the payment for that hour has to cover all associated time, so it's not $5k/hr, it's 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 of that depending on what you need to do outside the call itself to create that value.
Rich like bitch
https://substack.com/@martinzuzak/note/c-134247761?r=3en26e
Red pill. Choosing blue pill and staying in the same place forever is a no-go.
Money isn't everything but having enough solves an awfull lot of problems.
Great motivation!