There are people in the ML fields right now getting those rates for 1-2 person shops. That is where I have seen this. It totally does depend on the field though

There are people in the ML fields right now getting those rates for 1-2 person shops. That is where I have seen this. It totally does depend on the field though. Look, I totally understand that you cannot walk off the street and get those rates for project. You need to work your way up, specialize, build a reputation, and cultivate the correct clients, etc. That is all I am trying to get at. My strategy would not be to charge by the hour after the initial stages. I was just trying to make the point that you can focus on the end results. But, different strokes for different folks. There is always multiple ways of going about things. The thread rpeden references is a really sound way to implementing this plan.