本文探讨了一种新的教练付费模式：按效果付费（bounty model）。与传统的按小时收费不同，这种模式激励教练更高效地帮助客户达成目标。该模式特别适用于解决情绪障碍等问题，例如焦虑、不安全感等。客户只有在感受到持久改变后才支付费用，这能更直接地体现教练的价值。作者自2024年7月开始尝试这种模式，并取得了一些成功案例，例如帮助客户克服焦虑、变得自信等。同时，文章也讨论了这种模式的优势和潜在风险，并提出了一些开放性问题，例如其他激励机制的可能性以及该模式在其他领域的应用。

🎯 按效果付费模式的核心在于，教练只有在客户达到预期成果后才能获得报酬，这与传统按小时收费模式形成对比，促使教练更高效地工作。

🚀 这种模式尤其适用于解决情绪障碍，例如焦虑、不安全感和拖延症等，而非技能培养，按效果付费能更直接地体现教练在解决客户长期问题上的价值。

💰 客户只有在感受到持久改变后才支付费用，这有助于确保教练的成果真实有效，同时，也提供了质量控制，教练可以拒绝过早的付款，甚至提供“订阅式赏金”选项。

🤔 虽然按效果付费存在一些潜在风险，例如教练可能为了快速获得报酬而仓促行事，但这些风险在按小时收费模式中也同样存在。作者认为，按效果付费模式通常能更好地对齐教练和客户的利益。

Published on January 3, 2025 6:40 PM GMT

Thanks to Ruby, Stag Lynn, Brian Toomey, Kaj Sotala, Anna Salmon, Damon Sasi, Ethan Kuntz, Alex Zhu, and others for conversations that helped develop these ideas.

Most coaches charge hourly (~$125-300). This makes sense: predictable income, easy scheduling, matches industry norms. But paying for results creates different incentives that can be valuable in specific contexts.

When coaches charge hourly, more sessions = more revenue regardless of progress. With pay-on-results, coaches are incentivized to:

Help clients achieve goals efficientlyDevelop faster methodsTell clients early if they can't helpRefer clients to better-suited practitionersFigure out what actually works for whom^[1]

The pay-on-results/bounty model provides stronger evidence about effectiveness. Most coaching reviews say things like "it was nice" or "transformative!" - which could just be politeness. But when someone pays a significant fraction of their net worth months after working together, that's concrete evidence something valuable happened.

I've been testing this since July 2024. So far:

$40,300 of results in bankExamples: Lifelong anxiety → being called "adventurous" ($3,000), pushover → assertive ($3,000), first procrastination-free week ($7,500)New bounties are for 5 figure sums

The bounty model seems particularly well-suited for unlearning rather than skill-building. My most successful cases involve removing emotional blocks - like anxiety, insecurity, self-rejection, or procrastination. Traditional hourly rates might work better for gradual skill development needing sustained practice and feedback.

This focus on resolving discrete issues differs from typical coaching, which often involves weekly check-ins and ongoing support. That approach makes sense for many goals. But for unblocking specific outcomes, bounties can create better alignment.

I focus on helping people who've had issues for years. When someone quickly resolves a long-term problem while working with me, the causality is usually clear. But not always - sometimes people improve and don't attribute it to our work. That's fine.

Clients only pay when they feel they've achieved lasting change. For quality control, I reject payments I think are too soon, and recently I've started offering a "subscription bounty" option where clients make smaller monthly payments while the results persist. Of course, any incentive structure can be gamed. But while bounties could incentivize practitioners to rush or oversell, these risks exist with hourly rates too. I find pay-on-results often creates better alignment - practitioners succeed only when clients achieve lasting results.

Even hourly practitioners could experiment with adding bounties: "If you completely resolved your issue, how much would you happily pay?" This creates skin in the game while maintaining hourly rates. (I would've loved to do this with the practitioners I saw for my chronic neck pain!) 

Open questions:

What other incentive structures might work better?Have there been previous attempts at pay-on-results coaching?What fields could benefit from pay-on-results?

u>@ChrisChipMonk</u, chrislakin.com/bounty 

1. ^{^}

   In theory, coaches who help clients 10x faster could earn more through volume and reputation even with hourly rates. In practice, clients wouldn't believe such dramatic claims based on testimonials alone.

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