Why agencies charge so much
- You pay for their org chart Account managers, sales reps, project leads, junior devs. A whole layer of people who never touch your work, all billed back to you.
- Billable hours reward slowness When you pay by the hour, a three week job has a habit of becoming a six week invoice. The incentive points the wrong way.
- Software markups and lock-in Many resell tools at a markup and keep you on a forever retainer. The day you stop paying, your system stops working.
- The brand tax At the top end, you are funding their awards, case studies and referral network. Not better software.