Sliding Scale
Every paid offer at Fishpole uses a five-tier sliding scale. No proof, no application, no judgment—you choose the level that's honest for where you are right now.
The Five Levels
The default tier is Standard—the price that reflects the full value of what you receive and keeps this work sustainable. Move down if you need to. Move up if you can. The price you pay is between you and your own honest read of your circumstances.
For those building on a tight budget, in the early planting season of their work, or navigating a hard chapter. Take this tier without needing to justify it—there's no application, no means test, no follow-up. Your access matters more than our margin.
For folks with steady-enough income who want a sustainable rate but aren't in a position to pay the full base. Right when you'd notice the spend at Standard, you'd feel it but you'd still cover it—and a lower tier would feel dishonest given where you actually are.
The base price that reflects the full value of what you receive and sustains this work. Right for most folks with comfortable income who'd happily pay market rate for comparable work elsewhere. If you're not sure where you land, this is the tier we'd point you to.
For those in a season of abundance who want to invest more in this work and the community around it. Picks up real slack in the lower tiers and keeps the lights on during quieter months.
Your contribution directly funds a Community Supported spot for someone else. You're not just paying for your own access—you're holding the door open. This is the tier for people whose financial good fortune has been disproportionate to their effort, and who know it.
Why Sliding Scale
A flat price says "this is what it costs and you either qualify or you don't." A sliding scale says something different: that the people who most need this work are often the ones least able to pay full market rate for it, and that's a design problem worth solving instead of an unfortunate accident.
We didn't invent this model. We learned it from people who've been practicing values-based pricing for a long time, and we're building on what they've shown us.
Starhawk · on power-conscious exchange
"What we pay for things teaches us what we think they're worth, and what we think the people who provide them are worth. A sliding scale is a way of refusing to let the market decide that for us."
Adapted from Starhawk's writing on community economics · starhawk.orgEmbracing Equity · on values-based pricing
A sliding scale isn't charity and it isn't a discount—it's a recognition that wealth, income, and access aren't distributed by merit. The scale lets each person contribute according to their real circumstances rather than a single posted price that pretends those circumstances don't exist.
Framework adapted from embracingequity.orgWorts & Cunning Apothecary · on community sustainability
"The sliding scale isn't a loophole. It's the price—a range that holds the work and the community together. The people who can pay more do, the people who need to pay less do, and the work continues."
Adapted from the practice at wortsandcunning.comHow to Choose
We're not going to tell you which tier you "deserve." That framing is part of what we're trying to refuse. But here's the rough self-test we'd offer if you asked us:
There is no audit. We don't check. We don't ask for your tax return or your story. The scale works because it's grounded in trust, and the trust is the point.
The sliding scale shows up everywhere we price something. Take a look.
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