So what happens when that $75 number actually works for someone just starting out and they land the gig? I get what you're saying about the echo chamber, but some of those folks in the groups are quoting real jobs they finished, not just making stuff up. The number has to come from somewhere, and if a beginner has zero clients and no mentor, a forum might be the only place they can read what others charge. My first paying gig was $50 for a band poster and yeah, it was low, but it got me a referral that turned into a $400 album cover two months later. The point is the number matters less than what you do with the job after you get it.

My buddy had the same thing happen with a beat up Miata guy at a track day who told him his blow off valve was set up wrong, and he blew him off too until his turbo started eating oil. Two weeks later he pulled the intake and it was full of oil, dude was spot on. Sometimes the guy in the crusty car has forgotten more than we'll ever know.