Interesting. I think I agree with this, though the hourly rate curve might be more of a inverse bell curve. Very little work means I need a lot of pay to support myself from just a few hours of work. Medium amount of work means I can get by on a relatively lower per hour rate. But to get me motivated to work extreme hours then I might need extreme rewards. The curve is, however, distorted by things like especially interesting projects and a somewhat obsessive drive to produce something I'm proud of.