Based on the landing page it sounds like the $4,900 sites aren’t just simple content sites:

Online Sites – Easily accept one-time, recurring payments, reach your customers, and design your site so it stands apart and converts more…
Educational Websites – Create a single platform that helps you connect with your audience, build a following and earn an income…

I’m imagining deep WooCommerce integrations and the service leveraging the entire WooCommerce ecosystem as well as all the other plugins, themes, tools, etc.

How can freelancer’s and small agencies compete with this? I have to believe this could impact larger agencies as well, why spend $30k if you can spend a fraction of that…

Are we seeing evidence of a new “trickle-up” economic theory:
Mullenweg responded to them, saying he is “100% certain this will drive more up-market consulting in the future”

I have a really hard time seeing this as good for anyone, except for an Automattic IPO…