Engagement & rates
Fixed-scope when there’s a finish line, a retainer when there isn’t, advisory when you need judgment over hands. Scoped and priced in writing before any work begins.
Fixed-scope project
A defined build, a defined price
0→1 builds, scale work, and integrations with a clear finish line.
- A written scope & milestones
- A fixed or capped price
- Weekly demo + written update
- Code, IaC & docs you own
- Two weeks of post-launch support
Engineering retainer
Reserved days, every week
Embedded staff-IC work and ongoing build capacity with continuity.
- Reserved capacity (days/week)
- Hands-on building & review
- Direct access on Slack
- Monthly written summary
- No long lock-in — 30-day notice
Advisory retainer
Fractional technical leadership
Founders who need senior judgment, architecture, and hiring help.
- Weekly office hours
- Architecture & security reviews
- Hiring & interview support
- A maintained roadmap
- Async access between calls
Short, scoped work is also available hourly at $200–$285/hr.
Rates are indicative starting points for this template and depend on scope, duration, and stage. Everything is scoped and quoted in writing before work begins — no agency markup, no surprise invoices.
From first call to clean handoff.
Discovery
A call and a short written brief: what you’re building, what hurts, what “done” looks like, and the real constraints. No charge, no pitch.
Architecture & plan
A lightweight design — diagrams, ADRs, and a scoped plan with milestones and a fixed or capped price, in writing, before any code.
Iterative delivery
Small, reviewable increments shipped behind a weekly demo and a written update. You see progress every week, not at the end.
Handoff & support
Docs, runbooks, and a walkthrough so your team can run it without me — plus a support window after launch. You own everything.
You own everything
Code, infra-as-code, and docs are assigned to you on payment under a work-for-hire clause. No lock-in.
Scoped in writing
A short MSA plus a per-engagement statement of work: scope, milestones, IP, NDA, and a 30-day notice for retainers.
No agency markup
You work with me directly. Professional liability insurance on file; I can sign reasonable client paper.
Rates and ranges shown are indicative starting points for this template and vary by scope, duration, and stage. Every engagement is scoped and quoted in writing before work begins. Work product is assigned to the client on payment under a standard work-for-hire / IP-assignment clause; pre-existing open-source components remain under their respective licenses.