How We Engage
We name the model and the price before the proposal. Here are the four shapes we use, and when each one fits.
Models
Four commercial structures
Every engagement uses one of these four models. We recommend the shape that fits your scope, your risk tolerance, and your procurement process.
Fixed Bid
- Best for
- Well-scoped work, clear deliverables, limited unknowns.
- What you get
- Defined price. Defined outcome. No surprises.
- The tradeoff
- Scope changes require a change order. Less flexibility mid-engagement.
Time & Materials
- Best for
- Discovery, exploratory work, or engagements where the scope will evolve.
- What you get
- Weekly invoicing against actual hours. Full visibility into burn.
- The tradeoff
- Price is open-ended. Client carries the risk of scope creep.
Retainer
- Best for
- Ongoing advisory, fractional CTO or CISO, or continuous engineering capacity.
- What you get
- Predictable monthly cost. Priority access. Accrued hours.
- The tradeoff
- Commit to a minimum term. Unused hours may or may not roll over by agreement.
Capped T&M
- Best for
- Engagements where scope is mostly clear but discovery may surface surprises.
- What you get
- Pay for actuals up to a ceiling. Below the cap you save; at the cap it stops.
- The tradeoff
- Cap-setting requires honest scoping. Neither party wants to hit the ceiling.
House rules
How we price, always
-
We name the model in every proposal. It's never buried.
-
When a client can't choose, we recommend one. Usually: fixed bid for phase 1 to build trust, T&M or retainer after.
-
We say 'price,' not 'investment.' Consulting that uses 'investment' is hiding the number.
-
Estimates are ranges with the assumptions that produced them, not a single confident number.
Deliverables
Two proposal formats
Proposal format follows the engagement shape. We don't send a forty-page deck for a six-week integration build, and we don't condense a platform migration into five pages. We pick the format that serves the work.
Long-form proposal
Used for multi-workstream engagements and multi-quarter commerce work. Fifteen to forty pages. Ends with engagement model, price, and timeline on a single page. No appendix shell game.
Engagement brief
Used for discrete six-to-twelve week engagements. Roughly five pages. Reads like product documentation, not a consulting deck. Opinionated, specific, and built to get a yes without a meeting.