How we engage — not a rate card.
Three commercial shapes: retainers, scoped projects, and venture partnership. Pick the one that matches how you want to work — then we talk numbers.
Three shapes
Retainer, project, or partnership — so you can self-qualify.
We size the engagement to the problem, not a package. The shape below tells you more about fit than a day rate ever would.
01 / Retainer
Ongoing capacity
- Typical for fractional CTO and coaching
- Usually 1–2 days per week, months not weeks
- Embedded rhythm: decisions, cadence, people
- Best when the work is continuous, not a one-off deliverable
02 / Project
Scoped start and end
- Audits, delivery resets, targeted builds
- Clear artefact, owners, and a finish line
- Sometimes followed by a short retainer while changes land
- Best when you need a specific outcome, not ongoing seat-time
03 / Venture
Skin in the game
- Time, equity, or hybrid — aligned with the risk
- Often paid while we prove fit; equity for sustained co-build
- We invest in founders we believe in, not pitch decks
- Best when you want a partner in the work, not a vendor
Self-qualify
Which shape fits — before we talk money.
Lean retainer if…
- You need senior judgement week after week
- Roadmap, hiring, or board signal is the job
- A full-time CTO hire is premature or wrong
Lean project if…
- You want a clear diagnosis or a fixed deliverable
- Diligence, an audit, or a delivery unblock is the trigger
- You’re not ready to commit to ongoing capacity yet
Lean venture if…
- You’re building something worth years, not a sprint
- You want a co-builder with incentives that match yours
- Cash alone won’t buy the commitment you need
Not a fit if…
- You need a body shop or a fixed bid for unclear scope
- You want a pitch deck polished, not a product shipped
- You’re shopping purely on lowest day rate
How pricing works
Numbers after fit — not before.
We don’t publish rates. Once the shape is clear, we propose a simple commercial model: retainer days, a project fee, or a hybrid with equity. Hybrids are common when reality doesn’t match the brochure.
What we price on
- Seniority and time committed
- Duration and how embedded we need to be
- Risk shared vs. risk you carry alone
What you get in writing
- Scope, cadence, and decision rights
- What “done” or “in” means
- How either side can stop or reshape
What happens next
- Short call to check fit
- A simple proposal — not a 40-page RFP
- Start lean; expand only if it’s working
Then pick a track