Engagement model
Hourly / T&M
Exploratory work, audits, advisory, niche extensions. Easy to start, easy to stop.
Hourly is the right starting point when the scope is fuzzy. Spend 20–40 hours with us on discovery, prototyping, and a proof-of-concept. We'll know exactly what the full build looks like by the end — and at that point, we can convert into a Fixed-fee Sprint. Hours already spent count toward the sprint.
Numbers
- Engineering rate
- $25 / hour
- Senior architects + AI specialists
- $35 / hour
- Monthly minimum
- 20 hours
- Below 20 hours
- One-time engagement at flat fee
Best for
- Discovery + proof-of-concept work where scope is unclear
- Audits and advisory engagements
- Adding a small AI capability to an existing in-house build
- Companies who want to validate ROI before committing to a sprint
Not for
- Multi-month builds (use Sprint or Retainer)
- Engagements with hard deadlines (hourly doesn't optimize for speed)
- Anything below 20 hours / month over the long run
What you get
- Tracked time via Toggl with weekly detailed breakdowns
- Weekly invoice with hours by engineer
- Same senior engineers as fixed-fee — no juniors
- Easy conversion to Fixed-fee Sprint when scope tightens
Payment terms
Invoiced weekly for the prior week's hours, payable Net-15. Toggl-tracked, detailed hours breakdown with every invoice. First-time clients usually 30% upfront on the first engagement.
FAQ
Why a 20-hour minimum?
Below 20 hours/month, the overhead (kickoff, context-switching, status updates, invoicing) eats the engagement. You'd pay for our overhead, not output. For genuinely small work, book a one-time engagement at a flat fee instead.
Can I convert to a Sprint mid-engagement?
Yes — and we recommend it once scope is clear. Hours already logged count toward the Sprint total. The conversion is one paragraph in your SOW.
Why so much cheaper than US/EU agencies?
Geography. Same caliber of senior engineer, based in India. See /vs/agency for the honest comparison.
Talk it through.
20 min. We'll tell you whether this is the right model for your situation — and if not, which is.
