How We Work
You see the work before you pay for any of it.
Most agencies send proposals. We send working prototypes. You interact with what we built, decide if it solves the problem, and only then do we talk about the next phase — at a fixed price for a fixed scope.
The offer
We build a working prototype before we send an invoice.
Scope the project on a 30-minute call. We build a working version of the highest-value part of what you need — our time, our cost. On day 14 you see it running. If it solves the problem and you want to continue, we quote the full engagement. If not, you keep what we built. The risk is ours. The prototype is yours either way.
The process
Day 0
Scoping call — 30 minutes
You describe the problem. We ask the uncomfortable questions: what have you already tried, what does success look like in 90 days, what's the real constraint. We'll tell you if we're the right fit — or if what you need doesn't require an engineering agency. No prep needed on your end.
Outcome: we either agree there's a fit and define what the prototype will demonstrate, or we tell you why it isn't one.
Week 1–2
We build — at our risk
We build a working version of the highest-value part of what you need. No status calls, no project management overhead, no daily check-ins. We work; then we show you. Your time investment in this phase is zero.
Outcome: a functional prototype deployed to a preview URL you can interact with and share with your team.
Day 14
Review call — you interact with it
We walk you through what we built and why. You interact with it live. You ask every question you have. If it doesn't solve the problem — say so. There is no invoice, no awkwardness, no pressure. We'd rather have an honest conversation than a reluctant client.
Outcome: you either want to continue or you don't. Both are fine answers.
Week 3+
Fixed scope, fixed price
If you want to continue, we propose a complete scope with a single fixed price. You know the full cost before we start. We deliver to an agreed timeline. Final payment comes after you've verified delivery meets what we scoped together.
Outcome: a production-ready system, built by the same senior engineer who scoped and prototyped it.
What the prototype includes
Web Development
- Working build of 2–3 key pages in Next.js
- Mobile-responsive, 90+ Lighthouse performance
- Connected to your CMS or headless CMS
- Deployed to a preview URL you can share
- Before/after Lighthouse audit included
AI Engineering
- Functional RAG pipeline or AI feature on your actual data
- Working demo interface you can interact with
- Cost estimate for running at your production scale
- Evaluation setup — how we'll measure quality, not just vibes
- Architecture doc: what to build next and why
What it doesn't include
- Full content migration (we build the template, not the encyclopedia)
- Production hosting, domain setup, ongoing maintenance
- The complete system — this is chapter one, not the whole book
Why we do this
We're a young company. You found us through a search result or an email — not a referral from someone you trust. You have no reason to believe we can do what we say we can.
We know that. The prototype offer exists because we would rather prove we can do the work than ask you to take it on faith. Most agencies ask for 50% upfront before you've seen a single line of code. We think that arrangement benefits the agency, not the client.
We have built production systems that have improved query accuracy from 58% to 91%, cut LCP from 4.8 seconds to 1.1 seconds, and reduced LLM costs by 60% through model routing. We know what we can do. The prototype is how we show you — before the conversation about money.
4 weeks
Typical time to first production delivery
Fixed price
Always — no hourly billing, no surprises
Senior only
The engineer who scopes it builds it
< 24h
Response time on all enquiries
Common questions
What if the prototype doesn't meet expectations?
Tell us in the review call. We'll either fix the specific issue or tell you honestly if what you need is something we can't do well. Either answer is useful — you've spent two weeks and one call to find out, not six months and a large invoice.
How do you make money if you build for free first?
Most clients who see a working prototype want to continue. We've scoped the prototype to demonstrate value on the part of your problem that matters most — which is usually the part that makes the full build obviously worth it. We're betting on our own work quality, not asking you to.
What do I need to provide to get started?
Two hours of your time: one scoping call and one review call. Plus access to any data or systems the prototype should use (for AI builds) or your brand assets and content brief (for web builds). That's it. We don't need project managers, long onboarding documents, or weekly check-ins.
What does it cost after the prototype?
Fixed price for a fixed scope. A typical web development engagement runs $8,000–$35,000 depending on complexity. AI engineering typically runs $15,000–$60,000 for a first production system. We give you the complete number before you commit to the next phase. No retainer, no hourly billing, no surprises.
How long does the full engagement take?
Web builds: 3–8 weeks from scope sign-off to delivery. AI engineering: 4–10 weeks for a production-ready first system. The timeline depends heavily on how fast you turn around reviews and content — when clients respond within 24 hours, we've never missed a delivery date.
Who actually does the work?
The senior engineer who runs your scoping call writes your code. There is no account manager who disappears after the sale, no junior bench your project gets handed to. If you're talking to someone about your project, that person is building it.
Ready to start?
Tell us what you want to build.
30-minute call. We scope the prototype, tell you what we'd build and why, and give you a realistic timeline. If it's not a fit, we'll tell you that too.
Book the scoping call