A recurring session with a senior architect plus async access in between - for the decisions you'd normally have no one to pressure-test with. A few hours a month, cancel any time.
Non-technical founders deciding what to build and who to trust. Technical founders who miss having a peer to argue with. Engineering leads promoted into calls they haven't made before - vendor selection, first platform bets, the hire that shapes the team.
The retainer gives you a standing claim on senior judgment without the weight of a full engagement. Bring the decision; leave with the options mapped, the risks named, and a recommendation you can disagree with intelligently.
Advisory is judgment on demand; embedded is judgment plus execution. On retainer I don't attend your standups or own your backlog - I'm the person you bring the hard calls to. It's a natural place to start, and it can grow into an embedded engagement if the need does.
A flat monthly fee, quoted on the intro call based on cadence and access. It's deliberately the lightest-weight way to work together.
No. Month to month, cancel any time. Advisory only works if you keep it because it's useful.
Within two business days, usually sooner. If something is genuinely urgent, say so - the retainer includes reasonable urgency, not a pager.
A 30-minute intro call to see whether a retainer fits how you work.