Pricing / Startup Tier - Flexible engineering support for growing teams
Not everyone needs a full-time partner. Some teams need light, flexible support. Some need tactical work (implement Clerk, patch vulnerabilities). Some are in maintenance mode. That's what Startup is for.
$5,000/month, month-to-month. Work flows throughout the month: audits, reviews, small features, integrations, refactoring. You own priorities. We own execution. Simple.
What's included - Engineering support, on your terms
The Startup tier is flexible by design. Whether you need a one-month security audit, ongoing maintenance, or someone to implement Clerk this week, we adapt. Here's what you get.
- Codebase Audit & Assessment.
We review your codebase for architectural issues, tech debt, and scalability concerns. If you built with AI, we identify where corners were cut. You get a detailed report: what's solid, what needs attention, and a prioritized roadmap. This typically takes 1-2 weeks depending on complexity.
- Security Hardening.
We audit for common vulnerabilities: SQL injection, auth gaps, input validation, dependency vulnerabilities, and cloud misconfigurations. We patch what we find and document the fixes. This work happens early in the engagement and continues through monthly code reviews.
- AWS Foundation & Optimization.
We set up or audit your AWS infrastructure: CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, logging, security groups, IAM roles. We identify cost waste (idle instances, misconfigured services, unnecessary redundancy) and optimize. Many clients see 20-40% cost reduction with no loss of performance.
- Third-Party Integrations.
Need auth? We implement Clerk. Payment processing? Stripe is integrated. Observability? We set up monitoring and alerting. Email, SMS, webhooks, analytics—we handle the setup, testing, and documentation. This work is often a standalone project: "Can you add Clerk by end of week?"
- Small Features & Bug Fixes.
Beyond cleanup, we ship code. Bug fixes, small features, UX improvements, performance tweaks—these are woven into the month. Nothing too complex (that's Growth tier), but meaningful work that moves your product forward. Examples: fix a race condition, optimize a slow database query, add a missing form validation.
- Weekly Updates & Support.
You get a weekly async update: what we worked on, what shipped, what's next, and any blockers. Slack or email for questions (24-48 hr response). We integrate into your PM tools (Jira, Linear, Notion) so work is always visible. No surprises, no scope creep.
How it works in practice - Real scenarios, real work
The Startup tier is designed to flex. Here's how it shows up in the wild.
We just shipped an AI-built MVP
You know it works, but it's a mess. Security gaps, no infrastructure, technical debt everywhere. You sign up for Startup. Month 1: we audit, patch vulnerabilities, and set up AWS with CI/CD. Month 2: we refactor critical paths and implement missing auth. Month 3: code reviews keep things clean. You're now production-ready and confident. You might stick with Startup for maintenance or graduate to Growth when you need faster feature velocity.
We're a Growth client, but this month is quiet
You've been on Growth for 6 months, but your roadmap is light this month—just maintenance and a small Stripe integration. You downgrade to Startup for the month. We implement Stripe, do code reviews, and optimize your database query that's been slow. Next month, more work comes in, you upgrade back to Growth. No long-term commitment required.
We just need Clerk implemented
You're a small team and auth is your biggest blocker. You hire us for Startup tier for one month. We implement Clerk end-to-end: setup, testing, deployment, documentation. You're live in 3 weeks. If you need more work, you extend. If you're done, you're done. No retainer lock-in.
We need ongoing maintenance
Your app is stable and in maintenance mode. You have the occasional bug, a small feature every few weeks, and you want someone reviewing PRs and keeping infrastructure costs down. Startup tier is perfect. You get consistent support without the cost of a full-time engineer or the commitment of Growth.
Setting expectations - How the month actually works
Flexibility sounds great, but you need to know what to expect. Here's the reality.
- Work is spread throughout the month.
You don't get a big chunk of time at the start. Work flows as priorities emerge: code reviews happen as PRs land, integrations get done when ready, bugs get fixed as reported. We track everything and keep you in the loop.
- Communication is async-first.
Weekly updates, Slack/email for questions. We work in your PM tools and respect your timezone. If something is urgent, we triage it within 24-48 hours.
- Scope is collaborative.
You own priorities. We propose what we can fit in the month based on complexity and availability. If something bigger comes up, we discuss whether it fits or moves to next month.
- This tier is not unlimited.
Startup gives you dedicated support, but it's lighter than Growth or Enterprise. If you need someone full-time or doing major feature work, Growth is the better fit.
- You can scale up or down.
Month-to-month flexibility. Need more work? Upgrade to Growth. Need less? Downgrade or pause. No penalties, no long contracts.
- We're invested in your success.
This isn't a task checklist. We care about your product and code quality. We'll flag issues, propose optimizations, and guide you toward better decisions.
Pricing - Simple, transparent, month-to-month
$5,000 per month. No contracts, no surprises. Cancel anytime, upgrade when you need more.
Startup
- ✓Codebase audit and security hardening
- ✓AWS foundation setup and cost optimization
- ✓Third-party integrations (Clerk, Stripe, etc.)
- ✓PR reviews and code quality enforcement
- ✓Execution roadmap to production
- ✓Weekly async updates
- ✓Slack/email support (24–48 hr response)
Starting at
$5,000
/month
Month-to-month, no lock-in
Cancel anytime. Upgrade to Growth or Enterprise if your needs change. Downgrade or pause if things get quiet. We're flexible because we believe the work should speak for itself.
Everything tracked and visible
Weekly updates show what we shipped, time spent, and next steps. No surprises. No scope creep. You always know what you're paying for.
Is Startup right for you? - Quick comparison
Not sure if Startup is the fit? Here's how to think about it.
| Tier | Best for | Work type | Commitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Only | Want clarity before committing | Assessment + roadmap | One-time |
| Startup | Light ongoing support, tactical work, maintenance | Audits, fixes, integrations, reviews | Month-to-month |
| Growth | Regular feature development, active optimization | Features, refactoring, strategy sessions | Month-to-month |
| Enterprise | Dedicated engineering partner, full ownership | Strategic partnership, proactive work | Month-to-month |
Choose Startup if:
- ✓ You need lighter, more flexible support
- ✓ Work is sporadic or maintenance-heavy
- ✓ You want to test the waters first
- ✓ You don't have a consistent backlog yet
Consider Growth if:
- ✓ You have a clear backlog
- ✓ Your team is busy and can't reach tech debt
- ✓ You need consistent coding capacity
- ✓ You control priorities and we execute
Consider Enterprise if:
- ✓ You need full-time equivalent engineer
- ✓ You're scaling fast and need proactive work
- ✓ You need strategic input on major decisions
- ✓ You need dedicated architecture ownership