guest@make-directory:~$ cat ./ways-to-work-with-us.md

make-directory:~/engagement

Ways to Work With Us

One engagement model, five ways in. What changes as you move up is how much of the team you can call on, and how much of the thinking we take off your hands. If you are not sure which one fits, the assessment exists to answer exactly that.

the difference is who decides what gets built

EssentialYou set the direction. We execute.

GrowthYou set the direction. We help shape it.

PartnerWe help set the direction, and we own delivering it.

EnterpriseWe operate as part of your organization.

Compare what’s included

guest@make-directory:~$ cat ./start-here.md

start here if you are not sure

Most people do not know which tier they need. That is what this is for.

from $1,500 one-time

A documented read on what exists, what is at risk, and what it would take to fix — useful on its own, whether or not you continue with us.

Already know the scope and just need it built? Skip ahead to Essential or Growth.

Start an Assessment

What exists, documented in plain language
A risk register covering code, deploys, data, access, and infrastructure
A recommendation: stabilize, automate, rebuild, integrate, or leave alone
A phased implementation roadmap with sequencing
Estimated phases and investment

guest@make-directory:~$ ls ./ongoing-tiers

four ongoing relationships

Find the one that describes where you are today.

Each figure is where an engagement starts. Where yours lands depends on how much you are handing over, and we agree that with you before anything begins.

Essential

You set the direction. We execute.

from $1,999 per month

Dependable development for systems that work and need to keep working. A developer, with senior review when something warrants it.

You’re here if

Your systems basically work. You need someone dependable to keep them working and make changes when you ask.

You have a list of things to fix or add
You know what you want and need hands
Nothing on the list requires deciding strategy

When the work starts needing design, or someone to help decide what to build, Growth fits better.

Talk about Essential

Growth

You set the direction. We help shape it.

from $3,499 per month

A multidisciplinary team continuously improving what you run. The difference from Essential is capability, not hours.

You’re here if

You are actively improving your systems, and the work is bigger than one developer working through a list.

There is a roadmap, even an informal one
Work needs design as well as code
You are adding capability, not just maintaining it

When you want someone accountable for the technical decisions while you focus elsewhere, that is Partner.

Talk about Growth

Partnermost common

We help set the direction, and we own delivering it.

from $7,500 per month

Product, engineering, and technical leadership without building the department. Technical ownership rather than staff augmentation.

You’re here if

Technology matters to your business and no one inside it owns the technical decisions.

You would hire a technical lead if you could justify the role
Decisions stall because nobody is accountable
You are building something, not just maintaining it

Enterprise adds named people, formal SLAs, and compliance support.

Talk about Partner

Enterprise

We operate as part of your organization.

Custom contract

Embedded engineering under formal terms, alongside internal IT, with a dedicated technical account lead so you are not coordinating specialists yourself.

You’re here if

You have internal IT or engineering, and you need us to integrate with it under formal terms.

Procurement, security review, or compliance is part of the deal
You need named people and an SLA
Multiple environments, formal QA, documentation

Talk about Enterprise

guest@make-directory:~$ diff ./tiers --side-by-side

what is included

Who you can call on at each level.

Comparison of what is included in each engagement tier
Capability	Assessment	Essential	Growth	Partner	Enterprise
Purpose
What it is for	Figure out what to do	Get things done	Continuously improve	Technical ownership	Embedded engineering
Best for	Anything not yet clear	Existing sites and systems	Growing businesses	Companies building serious software	Complex or regulated organizations
Who you get access to
Developer	—	Included	Included	Included	Included
Senior developer	—	On escalation	Included	Included	Included
Designer / UX	As needed	Limited	Included	Included	Included
QA / testing	—	Standard	Included	Included	Dedicated
DevOps / cloud	Reviewed	Add-on	Limited	Included	Included
Technical lead	—	—	Limited	Included	Included
Product / project lead	—	—	Support	Included	Included
Principal Engineer	For the assessment	—	—	Included	Dedicated
Security & compliance	Reviewed	—	—	Advisory	Included
Technical account lead	—	—	—	—	Dedicated
How we work together
Strategy cadence	Recommendations	As needed	Monthly	Biweekly	Custom
Response priority	—	Standard	Priority	High	SLA
Commitment	One-time	Monthly	Monthly	3+ months	Contract
Starting point	from $1,500	from $1,999/mo	from $3,499/mo	from $7,500/mo	Custom

guest@make-directory:~$ cat ./whats-covered.md

so you know what you are getting

What each one covers.

Essential

Website work, WordPress and CMS, maintenance, integrations, bug fixes, small features, hosting assistance, straightforward application work

Planning, architecture, and technical direction all live a tier up, in Growth and Partner.

Growth

Custom applications, larger builds, integrations and APIs, automation, ongoing feature development, infrastructure work, design

Partner adds dedicated technical leadership, product management, and a formal QA process.

Partner

Everything in Growth, plus technical leadership, architecture, product and project management, DevOps, QA, and continuous planning

Enterprise adds named people, SLAs, compliance support, and coordination with internal IT at scale.

Enterprise

Assembled per engagement: Principal Engineer, Technical Lead, senior engineers, engineers, DevOps, UX, QA, and a dedicated Technical Account Lead

Scoped to the engagement. Tell us what you need and we will shape it around that.

guest@make-directory:~$ cat ./faq.md

questions

Frequently asked questions

What does technical ownership actually mean?

Five things you can check rather than take on trust: your system is documented, the accounts and code are in your name, it is monitored, another competent team could pick it up, and every technical decision has a name attached to it. Partner is where all five become our responsibility rather than yours.

What ownership means in practice →

What if I do not know which one I need?

Most people do not, and it is a completely normal place to start. The Assessment exists to answer exactly that question, and from $1,500 it costs less than a month of the smallest ongoing tier. You get a documented read on what exists and what it would take to fix, and it is yours to keep whether or not you continue with us.

Are these packages of hours?

No. We plan capacity behind the scenes so each tier is staffed properly, but what you are paying for is who you can call on and how much of the thinking we take on. Moving up gets you more of the team and more responsibility on our side, rather than a bigger number of hours.

Can we change tiers later?

Yes, and most relationships do. The usual triggers are visible: requests start needing design or architecture, the conversation turns to roadmap, or two workstreams start running at once. We raise it when we see it rather than waiting for a renewal date.

Do you work on a fixed-price project basis?

For contained, well-understood work, yes. Large rebuilds, migrations, and major new features are scoped separately in every tier. What we avoid is a large fixed-price build before anyone understands the system, which is what the Assessment is for.

What is not included in any tier?

General IT support — laptops, printers, email accounts, and office networks. We work on custom applications, integrations, automations, cloud infrastructure, and the technical decisions around them.

Do we have to start with an Assessment?

Not if the work is clear. If you know what needs doing and just need it done, Essential or Growth can start directly. We ask for an Assessment first when we would be taking responsibility for a system we do not yet understand.

guest@make-directory:~$ mkdir ./what-needs-to-change

still not sure?

Describe the problem. We will tell you which of these it needs.

Picking a tier is the last step, not the first. Tell us what is not working and we will say which of these fits — or that none of them do, if that is the honest answer.

Find the Right Starting Point

Know a team that needs reliable technical help? Referral rewards can apply to eligible ongoing tiers after the referred customer completes two full months of service. Credits apply to future service and have no cash value.

Refer a friend