Pick the smallest one that answers your question.
Most engagements start small and grow. You don't have to pick the biggest one to find out whether this works.
Technical review
The low-commitment way in. Most engagements start here.
You have something built, or half-built, and you need an honest read on whether the foundation holds before you spend the next quarter on it.
You already know what's wrong and just need hands to fix it. That's a build sprint.
- Written findings you can hand to a board or an investor
- A recommended path, with the trade-offs named
- A call to walk through it and argue with me
One kickoff call, one readout call, findings in writing between.
“Samuel is amazing! He asked great questions and helped us better understand the scope of our project and the tech stack to execute it. Looking forward to working with him.”
Build sprint
Something specific needs to exist and there's no one to build it. You can name the thing and you can name the deadline.
The scope is still moving. If you can't tell me what ships, it isn't ready to be one.
- The thing itself, in production
- The stack decision written down, with what it costs you later
- A handover a future hire can actually pick up
Weekly ship, a written update, and a standing call to walk through it.
Fractional AI/technical lead
You need someone owning the technical calls week after week - architecture, hiring bar, what gets bought instead of built.
You want cover for a month while you recruit. The minimum term is 3 months for a reason.
- I own the architecture and the technical decisions
- A written decision log, so the reasoning outlives the engagement
- The hiring bar and the interview loop, when you're ready to hire
One working session a week, async the rest. I'm in your Slack, not on a retainer call.
2 weeks' notice either side, no exit fee. Unused time rolls over, so a quiet week is not money burned.
“Sam takes the role of a fractional co-founder almost and works alongside you in your journey when building your company. He has high attention to detail and a smooth and flexible work style.”
3 steps, no theatre.
The same sequence every time, so you know what happens next before you commit to any of it.
A call
30 minutes. You describe the situation, I tell you plainly whether I'm the right person - including when I'm not.
A written proposal
Scope, price, timeline and what I need from you. Usually within 3 working days of the call.
Start
Typically 1 to 2 weeks out, depending on what's already in flight.
Engagements are delivered through 42 District, my software studio.
I'm the person you talk to and the person making the technical calls. When a piece of work needs more hands than one person has, it runs through the studio - with the same standard and the same accountability. That is written into the proposal, not mentioned once the invoice arrives.
42district.comThe questions that come up.
What does it cost?
A technical review is £1,500. A build sprint starts at £5,000 for a 4-week scope. A fractional seat starts at £3,000 a month on a minimum 3-month term. There is no hourly rate - you're buying an outcome and a fixed commitment, not my calendar.
How fast will you reply?
Within 1 business day. If something is going to take me longer than that, you'll get a short reply saying so rather than silence.
What happens if the scope changes mid-sprint?
We revisit it, on a date set at the start rather than when it becomes a problem. A build sprint is a fixed budget and an honest conversation about what goes inside it - if something turns out to matter more than what we planned, it goes in and something else comes out. What does not happen is the fee moving because the list did.
What does a typical week look like on a fractional seat?
One working session, a written decision log, and me in your Slack for the rest of it. I own the architecture calls, which means I make them and write down what they cost you later. Unused time rolls over, so a quiet week is not money burned.
Do you write code, or just advise?
I write code. That's the point of hiring me rather than a consultancy - I can hold the architecture conversation and then go and build the thing.
What if it isn't working?
Either of us can end a retainer with 2 weeks' notice, without an argument and without an exit fee.
30 minutes, nothing to prepare.
Describe the situation and I'll tell you plainly which of these fits, including when the answer is none of them.