Questions we get asked.

Agencies sell hours. We sell outcomes. We combine strategic leadership (understanding what to build and why) with execution capability (actually building it). Most importantly, we own accountability—if something breaks, we fix it. No finger-pointing between 'strategy' and 'implementation' teams.

You get senior technical leadership without hiring a full-time executive. We join your team part-time (typically 10-20 hours/week), own the technical roadmap, coordinate with your existing team or vendors, and ensure what gets built actually serves the business. Think of it as renting a CTO who's done this before.

Systems Triage is typically 1 month. Fractional CTO engagements have a 3-month minimum—real change takes time. Sprint work is month-to-month after an initial assessment. We don't do one-week projects; they rarely solve actual problems.

Yes. In fact, we prefer it. We're not here to replace your team—we're here to make them more effective. We provide direction, unblock issues, and ensure the right things get built in the right order.

Direct, async-first, and documented. We use Slack/Teams for daily communication, Loom for walkthroughs, and structured weekly syncs. No 'just checking in' meetings. Every meeting has an agenda and outcomes. You'll always know what's happening without having to chase us.

For most engagements, we can kick off within 1-2 weeks of signing. For urgent situations (production down, critical launch), we've started same-day. Availability varies—we maintain a small, senior team intentionally, so sometimes there's a short waitlist.

Yes, always. We treat your business information as confidential by default. We're happy to sign your NDA or use a mutual one. This is standard practice for us—we work with competitive businesses and take confidentiality seriously.

We have deep experience in e-commerce/DTC, payments/fintech, B2B SaaS, and marketplaces. That said, our systems-thinking approach translates across industries. If you have revenue-critical operations that are messy, we can probably help.

Absolutely. We often act as the technical oversight layer between business leadership and external teams. We ensure specs are clear, delivery is on track, and what gets built actually solves the problem. Think of us as the translator between business needs and technical execution.

Our core team is distributed across US and EU time zones. We have coverage from 8am ET to 8pm PT on most days. For async work, time zone doesn't matter much. For real-time collaboration, we'll find overlap that works for your team.

We've seen what breaks. Most AI projects fail not because the model doesn't work, but because nobody thought about data quality, integration complexity, cost management, or failure handling. We build systems, not demos. Every AI feature we ship has guardrails, monitoring, fallbacks, and cost controls baked in.

Yes—this is actually a common engagement. We audit what exists, identify failure modes, and either fix or rebuild. Sometimes the fix is simple (better prompts, proper caching). Sometimes the whole approach needs rethinking. We'll tell you which before you commit.

We're stack-agnostic but have deep experience with: Shopify/e-commerce platforms, modern web stacks (React, Node, Python), data infrastructure (warehouses, ETL, analytics), and AI/ML tooling (OpenAI, Anthropic, vector DBs, agent frameworks). If you're on something exotic, we'll tell you upfront if we can help.

Sometimes, but we bias toward integration over invention. Most businesses don't need custom software—they need their existing tools to work together properly. We'll recommend custom builds only when off-the-shelf solutions genuinely can't solve the problem.

Cost control is built into every AI system we design. We implement caching strategies, model tiering (using cheaper models where quality doesn't matter), token budgets, and monitoring dashboards. We've seen companies burn $15k/month on API calls that should cost $800—we make sure that doesn't happen to you.

We're model-agnostic and choose based on your specific needs. We work with OpenAI (GPT-4, GPT-3.5), Anthropic (Claude), open-source models (Llama, Mistral), and specialized models for vision, audio, and embeddings. We also work with vector databases (Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector) and agent frameworks.

Yes—this is often the first thing we do. Many problems don't need AI; they need better data, clearer processes, or simpler automation. We'll tell you honestly if AI is overkill, if it's the right fit, or if the problem needs to be solved differently first.

Every AI system we build includes verification layers, confidence scoring, and human-in-the-loop options for high-stakes decisions. We design for failure—assuming the AI will be wrong sometimes and building systems that catch and correct errors before they cause damage.

Yes. Our AI Team Audit + Training package includes hands-on workshops, prompt engineering best practices for your specific stack, and code review guidelines for AI-generated code. We also offer ongoing support to help your team level up over time.

That's often the hardest part—and where we excel. We've integrated AI with Salesforce, HubSpot, NetSuite, Shopify, Zendesk, and dozens of other systems. We understand the API limitations, data sync challenges, and failure modes that come with enterprise integrations.

We take this seriously. We design systems with PII filtering, data residency requirements, and audit trails. We can work with on-premise or private cloud deployments when required. For regulated industries, we ensure AI implementations meet compliance requirements before anything goes to production.

We use evaluation frameworks with golden datasets, A/B testing infrastructure, shadow deployments, and gradual rollouts. We also build monitoring to catch drift and degradation post-launch. No AI system should go live without a clear testing and monitoring strategy.

Yes—Shopify is one of our core competencies. We handle theme optimization, app stack rationalization, checkout customization, subscription integrations, and headless implementations. We've fixed more 'almost working' Shopify setups than we can count.

This is one of our most common engagements. We audit your pixel implementations, CAPI setup, GA4 configuration, and ad platform integrations. Then we fix the gaps, implement server-side tracking where needed, and build dashboards that show you what's actually happening.

We work with Klaviyo, Attentive, Postscript, and other platforms to build lifecycle automation that actually compounds. This includes flow architecture, segmentation strategy, deliverability optimization, and integration with your e-commerce platform.

Yes. We diagnose checkout friction using data (not guesses), optimize load times, reduce form fields, implement one-click upsells, and fix the small bugs that cause cart abandonment. We've recovered significant revenue for clients just by fixing broken checkout flows.

Yes. We have deep experience with Recharge, Skio, and custom subscription implementations. We help with churn reduction, pause/skip workflows, subscription box logistics, and the operational complexity that comes with recurring revenue.

We integrate and optimize connections between your e-commerce platform, inventory management (Skubana, ShipBob, etc.), and fulfillment partners. We build the visibility layer that tells you what's actually happening with inventory—not what the system thinks is happening.

Yes. We build unified reporting that combines data from your ad platforms, e-commerce platform, email/SMS tools, and backend systems. We focus on metrics that actually matter for decisions—not vanity dashboards that look impressive but don't drive action.

Because you're not paying for hours—you're paying for outcomes. A $50/hr developer who takes 6 months to not finish a project is more expensive than a team that ships in 6 weeks. We bring senior experience, clear processes, and accountability. The math usually works out in your favor.

For well-scoped work after a triage phase, yes. We don't do fixed-price on undefined scope—that's how projects explode. Triage first, then we can often quote a fixed price for specific deliverables.

Monthly engagements require 30 days notice. We don't lock you into long contracts with penalties. If we're not delivering value, you should be able to leave. (That said, the 3-month minimum for Fractional CTO exists because real change takes time—1 month isn't enough to move the needle.)

We define success metrics upfront—before work starts. These are usually business outcomes: reduced support tickets, faster shipping, lower costs, higher conversion. We track and report on these monthly. If we're not moving the metrics that matter, we course-correct or end the engagement.

It depends on the engagement type, but typically includes: dedicated hours per week, a named team lead, weekly sync meetings, async Slack/email support, documented deliverables, and monthly reporting. Specific deliverables are defined in your Statement of Work.

The first call is free—usually 30 minutes to understand your situation and see if we're a fit. If deeper discovery is needed before we can scope work, we'll be upfront about that. We don't do free 'audits' that are really sales pitches.

We document scope clearly upfront. If requirements change (they often do), we discuss the impact on timeline and budget before proceeding. No surprise invoices. We'd rather have an uncomfortable conversation early than a bigger problem later.

Yes—Systems Triage is designed for exactly this. It's a bounded engagement with clear deliverables that lets both sides evaluate fit. Many of our ongoing relationships started with a triage engagement.

ACH, wire transfer, and credit card (for smaller invoices). We invoice monthly in advance for retainer work and on milestone completion for project work. Net 15 payment terms are standard.

For 6+ month commitments paid quarterly in advance, we offer modest discounts. We're more interested in building long-term relationships than optimizing for upfront revenue. If the economics don't work for your situation, let's talk—we'd rather find a creative solution than lose a good client.

Results vary by engagement, but examples include: shipping projects that were stuck for 6+ months within 8 weeks, reducing AI costs by 80%+, cutting support ticket volume by 60%, improving attribution accuracy from 60% to 94%, and increasing email revenue share from 8% to 24%.

For quick wins (tracking fixes, cost reduction, unblocking stuck projects), often within weeks. For systemic improvements (culture change, process overhaul, complex integrations), expect 2-3 months for meaningful impact. We'll set realistic expectations upfront.

We don't guarantee specific business outcomes—too many factors are outside our control. What we guarantee is professional execution, clear communication, and honest assessment. If we're not delivering value, we'll tell you—and we'll part ways professionally.

Yes. We have anonymized case studies on our website and can provide references upon request (with client permission). We protect client confidentiality, so details are shared appropriately based on what clients have approved.

We leave you with documentation, trained team members, and systems that work without us. We don't create dependency. For ongoing relationships, we offer lighter-touch retainers for maintenance and strategic guidance. Many clients return for new projects months or years later.

We're transparent about risks upfront and course-correct early. If something isn't working, we'll tell you and propose alternatives. In rare cases where an engagement truly isn't delivering, we've ended engagements early and refunded unused retainer. Our reputation matters more than any single invoice.

Book a Systems Triage call. It's a 30-minute conversation where we learn about your situation and you learn about our approach. No commitment, no pressure. If there's a fit, we'll propose next steps. If not, we'll tell you honestly.

Think about: What's the biggest pain point right now? What have you tried? What does success look like? Who else needs to be involved in the decision? You don't need polished documents—just clarity on what's stuck and why it matters.

Ideally, someone who understands the problem (often an operator or technical lead) and someone who can make decisions (founder, VP, etc.). We don't need a room full of stakeholders for the first conversation.

Good fit: You have a real problem that's costing you money or time, you're willing to invest in solving it properly, and you want a partner who'll push back when needed. Bad fit: You want the cheapest option, you need a yes-team, or you're looking for quick hacks instead of real solutions.

That's exactly what Systems Triage is for. We help you understand what's actually broken, what's causing it, and what to do about it. Many clients come to us with symptoms ('things feel slow') and leave with a diagnosis and treatment plan.

Yes—this is core to what we do. We help you identify which problems are upstream (causing other problems), which have the highest ROI to fix, and which sequence makes sense given your resources and constraints.