Six steps. No surprises.

The full lifecycle

Most AI engagements feel mysterious because the vendor wants them to. Ours don't. Here's exactly what happens, in order, with what's billable and what isn't.

1. 01

   First conversation

   Free · Twenty minutes, give or take.

   Free. Tell Echo what you're sitting on. Or skip the chat and book a call directly.

   What happens

   You describe the problem in plain language. We ask the kind of questions that get to what you're actually trying to make happen — which is usually one step earlier than the feature you walked in asking for.

   What you leave with

   A clearer picture of whether AI is the right tool here, and what the rough shape of a build would look like. Even if we never speak again, you should leave with something useful.

2. 02

   Written brief

   Free · Delivered in a day or two.

   We write up what we heard — the problem, the proposed approach, and what we'd build first.

   What happens

   Two to three pages. Plain English. We name the build, scope what's in and what's out, flag the risky parts, and recommend a starting tier. The brief is yours to keep, even if you take it elsewhere.

   What you leave with

   A document you can share with a partner, a CFO, or another vendor for a second opinion. No emotional commitment yet, no quote yet, no pressure.

3. 03

   Fixed quote

   Free · Same week as the brief, usually.

   One number. Not hourly. Half on signed scope, half on delivery.

   What happens

   We price the build off the brief. The number is fixed — the risk of scope creep sits with us, not you. If something later turns out to be genuinely outside what we agreed, we'll talk about it before doing it.

   What you leave with

   A signable quote with a fixed price, a delivery window, and a one-page statement of work. Nothing kicks off until you sign it.

4. 04

   Build

   Billable · Two to eight weeks depending on tier.

   We build. You stay close to the decisions that matter. Quiet weeks in between.

   What happens

   Weekly check-ins, faster when something needs your input. We work in narrow loops — get something running end-to-end early, then sharpen it. You see real output, not Figma flows.

   What you leave with

   A working build, tested with your real data. A staging environment to poke at before launch. The ability to flag anything that feels wrong while it's still cheap to change.

5. 05

   Handoff

   Billable · Half a day, end of build.

   Documentation, runbook, training. The build is yours. You own it.

   What happens

   We walk whoever's owning it on your side through how it works, where the controls are, what's likely to break and how to fix it. Source code lives in your repo. Models live in your account. No vendor lock-in.

   What you leave with

   A working build, a runbook, a 30-minute training recording, and our number. Most clients don't call after this — but you can.

6. 06

   After launch

   Billable · As needed. Often, not at all.

   Optional. Most builds run on their own. If you want monthly support, we'll set up a light-touch retainer.

   What happens

   Hosting and model costs continue (usually a few hundred dollars a month, on your own accounts). If you want ongoing additions, content refreshes, or quarterly reviews, we'll quote a small retainer. No automatic recurring fees.

   What you leave with

   Whatever you ask for, on your timeline. Some clients come back six months later for the next build. Some never need to.

Where pricing fits in

Steps one through three are free. The fixed quote happens after the brief, and nothing kicks off until you sign it.

For ranges by engagement type, see /pricing. For the kinds of work we take on, see /work.

• How much of this is free?

  The first conversation, the written brief, and the fixed quote — all free. Nothing is billable until you sign the quote. We do this because half the value of an engagement is in the early thinking, and we'd rather earn the work than charge for the meetings about whether to do it.

• Why fixed quotes instead of hourly?

  Because hourly puts the risk of scope creep on the client, which means hourly vendors get rewarded for being slow or imprecise. Fixed pricing means the brief gets sharper, the work gets faster, and you know what you're spending before you commit.

• What if we get partway through and the brief was wrong?

  It happens — usually around week two or three of the build, when something becomes clear that wasn't on the first call. We pause, name what changed, and either re-scope (with a new fixed quote for the delta) or finish the original brief and queue the new direction as a follow-up. We don't surprise you with invoices.

• Can I bring my own developer or team?

  Yes. We work alongside in-house teams regularly. Sometimes that means we build the AI parts and your team handles integration. Sometimes it means we do a sprint and your team takes it from there. We're not territorial about what stays in your house versus ours.

• What's the smallest engagement you'll take on?

  An audit at $1.5k is usually the smallest. Below that, the calendar coordination cost outweighs the value — for both of us. If you have a $500 question, the first conversation is free and the answer might just be 'don't build it yet.'

• How do you handle confidentiality?

  Mutual NDA before the brief if you want one — no charge, signed digitally, takes ten minutes. Most of our work is private by default. We don't list clients on the site without permission and we don't show partial work to other prospects.