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True SteeleLabs
Two ways to engage

Strategic counsel or production builds. Both fixed-fee.

Two distinct tracks. Strategic Counsel is intensive advisory work for leaders facing a specific decision — AI roadmap, impact-program design, board-level positioning. Production Builds are greenfield, AI-native software shipped in four-to-twelve-week sprints. Both tracks are time-boxed, fixed-fee, and outcome-defined. 50% upfront, 50% at milestones.

Engagement model
Fixed fee · Time-boxed
Payment
50% upfront · 50% milestones
Project scope
Greenfield, AI-native only
The five engagements

From a two-week sprint to a multi-tenant platform.

Each tier has a defined scope, a fixed price, a clear timeline, and an explicit handoff. Pick the smallest one that gets you the next decision.

Strategy track

Executive Counsel

Investment
By engagement
Timeline
1–4 weeks

For: Leaders with a specific strategic decision in front of them — AI roadmap, impact program design, partnership architecture, or a board-level positioning question. For when you want my brain on the problem, not a permanent seat at your table.

What you get

  • Discovery session to scope the question
  • 1–3 working sessions with the executive team or board committee
  • Async review of decks, plans, contracts, or memos
  • Written recommendation memo with prioritized actions
  • Optional follow-up call once the team has digested the work
Build track

AI Opportunity Sprint

Investment
$18–25k
Timeline
2–3 weeks

For: Leaders who know they should be using AI but don’t know where to start.

What you get

  • 3–5 high-leverage use cases, ranked by ROI and feasibility
  • Data inventory + risk assessment (privacy, bias, vendor)
  • Clickable prototype or walking-skeleton of the top concept
  • Build specification and implementation roadmap
  • 60-minute executive briefing
Build track

Production MVP

Investment
$40–65k
Timeline
4–6 weeks

For: Organizations ready to test a specific concept with real users.

What you get

  • Production-deployed MVP (auth, database, core workflows)
  • Lightweight admin panel
  • 1–2 integrations (Airtable, Salesforce, Slack, email)
  • Runbook and handoff documentation
  • 2 hours of training for your internal team
Build track

Adoption-Ready Product

Investment
$80–120k
Timeline
8–12 weeks
Most chosen

For: Organizations committed to a tool that will serve real users at scale.

What you get

  • Complete application with all core features
  • Full integration suite
  • User analytics and monitoring
  • Comprehensive documentation, training, onboarding
  • 30-day post-launch support window
Build track

Portfolio Platform

Investment
$150–250k+
Timeline
12–16+ weeks

For: Funders and intermediaries building platforms that support entire portfolios or fields.

What you get

  • Multi-tenant platform architecture
  • Custom workflows for different user types
  • Advanced analytics and reporting
  • White-label or co-branded options
  • Documentation for field adoption
Build track

True Steele Care

Investment
$3.5–5.5k/mo
Timeline
Monthly · 6-month max

For: Bridge support while you build internal capacity or identify a long-term partner.

What you get

  • Up to 5 hours/month of fixes and minor enhancements
  • 72-hour response on Sev-1 issues
  • AI model and vendor updates
  • Architecture-on-call for major decisions
  • Required handoff plan by end of term
Where we draw the line

What True Steele Labs doesn’t do.

  • Legacy system overhauls

    No parachuting into existing codebases or migrating decades-old infrastructure. Greenfield, AI-native builds only — that’s where the speed comes from.

  • Fractional executive retainers

    No ongoing fractional Chief Impact Officer roles. Strategic counsel happens in time-boxed engagements, not weekly cadence with a permanent seat at your table.

  • Fundraising consulting

    I build the tools that help you raise. I don’t take projects whose primary deliverable is a fundraising plan, a pitch deck, or a campaign.

  • Traditional dev-shop scale-up

    No bench of subcontractors, no margin-on-headcount model. The studio stays small and senior so the work stays sharp.

IP & licensing

Three IP options. You choose up front.

I won’t give away the factory every time I sell a car. Every engagement specifies who owns the foreground IP, what’s reusable, and how the patterns travel.

  1. Option A

    Client-Owned

    Premium · +20%

    You own all foreground IP. I retain only the underlying frameworks and patterns. Best when ownership is a regulatory or competitive requirement.

  2. Option B

    Licensed

    Default · standard pricing

    You receive a perpetual license to the build. I retain the right to reuse patterns and components on future engagements. Best for most projects.

  3. Option C

    Open Source

    Funder-friendly

    We open-source the build under a permissive license. Best when philanthropy is funding the work and field adoption is the explicit goal.

After launch

Every project ships with a continuity plan.

Pick the path that matches your team’s technical capacity. Decide before we sign — not after the launch party.

  1. Path 01

    Client-Owned Maintenance

    Best case

    You inherit comprehensive docs, automated tests, deploy pipeline, and a runbook. I deliver one to two training sessions for your internal team.

    Best for · Organizations with technical capacity in-house.

  2. Path 02

    Partner-Managed Maintenance

    Most common

    I introduce one or two vetted engineering partners and run a structured handoff. Optional architect-on-call escalation is available.

    Best for · Organizations without technical staff who need ongoing support.

  3. Path 03

    True Steele Care

    Bridge period

    Up to 5 hours/month of fixes and enhancements with a 72-hour Sev-1 SLA. Capped at 6 months by design — the runway is for landing Path 1 or Path 2.

    Best for · Bridges while you build internal capacity or vet a partner.

Take a slot

A few project slots a year. Take one.

Engagements start with a 30-minute call. We’ll talk about the problem, whether the studio is the right fit, and what the first scoped sprint would look like.

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