Consulting engagement: daily rate
I work on a flat rate of 480€ per day. This straightforward model avoids the complications of hourly billing and the scope difficulties of fixed-price projects.
A consulting day means focused work on your project. It doesn't mean precisely eight hours logged to the minute - some days extend when momentum is strong, others conclude earlier when objectives are met. What it means is that your project receives my full attention for that day.
What a consulting day includes
When you engage me for a day, you receive:
Technical work. Writing code, refactoring existing systems, reviewing architecture, debugging issues, configuring infrastructure. The engineering work that moves your project forward.
Direct communication. I remain available throughout the day for questions, discussions, and real-time problem solving. Whether that's a quick message or a longer call to work through a design decision, it's included.
Documentation where it matters. When I work on your codebase, I document the decisions that warrant documentation - useful notes that help your team understand what was done and why, not volumes of process documents that remain unread.
Knowledge transfer. I work with your team, not in isolation. When I implement a pattern or solve a problem, I ensure the relevant people understand it well enough to maintain and extend it.
Why this rate
480€ per day reflects the experience and value I bring to technical challenges. My background includes over fifteen years of building backend systems, primarily with Laravel and Symfony. I maintain open source packages with hundreds of thousands of downloads. I've worked with startups, agencies, and established companies across Europe and beyond.
A senior engineer who understands the problem domain can often accomplish in a day what would take a less experienced developer considerably longer - not merely in terms of implementation speed, but in avoiding dead ends, making sound architectural decisions, and writing code that won't require rewriting later.
The daily rate also maintains simplicity. There's no negotiation about hours, no invoices with line items for every conversation, no incentive for either party to complicate the arrangement. One day of work, one price.
How engagements work
Most engagements begin with a conversation. You describe what you're dealing with, I ask questions to understand the situation, and together we determine whether I can help effectively. This initial discussion is without cost - I won't charge you simply to establish whether it's a good fit.
If it makes sense to work together, I agree on scope and schedule with you. For shorter engagements - a code review, architectural assessment, or specific feature implementation - I might arrange several days over a week or two. For larger projects, a monthly collaboration often proves more suitable.
I prefer to work in focused blocks rather than scattered hours. A full day of concentrated work produces better results than the same hours distributed across a week. For remote engagements, I'm typically available during European business hours, though I can accommodate other time zones when necessary.
Payment terms are straightforward: invoiced monthly or at the conclusion of shorter engagements, due within 14 days. For new clients, I generally request partial payment upfront for the first engagement, after which I proceed with standard invoicing.
What I don't do
Clarity about what I don't offer helps avoid misunderstandings:
I don't do fixed-price projects. Software development involves inherent uncertainty, and fixed pricing creates problematic incentives on both sides. The daily rate allows scope to adjust as I learn more about actual requirements.
I don't work for equity alone. While I'm open to hybrid arrangements for suitable projects, I don't undertake work purely for potential future value. The daily rate is for actual work, compensated with actual payment.
I don't claim universal expertise. My specialisation is backend engineering, particularly PHP with Laravel and Symfony. If your needs are primarily frontend, mobile, or in a technology stack I don't specialise in, I'll be direct about that - and likely recommend someone better suited.
I don't disappear after delivery. Engagements have defined scope, but I won't leave you without support if something arises shortly after completion. Reasonable follow-up questions are part of the arrangement.
Getting started
If you have a technical challenge that might benefit from senior engineering assistance, let's talk. The initial conversation is free and typically provides enough information for both parties to decide whether working together makes sense.
For sustained work - building features over months, ongoing architecture guidance, or embedded team support - my monthly collaboration options offer better rates for longer commitments.