Monthly engagement: sustained engineering partnership

Some technical work doesn't fit neatly into a few consulting days. Building major features, refactoring legacy systems, or providing ongoing architectural guidance - these projects benefit from continuity. That's where monthly collaboration comes in.

Instead of booking days ad-hoc, I work on a monthly commitment. You receive senior engineering capacity embedded in your workflow at a better rate, and I gain the context and focus that comes from sustained work on a single project. It's a model that works well for teams needing consistent technical capacity without the overhead of a full-time hire.

How it works

A monthly collaboration means reserving a set number of days each month for your project. I agree on the commitment level upfront - either 12 or 16 days per month - and that time is blocked for you. You're not competing with other clients for attention during those days.

This isn't an on-call arrangement. It's planned, focused work. At the start of each week or sprint, I align with you on priorities. Throughout the month, I become part of your development process - attending relevant standups, participating in planning discussions, and shipping code alongside your team.

The monthly structure provides flexibility within the commitment. If one week needs more days and the next fewer, I adjust. What matters is the monthly total and maintaining momentum on the work.

The options

I offer two monthly commitment levels, each with better rates for longer engagements:

Full commitment: 16 days per month

For teams that need substantial, ongoing engineering capacity. This is roughly four days per week, which works well for major initiatives - rebuilding core systems, implementing significant new features, or providing sustained technical leadership.

At 16 days per month, I function as a fractional senior engineer. There's enough time for deep work, and the sustained context means less ramp-up between sessions.

Standard commitment: 12 days per month

For teams that need consistent senior capacity without full-time availability. This is roughly three days per week - enough for meaningful progress while leaving room for work that doesn't require senior involvement.

The 12-day option works well for ongoing maintenance and improvements, architectural guidance combined with implementation, or supplementing an existing team with specific expertise.

What's included

Everything from a standard consulting day applies, plus the benefits that come with sustained engagement:

Continuity. I maintain context across weeks and months. No need to re-explain your architecture, your team's preferences, or the history behind decisions. That accumulated understanding translates directly to better work.

Flexibility. Days can shift within the month as priorities change. Need more focused effort one week and less the next? I adjust. The commitment is monthly, not a rigid calendar.

Team integration. For longer engagements, I become part of your development workflow. I'm in your Slack, familiar with your codebase, and available for the quick questions that arise during normal development work.

Planning input. Beyond implementation, I contribute to technical planning - helping estimate work, identify risks, and sequence features sensibly. The ongoing relationship means my input is informed by actual knowledge of your system.

How engagements evolve

Monthly collaborations typically go through phases:

Month one is about understanding. Even with prior context from earlier work, there's always more to learn about a codebase, team, and business. I'm productive from day one, but I'm also building the foundation for faster work later.

Months two through four are usually the most productive. I've established patterns, I know where things are, and we've figured out how to work together effectively. Major progress happens here.

Longer engagements naturally shift toward maintenance and knowledge transfer. The initial work is done, but there's ongoing feature development, refactoring opportunities, and expertise to share. Some clients maintain monthly commitments for years; others scale down once the intensive phase is complete.

I check in regularly about whether the arrangement still makes sense. If your needs change, I adjust the commitment level or transition to ad-hoc consulting.

When monthly collaboration makes sense

This model works best when:

The work is substantial. If you need a week of help, booking individual days is simpler. Monthly commitments make sense when there's a meaningful roadmap ahead - at least a few months of clear work.

Consistency matters. Projects that benefit from engineers who know the codebase deeply, who've been in the relevant discussions, and who can hit the ground running each session.

You want the rate advantage. The monthly rates are meaningfully better than ad-hoc daily consulting. If you know you'll need ongoing help, committing to it makes financial sense.

You value embedded expertise. Not just someone who executes tasks, but someone who contributes to technical direction and helps your developers grow.

Getting started

If monthly collaboration sounds right for your situation, describe what you're working on. I'll discuss the work, timeline, and what engagement level makes sense. There's no commitment in talking, and it usually becomes clear quickly whether this model would serve you well.