We believe business is more about relationships than exchanging money for services or goods. That's why we value open communication, collaboration, transparency, and quality deliverables.
We're always open to new forms of work, but over the years, we have battle-tested the following agreements:
Flat hourly rate — we charge for every hour our developers have spent on the client’s project. Once in a while (usually a month), we issue an invoice for the last billing period. We provide a detailed receipt, so our client knows what they pay for.
Retainer fee — very similar to the hourly rate, but with a fixed amount of hours paid in advance. This allows us to offer a lower price–per–hour while our clients can better plan their budget.
Fixed–price — project specification and price are set in advance.
It makes it very easy to plan a budget, but specifications must stay consistent throughout the project. Payments are usually batched and tied to product milestones. Due to the very high risk of outdated specifications, we suggest this agreement only for particular projects.
Fixed–price — it is the least flexible form of agreement where specification and price are set in advance. It makes it very easy to plan a budget, but specifications must stay consistent throughout the project. Payments are usually batched and tied to product milestones. Due to the very high risk of outdated specifications, we suggest this agreement only for particular projects.
We enjoy working in a tight feedback loop. That's why we usually mix into our client’s team. We take part in the same stand–up meetings, do the planning and development together, and sit in the same chat rooms. We keep our clients informed through the same communication channels they use, like email, Skype, Hangouts, Slack, or old–fashioned IRC. We want our clients to know what we're working on and keep them updated on our progress. Regular video meetings are arranged at least once a week.
Every agreement carries some risk. We always do everything to mitigate it for our clients — we want it to be an investment, not a cost. In particular, we put various guarantees and SLAs in our client agreements.
