Production AI Engagements
I work with engineering teams on retainer to ship reliable AI features, harden the AI stack, and make agentic systems that survive past the demo.
15+ years building production software. Former CTO at Buoy Software where we shipped FDA-cleared medical device software. I still build production AI systems under real user, token-budget, and error-rate constraints — not just advise from the sidelines.
Process
Every engagement starts with a 2-week paid Foundation Sprint that produces shippable artifacts. After the Sprint, you can extend into a retainer at the intensity you need, or walk away with what we built. No long-term commitment, no calendar-bound deliverables, no surprises.
2 weeks • $12,000 flat
We pick the highest-leverage problem in your AI stack and ship a foundation piece against it. Either side can walk away after, or convert to retainer.
Monthly • 30-day notice either side
Ongoing engagement at the intensity you need: Advisory, Embedded, or Full. Flat monthly rate, flexible hours within the stated range, no timesheets.
Engagement 01
$12,000 • 2 weeks
Two weeks to identify the highest-leverage problem in your AI stack and ship a foundation piece against it.
Most engagements that fail do so because both sides committed before they understood the work. The Sprint is small enough to validate fit on both sides — and produces something real either way.
Engagement 02
After the Sprint, you can extend into a retainer at the intensity you need. Engagements continue month-to-month at a flat rate with flexible hours, with direction reset every two weeks and the engagement evaluated at the quarter mark. No timesheets. No calendar-bound deliverables. Two-month minimum on retainer after Foundation Sprint, then 30-day notice either side. Specific monthly rate determined by scope and intensity — discussed on the intro call.
$15,000–$60,000/month
5–10 hrs/week
Senior architectural guidance without heavy implementation. Architecture review, technical strategy, hiring support, async availability for high-stakes decisions.
Best for: You have a strong engineering team but need a senior voice on AI architecture, hiring, or strategic decisions.
10–20 hrs/week
Hands-on implementation alongside advisory. I'm in your codebase shipping foundation pieces while also helping you make architectural calls.
Best for: You want me writing code on the highest-leverage workstreams while still advising the broader stack.
25–40 hrs/week
Senior IC running point on an AI workstream end-to-end. Build-heavy engagements where I function as your AI lead.
Best for: Build-heavy engagements where AI is the product or core differentiator. Foundation Sprint required first.
Scope
Inside a retainer, we prioritize from a menu — not a fixed deliverables list. The work shifts as the codebase teaches us what's actually broken.
Fit
From the clients
“I found Damian via Claude when looking for a real software engineer to take an application from vibe-coded internal demo/prototype to fully deployed tool in less than 3 weeks…
What I was looking for was just someone to make sure PII was secure, that we didn't have any glaring security vulnerabilities in our code and database, and to make sure the app wouldn't break when being used in real life. He turned out to be a true strategic partner who not only brought proper DevOps to that app and every other project we are working on at WareSpace, but also helped define the product direction, scope, roadmap, etc. through consultative working sessions. It's rare to find an engineer with deep technical knowledge, strong business acumen, and who also speaks "human" to communicate with non-technical stakeholders.”
Eric Golman
CMO, WareSpace
“He quickly understood where we were with AI tooling and gave us immediately actionable advice, not generic frameworks…
He identified gaps we hadn't considered, walked us through how he architects agent loops in production, and helped us think through our product-level agent strategy without over-engineering it.”
Will Wallace
Co-Founder, Rebolt
FAQ
Strongly recommended. The Sprint is small enough to validate fit on both sides and produces something real either way. For Full retainer engagements, the Sprint is required — too much is at stake on both sides to skip the validation.
Flat monthly rate, flexible hours within the stated range. No timesheets, no calendar-bound deliverables. Direction is reset every two weeks; the engagement is evaluated at the quarter mark. Engagements continue month-to-month with a two-month minimum on retainer after the Foundation Sprint, then 30-day notice either side at any time.
Hours and the mix of advice vs. implementation. Advisory is mostly strategic guidance with light hands-on work. Embedded means I'm shipping code on the highest-leverage workstreams while also advising. Full means I'm functioning as your senior AI lead, running point on the work end-to-end.
If after Month 1 of any retainer (or end of the Foundation Sprint) you don't have a written architectural plan and at least one shipped foundation piece, full refund. No prorating, no carve-outs, no fine print.
No — that's a Vibe Code Audit. A standalone security and production-readiness review for apps built with Claude Code, Cursor, or any AI coding tool. Each audit is scoped based on codebase size, architecture complexity, and the depth of review required; you'll receive a fixed price before the audit begins. You get a written report with prioritized fixes covering both the security model and the development workflow underneath it. No ongoing commitment required.
I take 1–2 active engagements at a time. Response time within 48 hours. Foundation Sprints typically start within 2 weeks of signing.
Yes — Embedded and Full retainers include hands-on implementation in your codebase. Advisory retainers are mostly strategic guidance with limited hands-on work. The Foundation Sprint always ships something concrete.
15+ years building production software. Previously CTO at Buoy Software where I scaled the engineering team from 0 to 50+ and shipped FDA-cleared medical device software. I still build production AI systems, so I advise from hands-on experience.
Yes. Rails is a strength, but production AI patterns work across stacks. I've shipped AI features in Rails, Node, and Python environments.
See Fractional CTO services — CTO-level engineering leadership, augmented by agents that extend what one person can ship. Architecture, technical direction, and shipped code, month-to-month.
Book a free 30-minute intro call. We'll talk through what you're building and where you're stuck. I'll be honest about whether I'm the right fit and which engagement makes sense.
No pitch deck. No pressure. Just a conversation.