FAQ
Before the fit call.
Most of this is already on the page in pieces. Here it is in one place, so the first call can be about your problem instead of my terms.
Are you replacing my data team, or becoming embedded management?
No. I work alongside your team on a specific, bounded problem, then I leave. If what you actually need is a permanent Head of Data or Head of Platform, you should hire one. I am useful for the decision or transition that does not justify creating that role.
What do I actually get?
A written assessment or roadmap you can hand to your CFO or your engineering team without a decoder ring, or, during Traverse, ongoing judgment on the specific calls that come up during a transition. Every engagement ends with something in writing, not just a memory of a good meeting.
How do you price?
Fixed fee for the Terrain Survey and Route Plan, agreed before work starts. Traverse is a bounded, capped engagement tied to the transition, not an open-ended retainer. No surprise invoice. Exact numbers come after the first call, once I understand the size of the decision.
Do you sign an NDA?
Mutual NDA before any non-public technical detail changes hands, yours or mine. Standard practice, no reason to make it complicated.
Will our work together show up on this site?
No. Client work stays confidential. Nothing appears here without your written permission. The use cases and metrics on this site are from my time as an employee, not from advisory clients.
Do you send a team, or provide staff augmentation?
No. Advisory only. I do not provide staff augmentation or resell implementation. If the work actually needs a squad of contractors, I will tell you that on the first call and point you somewhere useful.
Are you hands-on, or slideware?
Hands-on. I write code, review pull requests, and have carried the pager for what I designed. The MBA means I can also sit with a CFO and make the tradeoff land, not that I have stopped doing the engineering.
Where are you based, and what hours do you work?
Remote across the US and Europe, on overlapping US and EU hours. Engagements run in English. I have designed, shipped, and operated multi-region platforms under real data-residency requirements, including EU and India.
How fast do you reply?
Within 48 hours, always. If a first call does not turn into a proposal, I will tell you that too, instead of leaving you wondering.
What if it turns out not to be a fit?
I will say so on the call, no soft maybe. Common reasons it is not a fit: you need permanent engineering management, the decision is mostly made and you want a rubber stamp, or the main criterion is the lowest hourly rate. None of those need a senior advisor.
Can I talk to someone you've worked with?
Yes. Ask for a live reference on the first call, and check LinkedIn for the recommendations and career history behind the numbers on this site.
I'm a consulting firm or partner. Can you work inside our engagement?
Yes. I can work directly with your team or behind the scenes on a bounded piece of a larger engagement, such as an architecture review, a streaming or ClickHouse question, or technical due diligence. You keep the relationship.
What's the first step?
Thirty minutes to see if the problem is the kind I take. If it fits, a scoped proposal with outcomes, timeline, and fees follows. If not, you hear that directly.
A 30-minute call to see if the problem is the kind I take.