How we structure engagements matters more than the hourly rate. A $250/hour specialist on a well-structured engagement produces better outcomes than a $100/hour dev shop on a poorly-structured one. This post explains the four engagement models Eazyware offers — Pilot, Build, Scale, Partnership — why each exists, and how we decide which to propose for a given client.
The four engagement models
Pilot (4-6 weeks, fixed-price)
A bounded engagement to prove feasibility or deliver a specific proof-of-concept. Fixed scope, fixed price (typically $25K-$80K), fixed timeline. Clear deliverable: a working prototype of a specific AI capability against your data. Not production-ready — the point is to learn quickly whether the approach works.
When pilots are right: you're not sure if AI can solve your problem; you need to validate with stakeholders before committing; the problem has enough ambiguity that 'let's try' beats 'let's plan.' Most clients start here.
Build (3-6 months, milestone-based)
A full production system built end-to-end. Typically $150K-$500K. Includes: eval infrastructure, observability, deployment, integration, documentation, handoff. Delivered in milestones every 2-3 weeks, with acceptance criteria per milestone.
When builds are right: you've validated the approach (often via a pilot), you're committing to production deployment, you need a complete system, not just a proof-of-concept. Most of our work is here.
Scale (ongoing, retainer + project-based)
After a Build engagement, many clients want continued Eazyware involvement. Scale engagements are retainer (fixed monthly fee for ongoing engineering capacity) plus project-based (specific new capabilities funded separately). Typically $30K-$100K/month retainer plus ad-hoc projects.
When scale is right: the AI system is core to your product or operations, you need reliable velocity without hiring full-time, you want continuity of the team that built the system.
Partnership (multi-year, embedded)
Long-term, deeply embedded engagement with one or two senior engineers fully dedicated to the client's AI roadmap. Effectively a 'hire us without hiring us.' Starts at $250K/year per embedded engineer.
When partnerships are right: AI is strategic, you don't want to build an in-house team (or can't hire the talent), you want consistent quality from a team that has worked together before. Rare but valuable when it fits.
How we pick which model to propose
Three questions drive the choice:
1. How certain are you about the approach?
High uncertainty → Pilot. Medium → Build. Low (you've done it before in another context) → Build or Scale. Skipping Pilot when uncertainty is high is the top-cited reason clients overspend in year one.
2. How much production capability do you need?
Prototype only → Pilot. First production system → Build. Continued enhancement → Scale. Deeply embedded strategic work → Partnership.
3. What's your in-house capacity?
Strong in-house team that can take over after Build → no Scale engagement needed. Small team that can maintain but not expand → Scale. No team, want us to operate the AI layer → Partnership.
What we won't do
Time-and-materials open-ended engagements. These structures incentivize us badly and produce worse outcomes for clients. Every Eazyware engagement has a defined scope, defined price, and defined deliverables. If the scope needs to change mid-engagement — which happens — we do a change order with an explicit new scope and price.
Pay-per-hour with no deliverable definition. If the client can't describe what success looks like, we haven't worked together on scoping enough. We'd rather invest a week of scoping and deliver a tight Pilot than paper over the ambiguity with hourly billing.
Payment terms
- Pilots: 50% at kickoff, 50% at delivery. Fully refundable first two weeks if fit isn't right.
- Builds: 25% kickoff, 50% across milestones, 25% at final acceptance.
- Scale: Monthly, net 30, no long-term commitment beyond 3 months.
- Partnership: Quarterly in advance, 12-month initial commitment.
How to start
Every client relationship starts with a 30-minute discovery call. No pitch. We ask about your problem, your readiness (see the readiness audit), your timeline. We recommend a model at the end of the call. If we're not the right fit, we say so and suggest alternatives. Most clients end up in Pilot or Build; a minority skip straight to Scale.
Closing
The engagement model is a decision that shapes the next six months of your AI work more than almost any other. Pick wrong and even a strong vendor will produce mediocre outcomes. Pick right and even a mid-tier vendor will produce acceptable ones. Don't skip this conversation. Our goal with every engagement is to leave the client better positioned than they started — whether that means continuing with us or running independently from here.