Terms of engagement

These terms explain the public beta workflow in plain language. An accepted engagement has a separate written scope and agreement. That final written agreement controls.

1. Application and relationship

Submitting an application starts a fit, scope, and conflict review. It does not create a client relationship, reserve a meeting, or authorize a charge. I may decline an application without providing detailed reasons.

2. Written scope

An accepted engagement covers one primary product question and the deliverables named in writing. A Product Decision Session includes about 10 minutes of pre-work, one 75-minute session, and a one-page Founder Decision Brief within 24 hours. An Idea-to-Proof Sprint covers one risky hypothesis, two sessions, a fixed-scope proof or technical spike, stated risks, and a 30-day plan over seven days.

3. Payment and scheduling

Payment is required before private scheduling. The beta fee is USD 120 for each of the first five Product Decision Session clients and USD 550 for each of the first three accepted sprint cases. Later fees are USD 180 and USD 850. The USD 120 session fee is credited toward an accepted sprint. Contra may add separate platform and processing fees shown at checkout. Those third-party charges are paid by the client and are not part of, and do not reduce, the stated USD 120 or USD 550 engagement fee unless otherwise agreed in writing. No public checkout or public booking link is offered.

4. Rescheduling and cancellation

A session may be rescheduled once when the request is made at least 24 hours before the scheduled time, subject to availability. A late cancellation or no-show may require a new fee unless we agree otherwise in writing. Sprint timing changes require a written adjustment to the schedule.

5. Feedback and scope changes

A Decision Session includes one brief clarification or factual correction requested within three business days of delivery. A sprint includes feedback during the two scheduled sessions and one final clarification requested within three business days. New features, broader research, extra implementation, or continuing support require a separate scope.

6. Confidentiality

I will use non-public information only to evaluate and perform the accepted work. Do not submit credentials, regulated personal data, payment-card data, proprietary source code, or material that you are not permitted to share. Client work will not be published without written permission.

7. Ownership

After full payment, the client owns the custom deliverables identified in the written scope. I retain ownership of pre-existing tools, libraries, templates, methods, and general know-how. When a pre-existing element is embedded in a deliverable, the client receives the permission needed to use the deliverable for its intended purpose unless the written agreement states otherwise.

8. Excluded work

I do not accept logistics, last-mile, delivery management, route optimization, fleet, dispatch, delivery tracking, or adjacent competitive work. A complete MVP, open-ended development, and indefinite support are outside the standard formats.

9. No outcome guarantee

The work is intended to reduce uncertainty. It does not guarantee product-market fit, funding, revenue, technical success, or any commercial result. A BUILD, ITERATE, or STOP recommendation depends on the evidence available at the time and the limits stated in the deliverable.

10. Liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, neither party is liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss arising from the engagement. My total liability for a claim related to an engagement is limited to the amount paid for that engagement. Limits that cannot lawfully apply remain excluded from this clause.

11. Final agreement

This page is a public beta summary, not legal advice. The final written engagement agreement, accepted scope, and payment terms control if they differ from this summary.