You should know the price, the first step, and how to get out before you sign anything.
It should be boring in the good way. Here is how it goes with me, and roughly how it should go with anyone.
1. The first call
Thirty minutes, free. You say what is stuck. I say whether I can help, about what it would cost, and if I am the wrong person, who might be the right one.
2. The scope in writing
A short written scope: what I will do, what you get, what it costs, and what is not included. Workshops and projects are a fixed price. Seats are a monthly number. Anything over $3,000 can be paid by the month across the months it takes, with no interest.
3. The first few weeks
Mostly listening. I read what exists, meet the people doing the work, and look for the thing about to break. Something small usually gets fixed early, so you can see how I work before the big pieces.
4. The work
Regular check-ins in plain language: what moved, what it cost, what is next. When something goes sideways, you hear it from me first.
5. The handoff
Everything is in your name: the files, the accounts, the code, the passwords. The team knows how to run what we built. Monthly seats end by two years at the latest, with a full-time owner, your team, or a decision to stop.
How do I get out if it is not working?
Ask before you sign. With me, a fixed-price job ends when it is delivered, and a seat has a three-month minimum. A payment plan can stop any month.
Answered by Jared Lukes, Minneapolis. Twenty-five years in brand, UX, and technology, currently holding fractional AI and technology seats at three companies. About Jared.