Monthly collaboration: working together over time

Some technical work doesn't fit neatly into a few consulting days. Building a major feature, refactoring a legacy system, or providing ongoing architectural guidance - these are projects that benefit from continuity. That's where monthly collaboration comes in.

Instead of booking days one at a time, we agree on a monthly commitment. You get a senior engineer embedded in your workflow at a better rate, and I get the context and focus that comes from sustained work on a single project. It's a model that's worked well for teams that need consistent technical capacity without the overhead of a full-time hire.

How it works

A monthly collaboration means reserving a set number of days each month for your project. We agree on the commitment level upfront - either 12 or 16 days per month - and I block that time for you. You're not competing with other clients for my attention during those days.

This isn't an on-call arrangement where I sit around waiting for tickets. It's planned, focused work. At the start of each week (or sprint, if that's how you work), we align on what I'll be tackling. Throughout the month, I'm a part of your development process - attending relevant standups, participating in planning discussions, and shipping code alongside your team.

The monthly structure gives us flexibility within the commitment. If one week needs more days and the next fewer, we can adjust. What matters is the monthly total and maintaining momentum on the work.

The options

I offer two monthly commitment levels, each with better rates for longer engagements:

Full commitment: 16 days per month

For teams that need substantial, ongoing engineering capacity. This is roughly four days per week, which works well for major initiatives - rebuilding core systems, implementing significant new features, or providing sustained technical leadership.

At 16 days per month, I'm effectively a fractional senior engineer on your team. There's enough time for deep work, and the sustained context means less ramp-up between sessions.

Standard commitment: 12 days per month

For teams that need consistent senior capacity without full-time availability. This is roughly three days per week - enough for meaningful progress while leaving room for work that doesn't need senior involvement.

The 12-day option works well for ongoing maintenance and improvements, architectural guidance combined with implementation, or supplementing an existing team with specific expertise.

What's included

Everything from a standard consulting day applies, plus the benefits that come with sustained engagement:

Continuity. I maintain context across weeks and months. No need to re-explain your architecture, your team's preferences, or the history behind decisions. That accumulated understanding translates directly to better work.

Flexibility. Days can shift within the month as priorities change. Need more focused effort one week and less the next? We adjust. The commitment is monthly, not a rigid calendar.

Team integration. For longer engagements, I become part of your development workflow. I'm in your Slack, familiar with your codebase, and available for the quick questions that come up during normal development work.

Planning input. Beyond implementation, I can contribute to technical planning - helping estimate work, identify risks, and sequence features sensibly. The ongoing relationship means my input is informed by actual knowledge of your system.

How engagements evolve

Monthly collaborations typically go through phases:

Month one is about understanding. Even with prior context from earlier work, there's always more to learn about a codebase, team, and business. I'm productive from day one, but I'm also building the foundation for faster work later.

Months two through four are usually the most productive. We've established patterns, I know where things are, and we've figured out how to work together effectively. Major progress happens here.

Longer engagements naturally shift toward maintenance and mentorship. The initial work is done, but there's ongoing feature development, refactoring opportunities, and knowledge to transfer. Some clients keep monthly commitments going for years; others scale down once the intensive phase is complete.

We check in regularly about whether the arrangement still makes sense. If your needs change, we adjust the commitment level or transition to ad-hoc consulting.

When monthly collaboration makes sense

This model works best when:

The work is substantial. If you need a week of help, booking individual days is simpler. Monthly commitments make sense when there's a meaningful roadmap ahead - at least a few months of clear work.

Consistency matters. Projects that benefit from a developer who knows the codebase deeply, who's been in the relevant discussions, and who can hit the ground running each session.

You want the rate advantage. The monthly rates are meaningfully better than ad-hoc daily consulting. If you know you'll need ongoing help, committing to it makes financial sense.

You value embedded expertise. Not just someone who executes tasks, but someone who contributes to technical direction and helps your team grow.

Monthly collaboration isn't for everyone. If your needs are occasional - a code review here, a quick architecture consult there - individual consulting days are more appropriate. But if you're looking at sustained work and want senior engineering capacity without the overhead of hiring, let's talk about what a monthly arrangement might look like.

Getting started

If monthly collaboration sounds right for your situation, reach out and describe what you're working on. We'll discuss the work, timeline, and what engagement level makes sense. There's no commitment in talking, and it usually becomes clear quickly whether this model would serve you well.