Engagement Terms · v1.1
Working Together
Running a software business has taught me that time is the product.
1. Purpose
If you'd like to build, improve, or troubleshoot your software, get in touch. Let's use technology to move your business forward.
This document covers how engagement starts, and how I think about the long-term reliability and ownership of what we build. The software can be tailored to you without you becoming permanently dependent on me.
Before we are under a written contract, some conversations and written work are paid. That keeps discovery focused and fair. Discovery call and solicited proposal fees are credited toward your first invoice if we sign a written agreement for ongoing work; if we do not, they are treated as standard pre-engagement fees for the work already done.
2. Continuity and ownership
An independent engineer can often build something more tailored than enterprise software, for a fraction of the price. That part is usually true.
The part companies such as Microsoft and SAP are actually selling is not only the product. It is the organisation around it: support, documentation, established technology, processes, and someone who can fix a problem when the original developer is not available. Established businesses are not only paying for features.
The worry with bespoke software is therefore not always the software itself. It is the possibility that one person becomes a single point of failure. I don't want you stuck with MasindePress: software that works perfectly, except that when something goes wrong the business has to find Masinde or shut down for the day.
The software can be bespoke. The dependency shouldn't be.
Reliability, continuity, and maintainability are part of what I sell. The code is only one piece of it. In practice, that looks like this:
- 2.1
Continuity
I should not be the only person who can maintain what we build. Where it makes sense, I work with other engineers who can take over maintenance and support if I am unavailable. That is a plan for when I am not around, not a promise of round-the-clock coverage.
- 2.2
Conventional technology
The application can be specific to your business without the stack being a private invention. I prefer established frameworks such as Laravel, Vue, Nuxt, and the like, so another competent engineer can take over without first learning an ecosystem that only exists in my projects.
- 2.3
Technical documentation
Architecture, deployment, configuration, the database and migrations, important business workflows, and operational procedures get written down. Documentation is not a courtesy to future-me. It is somewhere another engineer or subcontractor can start if they ever need to take over. Documentation is an exit strategy.
- 2.4
Client ownership
Where it is practical, the important operational assets stay under your control: source code, infrastructure, domains, databases, and the documentation. You should not be stuck with me simply because I built the system.
3. Pre-engagement rates
The following rates apply to work requested before a signed engagement for ongoing delivery. Amounts are listed in United States dollars (USD) or Kenyan shillings (KSh) as shown. Rates are exclusive of applicable taxes unless otherwise agreed in writing.
3.1 Discovery calls
Credited toward your first invoice if we sign a written contract.
$50/hour
3.2 Light review of your deployed tech
A quick, bounded look at what you already have in production.
KSh 500
3.3 General business or product idea consultations
Early-stage product and business conversation, not full project delivery.
KSh 1,000
3.4 Solicited proposals
A written proposal prepared when you ask for one. Credited toward your first invoice if we sign a written contract; otherwise treated as a standard proposal fee.
$300
4. Payment and credit
- 4.1 Pre-engagement fees are payable as invoiced (or as otherwise confirmed in writing) before or promptly after the scheduled work, unless we agree otherwise.
- 4.2 Discovery call fees and solicited proposal fees are credited toward the first invoice under a subsequent written contract for related work, provided that contract is signed within a commercially reasonable time after the discovery call or delivery of the proposal (as applicable).
- 4.3 If no written contract is signed, discovery call and solicited proposal fees remain payable (or retained if already paid) as standard fees for the work already performed. They are not refundable solely because engagement did not proceed.
- 4.4 Fees for other completed pre-engagement work (including light tech reviews and idea consultations) are generally non-refundable, except where required by law or expressly agreed in writing.
5. Existing engagements
If we are already working together under a written agreement, the pre-engagement schedule in Section 3 does not apply to meetings, calls, and work within the scope of that engagement. Those are governed by the signed contract and any applicable statement of work.
6. Relationship to formal contracts
- 6.1 This page is a public schedule of pre-engagement rates, related terms, and how I approach continuity and ownership of the software. It is not itself a master services agreement or statement of work.
- 6.2 Where a signed written contract conflicts with this page, the signed contract controls for the parties and work it covers.
- 6.3 Rates and terms may be updated from time to time. The version and last-updated date above identify the revision in force. Prior quotes confirmed in writing remain as quoted for a reasonable acceptance period.
Ready to build?
Tell me what you need: discovery, a light tech review, an idea consult, a proposal, or a full build. Mention that in your message so we can align on scope.
Yours,
Stanley Masinde
Engagement Terms v1.1 · Effective · Last updated
Issued by Stanley Masinde · Republic of Kenya
This document is provided for transparency and does not constitute legal advice. For project-specific terms, a written agreement will be prepared as needed.