Are you based in Austin?
No — we're headquartered in New York and work remote-first everywhere, Austin included. That's part of how we keep pricing lean for a startup budget: no local office overhead baked into the number.
Do we need a minimum budget or company size to work with you?
No minimum — we scope to the actual problem, and a lot of our Austin work starts with one well-defined system rather than a large platform engagement.
Can we start small and expand later?
Yes — that's a common pattern, especially for growth-stage companies that want to prove value before committing to a bigger build.
Will the system still work if we don't have in-house AI engineers?
Yes — we build for maintainability by a general engineering team, and document the system clearly so it's not a black box only we understand.
How is this different from using a startup-focused AI agency?
We write custom code rather than assembling templated chatbot blocks, which tends to hold up better once your actual workflow gets specific.
How fast can we see a working prototype?
Most projects have a working prototype within the first week of a signed scope.
Can you work within a startup's existing tech stack?
Yes — we integrate with what you already use rather than asking you to adopt new infrastructure for one feature.
Do you take equity or defer payment for early-stage companies?
No — engagements are fixed-price, paid the same way regardless of company stage, which keeps the commercial relationship simple for both sides.
Can you work with a pre-seed company that hasn't raised yet?
Yes — company stage doesn't change how we scope a project; what matters is a well-defined problem worth automating.
Do you understand the kind of fast iteration a startup team expects?
Yes — most Austin engagements move in days between check-ins, not weeks, which fits how a lean startup team already operates.
Can you work alongside our existing technical co-founder or engineer?
Yes — some projects are a clean handoff, others are a collaboration where we build the AI-specific piece while your technical team owns the rest.
Do you understand the pressure of hitting a fundraising or demo milestone?
Yes — we're used to scoping around a real deadline rather than treating every project as open-ended, which matters when a specific milestone is driving the timeline.
Can you move faster than the two-to-three week typical timeline if we're under real pressure?
Sometimes — tell us the actual deadline during the discovery call and we'll be honest about whether a tighter timeline is realistic for the scope you need built.