An engineer who works for you, not the other way around
One senior engineer, direct contact, transparent pricing. Starter at $2,000, Applications at $3,499/mo, CTO Advisory at $4,500/mo. No middlemen. 16 years, never ghosted.
Who this is for
Non-technical founder at any stage, from idea through Series A, scared of being taken advantage of by vendors.
The pain today
- I cannot evaluate quotes, tech stacks, or timelines.
- My last freelancer ghosted me three weeks into the project.
- Every agency inflates the scope and the timeline.
- I need someone I can trust without becoming technical myself.
The outcome you get
- A scoping call that maps the real need to the right service.
- Plain-language explanations of every technical trade-off.
- Fixed or flat monthly pricing, no hourly surprises.
- Direct contact with me, not an account manager.
How to evaluate a developer without being technical
Non-technical founders evaluate developers on three signals. First: do they ship on time? Ask for references from projects that shipped in the last 12 months. Second: do they explain trade-offs in plain language? If the quote is jargon-heavy and evasive, it is a red flag. Third: is the pricing structure aligned with your cash flow? Fixed for fixed-scope, monthly for ongoing, hourly almost never. I work against these three signals because every non-technical founder I have worked with has been burned at least once by failing one of them.
Red flags in quotes
Red flags I see in quotes aimed at non-technical founders. Vague scope ('full-featured web app'). Time-and-materials pricing without a cap. A 50 percent upfront deposit with no milestone schedule. Silence on ownership (Work Made for Hire should be explicit). Requests for admin access to your domain registrar or GitHub org (big no). I review vendor quotes for every non-technical founder who asks, at no charge, before they sign.
Fixed vs monthly pricing decision
Fixed pricing works for clearly-scoped projects: a website, a specific integration, a one-off tool. Monthly retainer works for ongoing work: an MVP with 12 weeks of iteration, a feature roadmap, AI automations. Hourly almost never works for non-technical founders because the incentive is to drag. I offer fixed price (Websites starting at $2,000) and monthly retainers (Applications at $3,499/mo, AI at $3,000/mo, Fractional CTO at $4,500/mo). You pick based on what you are building.
The direct-with-Adriano, no-middlemen promise
Every non-technical founder I work with talks to me directly. No account manager, no project manager, no client services lead. The slack channel or the email chain is me on the other end. The tradeoff is I take on 2-3 clients at a time, not dozens. The benefit is you get a senior engineer who knows your project end to end, not a junior who inherited the brief. 16 years, 250+ projects shipped, never ghosted a client.
Recent proof
A comparable engagement, delivered and documented.
Built and shipped an investor-ready MVP from scratch
Built the entire technological base and delivered MVP in just 3 weeks, enabling a successful rapid launch and investor demo.
Frequently asked questions
The questions prospects ask before they book.
- I do not know if I need a website, an app, or a CTO. Can you help figure it out?
- Yes. First call is a scoping conversation. I ask about the business, the goal, and the budget, then recommend the right service. Some founders are surprised when I say 'do not build anything yet.'
- Can you review a quote from another developer?
- Yes. Send me the quote and I read it for free. I flag scope gaps, pricing traps, and ownership issues.
- What if I do not have a budget yet?
- I give honest budget ranges so you can plan fundraising or cash flow. No pressure to commit without knowing the cost.
- Will you sign an NDA?
- Yes. Standard one-page NDA on request. Most non-technical founders do not need one at the scoping stage, but I sign when asked.
- How do I know you will not ghost?
- 16 years, 250+ projects, never missed a launch date. References on request. Plus: I take on 2-3 clients at a time so every engagement matters to my business.
Ready to start?
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