A second senior engineer who writes code, not slide decks
Applications Pro at $4,500 a month. Senior engineer who works in the same codebase, same standards, same rigor. PRs, not PowerPoint.
Who this is for
Technical cofounder or CTO who can code but needs senior leverage on a parallel track.
The pain today
- I am doing product, architecture, and hiring; one domain keeps slipping.
- Most contractors need hand-holding; I do not have the time.
- Agency profiles send junior engineers who cannot read my codebase.
- I need a peer, not a cost center.
The outcome you get
- A senior engineer who reads the codebase in week one and ships in week two.
- Same code review standards, no quality regression.
- Ownership of one domain that keeps slipping.
- Cancel when the internal hire lands or the domain stabilizes.
The second senior model
Technical cofounders hit the second-senior problem around month 6-12. The cofounder is doing product, architecture, customer, and hiring. One engineering domain always slips because the cofounder runs out of hours. The fix is a second senior engineer, not a junior who needs direction. A second senior reads the codebase on day one, picks up the slipping domain, and ships at cofounder-caliber quality. The retainer at $4,500 a month is cheaper than the salary of a permanent senior hire and starts producing velocity in week two instead of month four.
Code review and handover discipline
The second-senior pattern lives or dies on code review discipline. I submit PRs to the cofounder for review. Small PRs, clear descriptions, tight scope. The cofounder reviews on their schedule. No code lands without review. The shared codebase stays consistent. After 4-6 weeks the cofounder is reviewing 80 percent of my PRs with a thumbs-up and a few small comments. That is the pattern that makes the model work. Without review discipline, the second-senior drifts and the codebase fractures.
When to bring me in
The trigger for a second senior is usually: the domain that always slips. For some technical cofounders it is billing and payments. For others it is infrastructure. For others it is a complex integration layer. I take ownership of that domain for a quarter, ship the backlog, document what I built, and either continue with the next domain or hand over to the internal team. Most technical cofounder engagements run 3-6 months, long enough to clear one or two slipping domains.
Cancellation when you hire internally
The right exit for the second-senior model is a permanent senior engineer hire. When the internal hire lands, I do a one-week pair-handover and cancel. Work Made for Hire means the code, docs, and runbooks are yours. The permanent hire inherits a documented domain and ramps fast. The retainer ends on a friendly note. Cuez followed this pattern. bolttech followed this pattern. Most technical cofounder engagements do.
Recent proof
A comparable engagement, delivered and documented.
Rescued a slow API that was blocking user growth
Refactored the backend architecture, making the system far more responsive and scalable for the growing user base.
Frequently asked questions
The questions prospects ask before they book.
- Will you respect my existing architecture and conventions?
- Yes. I read the codebase and the ADRs (if any) before I write a line. I change conventions only with your explicit sign-off.
- How do you handle on-call?
- For the domain I own, yes. Not for the whole platform. On-call rotation negotiable.
- Can you pair with me on hard problems?
- Yes. Pair sessions are often the highest-leverage time in a second-senior engagement.
- Will you stay long-term?
- Typically 3-6 months, sometimes longer. The right long-term answer is a permanent senior hire, and I help you get there.
- Can you work async across time zones?
- Yes. Default is async with 2-3 synchronous touchpoints a week. I cover US and Europe working hours.
Ready to start?
Tell me what you need in 60 seconds. Tailored proposal in your inbox within 6 hours.