How We Work → Billing Options → Mini-DaaS (2–3 FTE)
Your R-&-D strike-team on a rolling contract.
Mini-DaaS gives you a 2–3 person product squad for rapid discovery, prototyping and early-stage delivery—without locking into a big-bang SoW. It’s a lighter flavour of our full Dev-as-a-Service model, built for the “let’s prove it fast” phase.
When Mini-DaaS Makes Sense
| You're Thinking… | Mini-DaaS Solves It By… |
|---|---|
| “We need working proof, not endless docs.” | Delivering tangible code + clickable prototypes every sprint. |
| “Budget is real, but scope is still liquid.” | Rolling monthly retainer avoids change-order friction. |
| “We might scale up—or shelve—after 2-3 months.” | 30-day scale/exit clause keeps commitment low. |
| “Our team is swamped; we need outside muscle that ‘just gets it’.” | Cross-discipline pod drops in with established playbook. |
Squad Composition & Capacity
| Role | Typical Allocation | Key Outputs |
|---|---|---|
| Product / Delivery Lead | 0.4 FTE | Backlog, sprint planning, reporting |
| Solution / Integration Architect | 0.3 FTE | Data models, APIs, tech spikes |
| Front-End Dev | 0.6 FTE | Svelte/LWC prototypes, UX polish |
| Back-End / Apex Dev | 0.6 FTE | Django services, Apex logic, integrations |
| QA / BDD Coach | 0.2 FTE | Automated tests, quality gates |
Blend totals ≈ 2.1–2.3 FTE; adjust mix to suit the mission.
Scale clause: ±1 FTE with 30-day notice—upward when you hit traction, downward if runway tightens.
Operating Rhythm
| Cadence | Ceremony | Outputs & Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Sprint Planning & Demo | Committed backlog slice • Prototype or working increment |
| Bi-weekly | Steering Day | Budget burn, FCI delta, risk heat-map |
| Monthly | OKR Check-in | KPI trends, “continue / pivot / park” decision |
| Ad-hoc | Spike Day | One-day tech or UX experiment to answer a key unknown |
Dashboards update in real time; meetings are open-door or recorded for async review.
Deliverables You Can Expect
- Clickable Prototype or API PoC each sprint.
- Three-Layer BPMN + BDD for validated features.
- FCI Trend Report—shows clarity gains and billing-model readiness.
- Budget & Velocity Dashboard—live burndown vs. retainer cap.
- Risk Log—updated every Steering Day.
All artefacts roll unchanged into Sprint Pod, Fixed-Pack, or Full DaaS if you switch.
Commercials & Governance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | Monthly retainer (blended rate × FTE) invoiced in advance |
| Cap | Built-in 10 % stretch buffer for urgent spikes |
| Notice | 30 days to scale up, down or pause |
| Quality Gates | Same CI/CD, test-coverage and security scans as larger models |
| IP Transfer | All code and artefacts yours at invoice settlement |
Historical data shows Mini-DaaS beats multiple micro-SoWs by ≈ 15 % on total cost when discovery lasts > 3 weeks.
Integration with Other Billing Models
| Path | Typical Trigger |
|---|---|
| → Sprint Pod (T&M cap) | FCI hits 5-7 and backlog stabilises for 1–3 predictable increments. |
| → Fixed-Scope Pack | FCI ≥ 8 and a hard deadline appears (e.g., demo day). |
| → Full DaaS | Product finds market pull; need sustained velocity + ops. |
| ← from Discovery Sprint | Vision clarified but still needs iterative proofs. |
Switching incurs zero penalties—we freeze/back-pay unused retainer hours into the new model forecast.
Sample 6-Week Plan
| Week | Goal | Key Artefacts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stakeholder alignment | Vision map, success metrics |
| 2 | First UX prototype | Svelte click-through, user feedback notes |
| 3 | API spike + data model | Swagger spec, PostgreSQL ERD |
| 4 | Second prototype (iteration) | Revised UX, BDD scenarios |
| 5 | Integration PoC | Working callout to external sandbox |
| 6 | Roadmap & budget pack | FCI 7+, backlog, retainer vs. pod recommendation |
Mini Case
Med-Tech Concept Lab — Three-person Mini-DaaS squad built two HIPAA-ready prototypes in six weeks, raised FCI from 2.8 → 6.5, and uncovered a critical EHR integration blocker before Series-A pitch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need rapid momentum without long commitments?
Book a 30-minute Mini-DaaS fit call—get squad mix, start date, and cost in 48 h.
Reserve My Mini-DaaS Squad