Your whole build. One senior engineer. No full-time hire.

• Who do you work with?

  Agencies, ecommerce brands, SaaS companies, and growing businesses that need senior-level technical execution without taking on a full-time hire. If you're past the stage where a full-time hire makes sense but don't yet have the volume to justify one, you get senior work at a price that fits, that's the sweet spot.

• How much do projects cost?

  A Technical Audit starts at $750 and is credited toward a build if you move forward. Website & Platform Builds start at $5,000. The Technical Partner retainer starts at $1,500/mo, month-to-month. See the offers above for what's included — every project gets a custom quote after the intro call.

• How long does a project take?

  A Technical Audit takes about a week. Website & Platform Builds are scoped per project — most run a few weeks depending on complexity. The Technical Partner retainer is ongoing, month-to-month. Timelines start once scope is signed and the deposit is paid.

• How does payment work?

  Builds are split 50% at kickoff, 40% at staging approval, and 10% at launch — you approve the work before the final payment ever goes through. The Technical Partner retainer bills monthly. Stripe handles everything — credit card, ACH, or wire.

• Why should I hire you instead of an agency?

  Agencies bill $200+/hour and route your project through whichever junior is available. You get one senior engineer, accountable end to end. No PM layer, no rotating contractors, no junior surprises. The same person who scopes the work writes the code and ships it.

• What do you need from me?

  A clear sense of who your audience is, the rough shape of what you want the site to do, and your existing brand assets if you have them — logo, colors, type, photography. I'll guide you through everything else.

• What tech stack do you use?

  I match the stack to the project. WordPress and WooCommerce for content-driven sites and ecommerce stores that your team needs to manage. Next.js + Tailwind for custom apps, dynamic content, and growing complexity. Plain HTML/CSS where simplicity and speed are the point. Hand-coded and built to last — no page-builder bloat. Your site is yours to keep and edit.

• Do you build AI workflows and integrations?

  Yes. AI-powered workflows and features can be scoped into a build or handled through the Technical Partner retainer — automating manual work, adding LLM-powered features (RAG, agents, content generation), or streamlining internal operations. Most useful when you already have a product or process and want to make it faster.

• Do you handle design or do I need to bring my own?

  I handle the full design — type, layout, color, motion. If you have brand assets already, we build on those. If you don't, we'll define the visual direction together as part of the project.

• What if my brand isn't fully defined yet?

  Common with growing businesses. Builds include design and copy direction, so we'll define the visual direction together as part of the project. I'm not a brand strategist, but I've shipped enough sites for founders and teams in the messy middle to help you make decisions that hold up.

• What happens after launch?

  Every build includes 30 days of post-launch revisions. After that, the Technical Partner retainer (from $1,500/mo) covers ongoing development, improvements, AI workflows, and priority support — without the cost of a full-time hire. It's optional, but most teams keep it running.

• Will I be able to update content myself after launch?

  Yes. Every site comes with a CMS appropriate for your needs — WordPress for content-heavy sites and stores, or a lightweight option like Sanity or Notion for simpler builds. You'll be able to update copy, add blog posts, swap images, and manage products without touching code.

• Will I own the code?

  Yes. The repo is yours. The hosting account is yours. I don't hold your site hostage if we ever part ways. Most studios won't tell you this — but you're paying me for the build, not for keys to your own front door.

• What if I need to pause or cancel?

  For builds: once the deposit's paid and we've kicked off, we're committed to seeing it through. If life happens, we'll work it out. The Technical Partner retainer is month-to-month — pause or cancel any time with reasonable notice.

• Can you work with my existing site?

  Yes — but usually only if we're meaningfully improving it. If your current site is in fine shape, I'll tell you that. If it needs a rebuild, we'll start fresh. No partial fixes on top of fragile foundations.

• Do you work with clients outside the US?

  Yes — I work with clients in any timezone. All calls and async work happen on Slack or email, and we'll schedule meetings around what works for both of us.

Prefer email? tristan@swirestudio.com