Start an engagement with SkillMix in three steps: free exploration call, paid Scope Sprint, then no-cure-no-pay implementation. The whole sequence is built to give you certainty before you commit real money — and an honest exit at every stage if it isn't a fit.
Step 1 — Free exploration call (30 min, no commitment)
Understand your context and the problem you actually want solved.
Qualify fit — sometimes we'll tell you the work isn't right for us, or that you don't need us at all.
Outline whether the work belongs in Automation, AI Agents, Modeling, or the AI Exploration Retainer.
Discuss likely scope, timeline, and the rough range of cost.
You leave the call with a clear next step. No deck, no follow-up sales sequence.
Step 2 — Paid Scope Sprint (mandatory)
A short, fixed-fee discovery and design sprint. Typically 1–2 weeks. Pricing: €1,000 – €1,500 for automation work, €1,500 – €2,500 for agents and modeling.
We sit with whoever does the work today. We map the workflow, shadow the people doing it, and write the acceptance criteria. You leave with:
A precise scope. Exactly what we'll build, what we won't, and what's out.
Measurable success criteria. Written in plain English. The "definition of done" we'll be tested against.
A fixed price for implementation. No T&M, no discovery-phase billing, no change orders without a new fixed number.
A delivery date. Not a quarter — a date.
A risk register. What could go wrong, where, and how we'd handle it.
The Scope Sprint is mandatory before any no-cure-no-pay work. It protects both sides: clear deliverables, no surprises. If we conclude the work isn't worth doing, we say so. Worst case: you walk away with an honest diagnosis and a written plan you can hand to whoever you hire next.
Step 3 — Implementation (no-cure-no-pay)
Fixed-scope build against the criteria from the Scope Sprint. Standard engagements use a 50/50 payment structure: half on kickoff, half on outcome acceptance. The implementation fee is owed only when agreed outcomes are met.
Weekly demos throughout. Decisions by end of call. No steerco. If we miss the date or the acceptance criteria, you don't pay — not partial credit, zero.
Step 4 — Run (optional)
After go-live, most clients take a small monthly retainer so someone is on call when a model drifts, an upstream API changes, or a new feature is wanted. You can skip it and run the thing yourselves. Plenty do.
For agent swarms, the Frontier Retainer specifically tracks model releases, swaps roles when something better ships, and re-runs your acceptance tests before any change goes live. No rebuild fees.
You own everything: code, prompts, infra, models, audit logs. No lock-in.