How operating works

The full lifecycle, no marketing fluff.

Six phases. Most projects run them all in 2–4 months before they settle into long retainer mode.

  1. Phase 1 · Matching

    Brief in, you decide.

    Every project hits our intake first. We screen, structure the spec, and route it to operators whose past work matches. You see the full brief (budget, timeline, scope, client business) before you commit. Two-day window to claim; pass anytime with no penalty.

    • Briefs delivered to your inbox + the triage queue in /admin
    • Match score is advisory, final call is yours
    • Pass on anything that's not a fit, no questions
  2. Phase 2 · Kickoff

    Spec, plan, kickoff call.

    Within 24 hours of claiming, you do a 30-minute kickoff with the client to confirm direction and timeline. We pre-write the spec from intake answers; you tighten it on the call. Spec gets published to the client's project room as a living document.

    • Spec template auto-populated from the intake form
    • Client sees every edit in version history
    • Mark project active in the admin, triggers retainer billing
  3. Phase 3 · Build

    Ship the thing.

    You drive design, copy, and implementation. Claude Code is wired into the project room via the 'Copy Claude Code prompt' button, generated from the spec + open issues + repo URLs. Use it as much or as little as you want; the brief and the budget are yours.

    • Pre-configured stack: Next.js, Tailwind, Supabase, Stripe, Resend
    • Deploy + domain + analytics scaffolded, no devops scramble
    • Daily build expected, but no required check-ins
  4. Phase 4 · Launch

    Mark shipped, get paid.

    When the build is live, flip the project to 'shipped' in admin with the production URL. The build fee, collected from the client at signup, releases the same day, and Stripe pays you 80% on the next payout cycle (Mondays). The client's monthly starts, and the project drops into retainer mode.

    • Build fee paid within 7 days of shipping
    • Client gets a launch email automatically
    • Deliverables list updated for the client's dashboard
  5. Phase 5 · Retainer

    Hold the calendar.

    You stay on as the active operator. Issues open via the client dashboard; you reply within 24 business hours. Use the retainer ledger to log time so the client can see where their hours go. 70% of every monthly payment flows to you.

    • Issues auto-route to you in /admin and the triage queue
    • Email notifications when a client posts; reply via the project room
    • Log hours as you work, feeds the client's billing page
  6. Phase 6 · Escalation

    When something breaks.

    Stuck? Capacity hit? We're a real team. Tag #help in the operator Slack and an admin picks it up within the business day. If a project goes off the rails we re-match without drama; happens occasionally, isn't a black mark.

    • Operator Slack invite included on approval
    • Re-match flow handled by admin, no client friction
    • Quarterly retro with admin on the projects you ran

Ready to do this for a living?

Five-step application. We're picky, but we're fast: five business days to a decision.