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. Build fee invoice goes out the same day; Stripe pays you 80% on the next payout cycle (Mondays). 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.

Apply to operate