// pricing

One price per engagement. Written before we start.

No “starting from”, no discovery-call price reveal. Every productized tier below has a fixed scope and a fixed number. The self-serve ones take a card on this page; the larger builds get scoped on a call. The number you see is the number in the contract.

compare every tiercare plansai & automationfaq

fixed scope

written

audit

$750

platform build

$9.5k

care plans

monthly

00// pricing logic

The page should make the buying decision obvious.

A premium pricing page earns trust by showing the route, the constraints, and the next action. No pressure tricks; just clear commercial architecture.

  1. 01

    Audit

    Best when you need clarity before committing to a larger build.

  2. 02

    Ship

    Best when the surface, launch, or conversion system is the bottleneck.

  3. 03

    Automate

    Best when AI, ops, or workflow leverage creates measurable lift.

  4. 04

    Build / Operate

    Best when the product needs a principal builder and an operating cadence.

01// productized engagements

Fixed scope. Fixed price. Click to start.

The original Sage Ideas catalog — strategy audits, marketing-site sprints, automation, brand work, and platform builds. Audit is the self-serve on-ramp; most of it credits toward a larger engagement.

// recommended01

Sage Audit

A focused set of eyes on your stack — in one week.

$750
5 business daysOne-time · fixed scope
// outcomes
  • Prioritized list of the 10 highest-leverage fixes
  • Loom walkthrough you can share with your team
  • 60-minute review call to triage next steps
  • Optional credit toward a follow-on engagement
full scope + deliverables
// sprint02

Ship

A production marketing site, in two weeks.

$2,500
2 weeksOne-time · fixed scope
// outcomes
  • Live, fast, indexable marketing site
  • CMS your team can update without engineering
  • Analytics and SEO foundation in place from day one
  • 90+ Lighthouse across Performance, A11y, SEO, Best Practices
full scope + deliverables
// sprint03

Automate

One critical workflow, automated end-to-end.

$3,500
3 weeksOne-time · fixed scope
// outcomes
  • One workflow runs without human supervision
  • Monitoring + alerting in place — you know when it breaks
  • Runbook your team can operate independently
  • Cost-of-ops baseline established + tracked
Buy Automate full scope + what’s included
// sprint04

SEO Sprint

Technical SEO + on-page foundation, fixed in 30 days.

$1,500
30 daysOne-time · fixed scope
// outcomes
  • Every technical SEO blocker fixed — crawl, schema, vitals, sitemaps
  • Programmatic SEO scaffolding for templated landing pages
  • Tracking dashboard: rankings, clicks, vitals, indexation
  • 60 days of post-sprint support to monitor and tune
full scope + deliverables
// operate05

Content Engine

Editorial-grade long-form, every week, for compounding reach.

$1,500/mo
Quarterly minimumMonthly retainer · cancel anytime
// outcomes
  • 4 long-form pieces per month — research-backed, editorially tight
  • Distribution kit for every piece (LinkedIn, X, newsletter)
  • Internal linking strategy that compounds month-over-month
  • Performance dashboard: traffic, rankings, conversions
Subscribe to Content Engine full scope + what’s included
// sprint06

Brand Sprint

Verbal + visual identity, ready to ship — in 2 weeks.

$2,500
2 weeksOne-time · fixed scope
// outcomes
  • A brand identity that looks like it belongs to a real company
  • Verbal system: positioning, voice, taglines, messaging hierarchy
  • Visual system: logo, type, color, spacing, motion principles
  • Production-ready design tokens — no friction handing off to web build
full scope + deliverables
// operate07

Scale

SEO + Content Engine running in lockstep — the compounding stack.

$1,200/mo
Quarterly minimumMonthly retainer · cancel anytime
// outcomes
  • Compounding organic traffic — typically 3–9 month payback
  • A content moat in your category
  • Technical SEO that does not regress
  • Distribution that compounds with the content library
Subscribe to Scale full scope + what’s included
// build08

Build

Site + app + automation + SEO. Live in one sprint.

from $9,500
4–12 weeksCustom — scoped after discovery
// outcomes
  • A live, full-stack business in production
  • Site + app + automation + SEO under one strategy
  • 90 days of operator-grade support post-launch
Book a Discovery Call full scope + what’s included
// build09

App Development

A purpose-built web app for your small team — spec, prototype, build, launch.

from $6,500
4–10 weeksCustom — scoped after discovery
// outcomes
  • A live, custom web app your team and customers can use
  • A spec, a prototype, then a real production app — in that order
  • Tests, monitoring, and a runbook so the app survives without me
  • Mobile-friendly responsive design out of the box
Book a Discovery Call full scope + what’s included
// operate10

Operate

Engineering ownership on retainer. About twenty hours a week.

$2,500/mo
Quarterly minimumMonthly retainer · cancel anytime
// outcomes
  • A dedicated engineer who owns one critical surface area
  • Weekly syncs + async availability
  • Architecture decisions you can stand behind
Subscribe to Operate full scope + what’s included
02// scope estimator

Skip the spreadsheet. Build your quote here.

Click your way to a real estimate. The number you see is the number we’ll write into the contract — and if scope changes mid-flight, the kill switch refunds the unspent half.

// engagement_type
// build_a_production_system() · from $9,500
// scope_weeks (4–14)
6 wks
// timeline
// kickoff in 1–2 weeks
// ai_surface
// one feature with an LLM in it
// integrations (Stripe, Supabase, OAuth, etc.)
2 svc
// qa_coverage
// playwright, contract tests, lighthouse, axe, pact
// scope.estimate()
$18,650

Estimate based on real engagements. The final number is fixed on signature, with a written kill switch if scope changes mid-flight.

  • base · build$9,500
  • scope · 6 wk×1.5
  • timeline · standard×1.00
  • ai · light+$1,200
  • integrations · 2+$1,200
  • qa_suite+12%
./book --estimate// the number above is what you pay. fixed at signature.
03// monthly care

Kept alive every month. Cancel anytime.

Lightweight retainers for teams who already shipped. Real subscriptions through Stripe — no clawback, no minimum term, no drama.

// retainer01

Site Care

Monthly site upkeep — patches, copy edits, perf tuning.

$300/mo
  • Uptime + security patching
  • Copy edits and content updates
  • Performance tuning + Lighthouse upkeep
  • Small feature tweaks each month
details
// retainer02

Brand Care

Monthly brand maintenance — logo updates, social, guideline upkeep.

$400/mo
  • Asset library upkeep + new template requests
  • Brand guideline edits as the company evolves
  • Small-batch social / sales / event design
  • Quarterly brand health review
details
// retainer03

Content Care

Monthly content maintenance — refreshes, internal linking, repurposing.

$800/mo
  • Existing-post refreshes (every month)
  • Internal linking + cluster strengthening
  • Light social + newsletter repurposing
  • Monthly analytics + topic suggestions
details
04// honest comparison

Every tier, side by side.

Prices, timelines, and how each one starts — straight from the source. The only accent marks the recommended on-ramp, not a discount you’ll never see.

Comparison of productized engagement tiers by price, timeline, cadence, and checkout type
EngagementPriceTimelineCadenceHow to start
Sage Auditrecommended

A focused set of eyes on your stack — in one week.

$7505 business daysOne-time · AuditInstant checkout
Ship

A production marketing site, in two weeks.

$2,5002 weeksOne-time · SprintInstant checkout
Automate

One critical workflow, automated end-to-end.

$3,5003 weeksOne-time · SprintScope on a call
SEO Sprint

Technical SEO + on-page foundation, fixed in 30 days.

$1,50030 daysOne-time · SprintInstant checkout
Content Engine

Editorial-grade long-form, every week, for compounding reach.

$1,500Quarterly minimumMonthly · OperateScope on a call
Brand Sprint

Verbal + visual identity, ready to ship — in 2 weeks.

$2,5002 weeksOne-time · SprintInstant checkout
Scale

SEO + Content Engine running in lockstep — the compounding stack.

$1,200Quarterly minimumMonthly · OperateScope on a call
Build

Site + app + automation + SEO. Live in one sprint.

from $9,5004–12 weeksCustom · BuildScope on a call
App Development

A purpose-built web app for your small team — spec, prototype, build, launch.

from $6,5004–10 weeksCustom · BuildScope on a call
Operate

Engineering ownership on retainer. About twenty hours a week.

$2,500Quarterly minimumMonthly · OperateScope on a call
05// ai & automation

More ways we can help — scoped before you commit.

AI reliability, automation pipelines, customer-facing AI, retainers, diagnostics, and full bundles. Inquiry-first: every engagement is scoped and priced in writing before any commitment.

// Automation pipelines08
browse the full catalog
06// questions

Pricing, in plain English.

01Why are the prices fixed and not 'starting from'?
"Starting from" means you won't know the real price until after you've invested time in a sales conversation. Fixed prices respect your time and ours. Scope is defined before work begins, and both parties agree in writing.
02Can I change tiers mid-engagement?
For active one-time engagements (Audit, Ship, Automate, SEO Sprint, Brand Sprint), scope changes are handled via a written amendment — any addition is estimated and approved before work begins. Monthly tiers (Scale, Operate, Care plans) can be upgraded or paused at the next billing cycle.
03Do you take equity?
For pre-revenue startups in specific circumstances: yes, but only as a partial arrangement (cash + equity, not equity-only). Contact us directly for Build engagements where equity is part of the discussion.
04What if my project doesn't fit any of these tiers?
Two paths. Build (from $9,500) is for full custom multi-week engagements. Or scope a fully custom package — a hybrid sprint, a multi-month retainer, or a specific deliverable list. Every engagement can be custom-scoped with a transparent fixed quote.
05Do you offer monthly retainers and ongoing services?
Yes. Site Care ($300/mo), Brand Care ($400/mo), and Content Care ($800/mo) are lightweight monthly retainers for upkeep on something you already shipped. Scale ($1,200/mo), Operate ($2,500/mo), and Content Engine ($1,500/mo) are heavier ongoing engagements. All retainers cancel anytime.
06What's the cancellation policy?
One-time engagements are non-refundable once work begins. Monthly retainers (Scale, Operate, Content Engine, Site Care, Brand Care, Content Care) cancel anytime through Stripe — you'll be billed through the end of the current cycle. If we haven't started work, we issue a full refund.
07International clients and taxes/VAT?
We work with international clients. Stripe handles currency conversion. Clients outside the US are responsible for any applicable VAT or GST in their jurisdiction. We do not add VAT on top of listed prices.

price to route

Still comparing? Get routed.

If the matrix is close but not obvious, answer four questions. The diagnostic points you toward audit, studio build, automation, or academy instead of forcing a generic sales call.

Run the route finderBook a call
self-serve on-ramp
Audit
pricing model
fixed
route options
04
// not sure which fits?

Start with a conversation.

A free 30-minute discovery call. We talk through what you’re building, what you’ve tried, and which engagement — if any — is the right fit.

./bookscope something custom
livebuild 18b85f02026-06-19 01:47Z
// solo studio// no analytics resold// every commit human-reviewed