Engagement & estimates

Start with a conversation for an accurate estimate

An accurate estimate starts with a conversation about your needs and situation. If you want to move toward an estimate or contract during a free consultation, let me know. I will hear your request, prepare an estimate, and arrange a separate one-hour meeting to explain it. Consultation-only inquiries are welcome. Active-contract clients are prioritized, so free consultations are not always available.

Contact us to request a consultation or estimate →

Estimate process

When a free consultation is available: one-hour consultation/hearing → estimate preparation → a separate one-hour explanation meeting. If it is unavailable, we will explain another hearing option and any fee before proceeding.

Fees

Any fees or terms for preparing and explaining an estimate are provided individually before proceeding. We do not publish hourly rates or a price list.

Delivery format and usage

Work products are normally delivered as files; when appropriate, we can also share or hand them over through a GitHub repository. We aim to deliver generated work with the broadest practical use rights. Third-party materials, open-source licenses, and service terms may impose restrictions; we will explain applicable limits in advance.

Individual estimates

Fees vary with the request, contracting entity, service region, currency, delivery scope, and ongoing operations. Economic conditions and labor costs may differ between Japan and the United States. Deliverables alone are estimated separately from work that also includes prompts or source code. Estimates identify the contracting entity, currency, tax, and scope. Speaking engagements and group training are also scoped and estimated individually. Speaking engagements and group training are also scoped and estimated individually. If a service is not listed, tell us what you need and we will consider an approach.

Service delivery

Delivery is remote-first. Consultation, design, development, research, and review can be combined within the agreed scope. Depending on the engagement, work products may include code, documents, images, or research results.

Operations after development

Website and application development and delivery are normally proposed with month-to-month maintenance. Scope, updates, renewal, and cancellation terms are confirmed in the agreement. Changes require separate agreement.

Business requests

Business use and invoicing follow the business terms. Preparation for Japan’s invoice system is underway, but support is not currently available. The contracting party is confirmed before an estimate or agreement.