Engineering Capacity
This page explains how Exalynt sells engineering and what it costs. Running a product in production is a separate, monthly service: see Operations plans. The source of truth for prices and terms is exalynt.com.
If this page and the website disagree, the website wins, and this page should be updated.
The short version
Exalynt sells Engineering Capacity in fixed-price blocks. A block is a portion of one engineer's time, talent, attention, and focus for one Iteration, applied to the most valuable work we can do for the client, along with that engineer's part in the reviews, pairing, and mentoring that keep Exalynt's work good (details). A block is never shared between engineers, and unless an exception is warranted, it is allocated and fulfilled within one week. At the end of the iteration we show the client what we did and what we learned. The client then decides whether to buy another block.
That is the whole arrangement:
- No hourly billing, timesheets, or hour balances. The client pays for the block, not for the time it took.
- No fixed-scope contract, retainer, or minimum number of blocks. Each block is the entire commitment.
- A familiar team, not reserved engineers. Exalynt fulfills a client's blocks with engineers on their assigned Engineering Team whenever practical, and may involve engineers from other teams when that serves the client better. A block is a commitment of capacity, not exclusive access to a particular engineer (details).
- We never exceed the purchased capacity without the client's agreement. The client keeps everything built along the way.
- Ownership. The client owns the custom software and receives the source code. Exalynt keeps its pre-existing, Reusable IP: the libraries, tooling, and frameworks we bring to every engagement.
We earn the next block by making the current one worthwhile.
Capacity is the engineering effort a block makes available. Value is the useful progress that effort contributes to, and a block doesn't come with a fixed amount of it. What we mean by value explains how to recognize it.
Blocks
Blocks follow a 1:2:4 model. Each block is a whole number of capacity units: Flex is 1 unit, Core is 2 units, and Dedicated is 4 units. Current client prices for one block. Each block has one price, whoever operates the software afterward. Engineer payouts are calculated separately and don't depend on these prices (see Engineer compensation).
| Block | Units | Effort reference | Price | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flex | 1 | ~10 hours | $2,000 | The smallest allocation on a project. Covers focused features, fixes, reviews, and steady progress when an iteration needs less capacity. |
| Core | 2 | ~20 hours | $3,750 | The standard block. Covers feature development, integrations, automation, and ongoing iterative development. |
| Dedicated | 4 | ~40 hours | $7,000 | Larger iterations, significant features, major integrations, and several related improvements at once. |
The hours are approximate overall effort, not hours reserved for one client. Each effort reference describes the scale of engineering capacity behind a block. That includes focused work on the client's needs and the engineer's shared engineering contribution, so it isn't a promise of that many hours exclusively on the client's project. The hours aren't purchased, guaranteed, or tracked, and clients never see a timesheet. They aren't hourly rates either: the client buys the block, and its price is fixed however long the work takes.
All three blocks provide the same engineering capabilities and are used the same way: as capacity on the client's project, one iteration at a time. The only difference is how much capacity we allocate. Flex isn't a trial or a separate discovery offering; it's the smallest allocation, for iterations that need less. Discovery can happen inside Dedicated, and a small feature can be built with Flex.
What a block supports
A capacity block supports focused engineering work on the client's needs, along with participation in Exalynt's engineering community. That includes reviewing work, pairing, mentoring, and improving shared practices, sometimes across client engagements. These contributions are included in our capacity model and help sustain the quality of our work. We explain the client's progress through what changed, why it matters, and what it enables next.
Each block carries two responsibilities:
- Focused client contribution: appropriate attention and engineering work toward the client's needs, from clarifying the problem through building, testing, deploying, and documenting the result.
- Shared engineering contribution: taking part in the collaboration, review, mentoring, and shared practices that make Exalynt a place where excellence thrives.
Some of the capacity a client's purchase supports may go to helping engineers on other engagements or improving shared engineering practices. That work isn't specific to the purchasing client, and it won't always benefit them right away. It sustains the collaborative organization delivering their service: every engineer has others to review their work, think a problem through with, and learn from, and the practices everyone relies on keep improving. Both responsibilities are included in the block price and the engineer's payout. Exalynt doesn't charge separately for ordinary shared contribution, and it isn't unpaid extra work.
Shared contribution never excuses inadequate attention to the client's work. Engineers plan focused attention appropriate to the block, and the client should see real progress on their needs at every checkpoint. If the client's work and other commitments start competing, the engineer raises it early and Exalynt adjusts assignments so the client's work stays adequately supported. Anything that changes what an iteration can deliver is discussed with the client, and we still never exceed the purchased capacity without their agreement.
A useful reference for a block
How block prices are set
Each block has one price. Larger blocks cost a little less per unit, because they're simpler to schedule and coordinate: Dedicated is the most efficient way to allocate an engineer, so it has the best price per unit.
| Block | Units | Price | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flex | 1 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Core | 2 | $3,750 | $1,875 |
| Dedicated | 4 | $7,000 | $1,750 |
The difference is modest on purpose. Flex isn't penalized, but as a project grows, Core and Dedicated become the better value. Engineer payouts don't follow client prices: they follow a Capacity Payout Basis that's the same per unit for every block size (details).
Who operates the software
Who operates the software in production is a separate decision, and it doesn't change the price of a block. The client can operate it themselves (Self Operated), or Exalynt can take on that responsibility (Operated by Exalynt). When Exalynt operates a product, it needs an operations plan (Essential, Standard, or Extended), which begins once the product is in production use. Infrastructure and third-party services are passed through at cost.
Capacity funds change. Operations funds keeping production software running.
Capacity units measure engineering capacity only: operations plans aren't priced in them, and a block doesn't change a plan's price just because it was bought. Operations plans explains both choices and how the plans work.
Frequently asked questions
Does capacity cost more if Exalynt operates my software?
No. Each block has one price, whoever operates the software. Operating it is priced separately, through an operations plan.
Does an operations plan pay for code changes and new features?
Not substantial ones. A plan pays for production care: monitoring, investigating alerts, routine restoration, and routine maintenance. Substantial code changes and new features use Engineering Capacity (details). This is one reason quality matters.
Is a larger block cheaper per unit of capacity?
Yes, modestly, because smaller blocks take more scheduling and coordination. That's $2,000 for Flex (1 unit) versus $7,000 for Dedicated (4 units). Choose the size that fits the work for the next iteration; the price difference shouldn't force a larger block than the work needs.
Is every reference hour spent on my project?
No. The effort reference describes the overall scale of capacity behind a block, including the reviews, pairing, mentoring, and shared practices every block supports, sometimes on other engagements. The client's work gets focused attention appropriate to the block, and the checkpoint shows what changed, why it matters, and what it enables next. See What a block supports.
What happens if my work and other commitments compete for an engineer's time?
The engineer raises it early, and Exalynt adjusts assignments so the client's work stays adequately supported. If something changes what the iteration can deliver, we tell the client and agree the next step together. Work that needs more capacity than the client bought belongs in the next block.
Does the client pay more if we hit an unexpected problem?
No. Exalynt carries the variance inside a block. See Sharing risk.