Transparent Pricing
A monthly retainer covers your full tech team. At the end of your engagement, a one-time knowledge transfer fee ensures your codebase, processes, and institutional knowledge are fully handed over — then the relationship ends cleanly.
| Count | Role | Chrysopoeic / mo | Traditional / mo |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | CTO Chief Technology Officer | £5,000 | £18,333 |
0 | Tech Lead Technical team lead | £4,000 | £15,000 |
1 | Senior Developer Experienced full-stack engineer | £3,500 | £12,500 |
0 | Junior Developer Early-career developer | £2,000 | £8,333 |
0 | QA Engineer Quality assurance specialist | £2,500 | £10,000 |
Rates include all overheads. Max 5 per role.
Monthly Retainer
Chrysopoeic
£8,500
Traditional
£30,833
Save £22,333/mo (72%)
Engagement Duration
Knowledge Transfer Fee
£15,300
15% of annual retainer · paid at handoff
Payment Timeline
Monthly retainer payments followed by a one-time knowledge transfer fee at handoff.
Retainer Total
£102,000
12 × £8,500/mo
+ Transfer Fee
£15,300
15% of annual retainer
Grand Total
£117,300
vs £370,000 traditional — save £252,700 (68%)
How We're Different
An honest comparison of Tech Department as a Service vs other technical leadership options.
| Criterion | Chrysopoeic | Full-Time | Traditional Agency | Staff Augmentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commitment | Flexible, month-to-monthMonth-to-month engagement - scale up, down, or exit without lock-in | Permanent + equityPermanent hire requiring equity and long notice periods - costly to reverse before value is proven | Project-basedEngagement ends when the defined project scope is complete | 6-12 month contractsIndividual contractors typically require 6–12 month minimum contracts |
| Leadership Included | ✓CTO-level technical leadership and architectural decision-making built into every engagement | ✓You hire a dedicated CTO who owns technical strategy | ✗Agencies deliver outputs — technical leadership stays your responsibility | ✗Contractors execute assigned work — strategic leadership is not included |
| Development Team | ✓A full development team is included — no separate hiring required | ✓Your CTO leads the team, but developers must still be sourced and onboarded separately | ⚠Project-scoped teams are assembled per engagement and don't remain after delivery | ✓Individual developers are provided, but without a leadership layer |
| Strategic Guidance | ✓Ongoing input on architecture, tooling, and technical roadmap as your startup evolves | ✓A dedicated CTO aligns technical strategy directly with your business goals | ⚠Strategic input is scoped to the project — broader roadmap guidance varies by agency | ✗Contractors are scoped to execution tasks — strategic guidance is not typically included |
| Knowledge Transfer | ✓Structured handoff to your permanent team — documentation, mentoring, and training built in | ⚠Knowledge transfer depends on internal culture and how long your CTO stays | ✗Documentation quality varies — knowledge typically leaves with the agency team | ✗Knowledge walks out when contracts end — formal transfer processes are rare |
| Hiring Support | ✓We actively support hiring your permanent CTO and first developers as part of the engagement | ✓Your CTO manages team growth, but external hiring support isn't part of the model | ✗Agencies deliver defined projects — building your permanent team isn't their mandate | ✗Staff augmentation fills capacity gaps — it doesn't build your permanent internal team |
| Flexibility | ✓Adjust scope, team size, and focus monthly as your startup's needs change | ✗Permanent hires are costly and difficult to reverse — equity and severance add friction | ⚠Scope changes mid-project are possible but usually require contract renegotiation | ⚠Individual contractors can be swapped, but team composition changes take time |
| Time to Start | 1-2 weeksFirst deliverables within 1–2 weeks of contract signing | 3-6 monthsRecruitment, notice periods, and onboarding typically spans 3–6 months | 2-4 weeksProposal, contract, and project kickoff typically takes 2–4 weeks | 2-4 weeksCandidate sourcing and contract setup typically takes 2–4 weeks |
Tech Department as a Service
Complete tech department (CTO + development team) in one package. Get both leadership and execution without the complexity of separate hiring.
Build Operate Transfer
A structured path from MVP to scale with a clear handoff to your permanent CTO and developers. Not a never-ending engagement.
Radical Transparency
Complete visibility into technical decisions, trade-offs, and progress. No hidden costs, no surprises, no corporate speak.