Discover
Scope agreed in writing.
- Stakeholder interviews
- Codebase walkthrough
- Scope crystallization
- Written agreement on day-14 deliverable
▸ DELIVERABLESigned scope document
§ SOL · 05For product leaders evaluating a long-term partnership
Try before you commit.
Two weeks. Real work.
A senior pod tackles your hardest current problem for two weeks. Fixed fee, fixed scope, production-grade code. The pilot ends with a working artifact, a written architectural recommendation, and a clear call on whether to keep working together.
§ 01 — The ChallengeYour runway is burning
Your runway is burning
while your product isn't shipping.
You don't want to commit to a 6-month partnership based on a sales call. We don't want to commit either. So let's do real work together for two weeks and find out — with both of us free to walk away on day 14.
- 01Reluctant to commit to a long contract sight-unseen!
- 02Burned by previous agencies that looked great in pre-sales!
- 03Internal team needs to validate the partner pattern!
- 04Specific hard problem that's perfect for a focused sprint!
78%
of pilots convert to a longer engagement. The 22% that don't usually leave with the artifact and a written recommendation, and we both walk away friends.
SOURCE · DREXUS PILOT ANALYTICS, 2024
What a real two-week pilot looks like.
✓DAY 1-3
Discovery + scope.
Two days of stakeholder interviews and codebase walks. By end of day 3, scoped artifact agreed in writing.
✓DAY 4-12
Build.
Senior pod ships production-grade work — typically a working prototype, an architectural fix, or a complete feature.
✓DAY 13-14
Demo + recommendation.
Live demo, written architectural recommendation, and an honest yes/no on whether we should keep working together.
§ 02 — Our Approach
From kickoff to handoff.
Build
Senior pod ships real work.
- Daily PR cadence
- Live preview environment
- Slack-channel integration
- Friday Receipt mid-pilot
▸ DELIVERABLEWorking artifact in your repo
Recommend
Demo + written call.
- Live stakeholder demo
- Written architectural recommendation
- Engagement proposal (if fit)
- Honest no-go (if not)
▸ DELIVERABLERecommendation + proposal or honest no
EVERY · FRIDAY · 17:00 CET
Weekly Friday Receipts.
No status meetings. No vague Slack updates. One signed document, every Friday, with everything you need to know.
✓What we shipped this week
✓What's in progress (with %)
✓What's next + decisions needed
✓Honest blockers
✓PR links + metric impact
✓Live demo links
§ 03 — Proven Results
Word from the fast lane.
We hired Drexus for a 2-week pilot. They found three architectural issues our internal team missed for a year. We've kept them on retainer ever since.
Pilot ended on day 14, contract signed on day 15. The scope clarity alone was worth the fee.
120+
Pilots Run
78%
Convert to Retainer
14d
Days Fixed
0
Surprise Invoices
§ 04 — FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Q.01
What kinds of problems work best for a 2-week pilot?
Architectural reviews, proof-of-concept builds, performance audits, security audits, MVP feature builds. Anything where 'real work in 14 days' produces a useful artifact. Bad fits: long-form research, brand identity, anything that can't show measurable progress in 14 days.
Q.02
What if we want to extend the pilot mid-way?
Happens often. We can extend by a week with 48h notice (subject to capacity). Or we can wrap the pilot on day 14 and start a longer engagement on day 15.
Q.03
Will the work be 'real' or just a prototype?
Real. PR'd into your repo, code reviewed, tested, deployable. We don't ship throwaways unless the scope explicitly calls for one.
Q.04
What if we decide not to continue after the pilot?
You keep the artifact, the written recommendation, and our honest assessment. No upsell pressure. About 22% of pilots end at day 14 — and we still have a beer at the end of the call.
Q.05
Can multiple of our engineers shadow your pod during the pilot?
Yes — strongly encouraged. Many clients use the pilot to upskill their team. We do daily standups in your Slack and pair-program when timezones overlap.
TWO · WEEKS · STARTS · MONDAY
14 days.
Real work.
Tell us your hardest current problem and we'll scope a 2-week pilot for it. Fixed fee, fixed scope, written recommendation at the end.
AVG RESPONSE 2H · BUSINESS HOURS · CET