One fixed price. Quoted after we talk.

Four things, in roughly this order of impact: how many separate systems the workflow has to touch; how many exceptions and edge cases need explicit handling; whether the data sources have proper APIs or need to be worked around; and whether a language model is involved, which adds an evaluation and guardrail layer. A single clean workflow between two well-documented tools is a substantially smaller project than a six-step process spanning four systems.

No. The 30-minute call and the written workflow map that comes out of it are free, and yours to keep whether or not you hire me — including if the honest conclusion is that you should not automate anything yet.

Never. Hourly billing puts our interests in direct conflict: it rewards me for taking longer and it means you cannot know the cost until it is already spent. Every engagement is one fixed price for a written scope, paid against milestones as working systems ship.

Two things, and neither is billed through me. AI model usage and any automation platform or hosting subscriptions are charged by those vendors directly to accounts you own — I do not mark them up. The blueprint you approve before the build includes an estimated monthly running cost with the assumptions written out, so you can check the arithmetic yourself. An optional care plan for monitoring and iteration is separate, month to month, and never required.

Yes, as month-to-month care plans covering monitoring, provider changes and small iterations. There is no minimum term and no notice period — you can stop whenever you like and keep everything. A retainer you cannot leave is a retainer that stops needing to earn its keep.

Whichever suits you — most commonly USD, GBP, EUR or INR. I am based in India and work with clients in the US, UK and elsewhere, so international payment is routine. Taxes are handled according to where you are: the invoice states clearly what is and is not included, and I will tell you before we start if anything about your jurisdiction changes that.

Not a formal one, but there is a practical floor. Below a certain size the discovery, documentation and handover cost more than the automation returns, and I will tell you that on the call rather than take a project neither of us should want. Sometimes the right answer is a better template and a calendar link.