Engagement Models
Software Development Engagement Models —
Seven Ways to Work With Hireplicity.
Seven engagement models. One engineering standard. All include AI-assisted delivery, US CTO oversight, and the Hireplicity guarantee.
18 years. 150+ clients. 95% retention.
We'll tell you honestly which model fits.
Choose your model
Seven models. One engineering standard.
Select a model below to see what's included, how it works, and whether it fits your stage. Not sure? Book a call — we'll tell you honestly.
Dedicated Pod
Best for: Companies with an ongoing roadmap who need predictable velocity and consistent team presence.
A dedicated team of senior engineers embedded in your sprint workflow from week two. You get the same engineers in every standup, the same faces in your codebase every day. US CTO oversight included so your architectural decisions don't slip through the cracks.
Scope your podWhat's included
Compliance & Security
Built for regulated
environments.
FERPA, COPPA, WCAG, and SOC 2 are not features we add at the end of a project — they are architectural constraints surfaced in discovery and enforced at every sprint gate. Here is what each standard means and how we implement it.
FERPA is mapped at discovery and built into the data architecture before sprint one. Student PII is never passed to any AI tool without your written approval. We have passed clean FERPA audits for multiple clients.
COPPA requirements are scoped alongside FERPA at discovery. Consent flows, age-gate logic, and deletion APIs are first-class features — not edge cases handled in QA. No child personal information is passed to AI tools under any circumstances.
Automated WCAG checks run on every UI component in every PR. No release clears QA without passing the accessibility suite. VPAT-ready documentation is produced at delivery.
SOC 2-aligned controls are built from sprint one: every PR is reviewed, every deployment runs automated security scans, OWASP Top 10 checks run on every release. We can share full data handling documentation before the engagement starts.
Hireplicity has passed clean FERPA and SOC 2 audits for multiple clients. Every engagement model includes compliance checkpoints at every sprint gate for EdTech and regulated-industry projects. We can share our full data handling documentation and control evidence before you sign anything.
Model comparison
Find the model that fits your stage.
Select a model on the left to see pricing, commitment, what's included, and the risk reversal. Not sure which fits? Book a 30-min call — we'll tell you honestly.
Dedicated Pod
Best for: Companies with an ongoing roadmap who need predictable velocity and consistent team presence.
Risk reversal
We back every engagement
with a commitment — not a clause.
Three guarantees. One for every engagement model. We've been doing this for 18 years — we rarely need to honor these. But knowing they're there should make the decision easier.
If you are not satisfied with your Hireplicity pod or augmented engineer in the first 30 days of active development, we make it right at our cost — not yours.
Engineer not performing? We replace them within 2 weeks — technically, culturally, or communicatively. No billing dispute.
Missing sprint commitments? A Senior Architect personally reviews the engagement and addresses the root cause.
Still not satisfied? We refund that month's engagement fee. No questions asked.
Applies to first 30 days of active sprint work. Refund covers monthly engagement fee — not third-party infrastructure. To activate: notify your account lead in writing.
Scope your podBefore you commit a dollar to a fixed-scope project, we build you a working prototype. A functional proof-of-concept that shows you exactly how we'd approach your product — before the contract starts.
Architecture decisions documented. Core feature flow demonstrated. Project plan and budget based on actual scoping.
You own the prototype regardless of whether you proceed. Most clients who see it proceed. For those who don't, we ask nothing.
If the prototype doesn't impress you, you owe us nothing. No invoice. No obligation.
Available for all fixed-scope project engagements. Scope the prototype in a 30-minute call — no commitment required to book it.
Get a free prototype scopingThe first working session with Taylor Basilio is free. No agenda, no sales pitch. Bring your hardest technical problem and leave with a clear set of next steps — regardless of whether you proceed.
60 minutes — bring your architecture diagram, roadmap, or a specific technical decision you're stuck on.
Clear next steps and an honest technical risk assessment — regardless of whether you start an engagement.
Fixed-term engagements available for specific inflection points — platform audits, SOC 2 prep, hiring a first VP Engineering.
Applies to first CTO-on-Demand or Tech Strategy session. Book directly via the link below — no intake form required.
Book a free first session with TaylorWe've been doing this for 18 years. We rarely need to honor these guarantees. But knowing they're there — in writing, before you sign anything — should make the decision easier.
2-Week Sprint Trial
Want to see Hireplicity's
AI-powered delivery before you commit?
Two weeks. Real features built against your actual codebase and your actual priorities. Full code ownership — yours to keep regardless of what happens next. Most clients who run a sprint trial sign a pod engagement within 30 days. The ones who don't still keep the code.
Real production-ready features — not a demo, not a prototype. Code that goes into your actual repository.
AI-assisted delivery with formal tool governance — GitHub Copilot and Claude embedded in every sprint, with documented data handling.
Full code ownership transferred at the end of two weeks — no retained licenses, no proprietary dependencies.
No obligation to proceed — no lock-in, no pressure. If it's not the right fit, you keep the code and we part on good terms.
US CTO oversight included — Taylor or a Senior Architect reviews the sprint scope before we start.
Most clients who run a sprint trial sign a pod engagement within 30 days.
The ones who don't still keep the code.
Common questions
Frequently asked
questions.
Answers to the questions buyers most commonly ask before starting an engagement with Hireplicity.
A dedicated development team is a group of engineers hired through an offshore provider who work exclusively on your product — attending your standups, working in your sprint cycle, and following your processes — rather than being shared across multiple client projects.
At Hireplicity, a dedicated pod includes 3–15 engineers matched to your tech stack and domain, a dedicated PM, and US CTO oversight from Taylor Basilio or a senior architect. Engagements start at $10,000/mo with a 3-month minimum and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
Staff augmentation adds individual engineers to your existing in-house team to fill a specific skill gap — you retain management control and the engineers work alongside your current developers.
A dedicated development team replaces or supplements your engineering capacity with a fully managed pod that owns sprint delivery end-to-end. Staff augmentation is right when you have a working team with a specific missing skill. A dedicated pod is right when you need a self-managing engineering team with US CTO oversight.
A dedicated Hireplicity engineering pod starts at $10,000/mo for a 3-engineer team with a dedicated PM included.
For context: a single senior US engineer costs $150K–$200K per year in salary alone — $250K–$300K fully loaded with benefits and overhead. A 3-engineer Hireplicity pod costs roughly what a single US senior engineer costs — and includes a PM and US CTO oversight.
A fixed-price project is a software development engagement where the scope, timeline, and total cost are agreed in writing before any work begins. You pay the agreed amount — no change orders for work that was in the original scope.
At Hireplicity, every fixed-scope engagement includes a free working prototype before the contract starts — so you see exactly how we think and what we'd build before you commit any budget.
FERPA compliance in outsourced software development requires: (1) a signed Data Processing Agreement specifying what student data the vendor accesses and how it's handled, (2) formal AI tool governance — ensuring no AI development tool processes student PII without written approval, (3) compliance checkpoints at every sprint gate rather than a final audit, and (4) engineers with prior FERPA implementation experience.
At Hireplicity, FERPA requirements are surfaced in discovery and built into the architecture from day one. We've passed clean FERPA audits for multiple clients and can share our data handling documentation before any engagement starts.
A fractional CTO is an experienced technology executive who provides strategic technical leadership on a part-time or retainer basis — without the cost or headcount of a full-time hire. They make architectural decisions, guide hiring, and develop technical roadmaps.
At Hireplicity, CTO-on-Demand is led by Taylor Basilio — 20+ years architecting EdTech and SaaS platforms, including a product that grew from $0 to $50M ARR. Engagements start at $5,000/mo with the first session free.
A minimum viable LMS platform — with course delivery, user management, basic analytics, and FERPA compliance — typically takes 3–4 months with an experienced EdTech team. A full-featured multi-tenant LMS with SIS integrations, assessment engines, and advanced analytics typically takes 6–12 months.
With AI-assisted development, Hireplicity's timelines run 40–60% faster than traditional estimates. We've shipped a FERPA-compliant LMS MVP in 90 days for an EdTech startup.
Staff augmentation through a managed provider like Hireplicity gives you vetted engineers with domain expertise, a replacement guarantee if the engineer isn't the right fit, and a managed onboarding process. Freelancers give you direct control but no safety net — if the engineer leaves, you restart the search.
For EdTech and SaaS companies, staff augmentation is typically lower risk: you get engineers with FERPA, COPPA, or WCAG experience already matched to your stack, with 2-week onboarding to first standup.
Get started
Not sure which
model fits?
Book a 30-minute architecture call. We'll ask the right questions about your stage, your stack, and your roadmap — and tell you honestly which model delivers the most value. Most calls end with a written engagement plan delivered within 48 hours. No sales pressure. Just a direct conversation.
No intake form. No RFP. Tell us your stage and stack — written engagement plan within 48 hours.