Per claude.md §3.8: the commercial structure is the durable decision; the
numbers are illustrative starting hypotheses. Every figure below is bracketed
$[…] or marked (illustrative). Sagar finalizes the real rate card against
the first 1–3 deals before this sheet is shared with any prospect. Do not send
a version of this document with bracketed numbers to a client — replace them
first, then delete this banner.
Free for qualified ICP; fixed fee for a deeper paid audit
Free → $[1.5–3k] paid
Keep the qualified-prospect version free — it's the top-of-funnel wedge
Starter / Quick-Win
[QW]
Fixed price, 2–3 days
$[3–6k] one-time
# of repos, existing CI complexity
Baseline "Cloud Secure"
[B]
Fixed-price project + monthly retainer
$[25–45k] project + $[3–6k]/mo
greenfield vs brownfield, # subs/envs, AKS yes/no
Advanced "Certification-Ready"
[A]
Larger fixed project + retainer (parallel to auditor)
$[60–110k] project + $[6–12k]/mo
target framework(s), audit deadline, # of controls
Module licensing
—
Per-module annual license + support SLA
$[X]/module/yr
which F-modules, support tier
These ranges assume India-based delivery / global clients and a fixed-price,
productized motion (no T&M, no offshoring framing — per the Output Guardrails).
They are anchored below a US senior platform hire (~$180k+/yr loaded) and a
top-tier compliance consultancy, above a freelancer. Validate against
actual deals — these are hypotheses.
2. Commercial principles (the durable decisions — claude.md §3.8)¶
Land → expand → upsell. Free Discovery Audit → Starter/Baseline → Advanced. The tiers are an expansion ladder, not isolated SKUs (Y0 §5).
The retainer is the recurring engine. Project fees fund delivery; the managed retainer (drift S1/S2, evidence E0, posture upkeep) is the durable revenue. Always sell the retainer with the project, never as an afterthought.
Fixed-price over time-and-materials. Reinforces the productized positioning and gives the client budget certainty. We absorb estimation risk; that's what the module library buys us.
The audit that scopes the deal is free. It de-risks the buy for the client and gives us the requirements to price accurately.
$[X]/module/year (illustrative) + support SLA tier.
For
Clients who want a specific F-module (e.g., the AKS-secure module, the state-backend) consumed by their own team.
Requires
Module versioning + private registry (F11, roadmap M3) — so this offer is not sellable until M3. Flag as roadmap.
4. Payment terms (illustrative — Sagar/Nidhi + counsel to finalize in Y12)¶
Project fees:[50%] on signature, [50%] on delivery acceptance (acceptance criteria in the Y6 SOW). Larger Advanced projects: milestone-based, e.g., [40/30/30].
Retainer: monthly in advance, [12-month] initial term, [30-day] notice thereafter.
Currency / invoicing:[TBD — USD for global clients]. GST/tax handling per Y12.
Discovery Audit: free for qualified ICP — no payment terms.
5. Upgrade-trigger map (when to move a client up a tier)¶