Senior Developer Hours
Prepaid time for work that does not fit a fixed package.
What this is
Sometimes the work is real but does not fit a neat outcome — a series of small improvements, a long-running integration, ongoing help with a codebase you already have. Prepaid blocks cover that. They are the least structured thing I offer, which also makes them the easiest to waste, so I will usually check whether an Engineering Day or a Sprint would get you more before accepting payment.
Who it is for
Teams with an existing product and a steady trickle of work that needs senior judgement.
What's included
- Prepaid senior development time, drawn down as work is done
- Work on your existing application or product
- Scheduled in agreed slots rather than on demand
- A running record of how the block has been used
What's not included
- On-call or guaranteed same-day availability
- Unscheduled work
- Work that is plainly too large for the block purchased
- Automatic rollover of unused time past its expiry
Unless an accepted proposal says otherwise. If you need something on this list, say so in your request — it is usually possible, it just needs pricing separately.
How prepaid hours work
- Work must be scheduled — a block does not buy on-demand availability
- Purchased time includes all project-related work: investigation, communication, implementation, testing and deployment
- Unused time expires 90 days after purchase
- Additional work requires another block or a separate proposal
- The task has to be suitable for the block purchased
- I may recommend a different package before accepting payment
How it runs
- You describe the work in a project request
- I check the block suits it, and say so if a different package would serve you better
- You receive a secure payment link for the block you chose
- You accept the terms and pay
- We schedule the work in agreed slots and draw the block down
Timing
5, 10 or 20 hours, drawn down against scheduled work. Work must be scheduled — blocks do not buy on-demand availability. Slots are normally available within one to two weeks.
Questions about this package
What happens to hours I do not use?
They expire 90 days after purchase. I will tell you when a block is close to expiring rather than letting it lapse quietly, but the expiry is real — reserving capacity has a cost whether or not it gets used.
Can I use hours for emergencies?
Not reliably. A block buys senior time, not availability at short notice. If you need same-day response, say so in your request and we will talk about whether that is something I can commit to.
Why is this not the main option?
Because hourly work makes the outcome your problem to manage. When the work has a shape — a feature, a fix, a prototype — a fixed package almost always gets you more for the money and less to supervise.
Ready when you are.
Describe the project and I'll come back with a scope, a price and an honest opinion — usually within two working days.
Other packages
Technical Clarity Session
€199VAT included
A focused review of your idea or technical problem, ending in a written recommendation you can act on — with or without me.
Senior Engineering Day
€590VAT included
A full working day reserved for one clearly defined task on your product — a feature, a bug you cannot pin down, an integration, or a focused review.
Prototype Sprint
€1,990VAT included
Take the one workflow your idea actually depends on and turn it into working, deployed software you can put in front of real people.