Engagement Model
Pilot Pod
Prove fit before you scale
A focused 4–6 week pilot project delivered by a small Pod. You get real outcomes, clear collaboration signals, and confidence to scale—without a long-term commitment.
What You Get
A fast, low-risk way to validate outcomes
The Pilot Pod is designed to answer two questions quickly: “Can you ship?” and “Can we work together?”
A real deliverable
A feature, proof of concept, migration slice, or automation improvement—something shippable and measurable.
A working Pod
A small, cross-functional team that integrates with your workflow and proves fit in weeks—not months.
Quality gates
Clear definition of done, testing expectations, and release discipline so quality doesn’t depend on heroics.
Success Criteria
Clear outcomes, not vague progress
We agree upfront on what “success” means so the pilot ends with a confident decision.
- A working deliverable (demoable and/or production-ready)
- Clear collaboration fit (communication cadence, ownership, responsiveness)
- Quality signals (tests, PR hygiene, release stability) trending the right way
- A plan for what to do next (scale, extend, or stop) with no ambiguity
Typical pilot candidates
Feature delivery
Build a slice of a roadmap item with production-grade quality and a clean handoff.
Modernization slice
Migrate one service, improve performance, or stabilize a critical workflow.
Delivery acceleration
Reduce release friction with CI/CD improvements, test automation, or reliability fixes.
Timeline
What happens over 4–6 weeks
A simple cadence with weekly demos and tight feedback loops.
Kickoff & scope
Align on success metrics, constraints, and the smallest valuable slice we can deliver in 4–6 weeks.
Onboarding & setup
Access, environments, CI/CD, conventions, and working agreements. We remove friction before sprinting.
Build & ship
Weekly demos, tight feedback loops, and continuous integration. You see progress early and often.
Retrospective & next plan
We review outcomes vs metrics and recommend the next step: scale to Managed Pods or wrap cleanly.
After the Pilot
Scale into Managed Pods (or stop cleanly)
If the pilot is a fit, we roll into a stable delivery rhythm with Managed Pods. If not, you still keep the deliverables and learnings.
Go decision
We review the metrics, what shipped, and collaboration signals. You get a clear recommendation.
Scale
Expand the Pod, add a second Pod, or bring in specialists (AI, data, platform) based on roadmap needs.
Clean handoff
If you pause, we document decisions, ensure handoff clarity, and leave you with maintainable assets.
Want help choosing a pilot?
We’ll suggest a pilot scope that’s small enough to finish, but meaningful enough to prove value.
Ready to run a Pilot Pod?
The fastest way to validate collaboration is to ship something together. Let’s pick a scope and start.
Not sure where to start? Start with a Velocity Audit.
FAQ
Pilot Pod questions
Quick answers to help you decide if a pilot is the right next step.
How long is a Pilot Pod?
Most Pilot Pods run 4–6 weeks. If the scope is small, we can complete faster; if the work requires more onboarding, we’ll recommend the right timeline upfront.
What kind of work is a good fit for a pilot?
A thin slice with clear outcomes: a new feature, a PoC, a migration slice, test automation, CI/CD improvements, or stabilizing a critical flow. We’ll help you choose a pilot that reduces risk and proves value.
Who is on the Pod?
Typically 3–5 people: engineers plus QA and a tech lead depending on your needs. We tailor the Pod to the pilot scope and your stack.
What if it’s not a fit?
That’s the point of a pilot. We’ll document what we learned, hand over deliverables, and help transition work. No long-term lock-in.
What happens after the pilot?
If the pilot is successful, most teams scale into Managed Pods for ongoing delivery. If you prefer, we can extend the pilot or pause after a clean handoff.