Limited review
$2,500 minimum. One subsystem, tightly constrained source set, no broad reconstruction.
First engagement
Find the next
defensible move.
A fixed-scope engagement for teams facing an unclear system failure, architecture decision, integration problem or stalled verification effort.
Herder reviews the available hardware, firmware, models, logs, requirements and test evidence, then delivers a controlled decision path for what should happen next.
Primary commercial anchor: $5,000-$8,500 for a standard cross-domain assessment. Limited reviews may begin at $2,500 when the scope is tightly bounded. Follow-on implementation is separately scoped.
Start a Technical Discussion →01Pricing
Fixed-scope work
with a clear commercial boundary.
Standard assessment
$5,000-$8,500. Cross-domain review, evidence synthesis, decision report and handoff.
Complex assessment
$9,000-$15,000. Multiple interfaces, substantial recovery analysis, or focused testing.
Authorization
Work begins after scope acceptance and initial payment. Follow-on implementation is separately scoped.
02Follow-on implementation
Public implementation anchors
for separately scoped work.
Embedded bring-up and focused firmware
$8,000-$25,000. Directional public anchor for bounded embedded work after the technical boundary is defined.
Complete embedded firmware and internal software
$20,000-$60,000. Directional public anchor for larger firmware plus internal tooling, logging, analysis or operator software.
Integrated hardware, firmware and customer-facing software
$40,000-$100,000+. Directional public anchor for multi-layer delivery with deployment, support and reputational exposure.
SMPS prototype development
$20,000-$40,000. Directional public anchor for power-prototype work, including transformer and bench-validation effort.
These are public anchors only. Exact pricing depends on the controlled baseline, hardware access, robustness requirements, acceptance evidence and support exposure.
01What it resolves
When evidence is fragmented
and progress is expensive.
Unclear failure
Separate what the available evidence supports from what remains a hypothesis.
Architecture uncertainty
Determine whether the current system is viable enough to justify continued investment.
Stalled integration
Identify whether the blocker is hardware, firmware, controls, power, communications or ownership.
Conflicting tests
Find which results are configuration-matched, trustworthy and decision-relevant.
02Engagements outputs
A decision record
you can act on.
Qualification record
Decision, boundary, exclusions, authority, acceptance basis and stop conditions.
Evidence register
Controlled facts, assumptions, warnings, risks and unresolved items.
Engineering Decision Report
What is supported, unsupported, uncertain and recommended.
Controlled handoff
Exact revisions, limitations, recipients, ownership and next-phase evidence.
03Possible dispositions
Five useful outcomes
instead of vague progress.
Proceed
Evidence supports a defined implementation phase.
Verify
A bounded check is required before release or implementation.
Re-frame
The original problem or decision boundary needs correction.
Redirect / stop
Another path is more appropriate, or further investment is not justified.
Start with the technical question
Bring the
uncertainty.
Describe the system, the decision being delayed and the evidence available. Secure file exchange can follow the initial discussion.
Start a Technical Discussion →Or write directly: [email protected]