Fits when
- A product team needs architecture and roadmap ownership.
- Hiring or vendor decisions need experienced technical review.
- Leadership needs clear engineering tradeoffs and next steps.
Engineering Retainer
Senior engineering leadership.
Without a full-time executive hire.
Architecture, hiring, code quality, and roadmap support for teams that need senior technical direction. The retainer opens after a completed ThynkQ build or a warm referral.
$12,000/month · weekly cadence · 3-month initial minimum, then 14 days notice
Gated: completed build or warm referral only.
Delivery spec
Weekly sync, async review, and how much of your time it takes.
- Delivery rhythm
- Weekly sync plus async advisory and review support across the month.
- Your involvement
- Medium to high. Recurring strategic and hiring decisions with ongoing alignment.
Engagement boundary
A defined senior operating role.
The retainer is for technical direction and decision support, not a substitute for an execution team.
Not a fit when
- You need a full-time engineering team embedded in daily delivery.
- A cold booking is the first interaction.
- The scope has no accountable product or business owner.
Proof-led delivery
The work leaves an operating record.
Decision records
Architecture, vendor, and roadmap decisions are documented with the relevant constraints.
Reviewable milestones
Work is organized around visible milestones rather than an open-ended advisory stream.
Existing product context
The engagement begins from a completed build or a warm referral, with context already established.
Scope of work
Technical direction across the decisions that compound.
Technical Architecture
Stack selection, data modeling, and infrastructure planning before development starts.
Engineering Hiring
Job specifications, candidate screens, and technical interviews tied to the role you need.
Code Review and QA
PR reviews for security, performance, and architectural drift before work moves forward.
Technical Roadmap
Engineering milestones connected to business goals and the decisions that unblock them.
Vendor Evaluation
Build, buy, and vendor choices reviewed against the actual product constraints.
Investor Communication
Technical due-diligence materials and plain explanations of what has been built.
Engagement flow
A short, visible path from review to operating cadence.
Kickoff
Review the product, codebase, team structure, and 90-day goals.
Architecture review
Assess the current system, technical debt, risks, and the next responsible milestone.
Execution
Weekly syncs, PR reviews, hiring support, and timely technical decisions.
Roadmap
Maintain an engineering roadmap aligned to the next business milestones.
Ongoing
Continue strategic guidance through the agreed engagement boundary.
FAQ
Frequently asked.
What does the Engineering Retainer cover?
Senior technical leadership on a part-time basis. This includes defining technical architecture, setting engineering standards, leading code reviews, hiring engineers, building the technical roadmap, evaluating vendors, and preparing for investor due diligence.
How do I get access to the Engineering Retainer?
The Engineering Retainer opens after a completed ThynkQ build or a warm referral. It is not a cold booking, and it is not listed as a self-serve option in the public pricing flow.
What does a month on the Engineering Retainer look like?
A weekly sync plus async advisory and review support across the month. That covers architecture reviews, code reviews, hiring interviews, and roadmap planning. The scope is agreed in writing at the start, and it is sold as an outcome and a cadence, not a block of hours.
How much does the Engineering Retainer cost?
ThynkQ Engineering Retainer engagements are $12,000 per month, with a 3-month initial minimum. After that, either side can cancel with 14 days notice.
Next step
Confirm that the access boundary fits.
The retainer is available after a completed ThynkQ build or a warm referral. If that applies, ask about access.