Pricing

Pricing built around aligned upside

I do not believe every company needs the same fee structure. I have worked for equity, lump-sum milestone payments, hourly compensation, revenue waterfalls, commissions, and blended arrangements that only make sense when both sides can win.

The goal is not to force a startup into a pricing box. The goal is to establish a synergistic relationship where the economic structure reflects the work, the risk, the available cash, and the value created.

The model

If you win, I win

The best structure depends on the company’s cash position, the size of the opportunity, how much risk I am taking, and how directly my work can be tied to measurable value.

Cash reality

Value created

Aligned deal

Sometimes the fairest answer is a simple hourly rate. Sometimes it is equity, a milestone bonus, a commission, or a percentage of revenue after the business reaches a defined threshold. The right structure is the one that makes the incentives honest.

Possible structures

Compensation can take many forms

Equity

Useful when cash is constrained and my work can materially influence enterprise value over time.

Milestone payments

Lump-sum compensation tied to defined outcomes, launches, contracts, operational milestones, or funding readiness.

Hourly or retainer

Appropriate when the scope is exploratory, the time requirement is uncertain, or the cleanest answer is simply paying for focused executive time.

Revenue waterfalls

A percentage of revenue after defined milestones can align compensation with the actual commercial result created.

Commissions

Works when contribution can be connected to customer acquisition, strategic partnerships, enterprise sales, or other measurable commercial wins.

Blended structures

Often the most practical answer: some cash for commitment, some upside for risk, and clear triggers for when economics change.

How terms are chosen

The structure follows the collaboration

Risk and uncertainty

More uncertainty usually means more upside participation or clearer milestone economics.

Cash available now

Startups should not starve the business just to buy help; the fee model should respect runway.

Measurable outcomes

If value can be clearly measured, outcome-based compensation becomes more practical and fair.

Time and intensity

A light advisory cadence and a hands-on operating sprint should not be priced the same way.

Let’s design the right deal

If there is a real opportunity for mutual value creation, I am open to creative compensation structures that make the relationship fair, motivating, and sustainable.

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