How to Work With INX
Engagement Models
INX operates four commercial engagement structures. Each is designed for a specific set of circumstances — defined scope versus exploratory work, full team delivery versus capacity augmentation. The right model depends on what the organisation actually needs.
All engagements begin with an initial conversation with the INX leadership team. Discovery engagements can begin within one week of alignment.
Discovery Engagement
Understand before you build
A discovery engagement is a structured technical and commercial investigation. It precedes all development work and is always billable — because the output is a professional deliverable, not a sales activity.
Duration
2 – 4 weeks
Commercial
Billable at a fixed rate. Scoped and agreed before it begins.
Best For
Any organisation that needs to define scope, de-risk architecture, or evaluate technical options before committing to a development budget.
What Is Included
- Stakeholder interviews and requirements elicitation
- Technical audit of existing systems (where applicable)
- Architecture requirements and constraints documentation
- Risk identification and mitigation recommendations
- Integration and third-party dependency mapping
- Milestone plan and timeline estimate
- Technical Specification document (binding output)
Output
A Technical Specification that defines scope, architecture approach, milestones, and acceptance criteria. This document governs all subsequent engineering work.
Not For
Organisations seeking a free scoping process. Discovery is a professional service engagement, not a pre-sales activity.
Project-Based Delivery
Defined scope. Defined outcome.
Project-based delivery is the standard INX engagement for defined initiatives. The Technical Specification (produced during discovery or provided by the client) governs scope. Milestones are agreed. Delivery is documented.
Duration
Milestone-based — typically 3 to 12 months
Commercial
Fixed price against the Technical Specification, or time-and-materials with agreed monthly caps.
Best For
Organisations with a defined initiative — a new platform, a system migration, a product launch — and a clear outcome to deliver against.
What Is Included
- Architecture design (if not pre-existing)
- Senior-only engineering delivery
- Mandatory peer code review on all production code
- Automated test coverage as a delivery requirement
- Weekly milestone progress reporting
- Production deployment with full observability setup
- Post-deployment warranty period
- Full IP transfer on settlement
Output
A production-deployed system meeting the agreed specification, with documented test coverage, operational runbooks, and a full IP transfer.
Not For
Exploratory work where requirements are undefined. Project delivery requires a specification to proceed against.
Staff Augmentation
Senior engineers. Your team. Your management.
Staff augmentation places senior INX engineers within an existing client team — integrated into tools, ceremonies, and processes, under client engineering management. The engagement adds capacity, not direction.
Duration
Monthly — typically 3 months minimum
Commercial
Monthly retainer per engineer. Priced at seniority level.
Best For
Organisations with strong engineering management and direction, where the constraint is execution capacity — not technical leadership or process clarity.
What Is Included
- Senior engineer(s) integrated into client team
- Participation in client ceremonies (standups, reviews, retrospectives)
- Client toolchain adoption (Jira, Linear, GitHub, Slack, etc.)
- INX code review standards maintained
- Weekly progress alignment with INX engagement lead
- Replacement guarantee if fit is not met within 30 days
Output
Execution capacity additions at senior level, without the overhead of recruitment, employment, or management structure.
Not For
Situations where the constraint is management capability, technical direction, or process clarity. Augmentation adds engineers — it does not add leadership.
Dedicated Engineering Team
A full engineering function. Delivered as a service.
A dedicated team engagement provides a fully assembled senior engineering team operating as an embedded delivery partner. The team is responsible for technical direction, architecture, and delivery outcomes — under agreed governance with the client.
Duration
Ongoing — typically 6 months minimum
Commercial
Monthly retainer covering the full team. Includes engineering management.
Best For
Organisations that need a complete engineering capability — including technical leadership, delivery management, and execution — without building an internal function.
What Is Included
- Senior engineering team (3 – 8 engineers)
- INX-provided technical leadership
- Architecture ownership and documentation
- Sprint-based delivery with client visibility
- Hiring and team composition decisions made by INX
- Delivery reporting at executive and operational levels
- Full IP transfer — all code and architecture produced for the client
Output
A fully operating engineering function accountable for technical outcomes — not just task completion.
Not For
Organisations that already have strong technical leadership and only need execution capacity. Dedicated teams include leadership; augmentation does not.
Commercial Questions
Pricing and structure
Does INX charge for discovery?
Yes. Discovery is a professional service engagement — not a pre-sales activity. It produces a Technical Specification document that is a binding contractual deliverable. INX does not conduct free scoping work for development engagements.
How is project-based work priced?
Project-based engagements are priced against a Technical Specification produced during discovery. Pricing reflects the scope, team composition, and timeline agreed in the specification. INX does not publish rate cards — pricing is always engagement-specific.
What is the minimum commitment for staff augmentation?
Staff augmentation engagements operate on monthly retainers with a three-month minimum. This minimum reflects the onboarding and context transfer investment required for an augmented engineer to operate effectively within a client team.
Can INX begin work immediately?
Discovery engagements can begin within one week of initial alignment and NDA execution. Project-based and dedicated team engagements require a two to four week mobilisation period following agreement to allow for team assembly, context transfer, and environment setup.
Who owns the intellectual property?
All intellectual property produced under an INX engagement transfers in full to the client upon settlement. INX retains no rights to client-specific code, architecture, or system design.
Start with a conversation
Submit a business inquiry and the INX leadership team will respond within two business days. We will identify the right engagement model together.