Engagement Model
Two decisions anchor every engagement: who owns the outcome, and how you're billed. We flex on both so the structure serves the work — not the other way around.
Who owns the outcome?
Project Outsourcing
We own the outcome
We take the end-to-end project — planning, execution, delivery, and support. You define the goal; we're accountable for getting there.
Best for: migrations, platform builds, greenfield AI platforms — anywhere the scope is a recognizable "thing to ship" and the client team wants to stay focused on their product.
Managed Teams
You own the outcome
We provide senior engineers — full-time Polymath employees — who work inside your team's cadence. You direct the work; we manage the people, their performance, and their ramp.
Best for: ongoing product work, platform extensions, or capacity for a roadmap that's evolving.
How you're billed
Fixed Cost
Set price for a defined scope. You know the number before the work starts, and we're on the hook for the delivery inside it.
When it fits: clear objectives, defined outcomes, and you want predictability for the CFO.
Time & Materials
Pay for time and resources consumed. Scope flexes as priorities shift — at transparent rates, with weekly burn reporting.
When it fits: evolving requirements, discovery-heavy work, or capacity for a product roadmap.
Hybrid
Combine both. Fixed-cost for the scoped project, T&M for the evolving work that sits alongside it. One contract, two lines.
When it fits: complex engagements where different workstreams have different shapes.
Your project, your structure
Every combination works. Outsource a migration on a fixed budget. Run managed teams on T&M while you're defining the roadmap. Start with one model and shift to another when the engagement moves phase.
The engagement structure should fit the work — not force the work to fit the structure. We'll tell you honestly which combination makes sense, and we'll document it before anyone signs.
Common combinations we've run
- Migration program: Project outsourcing + fixed cost, with managed operations picking up after cutover.
- Ongoing product work: Managed team + T&M.
- AI initiative: Fixed-cost platform build, followed by a managed team for ongoing model work.
- Managed operations: Project outsourcing + fixed monthly retainer.
Let's find the right structure.
Tell us about the work — shape, timeline, constraints. We'll recommend the engagement model that fits and explain why.