The PMF graduate.
You ran PMF Accelerator, cleared $1M ARR, and want to continue embedded execution at the next scale. Scale Accelerator is the natural upgrade.
Scale Accelerator.
Embedded execution past $1M ARR.
The graduation tier from PMF Accelerator for founders continuing to build past the $1M ARR milestone. Direct entry for founders already past $1M who want embedded execution from day one.
Who this is for
The post-$1M founder, embedded for the first time.
You are past $1M ARR. You are evaluating embedded execution for the first time. You did not need it earlier. You need it now because the next phase of growth requires senior execution you cannot get from your current arrangement.
The post-Audit Scale fit.
Your Clarity Audit identified Scale Accelerator as the right path. Usually this means you are past $1M ARR and the gap between what you need to build and what your current team can deliver is wide enough that embedded execution is the right next step.
What is included
- Recurring embedded engagement. I work as your senior engineering partner at the post-$1M ARR scale.
- Code shipped on your behalf. Using the AI software factory pattern, sized to a larger codebase and team.
- Spec-first methodology. Every feature gets a written spec before code is written.
- Team evaluation and direction. For the larger team you likely have at this stage.
- Weekly working rhythm. All the inclusions of PMF Accelerator, sized appropriately.
- Strategic involvement in technical hiring. Helping define roles, vet candidates, and onboard senior engineers into the spec-driven workflow as the team scales.
Where this fits
Scale Accelerator is the natural next step for PMF Accelerator clients who cleared $1M ARR and want continued embedded execution. Some founders enter Scale Accelerator directly from a Clarity Audit when they are already past $1M and ready for embedded.
Like PMF Accelerator, Scale Accelerator graduates down to Maintenance at $2,997/mo when the build phase wraps and the product is stable. When a full-time CTO becomes the right next hire, I help vet, hire, and onboard them into the spec-driven substrate that has been documented through the engagement.
The trajectory in one client
Started at $20K MRR. Grew together to $3M ARR. When the company was ready for a full-time CTO, I helped vet and hire the right one.
Why this works when nothing else has
Future-proof.
Every codebase I touch comes out more AI-ready than it went in. When you eventually hire a full-time CTO, that team inherits a substrate that already works with the AI-augmented workflow they'll be expected to use.
Live, not theoretical.
I am building with AI agents in production today on paying-user features for active clients. Read the long-form public methodology: the Dark Factory essay on Better Every Cycle.
Proven process.
Existing client work plus the published methodology backs the engagement.
Pricing
See pricing on the services page.
Available after a completed Clarity Audit. Start with a discovery call.
Common questions
What if I already have freelancers or an agency?
I evaluate what you have. If your developers are solid, I give them better direction and better specs. If something is not working, we fix it or replace it. You do not have to blow everything up on day one.
What technologies do you work with?
JavaScript, TypeScript, Node.js, Nest.js, React, Next.js, Vue, Angular, React Native, PHP, Java, Python, and most things built on top of them. 13 years of shipping across these stacks. The technology is rarely the hard part. Understanding the product and the business is.
How is this different from hiring a freelancer?
A freelancer builds what you tell them to build. I figure out what should be built, write the spec, and build it right. You stop being the translator.
I am not technical. Will I understand what is happening?
Yes. Before I write code, I write a spec in plain language. It describes what the product should do and why. You review the spec, not the code. You always know what is being built.
How is this different from a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO only advises. I advise and ship. The thinking and the building happen in one seat.
Can I just start with the Audit?
Yes. That is exactly what it is for. The $997 buys you a written Clarity Report and a 30-day roadmap. If we work together on a path after, the $997 credits forward against your first invoice. If we don't, you still have a clear picture of where your product stands. Either way, the Audit pays for itself.
What if I want a path without the Audit?
I do not sell paths without the Audit. The Audit is how I see what you have and write a roadmap that says whether a given path is the right fit. Without it, I am shipping fixes blind, which is not worth your monthly fee and not worth my time. The credit-forward mechanic makes the net cost zero when you continue.
Do I have to commit long-term?
No. The Audit is one week. Founder's Coaching, Maintenance, PMF Accelerator, and Scale Accelerator are month-to-month with no long-term contract. Ship Sprints are paid up front for a fixed duration.
What if I eventually need a full-time engineer?
Then we find you the right one. I help define the role, vet candidates, and onboard them into a product that is documented and spec-driven so they are productive from day one.
What if I'm not happy with the service?
If for whatever reason you aren't happy with the service, I offer a full refund. I'll do my absolute best to meet your expectations, but if it's not working out within the first 30 days, I offer a full refund.
Talk it through.
Thirty minutes on a call is the fastest way to find out if Scale Accelerator fits your situation.