Phase one is delivering to plan against the capped T&M ceiling agreed in January. The open question in the room will be phase two pricing — their CFO has twice asked for a fixed number, and the feed dependency that forced the cap has not changed.
Prepare
Meeting Prep
Where things stand, what is still open, and what not to walk into — one click from the reminder in your queue, ready in about a minute, scannable in under thirty seconds.
- Spots client meetings on your calendar, so no one has to remember to prepare
- Leads with unresolved commitments, not a meeting summary
- Picks up what was said on the last call, from the notetaker you already use
- Surfaces the stakeholder context a new joiner would not know
- Open commitments and recent interactions open to the message they came from
What it looks like
The real interface, on a sample engagement.
Prepare
Acme steering committee — in 28 minutes
Prepared when you ask, from the reminder before each client call. Scannable in under thirty seconds on a phone.
4 attendees · 2 open commitments · last contact 6 days ago
Dedicated solution architect through Phase 2
committed 14 Jan · still open
In exchange they get a dedicated SA through Phase 2. That's the trade.
Gmail · Acme strategy thread · 14 Jan 2026 Migration plan and cutover window
promised for Thursday · 2 days overdue
Migration plan lands Thursday — we'll have the cutover window confirmed by then.
Gmail · Acme delivery thread · 2 Sep 2026
- Phase 2 commercial structure
- ERP feed validation status
- Architect coverage after October
- Q1 cutover window
Their CFO joined in April and was not party to the January decision. Expect the capped structure to be treated as new information rather than settled.
Karen (sponsor) remains on medical leave. No delegated decision authority has been named, which is why three decisions have been idle since August.
The rest of the arc
Win it
Proposal
Drafts the SOW from your own delivery history.
See itReport
Reporting
Status updates written from what actually happened.
See itProtect
Client Risk
Are you losing this client? Read across the whole relationship, not one engagement.
See itGrow
Expansion Scout
Finds the scope you're delivering and never priced.
See itHand over
Continuity Brief
Turns a rotation into a handover document.
See itSee a Friday report drafted live, on a sample engagement.
Or write tohello@buildaether.com
For consulting firms of 25–100 people, especially on fixed-fee work.