How we work together
A monthly partnership. Everything in your name.
Valley AI works on a monthly retainer. You own everything we build, there’s no long-term contract, and the services your system runs on are billed to you directly. We don’t publish a rate card: we set the scope together, after we’ve both decided we’re a fit.
A fit check, not a pitch.
Every month
What a partnership includes.
One monthly retainer covers our work. You own everything we build: the code, the data and the accounts are in your name from day one.
A roadmap session
Once a month we sit down with you, look at what’s working, bring you what’s new and decide together what to build next.
Builds, not tickets
You bring an idea, and we make it real: a new workflow, a report, an integration, an automation. We set the scope together.
Run and maintain
Updates, security, backups and monitoring. The system keeps working while you’re busy.
An AI front door on your phone
Talk to your own system from your phone with the assistant you like: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, Meta’s Muse or another assistant that supports MCP. We recommend Claude.
Why no contract
We’d rather earn it every month.
We believe in the work
Most software companies lock you in. We don’t. If you don’t need us, you shouldn’t have to keep paying us.
We both want the same thing
You stay because it keeps getting better, and we keep it better because you’re free to go. That keeps us both honest.
You keep your focus
No full-time CTO to hire and no tech news to chase. You focus on your business, your customers and your people. We handle the back end.
Your costs
Your tech costs are your own stack. Not our markup.
The retainer is our work. The services your system runs on are separate. Those are root providers, generally not SaaS subscriptions. They’re billed to you, in your name, at what the provider charges.
What’s billed to you directly
The root providers your system runs on, in your name:
- The AI model
- Stripe
- Cloudflare
- and the like
If you ever stop the retainer, you keep those accounts and pay them directly. Nothing stops working.
Is this a fit?
It isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine.
The no-contract partnership works when the fit is mutual. Here’s how we tell.
Usually a fit
- You’ve outgrown spreadsheets and apps that don’t talk to each other
- You’d rather own your system than rent it
- You want a long-term partner who brings ideas
- You’re open about what’s working and what isn’t
Probably not a fit
- You want a one-time project and a handoff
- You’re shopping for the lowest hourly rate
- One off-the-shelf app already does the job
- Trust isn’t there yet, on either side
We work month to month with clients we trust and who trust us. The first conversation is a two-way fit check, and either side can say no.
Questions
Straight answers.
What if we stop?
You keep everything. The code, the data and the accounts are already in your name, and the providers your system runs on keep billing you directly. Nothing stops working. You just stop paying us.
Do we own the code?
Yes. The code, the data and the accounts are yours from the start. Nothing is held back, and nothing depends on our login.
What do the costs cover?
Your tech costs are the root providers your system runs on: the AI model, Google, Stripe, Cloudflare and the like. They’re generally not SaaS subscriptions. They’re billed to you, in your name, at what the provider charges. Our retainer is separate and covers our work.
Is there a contract?
No long-term contract. We work month to month with clients we trust and who trust us. That isn’t a promotion; it’s how we work once we’ve both decided we’re a fit.
Is this for everyone?
No, and that’s fine. We may not be the best fit for everyone. The first conversation is a two-way fit check, and it’s safe to say no on either side. If we’re not the right partner for you, we’ll say so.
Start with a conversation.
Tell us where the work slows down. If there’s a fit, we’ll set the scope together. If there isn’t, we’ll say that too.
A fit check, not a pitch.