Start small and paid.
A definition sprint is the preferred first engagement. It produces a research memo, technical options, risks, a delivery plan, and evidence strong enough to support a go or no-go decision.
Larger work is priced by milestones after the sprint. No team starts on a vague promise that payment may appear later.
Protect the margin.
Every engagement carries a budget for project leadership, review, infrastructure, risk, and NeoRome’s operating margin. Contributor compensation is part of project economics, not an afterthought.
Open-source publication is a distribution or public-interest decision. Commercial licences, hosted operation, support, certification, or enterprise features may remain paid.
What we will not do.
- Unfunded speculative client delivery.
- Free pilots whose value depends on later goodwill.
- Reputation in place of contracted payment.
- Public work without a named maintenance and funding plan.