Overview
What “custom” means here
Most of what we build is productized: invoice extraction, lead routing, appointment booking — defined, repeatable work with a known shape. Custom is the other kind. It is for the tasks that require synthesis, judgment, or domain-specific reasoning — where a fixed workflow is the wrong tool because the work never repeats the same way twice.
If your problem fits a template, our productized automations are the faster, cheaper answer. Custom work is for when it doesn’t.
The why
When you need custom work
You have a high-value task that no off-the-shelf tool quite handles, because the right answer depends on context and judgment.
You tried to force the work into a rigid automation and it cracked the first time reality didn’t match the rules.
The work needs evaluation — weighing, interpreting, deciding — not just pulling a field out of a document.
Capabilities
What we build
Custom agents for high-judgment tasks
Agents that handle work requiring real evaluation and decision-making, not a fixed set of if-this-then-that rules.
Retrieval-augmented systems
Systems that read and synthesize across large document collections, then answer with grounding instead of guesses.
Multi-agent workflows
Pipelines where one agent’s output becomes another’s input — decomposing a hard problem into steps that each do one thing well.
Agents that evaluate, not just extract
Work that weighs options, applies your criteria, and forms a judgment — the kind a simple extraction or routing rule can’t reach.
Process
How engagements work
- 1
Discovery conversation
A free, roughly 60-minute conversation to understand the task, the judgment it requires, and whether custom work is even the right shape for it. Sometimes the honest answer is that a productized automation will do — and we will tell you.
- 2
Scoped pilot
A 4–6 week engagement with one defined deliverable. We build against real data, prove the approach works (or learn fast that it does not), and keep the scope tight enough to evaluate honestly.
- 3
Production deployment
Once the pilot earns it, we deploy to your infrastructure or ours — with observability, logging, and an evaluation suite in place from day one, not bolted on after something breaks.
- 4
Ongoing optimization
Real-world use surfaces edge cases. We tune the system against them over time, often rolling the maintenance into an Automation Suite Retainer once it is live.
In practice
What this could look like
Examples, not a menu — every engagement is scoped to your specific need.
A research agent
Could synthesize competitive intel every week — reading across sources, pulling out what changed, and summarizing what matters for your team.
A triage agent with judgment
Could handle complex support tickets that need interpretation, not just routing — reading the full context and deciding the right path.
An analyst agent
Could review documents against your custom criteria — contracts, applications, submissions — and flag what needs a human’s attention and why.
Fit
Is this right for you?
Custom work isn’t a click-to-buy service. It’s consultative work with a real scoping conversation. It’s a fit if:
- You have a specific task that requires real judgment — interpretation and evaluation, not just rules.
- You have budget for a pilot engagement and want to prove it works before scaling.
- You are willing to iterate with us — this is collaborative, not fire-and-forget.
If you’d rather buy something off the shelf, our productized automations are the better — and cheaper — place to start.
Deliverables
What you get
- A working agent deployed to your infrastructure or ours
- Observability and logging from day one
- An evaluation suite with real test cases
- A runbook so your team can operate it
- Ongoing support as edge cases surface
Engagement
How custom engagements are priced
Engagements vary based on scope, so we don’t list a price here. Discovery conversations are free, and we scope a fixed-price pilot before you commit to anything — so you always know the cost of the next step before you take it.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- How do I know if this is the right shape for my problem?
- If the task can be written as a clear set of rules — extract this field, route that ticket, send this message — a productized automation is usually faster and cheaper. Custom work is for tasks where the right answer depends on judgment and context, and where the work does not repeat the same way twice. The discovery conversation exists to figure out which one you have, honestly.
- What happens if the pilot doesn’t work?
- You will know quickly, and that is the point of a scoped pilot. We define the deliverable and the bar for success up front, build against real data, and evaluate against that bar. If it does not clear it, you have spent a contained pilot budget to learn something real rather than committing to a full build on a hope.
- Who owns the code?
- You do. Custom work we build for you is yours, deployed to your infrastructure when you prefer it there, with a runbook so your team is not dependent on us to keep it running. We are happy to stay involved, but you are never locked in.
- What kind of timeline should I expect?
- A discovery conversation is about an hour. A scoped pilot is typically 4–6 weeks to a defined deliverable. Production deployment and optimization depend on the result of the pilot. We deliberately keep the early steps small so you can make a real decision before committing to more.
- How do we scope a pilot?
- Together, in the discovery conversation. We narrow to one concrete deliverable, agree on what success looks like, and define what data and access we need. A good pilot is small enough to finish in weeks and meaningful enough that the result tells you whether to go further.
- How much does a custom engagement cost?
- It varies with scope, so we do not list a price. Discovery conversations are free, and we scope a fixed-price pilot before you commit to anything — so you always know the cost of the next step before you take it.
Keep exploring
Related services
Have a problem that doesn't fit a template?
The first step is a conversation, not a contract. Tell us about the task and we'll tell you honestly whether custom work is the right shape for it.
Discuss a custom engagement