§ 01The playbook
41 hrs · 3 finalists · 1 signed SOW

Brief on Monday.
Shipping by Friday.

Six moves from first keystroke to signed SOW. Each step has a named owner on our side and a fixed SLA — so you always know who is holding the pen.

Guided briefHuman matcherCounter-signed SOWEscrow
  1. Step

    01

    ~ 10 min

    Write the brief

    Scope, start date, budget band, named acceptance criteria. We ask for the decision you want the work to inform — not a wish-list.

    Inside the step

    Guided template that writes the SOW outline as you type. You can keep it private or stress-test it with our operations lead for free.

  2. Step

    02

    < 41 hrs

    Matcher assembles the shortlist

    A human matcher — not a keyword algorithm — reads the brief, filters by availability and rate band, and hand-picks three.

    Inside the step

    Every candidate is interviewed in the last 90 days, references recent, and has passed our practice-specific work sample.

  3. Step

    03

    < 15 min each

    Meet three finalists

    Short async intro videos plus a 15-minute live call with your choice. No agency filler decks, no mystery partners.

    Inside the step

    If none land, we redraw on us. If you need more than three, we will — but most briefs close with the first trio.

  4. Step

    04

    Same day

    Counter-signed SOW

    Milestones, acceptance, and change-order terms — signed by you, the contractor, and WorkSoy operations.

    Inside the step

    Escrow is funded to milestone #1. Rates are locked; scope changes go through a lightweight written approval flow.

  5. Step

    05

    Wks 1 → N

    The work runs

    Workspace, messaging, shared files, and release-on-acceptance payments. Your operations lead is one message away.

    Inside the step

    Weekly pulse, month-end invoice package. Performance data feeds the contractor&rsquo;s network rating — real skin in the game.

  6. Step

    06

    Day-N + 30

    Close or renew

    Final acceptance, documented handover, and a private two-way review. Extend the SOW or book the next engagement.

    Inside the step

    30-day rework window covered on our ledger. Renewal rates held unless scope changes materially.

§ 02/The guardrails

Commercial safety that a marketplace cannot match.

Four structural protections that make a WorkSoy retainer fundamentally different from hiring off LinkedIn or from a generic marketplace.

Rate benchmarks

Every contractor prices inside a published 2026 band. No bidding wars, no mystery meat.

Escrow by default

Milestone payments are held in a segregated account until acceptance. No upfront wires.

Counter-signed SOWs

Three signatures, not two. WorkSoy operations is on the hook alongside the contractor.

Rework window

30 calendar days of acceptance rework — covered by our ledger, not yours.

§ 03/Frequently checked

Answers to the operator-level questions.

Q.01What if the shortlist misses?

We redraw — on us. If the second pass also misses, we refund the retainer and recommend an alternative. Over 90% of briefs close with the first trio.

Q.02How is WorkSoy different from Toptal or Upwork?

We are counter-signatories on every SOW, not a listings broker. That means when something drifts, our operations team is contractually in the room — not arbitrating at arms length.

Q.03Who owns the work product and IP?

You do. IP assignment is baked into the standard SOW at signature, with carve-outs handled explicitly if a contractor uses pre-existing open-source or proprietary tooling.

Q.04Do you support on-site or hybrid engagements?

Yes. Most engagements are remote-first, but roughly 20% include on-site weeks, especially in finance transformations, PE-stamped engineering, and regulated compliance audits.

Q.05What happens if I need to pause or scope-down mid-engagement?

A written change-order re-baselines milestones and escrow. No penalty — but notice periods for senior engagements are typically two weeks to keep contractors whole.

§ 04Start the clock

Brief us. A matcher reads it within the hour.