Service
Fractional AI Team (the Pod)
The Pod is AI Pod Studios' fractional AI team: 1 Senior Lead plus 2 AI Engineers working full-time in your Slack, priced from the published hourly rates ($75/hr Lead + $50/hr Engineers) — Pod totals are quoted on your scoping call. It's month-to-month with 2 weeks' notice, includes a free swap in the first 2 weeks, and assigns all IP to you.
By AI Pod Studios Media Team · Updated
How we compare
| AI Pod Studios | US full-time hire | Typical agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published hourly rate | $50/hr engineer · $75/hr lead | Salary + benefits (varies) | Rates not published |
| Time to start | Slack within 7 business days of MSA/SOW + deposit | Full hiring cycle | Not published |
| Commitment | Month-to-month, 2 weeks' notice | Employment | Typically project contract |
| Replacement | Free swap in first 2 weeks | Re-hire | Not published |
| IP ownership | Assigned to client | Employer | Per contract |
| Fixed-price pilot | $5,000 two-week Sprint | — | Not published |
"Rates not published" means we could not find a published figure; verify with each provider.
Deliverables
- 1 Senior Lead + 2 AI Engineers, full-time in your Slack
- Roadmap and weekly demos
- Code in your repos, IP assigned to you
- Minimum 4 hours/day US Eastern overlap
Process
- 01
Roadmap call with the Lead
- 02
MSA/SOW + deposit
- 03
Pod joins Slack within 7 business days
- 04
Weekly demos, month-to-month
Pricing
| Option | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| AI Engineer | $50/hr | Vetted engineer, part-time or full-time |
| Senior Lead | $75/hr | Architecture, reviews, delivery lead |
| The Pod: 1 Senior Lead + 2 AI Engineers, full-time in your Slack | $75/hr Lead + $50/hr Engineers | Pod totals quoted on your scoping call |
| AI Sprint (by AI Pod Lab) | $5,000 flat | 2 weeks, scoped build, code is yours |
Fractional AI Team (the Pod) FAQ
+What does the Pod cost?
The Pod is priced from our published hourly rates: $75/hr for the Senior Lead and $50/hr per AI Engineer. Pod totals are quoted on your scoping call.
+Can we scale the Pod down?
Yes. Terms are month-to-month with 2 weeks' notice, and you can move to hourly engineers at $50/hr.
+Do we need an AI strategy first?
No — the Senior Lead builds the roadmap with you in the first week.
AI Pod Lab Sprint
$5,000. Two weeks. Working code you own.
Then roll straight into $50/hr engineering — or stop. Your call.