Fractional AI Software Development Agency

An engineering manager
who still ships code.

I'm Mike — an EM with nearly 10 years of experience who writes and ships code every week. Test my velocity with a 1-week, $2,500 trial sprint. I step in, build features, and ship exactly what you need — with zero long-term commitment.

Get Your 1-Week Trial Sprint →

Engineering experience from enterprise to early-stage startups

Who's behind this

Not an agency. A senior engineer.

I'm an engineering manager with nearly 10 years of software development experience — and I still write code every week. Not as a hobby. As someone who actively ships features, fixes bugs, and handles infrastructure. That's the velocity you get access to.

Most “agencies” route your work through junior developers or an AI pipeline with no human accountability. When you work with Component Lab, you're working directly with me. Every PR is mine. Every commit is mine. I'm on the hook for the quality.

The problem

Your Backlog Grows Faster
Than Your Team Can Ship

01

High-impact projects delayed by small bug fixes that nobody has time to ship

02

Important features sit in backlog for months while the team fights fires they didn't plan for

03

Senior developers at $150–200/hour fixing legacy bugs instead of building leverage

How it works

Simple. Async. Predictable.

No new tools. No process changes. I fit inside your existing workflow.

01

Add tasks to your backlog

Use your existing tools — Linear, Jira, GitHub Issues. I work where you already work.

02

I pick them up and ship

Typically 2–3 tasks completed per week. 48-hour turnaround on most items.

03

You review and merge

Standard PR workflow, just like your team. Your team reviews the PR and merges.

04

Repeat

Consistent velocity, month after month. The backlog shrinks instead of grows.

All async. No meetings. No Slack. No management overhead.

Outcomes

What Changes When
You Work With Me

Before

Critical bug sits in backlog for 6 months while your senior dev builds new features

After

Bug fixed and deployed in 48 hours.

Before

“Quick feature” takes 3 weeks because of context switching and competing priorities

After

Feature shipped in 2 days while your team stays focused on what matters.

Before

Technical debt grows because “we’ll get to it later” — until later never comes

After

Consistent debt reduction alongside feature work, every month.

Pricing

Transparent, Predictable Rates

Low-Risk Entry

1-Week Trial Sprint

$2,500

one-time payment • 7-day delivery

  • Test my speed and code quality firsthand
  • I jump directly into your existing workflow
  • Focus on 2–3 specific, high-priority tasks
  • Senior-level execution, zero long-term commitment
  • All updates in your cards — no meetings, no friction
Get Your Trial Sprint →

Full Retainer

Fractional Engineer

$10,000

per month • flat rate

  • Dedicated senior engineering, handled directly by me
  • I plug into your workflow — no ramp-up, no overhead
  • Constant shipping and rapid feature execution
  • Flat monthly rate — no hidden fees, no surprises
  • Cancel anytime
Book a Call →

How much faster could your team move if your hardest feature requests just... shipped?
I focus on executing one high-leverage task at a time — no half-finished work, no dropped context.

Scope

What I Handle

I handle

  • ✓ Bug fixes (any complexity)
  • ✓ Feature additions
  • ✓ UI/UX improvements
  • ✓ API endpoints
  • ✓ Third-party integrations (Stripe, email, etc.)
  • ✓ Code refactoring
  • ✓ Performance optimizations
  • ✓ Test coverage additions

Out of scope

  • ✗ Being your CTO or product lead
  • ✗ Full application rewrites
  • ✗ 24/7 on-call support
  • ✗ Daily standups or sync meetings

Fit

Who This Is For

Good fit

  • ✓ You're funded or generating revenue
  • ✓ Someone on your team can review and merge PRs
  • ✓ Your team ships regularly
  • ✓ You know what needs to be built — you just can't get to it
  • ✓ You want predictable dev capacity without hiring

Not a good fit

  • ✗ Pre-funding and pre-revenue
  • ✗ Need help figuring out what to build
  • ✗ No structured codebase or development workflow
  • ✗ Need daily meetings and standups

FAQ

Common Questions

Why not just hire a junior developer?+
A junior developer costs $80–120k + benefits + 3 months ramp-up + requires management. I start immediately, require zero management overhead, and you can cancel anytime. You get nearly 10 years of engineering experience at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
How do you handle communication?+
All communication happens directly in the task card (Linear, Jira, GitHub Issues, etc.). No Slack, no daily standups, no management meetings. I include one optional 30-minute monthly sync to review priorities if you want it.
What if tasks are bigger than expected?+
I flag it immediately: "This is actually going to take longer because..." You decide if you want to proceed or re-scope. I'm transparent about complexity and never surprise you with scope creep.
Do you use AI tools?+
Yes — and I'm not shy about it. AI is part of how I move fast and stay accurate. Most engineering teams are already using Copilot, ChatGPT, or similar tools. The difference is knowing how to use them well. If AI in the workflow is a dealbreaker for you, I'm probably not the right fit.
What's your tech stack?+
I work with modern web stacks — Python or Node backends, React frontends, SQL databases. If yours looks different, I'll be upfront on the call about whether I'm a good fit.
Can I cancel anytime?+
Yes, cancel anytime.
How does onboarding work?+
Your first task is always onboarding — I review your codebase, set up my environment, and understand your workflow. Then I start executing your backlog items. If your backlog isn't well-groomed, I can use the first few tasks to help organize it.
Do you sign NDAs?+
Yes, absolutely. I sign your standard NDA before accessing any code or documentation.
How quickly can we start?+
Typically within one week of signed agreement. First task is always codebase review and onboarding, then I start shipping.

Let's Talk About
Your Backlog

15 minutes with me directly. No sales pitch — just an honest look at what you need to ship and whether I can help.

Book Your Call →

Prefer email? hello@componentlab.io