AI-native engineering. Blocks, not hours.
CoreForged sells dedicated capacity — a block of time each week with a senior engineer who architects and ships. No bench warmers. No discovery phases. Working systems.
How Blocks Work
Engagements run on a block model — dedicated time carved out each week, billed as a flat monthly retainer. Each block represents roughly one focused day per week.
Predictable Cost
You know what you're spending every month. No surprise invoices, no scope creep charges.
Dedicated Attention
Your block is reserved — not squeezed between other clients. One focused day per week, every week.
Aligned Incentives
We're not incentivized to bill more hours. We're incentivized to solve your problem in the time we've committed.
Volume Commitment Pricing
The more of your roadmap CoreForged owns, the less context switching between clients — and we pass that efficiency back as a discount. Blocks from a single client stack for volume pricing.
| Total blocks | Per-block savings | Architect Block | Team Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 block | List price | $7,000/mo | $5,000/mo |
| 2 blocks | $500 off each | $6,500/mo | $4,500/mo |
| 3 blocks | $1,000 off each | $6,000/mo | $4,000/mo |
| 4+ blocks | $1,500 off each | $5,500/mo | $3,500/mo |
Example: A client buying 1 Architect + 2 Team Blocks has 3 total blocks. All three get the 3-block rate: $6,000 + $4,000 × 2 = $14,000/mo instead of $17,000.
Sprint Blocks and Advisory don't count toward volume tiers — they can be added to any engagement at list price.
Engagement Tiers
Kenneth maintains a maximum of 4 active blocks. When demand exceeds capacity, trained associates extend reach without diluting quality.
Architect Block
Kenneth Lines, fractional CTO
as low as $5,500 at volume
~35 hrs/month
Your fractional CTO — embedded in your team one day per week. Architecture decisions, hands-on engineering, and AI strategy.
- Direct Slack/Teams access
- Architecture + code review + shipping
- AI/LLM strategy and implementation
- Sprint planning integration
- Weekly written status updates
Add a Team Block and both drop in price — see Volume Commitment below.
Team Block
CoreForged associate, Kenneth as architect
as low as $3,500 at volume
~35 hrs/month
Supervised engineering capacity. Kenneth sets direction and reviews all work. Associate builds full-stack.
- Trained associate engineer
- Kenneth reviews every PR
- Same Slack/Teams access
- Full-stack implementation
- Weekly check-ins with Kenneth
Every Team Block you add counts toward volume pricing — lowering the rate on all your blocks.
Sprint Block
Kenneth or associate
~16 hrs/month
Two dedicated days per month for targeted work — architecture review, tech debt triage, or focused feature sprints.
- Scoped to specific deliverables
- Async support between sprints
- Architecture review
Advisory
Kenneth Lines
~5 hrs/month
Monthly strategy deep-dive plus ongoing async access. Architecture decisions, vendor evaluation, hiring guidance.
- Monthly strategy session (60–90 min)
- Async support (Slack, email)
- Vendor/tool evaluation
- Hiring guidance
Project Work
Scoped deliverables with defined milestones. 20-hour minimum. Billed monthly against actuals.
From Solo to Team
CoreForged starts with Kenneth. As demand grows, trained associates extend capacity without sacrificing quality. Every line of code ships through Kenneth's review.
What We Build
AI & LLM Integration
- Custom AI agents & MCP servers
- RAG, embeddings, fine-tuning
- Prompt engineering & evaluation
- Model selection & cost optimization
Full-Stack Engineering
- React / Next.js / TypeScript
- Node.js / Python APIs
- PostgreSQL / Supabase
- CI/CD & deployment
Technical Leadership
- Startup architecture (pre-A to growth)
- Engineering team process
- Technical due diligence
- Legacy modernization
Getting Started
Discovery Call
30 minutes, free. What you're building, where you're stuck, whether we're the right fit.
Scope & Proposal
Kenneth writes a lightweight proposal within one week. What we'd do month one, which tier fits, what success looks like.
Start
Retainer begins within two weeks. Slack access day one. First deliverable ships week one.
Questions
Can I start with Advisory and upgrade later?
Yes. Many clients start with Advisory to validate fit, then move to an Architect Block when they're ready to build. Your Advisory fee applies to the first month's upgrade.
What if I need more than one block?
Volume pricing kicks in — the more blocks you commit, the better the per-block rate. At 3+ blocks you're saving $1,000/block. See the volume table above.
What if I need more capacity than Kenneth alone?
That's what Team Blocks are for. Kenneth stays as architect; associates handle additional build capacity. Team Blocks count toward your volume tier, so adding capacity also lowers your per-block rate.
Do you work on-site?
CoreForged is remote-first (based in Utah). Kenneth is available for on-site workshops or kickoffs by arrangement.
Do associates work on my project from day one?
No. Kenneth handles at least the first month solo to establish architecture and standards. Associates join only after the foundation is set.
Ready to talk?
No pitch deck. No sales process. Just a conversation about what you're building.
Monthly retainers. 30 days notice. No long-term lock-in.
Book a Discovery Call