Why We Moved Away from Project-Based Work — and What We Do Instead

For a long time, project-based work was the default model for how we engaged with clients. A scope, a timeline, a deliverable, a close. It works well for certain things. But after years of doing it, we’ve moved toward something that serves our clients better.

The limitations of the project model

Project work is inherently episodic. You build something, hand it off, and move on. But e-commerce is not episodic — it’s continuous. The store you launch is not the store you need six months later. The tech stack that works at $1M in revenue needs to evolve at $5M. Platform updates, new features, changing business priorities, and market shifts mean that the work is never actually done.

There’s also the context problem. Every new project engagement starts with a ramp-up period — learning the business, the systems, the history of decisions that led to the current state. In a project model, that context resets with every engagement. In an ongoing relationship, it compounds.

What ongoing partnerships look like

Our retainer model is built around continuous improvement rather than discrete deliverables. We stay close to the business — its performance data, its roadmap, its pain points — and work proactively rather than reactively. That means identifying problems before they become emergencies and building toward goals rather than responding to requests.

It also means we can be honest in a way that’s harder in a project context. When you know a client’s business deeply and have a long-term stake in its performance, the advice you give is different — and better.

What this means for new clients

We’re selective about who we work with, because the model only works when there’s genuine alignment on how we’ll work together. The clients we do our best work with are the ones who want a technical partner, not a vendor.