Assumes the templated instruments are bedded in. First runs will cost
more; Audrey and the synthesis prompt should pull mid hours down over
time (see Calibration).
The Clarify Baseline (the Non-Removable Minimum on Every Build)¶
+ the alignment workshop, interviews (principal; budgeted at four, typically three to six), stakeholder map
1.2 Users
5
12
+ user survey: design, admin, analysis. Bounded: one audience, a fixed open window, analysis to a stated response ceiling; the client owns distribution. Multi-audience and user interviews are Full
1.3 Current state
7
18
Full four strands, quality sampling, migration risk register. Bounded: one property, up to 500 URLs and 25 template families, content quality sampled at 40 items
1.4 Market & search
3
6
The same three competitors as Focused but taken deep (positioning teardown, content and journey comparison), a search review at standing/protect-list depth, and a written competitor and search section rather than findings that only feed the Keystone. Depth and reporting are the step up, not count; full demand mapping is Full
1.5 Synthesis
11
7
Fuller synthesis, 90-min in-person playback. Principal hours scale with the research feeding them: Core digests roughly 3.5× Focused's research, and reconciling interviews, a survey, four strands and a competitor review is judgement the synthesis prompt does not replace
Total
36
52
88 hrs ≈ 14.5 tracked days
Beyond the bounds. Where an engagement exceeds a tier's stated
property, URL, template or response ceilings, the excess is a priced
variation or a move to Full - never absorbed. Full already prices
additional properties at +40-60% and additional markets at the same.