When to buy a time block vs. the Playbook

You have a problem. You have time to spend on it. The question is whether a $29 document, a $129 code kit, or two hours of live work with another person is the right match for where you're stuck.

This post is a decision tool. Read it once, pick the row that fits, and act on it.

The two axes

Where you are stuck determines the kind of help that's useful. If you're stuck on a concept or a production pattern you haven't seen before, written material works. If you're stuck on your specific codebase — a hook that behaves differently in your environment, an integration that looks right but isn't — written material usually isn't enough. You need eyes on the actual thing.

How fast you need unblocked determines the format. Reading the Playbook takes 45 to 60 minutes. Deploying a Power Pack template takes an hour or two. A time block gets you moving the same day.

Decision table

Row by row

Playbook ($29) is for developers who are capable but haven't yet seen the specific failure modes that show up in production MCP and Claude Code work. The document covers five high-cost mistakes with the actual fixes. If you're still at the "why does my agent do this unpredictable thing" stage, the Playbook almost certainly names it. Read time is under an hour. If it doesn't unblock you within a week, ask for a refund.

Power Pack ($129) is for developers who already understand the concepts but want working code to start from rather than writing everything from scratch. The templates are the patterns I actually use: the multi-agent hook stack, the file-ownership matrix skill, the Polar webhook handler. You fork, adapt, run. The included code works in production — it's not a stripped-down example. If you've already bought the Playbook and you're ready to move into implementation, this is the next step.

Time block 2h ($500) is for a single focused problem. You come with your codebase, your error, your question. I look at the actual code. We work through it on a call. You leave with the fix or the architectural decision, not just a direction. Two hours is the right unit for most integration problems and most "why does this agent behave this way" diagnostics.

Time block 8h ($2,500) is for larger scope: rebuilding agent orchestration, standing up a production MCP server from scratch, overhauling how your team uses Claude Code across a multi-repo system. One day, one outcome. Not "eight hours of being available" — one focused piece of work with a defined deliverable we agree on before we start.

What to do when you're between rows

If you're unsure whether the Playbook covers your specific problem, the answer is: buy it and find out. The refund window is a week. The question that takes you 20 minutes to answer with the Playbook in hand would take you longer than that to answer through a search.

If you're unsure whether a 2h block is enough for your problem, describe it to me before booking. I'll tell you honestly whether it needs 2h or 8h, or whether the Power Pack would get you there without scheduling anything.

What's not on the table

No retainers. No monthly packages. No "fractional advisor" arrangements. No cohorts where you wait four weeks to start.

If you want ongoing help as you build, the right answer is usually: buy the Playbook, work through it, buy the Power Pack when you're ready to implement, and book a time block for the specific problems that need live diagnosis. That path costs under $700 total and leaves you with skills and templates that keep working after our interactions end.

The products are structured to get you independent, not dependent.

Next step: If the Playbook row matches your situation, start there. If you already know you need live work, book a time block.