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Cooperation Models. Four Ways to Build With Us.

Whether you need to fill a skill gap next week or build a captive team you eventually own, we have an engagement model that fits. Most clients combine more than one as their needs evolve.

Not Sure Which Model? Talk to Us

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Different Problems, Different Ways of Working.

Different Problems, Different Ways of Working.

Some problems need a senior engineer in your team next week. Others need a small AI-augmented pod that ships faster than a traditional team. Some need a complete cross-functional team owning your product end-to-end. And some need a long-term offshore presence that eventually becomes yours.

We work across four engagement models. The right starting point depends on where you are right now.

Let's talk

Four Engagement Models. One Partnership.

Each model solves a different problem. Pick the one that matches what your team needs next.

Team Augmentation

Lightest commitment, fastest start. Senior and mid-level engineers placed directly inside your existing team. Best for: filling skill or capacity gaps, accelerating an existing project, covering specialized roles you can't easily hire.

AI-Native Pod

AI-accelerated delivery. A small experienced team running on a curated AI toolchain (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot). Best for: new product builds where speed matters, AI-feature integration, teams that want modern delivery velocity without onboarding their own AI workflow.

Dedicated Team

Full team, end-to-end product. A complete cross-functional team of engineers, designers, QA, DevOps, and product managers. Best for: building a new product end-to-end, scaling an existing product, replacing or augmenting an in-house team.

Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)

Build the team, then own it. We build a dedicated team for you, operate it with AI-augmented workflows, and transfer full ownership when you're ready. Best for: long-term offshore presence, captive center strategy, organizations planning to absorb the team as full-time hires.

Compare

Engagement Models Side by Side

A quick orientation map. Use this to find the model that matches your situation.

Team Augmentation

Team structure

Individuals embedded in your team

Who manages day-to-day

You

Commitment length

Shortest

Roles included

Engineers

End-state

Ongoing or scale down

Best for

Skill or capacity gaps

AI-Native Pod

Team structure

Small senior-led unit

Who manages day-to-day

We do

Commitment length

Medium-term

Roles included

Engineers + delivery lead

End-state

Ongoing or scale down

Best for

Speed and modern AI workflows

Dedicated Team

Team structure

Full cross-functional team

Who manages day-to-day

We do

Commitment length

Long-term

Roles included

Engineers, Designers, QA, DevOps, PM

End-state

Ongoing partnership

Best for

End-to-end product ownership

BOT

Team structure

Full team you eventually own

Who manages day-to-day

We do, then transfer to you

Commitment length

Long-term with ownership transfer

Roles included

Full team, your spec

End-state

Team becomes yours

Best for

Captive offshore presence

Team Augmentation

AI-Native Pod

Dedicated Team

BOT

Team structure

Individuals embedded in your team

Small senior-led unit

Full cross-functional team

Full team you eventually own

Who manages day-to-day

You

We do

We do

We do, then transfer to you

Commitment length

Shortest

Medium-term

Long-term

Long-term with ownership transfer

Roles included

Engineers

Engineers + delivery lead

Engineers, Designers, QA, DevOps, PM

Full team, your spec

End-state

Ongoing or scale down

Ongoing or scale down

Ongoing partnership

Team becomes yours

Best for

Skill or capacity gaps

Speed and modern AI workflows

End-to-end product ownership

Captive offshore presence

How to Choose

How to Choose the Right Model

Three questions usually get you to the right answer.

Do you already have an engineering team and need specific skills or extra capacity?

Start with Team Augmentation. Lightest commitment, fastest start. You manage the engineers, we handle sourcing, vetting, and replacement.

Do you need a team to build something, and want maximum speed?

Choose AI-Native Pod (smaller team, AI-accelerated) or Dedicated Team (larger cross-functional unit). AI-Native Pod for speed and modern stack. Dedicated Team for broader role coverage and end-to-end product ownership.

Are you planning a long-term offshore presence you'll eventually own?

Go with BOT. We build the team, run it, then transfer ownership when you're ready. Still not sure? Most clients evolve between models as their product matures. We help you map your situation to the right starting point, and adjust as you scale.

Working with SH feels like having an in-house team of exceptional engineers and designers. They commit to the project beyond its scope, they challenge your ideas and go the extra mile to ensure that you succeed.

Thomas Sveum

Thomas Sveum

CEO @ Startupmatcher

Cooperation Models in Practice

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Not Sure Which Model Fits?

Talk to our partnerships team. We'll help you map your situation to the right engagement model, or design a hybrid that works for you.

Book a Call

FAQ

How do I choose the right engagement model?

Three quick filters. First, do you have an engineering team and need specific skills or capacity? Choose Team Augmentation. Second, do you need a team to build something? Choose AI-Native Pod (smaller, AI-accelerated) or Dedicated Team (larger, cross-functional, end-to-end). Third, are you planning a long-term offshore presence you'll eventually own? Choose BOT. If none fits exactly, or you need bespoke arrangements, we design custom hybrid models. Most clients evolve between models as their product matures.

Can we combine multiple engagement models?

Yes, and most long-term clients do. A common pattern: Team Augmentation for immediate skill gaps, Dedicated Team for a new product line, AI-Native Pod for AI-feature work. Engagement models aren't mutually exclusive. Pricing and contracting are structured per workstream, so you can add or change models quarter by quarter.

What's the difference between Team Augmentation and a Dedicated Team?

Team Augmentation adds individual engineers to your existing team. You manage them as part of your in-house staff. They fill specific skill or capacity gaps. A Dedicated Team is a complete cross-functional unit that we manage end-to-end, building your product based on direction you set. Augmentation is "we send you developers." Dedicated Team is "we deliver your product, with you setting priorities."

What's the difference between an AI-Native Pod and a Dedicated Team?

Both are managed development teams that build your product end-to-end. The differences are structural. An AI-Native Pod is smaller (senior-heavy composition vs typical mixed-seniority Dedicated Team), built around an AI toolchain (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot), and operates with explicit delivery metrics tracking AI impact. A Dedicated Team is larger, includes more roles (PM, design, QA, DevOps), and uses AI tooling without being structurally designed around it. Choose AI-Native Pod when you want maximum velocity with smaller headcount. Choose Dedicated Team when you need broader role coverage and longer-term capacity stability.

How is BOT different from a Dedicated Team?

Both involve us building and running a team for you. The difference is what happens long-term. With BOT, after the operate phase, we transfer the team and operations to your in-house company — they become your full-time employees. With a Dedicated Team, the team works for you under our management indefinitely, with no transfer phase. Choose BOT when your long-term goal is owning the team as part of your company. Choose Dedicated Team when you want long-term delivery capacity without absorbing HR, retention, and operational overhead.

What's included in your standard engagement, and what's billed separately?

Every engagement includes vetted engineers, project management for managed models (Dedicated Team, AI-Native Pod, BOT), code review, CI/CD setup, security scanning, regular delivery reports, and ISO 27001-compliant data handling. Cloud infrastructure costs (AWS, GCP, Azure) are billed directly to your account — we don't mark them up. Specialized add-ons (penetration testing, compliance certification preparation, FinOps audit) are scoped separately.

We build what comes next.

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Startup Development House sp. z o.o.

Aleje Jerozolimskie 81

Warsaw, 02-001

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