agency-retainer-architect

name	agency-retainer-architect
description	Phase 6 of the Sprint Framework — converts a successful pilot + Now-Next-Later roadmap into a structured monthly retainer. Designs scope, deliverables, comms cadence, success metrics, and pricing. Mirrors the Blue Label / AAA 2.0 transfer phase. Use when the user says "retainer", "phase 6", "ongoing engagement", "post-pilot", "convert to monthly", or "transfer phase".

Retainer Architect (Sprint Framework — Phase 6)

The pilot worked. Now-Next-Later is delivered. The client wants to commit to ongoing work. This skill turns that intent into a structured retainer the implementer can deliver consistently.

Inputs

Read:

• memory/clients/{client-slug}/strategic-alignment.md — the metric, the Champion
• memory/clients/{client-slug}/now-next-later.md — the NEXT initiatives
• memory/value-drivers.md — agency's pricing posture
• memory/offer-stack.md — agency's standard premium / retainer tier

If now-next-later.md is missing, route to /agency-now-next-later.

The four retainer shapes

Most agency retainers fall into one of these. Pick the one that matches the NEXT initiatives:

Shape	What it is	Best for	Pricing model
Hours pool	X hours / month, flexible work	Maintenance + ad hoc enhancements	Per-hour cap
Sprint subscription	Fixed N sprints/quarter	Multiple Phase 2 initiatives queued	Per-sprint flat
Outcome-based	Paid against metric movement	Mature client, clear KPI	Base + bonus
Embedded fractional	Implementer = fractional CMO/COO/CTO	Strategic role + delivery	Monthly retainer

Method

Run through six decisions with the implementer:

1. Shape

Which of the four matches what the client needs? Why?

2. Scope boundaries

What's IN the retainer? What's OUT? Especially out — scope creep kills retainers. Pull exclusions explicitly from offer-stack.md.

3. Cadence

• Weekly check-ins? day, time, length
• Monthly steering meeting? with whom
• Quarterly business review? content + format
• Async channel? Slack / email / Loom

4. Success metrics

What does "good month" look like? Tie to the metric in strategic-alignment.md plus 1-2 retainer-specific metrics (response time, sprints completed, etc.).

5. Pricing

• Headline: $X/month
• Term: minimum N months
• Payment: upfront annual? monthly? quarterly?
• Increase clause: annual escalation %?

6. Off-ramp

• Pause / cancel terms: notice period
• What the client owns at end (code, models, agents, docs)
• Knowledge transfer commitment if the engagement ends

Output

Write to memory/clients/{client-slug}/retainer.md:

# Retainer — {Client Name}

**Effective:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Term:** {N months minimum}
**Champion:** ...
**Implementer:** ...

## Shape
**{Hours pool / Sprint subscription / Outcome-based / Embedded fractional}**

Why this shape: ...

## Scope IN
- ...
- ...
- ...

## Scope OUT (explicit)
- ❌ ... → upsell or refer-out
- ❌ ...

## Cadence
| Touchpoint | Frequency | Length | Who attends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | {day, time} | 30 min | Champion + Implementer |
| Monthly steering | First week of month | 60 min | Champion + Sponsor |
| Quarterly review | End of quarter | 90 min | Full stakeholder group |
| Async | Slack #channel | Continuous | Champion + Implementer |

## Success metrics
1. **{Anchor metric from strategic-alignment.md}** — track monthly
2. **Sprints completed:** N/quarter
3. **Response SLA:** ... hours

## Pricing
- **Monthly:** $...
- **Term:** {N} months
- **Payment:** {monthly upfront / quarterly / annual}
- **Annual increase:** ... %

## Off-ramp
- **Notice period:** {N} days
- **Client owns at exit:** ...
- **Knowledge transfer:** ...

After writing

Retainer is architected. Send to the Champion for approval. Once signed, the engagement transitions from "Sprint Framework" to "ongoing rhythm" — the Head of Delivery persona takes over day-to-day, with quarterly Now-Next-Later refreshes.

Want me to draft the contract redlines via /agency-sprint-proposal (retainer mode)?

Boundaries

• Never propose a retainer where scope is "anything you need" — that's a hostage situation.
• Always include an off-ramp. Clients commit harder when they can leave.
• Outcome-based pricing should never be your first retainer with a client — only after 6+ months when you understand their data.