The Proposal That Prices Itself.

The Problem

Automaton bills across three engagement models — Sprint ($2K–$5K), Project Build ($5K–$25K), and Embedded Partner ($3K–$8K/month). Each model has different base rates, scope buffers, tool cost allocations, and ramp structures. Quoting a new engagement meant opening a spreadsheet, adjusting variables manually, and doing mental math on edge cases that changed every time.

When pricing lives in a spreadsheet that gets tweaked per proposal, it drifts. Rates that should be consistent aren't. Scope buffers that should compound correctly don't. The person doing the quoting is the only one who knows why the number landed where it did.

What We Built

A single self-contained HTML file that encodes all three engagement models with their full pricing logic. Select the engagement type — Sprint, Project Build, or Embedded Partner — input the project scope and duration, and the tool calculates base fee, tool cost allocation, scope buffer, ramp schedule, and total engagement value instantly, in the browser.

The output is a structured summary ready to paste into a proposal or export as a formatted PDF. Each model's logic reflects the live pricing tiers on automatonagency.com. Configuration lives in browser localStorage, exportable as JSON for backup. Built with Claude in a Cowork session, three iterations across one afternoon.

“Pricing a new engagement used to mean opening three tabs, doing mental math on scope creep buffers, and hoping the number felt right. Now it just feels right — because the logic is already in the tool.”

The System Architecture

Vanilla HTML, JavaScript, and CSS in a single file. Three engagement model calculators — Sprint ($2K–$5K), Project Build ($5K–$25K), Embedded Partner ($3K–$8K/month) — with shared pricing logic. Scope buffer engine with configurable percentages. Embedded Partner ramp calculator. SheetJS for PDF/Excel export. Browser localStorage with JSON backup/restore. No backend, no SaaS dependency.

The Results

Proposal pricing dropped from 15–20 minutes to under 2 minutes. Every proposal now comes from the same logic — rates are consistent, scope buffers are applied correctly, and Embedded Partner ramp structures are calculated the same way every time.

Pricing conversations with clients got easier immediately. The calculator also surfaces the natural upsell path — a Sprint client who needs more scope sees the Project Build range; a Project Build client who needs ongoing support sees the Embedded Partner monthly.