Onboarding

The engagement doesn't start when the first commit lands. It starts before that — the mutual audition where both sides figure out if this actually works.

Do Real Work Before Committing

The principle is simple: work together before anyone commits long-term. The developer researches the problem independently. Responds with their understanding, questions, and a rough direction. Has a strategic conversation — not a sales pitch. Then sets everything up together, so the first paid week starts with real work.

Only after code is committed and building starts do real answers emerge. Everything before that is theory.

The Mutual Audition

Despite being a trial period, the developer communicates like it's real work. Regular async updates. Full transparency. The developer is testing the client as much as the client is testing the developer.

Can both sides work together? Does communication flow? Are expectations realistic? Is the project what the client described?

These questions only get honest answers through actual work — not proposals, not sales calls, not references. Real work together is the only reliable signal.

Why This Protects Both Sides

The client doesn't commit money before seeing how the developer works. The developer doesn't commit effort before knowing the client is a real fit. A week of working together tells more than any proposal ever could.

The Varstatt Flow

The developer receives a project brief. Before responding, Varstatt does independent research — understands the problem, drafts potential solutions, figures out why this matters and what success looks like. Then responds with an understanding of the problem, a rough timeline, and follow-up questions.

A discovery call gets scheduled. If the client subscribes, week 0 begins: a free onboarding week. During it Varstatt analyzes the flow, bootstraps the development environment and prepares access. It builds nothing yet, so week 1 starts with real work. Only if all is good does the client continue the subscription.