Software Deployment Owner — Take Our Platform Live, Then manage It

We built a real internal software platform using AI. It works. Right now it's sitting in a sandbox doing nothing, because nobody is driving it to production. We're looking for a contractor to change that — and then stay on to keep our software running. We don't need an architect or a designer. AI already does that part cheaply and well. We need someone who takes software that already exists and makes it real: gets it into production, gets real users on it, fixes what breaks, and owns software problems so they stop landing on the founder's desk. THE ENGAGEMENT Phase 1 (first ~30 days): Take our newest internal application — currently a working prototype in a sandbox — fully live, company-wide. That means standing up a real production environment, connecting it to and loading our actual business data, setting up real user accounts and permissions, training staff, and absorbing the bug wave that always hits in the first weeks of real usage. Target is deployed and functional within 30 days. Full team adoption may run a little longer depending on rollout — that's fine — but the 30-day target is real, and we'll ask you to commit a concrete plan against it before you start. Phase 2 (ongoing): Own software issues across the business — roughly 5 internal applications, various integrations, ongoing bugs, and enhancement requests. This can continue as an ongoing part-time maintenance contract once Phase 1 is stable. WHO THIS IS FOR Someone who solves problems without being managed. You'll regularly get incomplete information on purpose — real specs are messy, real systems have undocumented quirks, and real production cutovers always have gaps nobody warned you about. We expect you to dig in and figure it out, not wait for a complete spec. You have an AI build team available to you — the same AI that built this platform — so you don't need to be a senior architect. You need to be fast, resourceful, and comfortable owning outcomes end to end. NOT a fit if you do your best work with detailed specs and frequent check-ins, or if ambiguity makes you uncomfortable. RATE & STRUCTURE We're flexible and open to your proposal. As a rough guide, we're budgeting an hourly rate in the $40–$85/hr range for the Phase 1 deployment sprint (heavier hours up front, ~full-time equivalent for the first 30–90 days), stepping down to a lighter ongoing part-time maintenance arrangement once the platform is live and stable. If you'd rather propose a fixed price for the Phase 1 deployment milestone, we're open to that too — tell us your number and what it buys. HOW WE HIRE We don't hire off résumés or proposals alone. The process is evidence-based and every stage is paid: 1. A short paid screening task (30–60 min) — no system access required. 2. A paid, timed real-world benchmark task in an isolated sandbox — a real, self-contained bug, done and recorded. 3. A 20-minute live call to walk us through your solution and make a small change live. 4. A paid 1–2 week trial on an actual slice of the Phase 1 mission before any longer commitment. HOW TO APPLY In your proposal, include: 1. A short note on the messiest, most ambiguous technical problem you've owned end to end — what information was missing and what you did about it. 2. Confirmation you can start a paid Stage 1 screening task within the next few days. We'll respond with the Stage 1 task directly. The process itself is the interview — there's no separate resume screen.