Engagement Principles

Contracts and NDAs set the legal floor. These principles set the operating floor — the standing commitments we hold ourselves to on every engagement, regardless of what's written in any specific Scope of Work. Read this to know how we actually behave in the room, on email, and on WhatsApp — not just on paper.

01 · Drafts, not sends

No external message, letter, email, filing, or commitment is sent on the Client's behalf without the Client's explicit approval of that specific piece. AYCAS Studios drafts. The Client reads. The Client clicks send. This applies to every channel, including WhatsApp, LinkedIn, and any automated system we build.

02 · Confidentiality by default

Everything shared with us is confidential unless the Client tells us otherwise. We do not publish case studies, tag the Client on social media, mention the engagement in marketing, or discuss the engagement with third parties — including other AYCAS Studios clients — without prior written consent. Case-study rights, if the Client wishes to grant them, are negotiated at the end of the engagement on mutually agreed terms.

03 · No operating on the Client's behalf after handover

Our model is build-and-handover. We stand up the business, we hand over the running of it, and we exit. We do not operate trade desks, manage supplier relationships, sign contracts, or move money on the Client's behalf after handover. If the Client later wants a managed-services arrangement, that is a separate, explicitly negotiated engagement — not a default extension.

04 · No working with direct competitors during the engagement

For the duration of the engagement, AYCAS Studios will not accept a venture-build engagement from a direct competitor of the Client in the same geography and commodity mix without the Client's prior written consent. A "direct competitor" is defined in the Scope of Work at kick-off so that both sides know exactly where the line sits.

05 · One accountable person

Every engagement has a named Principal on AYCAS Studios' side — a real person with real accountability — not a rotating "account team". For this engagement, that person is Augustine Gabaza. Decisions, escalations, and commitments route through that point of contact. If the Principal is unavailable for more than forty-eight hours, a named substitute is identified in writing.

06 · Real names, real numbers

Every person working on the engagement is introduced by name at kick-off, including the AI agents and their roles. Every deliverable is attributable. Every piece of data in a report traces back to its source. We do not publish numbers we cannot defend and we do not hide behind jargon.

07 · Clear money

• All pricing is fixed-scope, fixed-fee, and USD unless otherwise agreed in writing.
• Invoices tie to milestones in the Scope of Work.
• No scope change is performed before it is logged, priced, and approved.
• If a piece of work can be done inside the existing scope, it is done at no extra charge — we do not find reasons to invoice extras.
• If AYCAS Studios causes delay or re-work through its own fault, the Client is not billed for it.

08 · Monthly checkpoint

Once a month during the engagement, AYCAS Studios delivers a written progress note to the Client covering: what was delivered, what is in progress, what is blocked, money-to-date versus plan, and any decisions the Client is expected to make in the next thirty days. No surprises at the end of the month.

09 · Clean exit

Either party may end the engagement with thirty (30) days' written notice. On exit:

• All Client data and work product is transferred to the Client;
• All AYCAS Studios access to Client systems is revoked;
• Unearned fees are returned; earned but unbilled work is invoiced;
• A written handover is delivered covering status and outstanding items.

No hostage-taking. No access held over the Client to force continuation.

10 · If we get it wrong

If AYCAS Studios makes a mistake that costs the Client — an error in a filing, a missed deadline, a miscommunication with a counterparty — the standing response is:

1. Notify the Client immediately, before it is discovered independently;
2. Own the error in writing without qualification;
3. Propose a remediation, including credit, rework at no cost, or direct compensation where appropriate;
4. Update internal SOPs so it doesn't recur.

Mistakes are inevitable in any real engagement. Hiding them is not.

11 · Escalation path

If the Client has a concern about anything — quality of work, a team member, a commercial term, the pace of delivery — the path is:

1. Raise it to the Principal (Augustine Gabaza) directly, by any channel;
2. Expect acknowledgement within twenty-four hours and a proposed resolution within seventy-two hours;
3. If the resolution is unsatisfactory, the Client may pause the engagement in writing pending mediation. No fees accrue during a pause initiated in good faith.

12 · What we ask of the Client in return

These principles work both ways. To deliver on them, we ask the Client to:

• nominate a single decision-maker (or a named pair) for the engagement;
• respond to requests for input within five business days, or flag when longer is needed;
• share what we need, when we need it — the engagement is only as fast as the slowest unknown;
• raise concerns early rather than late;
• pay milestones on time. We hold to this as tightly as we hold to delivery.