Clear engagement. Proportionate investment. Senior accountability.
Pricing at Phenomlab is shaped around outcomes, not headcount, hierarchy, or retained roles.
Engagements provide direct access to senior technology and security leadership without the cost, friction, or long-term commitment of traditional consultancy models. There are no layers of management, no unnecessary overhead, and no artificial complexity.
You are paying for judgement, decision-making, and execution at the point where it matters most.
There are no locked-in retainers.
There is no consultancy theatre.
How pricing at Phenomlab works
Phenomlab does not sell hours, bodies, or generic packages.
Engagements are priced based on:
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The decisions you are facing
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The level of risk and complexity involved
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The seniority required to lead or advise
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The pace at which clarity and direction are needed
This ensures investment remains proportionate while accountability stays explicit.
Scope is agreed clearly from the outset. Outcomes are defined in advance. Pricing reflects the leadership required to move the organisation forward, not the volume of activity generated along the way.
Engagement models
Pricing is structured around how organisations typically need support at different stages, rather than forcing every engagement into a single model.
Leadership
CTO & CISO leadership
This model is for organisations that need ongoing senior technology or security leadership.
Typical scenarios include:
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Scaling organisations without a permanent CTO or CISO
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Founders carrying technical or security decisions beyond their comfort zone
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Boards requiring independent oversight of technology or cyber risk
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Regulated organisations needing experienced governance input
Engagements are usually structured on a monthly basis and aligned to decision cadence rather than time tracking. Senior involvement scales up or down as priorities change, ensuring leadership is present when it is needed and absent when it is not.
Assurance
Risk, governance, and control confidence
This model supports organisations that need confidence in their security, compliance, or governance position without over-engineering.
Typical scenarios include:
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Cyber Essentials or regulatory readiness
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SOC 2 or ISO 27001 alignment
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Board, investor, or client scrutiny
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Independent assurance over internal teams or third-party suppliers
Assurance engagements are typically fixed-scope, with clearly defined outcomes, agreed timelines, and a clear end point. The focus is on confidence and clarity, not compliance for its own sake.
Foundations
Technology and security fundamentals
This model is designed for organisations that need to stabilise or rationalise their foundations before scaling further.
Typical scenarios include:
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Legacy platforms creating operational drag or risk
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Cloud cost, architecture, or resilience concerns
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Inherited environments with unclear ownership or accountability
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Early security maturity requiring practical uplift
Foundations work is scoped pragmatically, with emphasis on clarity and momentum rather than perfect-state design or unnecessary rebuilds.
Typical investment
Rather than publishing misleading day rates, pricing is discussed in the context of engagement type and organisational need.
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Leadership service engagements are typically structured as a monthly investment, aligned to decision volume and risk exposure rather than company size alone.
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Assurance and foundations work is usually delivered on a fixed-scope basis, with outcomes and costs agreed upfront.
Indicative pricing is confirmed during a short alignment conversation to ensure fit on both sides.
What pricing always includes
Every Phenomlab engagement includes:
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Direct access to senior leadership
No delegation to juniors or associates. -
Clear scope and expectations
You know what success looks like from the outset. -
Proportionate delivery
No unnecessary frameworks, artefacts, or overbuild. -
Commercial awareness
Decisions are made with cost, risk, and business reality in mind.
What pricing deliberately avoids
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No long-term lock-ins
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No inflated retainers
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No dependency creation
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No selling future problems to justify current fees
If something does not add value, it does not stay in scope.
Pricing principles
Is Phenomlab the right fit?
Phenomlab works best with organisations that:
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Value senior judgement over volume
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Want clarity, not noise
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Are prepared to act on advice, not just collect reports
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Need calm leadership where decisions carry consequence
If you are looking for the cheapest option or a large delivery team, Phenomlab is unlikely to be the right fit.
Common pricing and engagement questions
Pricing is shaped around the decisions you are facing, the level of risk and complexity involved, and the senior leadership required to support them.
We do not price based on hours, headcount, or generic packages. Instead, we scope engagements to ensure effort is proportionate, accountability is clear, and outcomes are well defined from the outset.
Indicative pricing is discussed during a short alignment conversation to ensure fit on both sides.
No.
All engagements are scoped clearly and priced transparently before work begins. There are no hidden fees, surprise charges, or inflated invoices.
If requirements change materially, this is discussed openly and agreed in advance. Nothing is added without explicit alignment.
Phenomlab does not offer rigid packages.
Engagements are shaped around your context, priorities, and risk profile rather than forcing you into a predefined model. This ensures you receive senior input where it delivers the most value, without unnecessary scope or cost.
Engagements are priced proportionately rather than discounted to encourage long-term lock-in.
Some organisations choose to work with Phenomlab on an ongoing basis, others engage for defined periods or specific phases. In all cases, pricing reflects scope, senior involvement, and outcomes rather than duration alone.
There is no obligation to commit beyond what is appropriate.
Engagements are designed to adapt as priorities change.
Involvement can scale up or down over time, whether that means increasing senior input during periods of change or stepping back once stability and clarity are restored.
This flexibility ensures you are not paying for support you no longer need.
Yes.
Remote delivery enables faster access to senior leadership, reduced disruption, and greater flexibility without compromising rigour or effectiveness.
Where on-site presence is genuinely beneficial, this can be discussed as part of the engagement, but most organisations find remote-first delivery more efficient and equally effective.
If additional support is required, this is discussed openly and scoped appropriately.
There is no automatic expansion of work or assumption of ongoing commitment. Any change in scope or involvement is agreed deliberately, with a clear understanding of impact and cost.
Next step
If you would like to explore fit and indicative pricing:
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Book a short alignment conversation
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No preparation required
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No obligation to proceed
You should leave that conversation with clearer direction, whether we work together or not.
Every Phenomlab engagement follows a calm, structured approach designed to deliver clarity and momentum early. We start by aligning on context, risk, and priorities, then move quickly to separating signal from noise, setting direction, and taking focused action where it matters most. Senior CTO and CISO leadership is embedded from day one, without disruption or consultancy theatre. Learn how engagements typically start and what to expect in the first 30-60 days
