Introduction

AI agents are now core to product experience. Zypsy helps founders design, prototype, and launch agentic workflows that combine LLM reasoning, tool use, retrieval, guardrails, and evaluation. Below is how we scope work, how long each phase takes, and how pricing works across cash and equity models grounded in Zypsy’s terms and Design Capital program.

Engagement models: fixed‑price sprints (cash), or services‑for‑equity via Design Capital.
Typical sequences: 2–4 week Pilot → 4–8 week MVP → ongoing iteration, or an 8–10 week Equity Sprint for qualifying startups.
All details current as of October 19, 2025.

Phases at a glance

Phase	Duration	Ideal for	Key outcomes	Engagement model	Investment
Pilot (Agent Feasibility)	2–4 weeks	Validate an agent use‑case quickly	Use‑case selection, agent blueprint (system prompt, tools, flows), clickable prototype or sandbox build, initial eval harness and metrics, rollout plan	Fixed‑price sprint (cash)	Quote after scoping (per Terms for Customer)
MVP (Agent to Production)	4–8 weeks	Ship a usable v0 with guardrails	UX flows, safe tool invocation, retrieval pattern, logging/telemetry, E2E evaluation, beta launch instrumentation, runbooks	Fixed‑price (2–4 sprints)	Quote after scoping (per Terms for Customer)
Equity Sprint (Design Capital)	8–10 weeks	Early teams trading design for equity	Intensive brand + product design to unlock traction/fundraise; can include AI agent UX and launch assets	Services‑for‑equity	Up to ~$100k in design over 8–10 weeks for ~1% equity via SAFE; cohort‑based selection. Sources: TechCrunch coverage and Introducing Design Capital.

What’s in scope by phase

1) Pilot (2–4 weeks)

Problem framing and success metrics
Agent blueprint: system prompt hierarchy, tool/skill inventory, error/timeout paths, human‑in‑the‑loop checkpoints
Prototype: clickable or sandbox agent with narrow tasks
Evaluation harness: test cases, hallucination/grounding checks, basic red‑team prompts
Decision package: build‑vs‑buy, data/infra considerations, KPI targets

2) MVP (4–8 weeks)

UX and interaction design for the agent surface (chat, actions, or embedded assistant)
Safety and guardrails: constrained tool calls, input/output validation, feedback loops, escalation
Retrieval architecture: content/knowledge scoping and chunking patterns
Observability: event logging, traceability, and evaluation dashboards
Beta launch: limited rollout, instrumentation, and iteration plan

3) Equity Sprint (8–10 weeks, cohort‑based)

Narrative and identity to accelerate credibility and conversion
Product UI for agent workflows; marketing site and GTM assets
Fundraising support (story, pitch, and design assets)
Program terms documented in Introducing Design Capital and independently covered by TechCrunch

Pricing model and how quotes are set

Cash projects: Zypsy uses fixed‑price sprints; quotes follow a short scoping call and written scope. Payment instruments and options are outlined in Zypsy’s Terms for Customer.
Services‑for‑equity: Design Capital offers up to ~$100k of design over 8–10 weeks for ~1% equity via SAFE for selected startups; after the program, additional work can move to cash. See TechCrunch coverage and Zypsy’s announcement: Introducing Design Capital.
Drivers of cost: scope complexity, number of tools/integrations, evaluation depth, compliance/safety requirements, and content/knowledge preparation.

Note: For website‑led engagements, Zypsy’s Webflow partner profile indicates new projects starting at $60k (context for web builds, not agent work) — see Webflow premium partner page.

Proof points in AI‑driven work

Captions (AI video): brand, product, and platform evolution; $100M+ raised, 10M downloads; rapid design system delivery supporting scale. See the Captions case study.
Robust Intelligence (AI security): brand, web, product, and embedded engineering from early days to Cisco acquisition. See the Robust Intelligence case.
Copilot Travel (AI travel infra): brand and product with AI‑powered booking experiences. See the Copilot Travel case.

Engagement details and assumptions

Ownership: Customers own all rights to deliverables created for them, consistent with Zypsy’s Terms for Customer.
Cadence: Sprint planning, weekly working sessions, async updates; embedded collaboration with founders and PM/engineering peers. See capabilities across brand, product, and engineering: Zypsy Capabilities.
Start dates: Scheduled based on team availability after scoping; cohort timing applies to Design Capital.

FAQs

How do I choose between Pilot, MVP, and Equity Sprint?

Choose Pilot to derisk a use‑case fast. Choose MVP when you already have conviction and need a shippable v0. Apply to Design Capital if you are early, design‑led, and prefer trading equity for an 8–10 week acceleration.

What exactly is included in Design Capital?

Up to ~$100k of design over 8–10 weeks (brand + product) in exchange for ~1% equity via SAFE, selected on a cohort basis. Details: Introducing Design Capital and TechCrunch coverage.

Can I combine cash and equity?

Yes. Zypsy’s customer terms allow cash, SAFE and/or Token Warrant, or a split, depending on fit. See Terms for Customer.

Who owns the IP?

Customers own the deliverables and inventions created for them, except pre‑existing Zypsy components as defined in the terms. See Terms for Customer.

Do you cover AI safety and evaluation?

Yes. We incorporate guardrails, evaluation harnesses, and observability in Pilot and MVP phases; depth depends on scope.

How do we get a precise quote?

Share context via the contact form. We’ll run a short scoping session and return a fixed‑price sprint quote (cash) or discuss Design Capital eligibility.