Brainforge x LMNT Renewal SOW (Mar–Sep 2026)
This folder contains four workstream-specific Statements of Work for the LMNT renewal (2026). They are intended to sit under a single MSA (Master Service Agreement).
Client feedback (Feb 27): Shivani and Jason raised pricing clarity, expectations, and Gantt/FTE questions. Objections and response plan: OBJECTIONS_AND_RESPONSES.md.
Appendix: RENEWAL_APPENDIX_QA.md — Q&A you can share with Shivani, Jason, and Phil.
Gantt feedback to work on: RENEWAL_GANTT_FEEDBACK.md — specific Gantt edits and Loom talking points.
For your Loom (half-screen proposal + half-screen Gantt):
- Discovery vs. full engagement — Read or paraphrase the “Discovery vs. full engagement” section (deliverable then = ingest/model; now = 2027 planning, QA, socialization, BI). Last and best price.
- Options + FTE table — Walk the three options and the “Where we add time and roles” table so Jason sees incremental time/output.
- Timeline + Gantt crosswalk — Show the timeline table, then on the Gantt: “Renewal = continuation and expansion of the original plan; here’s how the rows line up.”
- Internal hire — One line: “Your April hire is your plan; our delivery by Sep doesn’t depend on it; a delay only affects your maintenance/review capacity after handoff.”
Discovery vs. full engagement (why the step change)
What discovery was.
Dec–Feb 2026 was a discovery phase at $15,000/month. The deliverable was narrow: select stack → ingest → model (ingest, model, repeat). We stood up pipelines and base tables so we could calibrate to your business. That work was necessary but not sufficient to “roll forward” into planning and org-wide use—it was calibration, not a lasting outcome you could run 2027 on.
What full engagement is.
The renewal deliverable is meaningfully different and larger: we’re embedded in helping LMNT plan for 2027. That means more QA, socialization with your team, prioritization in BI, and clearly defined outcomes—not just more tables. It’s less about hours and more about a deliverable that is much more significant and clearly defined. The team and investment below match that scope.
Pricing.
Discovery was entry-level pricing to get to know your business and you us. This proposal is our last and best price for the full engagement above—we’re not expecting you to negotiate it down; we’d rather align on what’s fair and logically sound. If we under-priced the first phase, we’re saying so here so the step change is clear, not a surprise.
Given the goal of delivering more meaningful work by September, we recommend Option B. Below we ground the options in scope and team.
- Option A = Full engagement at the pace we’ve been building toward (three workstreams; no supply chain by Sep).
- Option B = Same three workstreams + Supply Chain Visibility by Sep; accelerated delivery toward 2027 planning readiness.
Renewal options (baseline + choices)
Monthly contract rates by option
| Category | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic Leadership | $32,600 | $32,600 | $35,400 |
| Managing leads, architecture, VP education, org adoption | |||
| Engineering & Platform | $20,000 | $35,000 | $50,000 |
| Analytics engineering, data engineering, ETL/dbt/Snowflake | |||
| Analysis & Enablement | $18,000 | $25,000 | $32,000 |
| Dashboards, reports, memos, QA, supply chain analysis | |||
| Subtotal | $68,000 | $92,600 | $107,400 |
Tool costs are estimates; actual costs depend on usage and vendor terms. Billed directly by vendors to LMNT, not through Brainforge.
Option summary
| Option | Timeline | Workstreams in scope | Resourcing change | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery (for reference) | Dec 2025 – Feb 2026 | Ingest + model on select stack (calibration) | Lead data architect + analytics engineer; entry-level scope. | $15,000/mo |
| A | Mar–Sep 2026 | 1) Data Foundation & Governance 2) BI & Self-Service Enablement 3) Commercial Performance Visibility | Lead data architect, lead strategist, analytics engineer, analyst, senior strategist | $68,000/mo |
| B | Mar–Sep 2026 | Same three as A + Supply Chain Visibility by Sep | Lead data architect, lead strategist, analytics engineer, senior strategist, dedicated analyst, dedicated data engineer | $92,600/mo |
| C | Mar–Sep 2026 | All four workstreams by Aug | Lead data architect, lead strategist, analytics engineer, dedicated analyst, dedicated data engineer, dedicated strategist, data engineer | $107,400/mo |
Robert and Uttam remain closely involved (~10–15 hrs/week). As the team grows, our management bandwidth grows accordingly so LMNT gets coordinated support, not ad hoc outreach from many people.
Where we add time and roles by option (FTE % for context)
Jason asked to map where we increase time and roles to meet scope. The table below is for context only: we commit to deliverables, not FTE counts; we staff to the outcomes in the Gantt. This lets you compare options and see incremental time/output by role.
| Role | Discovery (ref) | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic leadership (Robert + Uttam) | ~25% combined | ~25% each | ~25% each | ~25% each |
| Lead data architect | 50% | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| Lead strategist | — | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| Analytics engineer | 50% | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| Senior strategist | — | 50% | 50% | — |
| Dedicated analyst | — | 50% | 100% | 100% |
| Dedicated data engineer | — | — | 100% | 100% |
| Dedicated strategist | — | — | — | 50% |
| Data engineer (additional) | — | — | — | 50% |
| Approx. total FTE | ~1.25 | ~3.25 | ~4.25 | ~5.25 |
Comparison: Brainforge vs. internal build
| Dimension | Brainforge (Option B) | Building internally |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | $648K (7 months; re-evaluate at renewal) | 1.2M (salaries + benefits for Head of Data, 2 engineers, 2 analysts) |
| Time to productive | Immediate — team has 3+ months of LMNT context | 6–9 months (recruiting + onboarding + system ramp) |
| Senior strategic leadership | Included (managing leads with multi-client $XXXM CPG data experience) | Requires Head of Data hire at $200–250K+ |
| VP-facing enablement | Included (dedicated senior analyst) | Would need to hire or develop internally |
| Flexibility | Scale up/down at renewal; swap team members if needed | Fixed headcount; termination risk and cost |
| CPG/omnichannel expertise | Built-in across team | Must find candidates with relevant experience |
Shared timeline and Gantt (for Loom: use this + your Gantt chart)
Renewal timeline (Mar–Sep 2026)
| Month | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Feb | Retail clean tables |
| March | BI pilot and marketing data ingestion |
| April | eCommerce modeling and BI enablement |
| June | Omnichannel commercial performance insights |
| July | Supply chain discovery and demand planning |
| Aug | Supply chain data visibility |
| Sep | 2027 OKR planning and retro support |
Renewal vs. original plan (Gantt crosswalk)
Is the renewal project additive to the existing project plan?
Yes. The renewal is the continuation and expansion of the original plan, not a separate project. Same three workstreams (Data Foundation & Governance, BI & Self-Service Enablement, Commercial Performance Visibility), with more depth and clearer outcomes; Option B/C add Supply Chain Visibility. When you crosswalk the original Gantt to this one, the rows align—we’re extending the same plan through Sep and adding supply chain where chosen.
LMNT internal hire (April or later)
Does the Gantt assume an LMNT internal hire by April?
The April internal-hire timing is LMNT’s plan, not something Brainforge is committing you to.
How would a hiring delay impact delivery by September?
A later LMNT hire does not slow Brainforge delivery (ingestion, modeling, BI, supply chain work). We deliver by Sep either way. A delay affects LMNT’s ability to maintain systems after handoff: edge-case QA, ongoing revisions to base tables, and your own in-depth review of our work. So: we stay oriented to ingestion + modeling + deliverables; if your hire slips, you have less internal capacity for maintenance and review until that person is in place.