FAQ — Working with an Amsterdam MLOps Consultant | Murilo Machado

Question 1

What does a sprint look like?

Accepted Answer

Architecture sprints run 2–4 weeks against a defined scope agreed up front. Typical deliverables: threat model, reference architecture, implementation plan with runbooks, and a handover session with your team. I write code where it unblocks the design — I don't ship features.

Question 2

What happens on a discovery call?

Accepted Answer

30 minutes. You describe the challenge; I ask blunt questions about constraints, existing stack, and who else is involved. By the end we both know whether I can help, and if so, what the smallest useful piece of work looks like. No pitch deck, no obligation.

Question 3

Do you take retainers or one-off work?

Accepted Answer

Both. Retainers suit teams that want an on-call architect for reviews and advisory. One-off sprints suit pointed problems — a pentest, a GPU cluster design, a compliance review. I also embed part-time for 6–12 weeks when a team needs hands-on execution alongside the design.

Question 4

How is pricing structured?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-fee for defined scopes (sprints, pentests, audits) so you know the number before we start. Day-rate for advisory and embedded work. I'll share a written quote after the discovery call — not before, because the honest number depends on what we find.

Question 5

What's your availability?

Accepted Answer

Flexible. I take on consulting alongside my MLOps architecture role at spriteCloud, so engagement size adapts to what works for both sides — from short architecture sprints through longer-term embedded work. The best way to find out whether we can fit your timeline is a 30-minute discovery call; if I'm booked, I can usually point you at the right specialist from my network.

Question 6

Do you work remotely or on-site?

Accepted Answer

Remote-first from Amsterdam. I travel for kickoffs, workshops, and critical milestones within the EU. For sensitive regulated work (government, healthcare, financial crime) I'll come on-site for any phase that touches production data.

Question 7

Where do you add the most value?

Accepted Answer

Anywhere infrastructure meets production AI or serious security requirements — GPU clusters, private LLM stacks, pentest and threat modelling, DevSecOps at scale, compliance-first MLOps. If you're not sure whether that maps to your problem, a 30-minute call is the fastest way to find out. I'll give you a straight answer either way, and if a different kind of specialist fits better I'll point you at one.

Question 8

What industries have you worked in?

Accepted Answer

Fintech, government, insurance, retail, healthcare-adjacent, and AI-native startups across the Netherlands, EU, and Brazil. I'm most useful where regulated environments meet non-trivial infrastructure — anything involving GPU clusters, sensitive data, or compliance frameworks that need to actually work in production rather than on paper.

Question 9

Can you introduce specialists you don't cover?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I keep a vetted network of security researchers, MLOps engineers, and platform specialists across the EU and Brazil. If you need someone I'm not, I'll make the introduction directly — no referral fees, no markup.