I’m Neil, principal consultant at Shrug PW and a senior infrastructure engineer. I’m based in Bedford, MA and work with companies across New England and the wider Northeast, plus remotely beyond that. I design and build infrastructure that’s outgrown what it was set up for: too expensive, too fragile, or operable by only one increasingly nervous person. Then I implement the fix, rather than hand over a recommendation and leave.
This page is the summary of what I do and what engagements cost. If you’d rather start from fixed-scope, clearly-priced offerings, see the consulting packages. You can also read more about working with me, or, if you’re a larger company in the corridor, the Bedford & Route 128 page.
Infrastructure & Architecture
- Architecture & migration planning — Reviews, migration plans, and disaster-recovery design for systems that have outgrown their original shape. This includes the infrastructure and technical controls that support SOC2, HIPAA, and FDA-regulated environments — the technical half, not a promise that infrastructure alone makes you compliant.
- Crisis recovery & rescue — When a legacy environment is brittle or bewildering, I jump in with targeted triage and “oh god what is this” rescue work to get you back online.
- Infrastructure audits — Assessments that surface technical debt, resiliency gaps, and growth blockers, with prioritized recommendations you can actually act on.
- DevOps & automation — CI/CD pipelines, deployment automation, and infrastructure-as-code, so ordinary changes stop turning into events.
- Equipment sourcing — Sourcing through distributor relationships (Tristate Low Voltage, Retevis) for cabling, networking, and radio hardware. Surveillance and access-control systems are handled as design and network integration only, with physical installation by a licensed security partner.
Critical Communications
- Resilient connectivity & failover — Multi-carrier cellular failover, satellite backup, and network designs that stay up when the primary link doesn’t.
- Communications dependency assessment — Finding the single points of failure in how your business actually communicates, and designing around services and spectrum you can lawfully use.
- Two-way radio & equipment — Radio sourcing (Retevis dealer) and configuration; commercial RF and coverage design is an area I’m growing into and will refer out where a job needs a specialist.
This side of the work comes out of real emergency-response experience: I advise a crisis-line software team (988), I’m a licensed amateur radio operator, and I hold FEMA/MEMA emergency-management training. Commercial systems are built around what the customer can lawfully operate. More on the emergency communications page.
OSPO++ & Open Source
- Fractional OSPO leadership — Part-time open source program leadership for companies that need the strategy but not a full-time hire.
- Governance & contribution models — Contribution guidelines, maintainer sustainability, and governance that holds up as a project grows.
- Licensing & foundation strategy — Licensing decisions, foundation-readiness, and the transitions projects hit when they move to a foundation.
- InnerSource — Internal open source practices that improve code sharing across teams.
More detail, and the actual maintainer experience behind it, on the OSPO++ page.
Strategic Technology Consulting
- Technology evaluation — Evaluating a new platform? I’ll help you work out whether it solves the problem you actually have, what it costs to operate, and what you’re committing yourself to.
- Team & org guidance — Practical guidance on growing an infrastructure team, without defaulting to “just hire more SREs.”
- Vendor & contract review — Technical due diligence for infrastructure vendor selection and contracts.
- Interim technical leadership — Temporary technical leadership during transitions, reorganizations, or while you recruit permanent staff.
Pricing Guide
Engagements are scoped collaboratively, but here’s a general range:
| Engagement Type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Hourly Advisory | $250–400/hr |
| Monthly Retainer (light touch) | $3,500-5,000/mo |
| Strategic Retainer (hands-on) | $10,000–18,000/mo |
| OSPO++ Fractional Services | $2,000–4,000/mo |
| Crisis Response & Emergency | $500–700/hr (limited availability) |
Hourly advisory works for one-off consultations. Monthly retainers ensure ongoing support without the overhead of permanent headcount. If you’re unsure which fits, describe your challenge and I’ll recommend the right engagement level.
I offer sliding-scale or pro-bono support for nonprofit, mutual-aid, or movement work—just ask.
Let’s Talk
Schedule a Consultation → Email Me Instead →
A Note on Availability
I’m selective about projects and prioritize async‑friendly workflows, clear scope, and mutual respect. If we work together, you’ll get my full attention and direct communication—no fluff.