Questions, answered properly.
24 answers covering pricing, hours, contracts, tooling and data handling. If yours is not here, ask me directly.
01
Working together
Are you a virtual assistant or an AI developer?
Both, and the order matters. I spent eight years as a hands-on VA running inboxes, calendars, listings, hiring and invoicing for clients across the US, UK, Europe and the Gulf. Over the last two years that turned into building the AI agents and automations that handle the same work. Most people offering AI automation have never run an operation; most VAs cannot build. The combination is the point.
Do you work solo or run an agency?
Solo. Every engagement is handled personally, with no subcontracting, no account managers and no rotating staff. That means consistent quality and no fee split. It also means finite capacity, so I take a limited number of retainers at a time.
Can I start with plain VA work and add AI later?
That is the most common path. Many clients start with straightforward operational support, and we identify what is worth automating once I understand how the business actually runs. Automating a process nobody has watched closely is how you get expensive, brittle systems.
How long does onboarding take?
Onboarding itself is instant. Once we have had a call and you are ready, I start straight away, with no waiting period. What I do ask you to expect is that the first week to ten days runs slower on output, because I will not jump into the work without understanding the process properly first. That time goes into learning your workflow, your systems and how decisions actually get made. It is deliberate: the week spent understanding is the reason everything after it runs smoothly.
What if it is not working out?
Two weeks notice, either direction, no penalty. I would rather end an engagement cleanly than have you stuck with someone who is not the right fit.
Will you sign an NDA?
Routinely. One of my current engagements is covered by one, which is why that client appears on this site as a European property management agency rather than by name. Send an NDA over before a discovery call if you would prefer.
Is all your work remote?
Yes. I work remotely from Kolkata, India, and always have. Every client listed on this site was served remotely, across the US, UK, Europe, the Gulf and the Caribbean. I shift my working day to the client rather than asking them to accommodate mine.
02
Pricing and terms
What does it cost?
Retainers start at $150 per month for 10 hours and run to $850 per month for full-time cover. Project work starts from $400 for a technical SEO overhaul, $700 for a website and $1,000 for SaaS builds, AI automation ecosystems or agent development.
Why is the full-time tier only $850?
Because I am one person in India with no agency overhead and no fee split. You pay for execution rather than for a layer of management. Capacity is genuinely limited as a result.
Is technical work included in the retainer?
At the full-time tier, yes. Automation builds, website changes and SEO are part of that rate rather than separate projects. Standalone builds outside a retainer are quoted separately because the scale is different.
What currencies do you accept?
USD, GBP, EUR, AUD, CAD or INR, by bank transfer, Wise or Payoneer. Retainers invoice monthly in advance, project work on agreed milestones.
Do unused hours roll over?
Up to 20% of a month rolls into the next. Beyond that they expire, because otherwise planning capacity becomes impossible.
What if the packages do not fit my budget?
Say so. There is usually a smaller scope that still delivers something real. The worst outcome is you not asking.
03
Time zones and logistics
Which time zones do you cover?
I shift my working day to the client rather than the other way round. Dubai is 1.5 hours from me, Europe 3.5 to 4.5, the UK 4.5 to 5.5, South Africa 3.5, and US Eastern needs an early start on my side, which I do. Australia runs on a daily overlap window plus overnight delivery.
What are your standard hours?
Nine hours a day, Monday to Friday as standard, with Saturday included at the full-time tier. The specific window depends on which region you are in.
How do we communicate?
Whatever you already use: Slack, email, WhatsApp, Teams. I do not ask clients to adopt a new tool for my benefit. Async by default, with a standing call if you want one.
Do you work public holidays?
I follow your business calendar for client-facing work and keep going on build tasks unless told otherwise. Indian public holidays rarely align with Western ones, which usually works in your favour.
Will I get a reply from a real person?
Yes. The contact form sends an automatic confirmation, but every actual reply is written by me, from either sentu1993@gmail.com or souptikgr@gmail.com. There is no mailing list and no follow-up sequence.
04
Technical questions
Which automation platform do you recommend?
Make.com for most businesses, because it handles branching and error states properly at a reasonable price. n8n self-hosted when data cannot leave your infrastructure. Zapier when the need is genuinely simple and you already pay for it.
Do I need AI, or just automation?
Frequently just automation. AI earns its cost when a step needs judgement, like classifying an unstructured email or summarising a document. If the rule can be written down, a deterministic automation is cheaper, faster and more reliable, and I will tell you that rather than sell you a model.
Will the automation break when something changes?
Some will, eventually. Any integration can break when a vendor changes an API. I build with error handling and failure notifications so you find out immediately, and document the workflow so it can be repaired without me.
Do I need to use your preferred tools?
No. I work inside whatever you already have. If your CRM is Zoho and mine would have been HubSpot, we use Zoho. Migrations happen only when the current tool is genuinely the problem.
How do you handle GDPR and data residency?
By keeping data in systems you already control and working as a processor under your instructions. Where residency is a hard requirement I build on self-hosted n8n rather than cloud connectors. I sign data processing agreements where needed.
Can you take over an existing codebase?
Yes, regularly. I start with an audit so you get an honest assessment of what is salvageable before committing to a direction. Sometimes the honest answer is that a rebuild costs less than the repair.
Still wondering
Ask me the one that is not here.
I answer every enquiry myself, and I will give you a straight answer even when it is that I am not the right person for the job.
WhatsApp · fastest
+91 98756 02929
Email
sentu1993@gmail.com
LinkedIn
souptik-guha-roy
Typical reply time
Within one business day