Breaking Free from 'Man-Month' Pricing: Redefining Contract Development with Deliverables × Fixed Pricing — Launch of AI Artisan Guild 'Cyber Artisan Guild (CAG)'

ATK LLC (Representative Member: Seiya Takamoto, Address: 7F, Dai-2 Mizuno Building, 5-35-6 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo) has launched the 'Cyber Artisan Guild (AI Artisan Guild) / Cyber Artisan Guild (CAG)', a guild of skilled developers and designers proficient in AI, and has launched its official website (https://cyberartisanguild.com/). CAG is a venture led by Shoji Kai, CAIO (Chief AI Officer) of ATK and the guild's founder.

Moving beyond the opaque 'man-month' pricing model, CAG offers end-to-end services for websites, landing pages, business systems, and AI agents through transparent pricing based on deliverables × fixed price + actual AI usage costs passed through without markup.

A symbolic demonstration is CAG's in-house developed AI for handling inquiries on its own website—proving its capability by making the website itself a living testament to what it can build.

Background: The Invisible Box of 'Man-Month'

Traditional contract development has relied on the 'man-month' unit for pricing, leading to structural issues such as:

(1) Profit skimming through multiple layers of subcontracting

(2) Opaque estimates obscured by vague 'lump-sum' pricing

(3) Slow delivery constrained by labor hours and individual dependency

These issues erode price, speed, and quality simultaneously, leaving clients without clear decision-making criteria.

CAG rethinks this entire structure. By eliminating middle layers and enabling AI-proficient artisans to work directly, CAG amplifies elite decision-making with AI and integrates the entire process—from consultation to delivery and operation—without fragmentation.

What is Cyber Artisan Guild (CAG)? Transparent Pricing Based on Deliverables × Fixed Price

Official Website of Cyber Artisan Guild (CAG) / AI Artisan Guild: https://cyberartisanguild.com/

CAG (Cyber Artisan Guild / AI Artisan Guild) has three key features:

Full AI-Driven Workflow: Restructured workflows with AI integrated from design to implementation and validation, increasing productivity per unit of time

End-to-End Integration: Seamless process from consultation to delivery and operation, minimizing rework and handover losses

Transparent Pricing: Fixed pricing assigned to deliverables, with actual AI usage costs disclosed without margin (pass-through). Eliminates 'lump-sum' pricing

Development timelines are shortened through full AI integration (aiming for approximately 50% reduction).

Proof of Capability: In-House Developed Inquiry-Handling AI

CAG's Inquiry-Handling AI System: https://cyberartisanguild.com/contact

CAG has internally developed an AI to handle initial inquiries on its own website. Key implementation features include:

Multi-tenant platform with response agents equipped with RAG and customer-specific memory

HITL (Human-in-the-Loop) design, where judgment-requiring tasks (e.g., estimates) are handed over to humans

Bidirectional integration where email replies are seamlessly converted into chat

Automated validation to test all functions on real systems

Guided by the principle that 'being able to build' and 'being able to deliver' are different challenges, CAG rapidly deployed a production-grade customer support AI. Detailed production insights are published in CAG's blog case study.

Case Study: 'The AI on This Site Was Built by Us'

https://cyberartisanguild.com/blog/customer-response-ai

Comment from Founder Shoji Kai

Profile of Shoji Kai, Founder of Cyber Artisan Guild / CAIO (Chief AI Officer) of ATK LLC

'AI multiplies the density of craftsmanship by orders of magnitude. That’s why we believe we can simultaneously improve price, speed, and quality. CAG stops using opaque 'lump-sum' pricing and instead presents what we build with clear, upfront fixed pricing. We use AI to its fullest potential—but under the premise that final judgment and responsibility rest with visible, accountable humans. Start by seeing the AI on our site itself.'

— Shoji Kai, Founder of Cyber Artisan Guild / CAIO (Chief AI Officer) of ATK LLC

※ Shoji Kai has over 20 years of experience in IT, leading implementations in generative AI and AI agents. He currently serves as CAIO for multiple AI companies and has led AI consulting for numerous enterprises and the development of over 100 AI products. At CAG (Cyber Artisan Guild / AI Artisan Guild), he operates under his real name as the final authority for transparency and HITL (human-in-the-loop) decisions. Artisan members participate under pseudonyms to protect their privacy.

About ATK LLC, the Operating Company

ATK LLC (established in 2025) is an 'AI-native company' where humans and AI agents jointly operate multiple businesses. Anchoring AI as the foundation of operations, ATK engages in product development (AI Search Check), AI-native business operations, M&A, and business investments. CAG (Cyber Artisan Guild / AI Artisan Guild) is ATK’s flagship initiative, embodying its vision of 'building and growing businesses with AI,' and serves as proof that AI-driven, production-grade contract work and products can be launched rapidly.

Management Team: CEO Seiya Takamoto (media, multiple venture startups), CFO Shinichi Abe (M&A and IPO finance expert), CAIO Shoji Kai (leading generative AI and AI agent implementation). The company drives long-term enterprise value growth through the dual engines of financial expertise and AI implementation.

Future Plans

CAG (Cyber Artisan Guild / AI Artisan Guild) will provide contract services for websites, landing pages, business systems, and AI agents with transparent fixed pricing and accelerated delivery. Simultaneously, CAG will welcome new 'AI artisans' who amplify productivity with AI and assign fair value to their output. Free consultations are available via the site’s AI chat or contact form.

Company Overview

Company Name: ATK LLC

Representative Member (CEO): Seiya Takamoto

Management: CEO Seiya Takamoto / CFO Shinichi Abe / CAIO Shoji Kai (Human × AI Agent)

Address: 7F, Dai-2 Mizuno Building, 5-35-6 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004

Established: 2025

Business Activities: AI-native business operations, products (AI Search Check), M&A and business investment, operation of Cyber Artisan Guild (CAG)

Company URL: https://a-t-k.net/

CAG Website: https://cyberartisanguild.com/

Press Inquiries

ATK LLC Public Relations: Osamu Inoue

Email: contact@a-t-k.net

ATK Contact: https://a-t-k.net/contact.html

CAG Contact: https://cyberartisanguild.com/contact