Straight answers, including the ones that cost us the job
Sometimes the answer is that you don't need it, and we say so. Straight talk about technology decisions, from developers who have built the systems they are advising you about.
- What you get
- An honest answer
- You email
- A developer
Fit
Who this is for
A good fit
- Your current solution is held together with duct tape and prayers
- You're not sure if you need an app, website, or something else entirely
- Your team is debating technology choices and nobody agrees
- You want a second opinion before spending serious money
- You need someone to translate tech speak into business sense
Not a good fit
- You've already decided what you want and just need someone to build it
- You want validation for a decision you've already made
- You're looking for the cheapest possible solution (regardless of quality)
- You expect us to tell you what you want to hear, not what you need to hear
- You want generic advice you could get from a blog post
The work
What you get
No consulting fluff. Six things, from developers who have built the systems they are advising you about.
- 01 An honest technical assessment We review the code and the architecture and tell you whether the system is actually broken or just needs attention, with a view on how far it will carry you.
- 02 A technology recommendation Based on what you need rather than what is trending or what we happen to be good at, including where buying beats building and roughly how long either takes.
- 03 A budget you can plan against What things actually cost, not a best case that never survives contact, with phased options when the whole thing at once is not realistic.
- 04 The risks, named What could go wrong and how to avoid it, drawn from mistakes we have watched and some we have made, including where a choice locks you to one vendor.
- 05 A route from here to there Step by step, with what counts as success at each one, so progress is something you can check rather than something you are told about.
- 06 Us, still reachable Available by email and phone while you implement, because something always comes up that was not in the plan.
Order of work
How we consult
No 200-slide deck and no framework with our logo on it. Four steps, and the second one is where most engagements change shape.
Listen first
We understand the business situation before reaching for a technical answer. What are you trying to accomplish, what is working, and what is actually broken.
Analyse honestly
We dig into the current setup and tell you what we find rather than what you were hoping for. Sometimes the problem turns out not to be technical at all.
Recommend specifically
Tailored to your situation, your budget and your timeline. No cookie-cutter answer and no vendor pitch dressed as advice.
Stay through it
We answer questions and help correct course while you implement, because plans always meet reality.
Before you commit
What consulting can and cannot do
Worth setting straight before you spend, rather than after.
- 01 It cannot fix everything Some problems are organisational rather than technical, and we will say so. Technology does not fix a bad process, a code review does not settle a team conflict, and a new framework does not motivate anyone.
- 02 Good advice costs less than the wrong build Experience costs more than guesswork, and the whole value of it is hearing what is true rather than what you were hoping for.
- 03 When it does help, it helps early Major technology decisions, architecture planning and questions about how a team is structured, which are the moments where an outside view is worth most and costs least.
Boundaries
What we won't do
Six of them, stated before you engage rather than discovered halfway through.
- We won't recommend the expensive option when a small one works. Sometimes the right advice is to change nothing.
- We won't push what we happen to be good at. If a competitor fits you better, that is what you will hear.
- We won't hand you advice from a blog post. If it would work for anyone, it is not worth paying for.
- We won't bill you for meetings that could have been emails. Most questions can be answered directly.
- We won't promise to solve what consulting cannot. Where the problem is organisational, we say so and say what might actually help.
- We won't disappear once the recommendations land. Plans need adjusting the moment they meet reality.
Questions
Questions about consulting
How is this different from other consulting firms?
We're developers first, consultants second. We've actually built the systems we're advising you about. No MBA frameworks or generic advice, just practical guidance from people who've been in the trenches.
What does it cost?
The call on this page costs nothing, and sometimes it is enough on its own. If there is work worth doing after it, we quote that work then, once we know what we are looking at. There is no standard package here, because these situations are not standard.
Do you only work with companies that will hire you to build things?
No. We'll give you honest advice even if it means recommending someone else for the implementation. Our goal is to help you make the right decision, not to sell you our development services.
What if you tell us our current system is fine?
Then you just saved a lot of money and time. Sometimes the best advice is 'don't change anything.' We'll tell you when your current solution is working and when it's not worth fixing.
Can you help us choose between different vendors or solutions?
Absolutely. We can evaluate proposals, review vendor capabilities, and help you ask the right questions. We've worked with most major platforms and can spot red flags in proposals.
What happens if we disagree with your recommendations?
We'll explain our reasoning and listen to your concerns. Sometimes there are business constraints we didn't understand. But we won't change our technical assessment just to tell you what you want to hear.
Do you also implement what you recommend?
Yes, when it makes sense. We offer web development, mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, AI solutions, and UI/UX design. But we'll only recommend our services if they're genuinely the best fit.
Tell us what you're stuck on
On the call you get a straight read on the problem and what we would do about it. If you do not need us, we will say so.