How we work
No mystery projects. Fixed prices, in stages.
Custom software has a reputation for running late and over budget. We work in small stages with a fixed price each, show real progress every week, and you can stop after any of them.
Ways to work together
01Start here
Workflow review
[PRICE]fixed price
We sit with the work as it really happens, find what’s worth building, and tell you plainly what it would take.
- A map of the workflow as it runs today, gaps and workarounds included
- What to build, what to buy, and what to leave alone
- A plan in stages, each with its own fixed price
- A working prototype of the riskiest part
02Most projects
Build
[PRICE]fixed price per stage
The software, built in stages you can use as they land, so you’re never paying for months of work you can’t see.
- A short demo of real progress every week
- Automated tests on the parts that matter
- Your data moved over from the old way of working
- Plain-language documentation, and the code and access handed over
03After launch
Care
[PRICE]per month
Someone who knows the system keeps it patched, backed up and improving, so it doesn’t quietly rot.
- Updates and security patches
- Backups checked by actually restoring them
- Monitoring, so we hear about problems before you do
- Small changes and improvements each month
Every stage is priced before it starts. If the plan changes, the price is agreed again before any extra work, never discovered on an invoice.
What it’s like
From first call to software in use.
No disappearing for three months. You’ll see working software early and often, and you can stop at the end of any stage with everything built so far.
Describe the problem- Day 1
A call about the problem. You talk, we ask questions. No slides.
- Review
We watch the work happen, map it, and come back with a plan in stages and a fixed price for each.
- Each week
A short demo of real, working progress. You steer; nothing is hidden until “launch day”.
- Each stage
It goes into use. You decide whether to carry on, change course or stop, and you keep what’s built.
- After
Handover: code, access and plain-language documentation. A Care plan if you want one.
Questions
The things people ask first.
Do you only work with businesses in Fairbanks?
No. We’re based in Fairbanks, Alaska, and most of our work happens remotely, by video call and shared screens. If you’re nearby, we’re happy to come and watch the work happen in person.
How much does custom software cost?
It depends on what it has to do, so we don’t guess. The workflow review ends with a plan in stages, each with a fixed price, before you commit to building anything.
Can you work with the software we already have?
Usually, yes. If a tool does its job, we connect to it rather than replace it. Most systems have a way in, through an export, an API or a shared database, and part of the review is finding out which.
Who owns the code?
[OWNERSHIP AND LICENSING TERMS]
Should it be self-hosted or in the cloud?
That depends on your data, your budget and who will look after it. We recommend one and explain why, and you decide. There’s a whole article on how we choose where software runs.
What happens if something breaks after launch?
With a Care plan, we’re watching already and usually know first. Without one, get in touch and we’ll fix it at our normal rate. Either way, you have the code and the documentation, so you’re never stuck with us.
Do you put AI in the software you build?
Only where it earns its place, and never as the only thing between you and a wrong answer. The numbers and decisions stay in ordinary code, so the system keeps working when the model doesn’t.
Next step
Start with a conversation, not a contract.
Describe the problem in a few sentences. Within one working day you’ll hear whether software would fix it, roughly what it would take, and what we’d look at first.