How we work
A path you can see the whole way down.
Most fear of custom software is fear of the unknown. So we remove the unknown. Here's exactly how working with us goes — from the first call to the day your team takes the keys.
- 01
Discovery call
30 minutes · free
We listen to the problem in your words. We ask about your team, your funders, your timeline, and your budget. Then we tell you honestly whether custom software is the right answer — or whether something simpler will do.
You walk away with
Clarity on fit. No pressure, no pitch.
- 02
Feasibility workshop
1–2 sessions
A working session with the people closest to the problem. We map the current pain, the people involved, and the constraints — technical, financial, and human — before anyone writes a line of code.
You walk away with
A shared picture of what 'done' actually means.
- 03
Project blueprint
A few days
You receive a fixed-scope plan: what we'll build, in what order, over how long, for a fixed price. You can take it to a board, an investor, or a partner — and you haven't committed to anything yet.
You walk away with
A written blueprint you can defend to a board.
- 04
Onboarding
Week one
We set up access, environments, and a single place where you'll see progress every week. You meet the people doing the work and learn exactly how to reach us.
You walk away with
No black box. No surprises.
- 05
Ongoing alignment
Throughout
Weekly check-ins, a living roadmap, and a 24–48 hour response promise the whole way through. Priorities shift; we shift with you — and we explain the trade-offs in plain language.
You walk away with
A partner who shows up, not a vendor who disappears.
- 06
Launch
Handoff & beyond
We train your team, document everything, and hand over the code, the accounts, and the keys. You fully own it. If you want us to stay on for support, we can. If you want to fly solo, you can.
You walk away with
Software your team uses — and can keep running.
What you bring
What we need from you at each step.
A project moves at the speed of its decisions. This is the whole list — it is deliberately short, and none of it requires a technical background.
Discovery call
The person who can say yes. Thirty minutes, and a plain description of what's slowing you down — no document required.
Feasibility workshop
The people closest to the problem: the coordinator who lives in the spreadsheet, not just the director who hears about it.
Project blueprint
A read-through and a decision. Take it to your board, your co-founder, or a funder. Ask hard questions. Then yes, no, or not yet.
Delivery
About thirty minutes a week for a check-in, and someone who can answer questions within a day or two so the build never stalls waiting on a decision.
Launch
An owner. One person on your team who takes the training, holds the accounts, and knows how to reach us if they need to.
When plans change
Priorities shift. Here's exactly what happens.
A fixed-scope blueprint is only useful if it survives contact with reality. These are the three ways projects change, and how each one is handled.
You want to add something mid-build
We write it up as a change to the blueprint — what it adds, what it costs, what it does to the timeline — and you decide before anyone builds it. Nothing gets quietly absorbed and billed later.
You need to cut scope
Budgets move, especially when a grant cycle shifts. We re-plan around what matters most and the price comes down with the scope. Phase two can wait for the next fiscal year.
You want to stop after the blueprint
That's allowed. The blueprint is yours to keep, and you can hand it to another developer, shelve it, or come back in a year. Some organizations use it to win the grant that funds the build.
This is the same process whether the project is a custom application, a website rebuild, or a nonprofit's first technology project — see technology help for nonprofits for how grants usually fit in.
Engagement reality
What things cost, and how long they take.
We'd rather you know this up front than discover it in a contract. These are the ranges most projects fall into.
Focused tools
$5K – $15K · 4–8 weeks
Complex applications
$20K – $60K+ · 3–6 months
Websites
4–8 weeks
Retainers
Monthly · flexible
Response time
24–48 hours
Every project is different. The discovery call gives you a real estimate for your specific situation — not a range pulled from a page. Full pricing detail →
Questions
The process, answered.
How long does it take to get from the first call to a start date?
Usually two to four weeks. The discovery call is free and can happen this week; the feasibility workshop takes one or two sessions; the blueprint follows a few days later. The start date depends on your decision and our schedule.
Do we need technical staff to work with you?
No. Most of the organizations we work with have nobody technical on staff. We translate every decision into plain language, you decide on direction and budget, and we handle the engineering.
Who actually does the work?
The person you meet on the discovery call. There is no handoff to a junior team after the sale. You work directly with the engineer from the first conversation to the day you take the keys.
What do we own when it's done?
Everything: the source code, the hosting and service accounts, the documentation, and the training. You can keep us on a monthly retainer for support, or run it yourself. There is no lock-in either way.
Is the price really fixed?
Yes, for the scope in the blueprint. If the scope changes, the price changes — in writing, before the work, and only with your approval. What you will not get is a surprise invoice at the end.
Want to see what this produces? Read a finished project.
Ready to start with a conversation?
The first step is always the discovery call — and it's free.