We build the systems. You build the business.
No consultant or VC theatrics; slide decks don't create value! We build systems with longevity, purpose, and profitability in mind.
Get in TouchSound familiar?
"The salesman promised this would handle everything.
Three years later we're paying triple what he quoted
and my staff are still copying data between spreadsheets."
"I have five systems that don't talk to each other.
My team spends half their day doing data entry instead of selling."
"Everyone says we need AI. We spent six months configuring it.
Nobody uses it because it's more complicated than just doing the work."
"We keep throwing money at technology problems,
but somehow we're less efficient than we were five years ago."
"I've got this idea but I don't know if people will actually pay for it.
Should I build first or validate first?"
"Our million-dollar transformation project is still 'not quite done'
and the consultants want another extension."
We've seen this before. Here's what actually works.
How we actually work
1. Get in touch
A no-obligation chat about your goals and what's not working.
2. Map what's really happening
We map the relevant processes, systems, and data in their current state. Figure out what's worth fixing and what needs replacing.
3. Build something that works
Start small, prove value, then scale what's working. We write the code, configure the systems, stay until it works.
4. Hand over the keys
Transfer knowledge to your team, document what we built, make sure you can run it without us. Then we leave.
The difference? We actually get our hands dirty.
We're not handing you a strategy deck and walking away. We're writing the code, configuring the systems, staying until it works. Sometimes at 2am debugging an integration, sometimes in a beer garden or a cafe mapping your processes, always focused on outcomes. We don't follow methodologies for methodology's sake. Agile, waterfall, whatever - we use what works for your specific situation. The world is grey and context changes. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something.
Why business models matter more than you think
We obsess about whether the maths actually works. Not vanity metrics, not growth for growth's sake - actual profitability and cashflow.
The businesses that survive aren't the ones with the best pitch decks - they're the ones whose unit economics work. That's what we focus on.
Basecamp
per employee
80 employees, $30M revenue. Profitable, sustainable, famously anti-VC and anti-growth-theatre.
Mailchimp
per employee
Bootstrapped to $800M revenue. Profitable every year, never took VC money, sold from strength not desperation.
GitHub
per employee
Bootstrapped initially, small team, profitable before the acquisition. Built on product excellence, not sales theatre.
If you're prioritising growth over building a business model that works, we're probably not the right fit. If you're obsessing about your cashflow and trying to build something sustainable - let's talk.
What we actually do
In blending our shipwriting and trades experiences with our background in tech, we had a realisation: the best makers treat every project like it's their own. Not because it helps conversion, but because it makes the work interesting and life better.
A finance company with transaction data they're not analysing has the same problem as a trades company with job data they're not using - information that could drive better decisions just sitting there unused. A hospitality business with manual inventory and a digital product company with manual onboarding face identical challenges - repetitive processes that should be automated but aren't. Slower employee onboarding because of training lag, and higher expense of employee turnover eating into profitability.
Most consultants specialise deeply in one domain and miss solutions from other industries that would work perfectly. We bring the cross-domain perspective.
What this means in practice
We don't believe in the Fordist 9-to-5 artefact. Some weeks we work around the clock to ship something critical. Some weeks we take time off. It's about choosing workload consciously, not grinding yourself down because that's what you're "supposed" to do. This matters because burnt-out consultants give terrible advice, and you've experienced them just trying to close projects and move on. We stay fresh, we stay curious, and we stay effective.
We work in shorts and hoodies, not suits. We have conversations in beer gardens and boardrooms. This isn't about being unprofessional - it's about substance over polish. The work matters, not the wrapping. Suits and status symbols are virtue signalling. They're polish that doesn't translate to quality output. Usually they come overloaded with jargon and bureaucracy. They lack integrity.
We've been in the trenches
From research and launch of strategic products for NYSE-listed companies, to building tech, product, and data organisations from the ground up, to co-founding multiple ventures - we understand what it takes to make systems serve the business, not the other way around. We enjoy the process of turning ideas into things, and are digital makers, who love to be cross-functional and hands-on.
On-prem to cloud migration; zero down-time
System transformation,
end-to-end systems and data re-architecture
Solutions, Product, Data, Ops, and Sales
across many industries
North America, EU, and APAC experience
What success looks like
Finding out if people will actually pay for your idea before you waste six months building something nobody wants. Getting to revenue fast enough that you don't run out of runway.
Systems that actually work together. Staff focused on serving customers instead of fighting with technology. Lower costs, higher efficiency, actual time back in your day.
Projects that actually ship instead of endless strategy documents. Clear understanding of what technology investments will really cost. Independence from consultants once projects complete.
For everyone
You're not dependent on us forever. We transfer knowledge, document what we built, and make sure you can run it without us. That's the point.
Ready for a conversation?
No sales pitch. No obligation. Just an honest chat about what you're building, what's broken, and whether we're the right people to help fix it.