Consulting
Before you hire, ask.
Most of the money lost on software goes on the wrong decision, not on bad code. Consulting here is exactly that: sitting down, looking at what you have, and answering the question you are slightly afraid to ask.
Pick the one that sounds like yours
Pick a question on the left. The reply appears here.
Where this conversation can end
There are three possible endings, and one of them is doing nothing.
Build it
There is a clear problem with value on the other side. You leave with the scope of the smallest version that solves it, and an order to build in.
Buy it
Something already exists that fits. We say what it is and what you give up by adopting it — building from scratch here would be selling a service, not solving a problem.
Do nothing
The problem is process, people or timing, and no software fixes that. You leave with the reason in writing, and without having spent the budget to find out.
Questions
Do you charge for consulting?
Not for the first conversation to understand what you need. A technical assessment of an existing system, with the code read and a document at the end, is work and is quoted as such.
Will you review another supplier’s quote?
Yes, and it is one of the most common requests. We read the scope and point at what is vague and what usually turns into extra cost. It is not about discrediting anyone — most of the time the quote is fair and what is missing is what it does not say.
What if the recommendation is not to hire you?
Then that is the recommendation. Pointing at something that is not ours costs one sale and earns someone who comes back — and who refers. That is the arithmetic this service runs on.
Do I need everything defined before we talk?
No. Arriving with a badly formed problem is normal, and organising it is exactly what the conversation is for.
What does your business need right now?
Tell us the challenge. We come back with a plan.