THE ROADMAP.
THEN THE PRODUCT.
We set your technology direction, then build what it calls for: focused products that reach real users in weeks, on foundations that can grow.
KNOW WHAT TO BUILD.
AND WHAT NOT TO.
An independent view of your systems, suppliers and opportunities, turned into a roadmap the board can back.
REVIEW
Systems, data, suppliers and team, reviewed through the lens of where the business is going.
ROADMAP
Opportunities scored on value, effort and risk, then turned into a prioritised, costed plan with the first build identified.
DECISIONS
Architecture, build-vs-buy, vendor selection and hiring, made by someone accountable for the result.
BIG PROJECTS STALL.
FOCUSED ONES SHIP.
Technology projects in growing businesses tend to fail the same way: the scope grows, the timeline stretches and the business loses faith before anything reaches a customer. So every build starts as a focused MVP.
ONE PROBLEM, ONE OUTCOME
We agree the problem and how success is measured before any code is written.
PRODUCTION-GRADE FOUNDATIONS
Secure, maintainable code that can grow, not a throwaway prototype.
WEB, MOBILE & PLATFORMS
Customer products, internal platforms, PWAs and integrations with the systems you already run.
YOU OWN IT
Code, infrastructure and documentation sit in your accounts. No lock-in.
FOUR STAGES.
NO SURPRISES.
You see working software every week, not a big reveal at the end.
The problem, the users, the success measure and the smallest version worth building, captured in a clear scope and plan.
Weekly releases you can click through, with a short demo and a decision each week.
Real users and real data, measured against the outcome we agreed, fixing what matters first.
Scale, pivot or stop, based on evidence. We stay on as your CTO to grow what works.
TYPICAL
BUILDS.
Most builds fall into one of four shapes. All start as a focused MVP and grow from there.
CUSTOMER PRODUCTS
Apps, portals and platforms your customers use and pay for, from booking and quoting to analysis tools.
INTERNAL TOOLS
Systems that replace spreadsheets and manual steps: workflows, dashboards and back-office tools.
INTEGRATIONS
Connecting the systems you already run (CRM, finance, messaging, data) so information flows without rekeying.
AI-POWERED PRODUCTS
Products with AI at the core, like Forge Ideas’ idea evaluation or OnCourt AI’s swing analysis.
BUILDS, EXPLAINED.
HOW LONG DOES AN MVP TAKE?
Typically 6–12 weeks from agreeing the scope to real users. Forge Ideas went from MVP to live in six weeks; OnCourt AI from first MVP to launch in three months.
WHAT DOES A BUILD COST?
Builds are scoped and priced separately, with the total agreed in advance so there are no open-ended bills. Strategy and CTO time is from £800 per day.
WHAT TECHNOLOGIES DO YOU USE?
Whatever fits the problem and your team. Recent builds use PHP, Python and JavaScript, MySQL and MariaDB, progressive web apps and iOS, with AI from OpenAI, Anthropic Claude and xAI Grok.
WHO OWNS THE CODE?
You do. Code, infrastructure, accounts and documentation sit in your name from day one, so there's no lock-in.
CAN YOU WORK WITH OUR EXISTING DEVELOPERS OR AGENCY?
Yes. We often lead an existing team or supplier, setting the direction and standards, and only bring in our own contractors where there's a gap.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER LAUNCH?
We measure against the outcome we agreed, then decide together: scale it, change direction or stop. Many clients keep us on as their fractional CTO to grow the product and the team.
TELL US ABOUT IT.
WE'LL BE HONEST.
We'll tell you whether it's worth building, and what the smallest useful version looks like.