How it works
From one phone call to software you own.
Every engagement starts the same way: a short call, then a clear recommendation. You decide what happens next with the facts in front of you, and nothing is built until it's worth building.
It starts with a 30-minute call.
Bring the renewal quote, or just the problem. I'll ask questions, and you'll leave knowing whether a closer look is worth your money.
The contract
What you pay, what's bundled in, when it renews, and how much notice the vendor wants before you can leave.
The people
Who uses the tool every day, who only logs in once a month, and who has quietly stopped using it at all.
The friction
What the tool gets wrong, and what your team does to work around it. That's usually where the real cost is.
The call is free. No pitch, no pressure.
How I decide
Build or buy used to be a simple chart. It isn't anymore.
Every tool gets judged on two things: how much it sets you apart, and how hard it is to get right. The corner it lands in decides the answer.
Most companies still make renewal calls off this version.
I redraw it for your tools, as things stand today.
Book a renewal reviewMy discovery process
How I find out where yours land.
- 1
A working interview
With the people who do the work, not just the people who bought the tool.
- 2
Evidence, graded
Every figure names its source and how far to trust it.
- 3
Every tool on the matrix
Placed on the matrix as it stands today, with the evidence behind it.
- 4
A verdict for each
Build, reshape, keep, or retire, and what would change the answer.
The assessment is a fixed fee, whatever it recommends.
The fee doesn't change if the answer is keep what you have. Sometimes the best recommendation is the tool you already have.
If it's worth a closer look, I run an assessment.
I look at the software you rent, how your team really uses it, and what it would take to own something better. You get a straight recommendation on every tool, with the evidence behind it.
One interview with the people who use the tool. That's all I need from your team.
No obligation after. The recommendation is yours even if you never hire me to build.
What you'll know when I'm done
Which tools are worth what you pay?
What you own, what you use, and what you pay for and never open.
How does the work actually get done?
The real process, including the spreadsheets and workarounds nobody puts in the manual.
What would replacing it take?
The technical, operational, and legal constraints, stated plainly.
What did I rule out, and why?
A record of rejected options and what would change the answer, so nobody relitigates it next year.
Every tool gets a verdict.
Every tool you pay for gets a clear call: keep it, replace it, or cancel it.
| Case management platform | ReplaceStaff use 3 of 11 modules. A focused build fits the real workflow. |
| Reporting add-on | CancelDuplicates reports the team already builds in a spreadsheet. |
| Accounting system | KeepFits well and is priced fairly. Replacing it would cost more than it saves. |
Then a plan picks up where the assessment leaves off.
If something should be replaced, I build it beside the old tool. It goes into your cloud account and your code repository, and you see working software every week. Working software in weeks, not quarters.
Nothing gets switched off early. Your team runs real work on the new system first. When they're confident, you cut over and let the old contract lapse.
After that, the software keeps improving. The same monthly plan covers support, security updates, and the next item on your list.
Compare the plansQuestions people ask before they call.
- Do we have to replace anything?
- No. Sometimes the recommendation is to keep the tool, renegotiate the contract, or cancel an add-on. You pay for the answer, not for a build.
- What do you need from my team?
- One interview for the assessment. During a build, one point person who can answer questions and test what I ship.
- Can we start with a plan and skip the assessment?
- Yes, if you already know what you need. A system that needs an owner, or a project that's already scoped, can go straight onto a plan.
- What if our renewal is next month?
- Call anyway. Even a short look can tell you what to negotiate, which add-ons to drop, and whether a shorter term buys you time.
Start with the call.
Thirty minutes, one contract, and a clear answer on whether it's worth a closer look.