01 Build
Strategy and technical architecture
Diagnostic work before any code gets written.
What it is
Strategy and technical architecture engagements are paid diagnostics. Two to four weeks of structured work that maps the operating gap, the current stack, the constraints, and the build that should actually happen. The output is a written possibility document the client can act on, build from, or take to another firm.
Who it's for
Operators who suspect their current stack is wrong but haven't pinned the diagnosis. Founders sitting on a budget for a build but unsure what the build should be. Leadership teams whose in-house dev voice and external advisor voice are giving different answers.
What's included
- Stack and workflow audit
- Stakeholder interviews across leadership and operations
- Architecture diagrams and data model proposals
- Build sequencing and dependency mapping
- Possibility document with options, tradeoffs, and recommendations
- Optional rollover into a build engagement
Recent proof
FAQ
- Is this just a sales call dressed up?
- No. The diagnostic is a paid engagement with a written deliverable. About half the time we recommend a build with us afterward; the other half we recommend a different shape of work, a different vendor, or no work at all.
- What does the deliverable actually look like?
- A document. Usually 15 to 40 pages depending on scope. Architecture diagrams, sequencing, options, and a recommendation. The client owns it.
- Can the diagnostic roll into a build?
- Yes. Most do. If it does, the diagnostic fee gets credited against the build engagement.
- What if we already know what we want to build?
- Then you probably don't need this. Diagnostic engagements are for when the diagnosis itself is the unclear part.