The average large IT project runs 45% over budget.
That’s from a McKinsey and Oxford study of more than 5,400 projects. Smaller builds go wrong the same ways: the scope drifts, the reveal comes late, and the bill grows.
So we build it differently
- One number, before we startA free scoping call sets the scope, then you get it in writing.
- You see it every weekWorking software on a staging link, not a reveal at the end.
- You can stop any weekPay per milestone, and keep the code if you stop.
Scope creep hit 52% of projects in PMI’s 2018 survey, up from 43% five years before.
Every tool works until the day it doesn’t.
Field audits found errors in at least 86% of spreadsheets (Panko, 2008). Here are four public failures, and the practice we use to prevent each one.
- 2012JPMorgan
A risk model ran in Excel by copy-and-paste. One formula divided by a sum instead of an average.
What we doFormulas become tested code, not cells anyone can overwrite.
- 2020Public Health England
15,841 COVID cases went unreported for a week when data files hit a spreadsheet size limit.
What we doData lives in a real database, with checks on the way in.
- May 2025Lovable apps
A scan found 170 of 1,645 apps built with the AI builder had missing access rules that exposed their data.
What we doAccess rules are enforced on the server and covered by tests.
- July 2025Replit agent
An AI coding agent deleted a company's production database during a code freeze.
What we doDevelopment never touches live data, and backups are restore-tested.
Four things we build, each quoted to scope.
Each one runs on Next.js and Postgres in your accounts, with tests, docs, and a handover your team can use.
A demo every week. Stop after any of them.
This is a six-week client portal, week by week. At every line you can stop, keep the code, and walk away.
- Scoping · freeSpec, data model, and a clickable prototypeYou approve the scope and get one written number. Nothing is billed until you say go.Stop here, keep it
- Week 1Repo, database, and staging live in your accountsLogin works, and you have a link to click from day five.Stop here, keep it
staging.portal.acme.com - Week 2Client accounts and rolesEach client sees only their own data. Demo on staging.Stop here, keep it
- Week 3File uploads and email notificationsThe first real users are invited to the staging app.Stop here, keep it
- Week 4Admin screens, audit log, and edge casesEverything an operator needs to run it without us.Stop here, keep it
- Week 5Accessibility, speed, and security reviewChecked against the published standard below.Stop here, keep it
- Week 6Launch and recorded handoverRunbook and docs delivered. The 60-day warranty starts.Live
The standard every build ships to.
Published thresholds, checked before launch. If a build doesn’t meet them, it doesn’t ship.
Core Web Vitals, at the 75th percentile of page loads
- WCAG 2.2 AAAutomated checks plus a manual keyboard and screen-reader pass.
- OWASP Top 10:2025Reviewed before launch. Access rules enforced on the server, never only in the browser.
- Tests on every changeNothing reaches production unless the automated build passes.
- Backups you can restoreDaily automated backups, with the restore actually tested.
- Roles and an audit logSSO where you need it, role-based access, and a record of who changed what.
- EncryptionTLS 1.2+ in transit and AES-256 at rest.
When low-code is enough, we’ll tell you.
Per-seat tools are often the right call for a small team. The difference is that a platform bills every month forever, and a build is one quote. Trace the chart to compare any month.
- Eclipse buildFrom $500 once, about $40/mo hosting
- Retool Business2 builders at $50, 23 users at $15
- Power Apps Premium25 users at $20
| Option | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eclipse build | $980 | $1,460 | $1,940 |
| Retool Business | $5,340 | $10,680 | $16,020 |
| Power Apps Premium | $6,000 | $12,000 | $18,000 |
Good forSimple internal tools for a small team, built fast.
Where it breaksPer-seat fees every year, platform limits, and most can't export the code.
Typical cost~$700 to $13,500 a year for 10 to 25 people
Good forA clickable prototype in an afternoon.
Where it breaksLogins, data rules, and edge cases are left to you. A 2025 scan found 170 of 1,645 Lovable apps exposing data.
Typical cost$16 to $400 a month, plus hosting
Good forA well-defined task, with you managing the project.
Where it breaksQuality varies by hire, and docs and a handover are rarely part of the deal.
Typical cost$51 to $220 an hour
Good forLarge, long projects that need a big team.
Where it breaksMinimums from $10,000, and web projects that typically run $50,000 to $200,000.
Typical cost$150 to $199 an hour
Good forInternal tools, portals, and products that need to last.
Where it breaksA build takes weeks to write. A per-seat tool is live this afternoon.
Typical costFrom $500, quoted to scope, then hosting only
- Your repo from day oneCode, database, and hosting live in your GitHub and cloud accounts. We're collaborators you can remove.
- Stop after any demoYou pay per milestone. Stop after any weekly demo and keep everything built so far.
- Unlimited revisionsWe keep changing it until it does what you need. Revisions are part of the price, not an invoice.
- A 60-day warrantyBugs found in the 60 days after launch are fixed at no charge. The usual norm is 30.
- Late costs usMiss the launch date and 10% comes off per week, up to 30%, as long as demos get feedback within 2 business days.
Tell us what it should do.
A short brief is enough. We reply within one business day with a 30-minute scoping call, then a number. Neither costs you anything.
At $20 a seat, a per-user platform would cost this team about $18,000 over three years, and you'd own none of it.
Before you commission it.
- Why not just use Retool, Bubble, or Power Apps?
- Sometimes you should. For a small internal tool used by a handful of people, low-code is often the fastest path, and we'll tell you so. Custom code wins when per-seat fees add up, when you hit a platform limit, or when you need to own the result.
- What about AI app builders like Lovable or v0?
- They're great for a first prototype, and we're happy to start from one. The part that breaks in production is what they leave to you: logins, data rules, edge cases, tests, and hosting. That's the part we build.
- What stack do you use?
- Next.js and React, Postgres for data, deployed to Vercel or AWS in your accounts. Standard tools that any React developer can pick up.
- Can our team maintain it?
- Yes. Every build ships with tests, CI, a README, a runbook, and a recorded handover. It's standard code, not a proprietary platform.
- What if we need changes mid-build?
- Ask for them. Revisions are unlimited inside the agreed scope and happen during the weekly demos. If a request is genuinely a new feature, you get a number for it in writing before we start, never a surprise on the invoice.
- Who hosts it, and what does that cost?
- You do, in your own Vercel or AWS account. Most internal tools run on tens of dollars a month in hosting and database fees.
- How cheap can this actually be?
- The floor is $500, and that is a real project: one screen or one workflow on data you already have. Bigger builds cost more because they take longer, not because a price list says so. Either way you see the number before you commit to anything.
- Do you build mobile apps?
- We build web apps that work well on phones. For native iOS or Android apps, we'll point you to a specialist rather than learn on your project.
- What happens after the warranty?
- Your team runs it, or we quote ongoing support for fixes, updates, and monitoring. Either way the code stays yours, so you are never renting it back from us.