Methodology
Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver.
Every engagement runs the same four-phase loop. Most close in five to twelve weeks end to end. We map reality before we design, design before we build, and build against a written proof system so the work is judged against the right bar.
Light tier engagements run roughly two weeks across phases 1 and 2, then build.
01
Phase 1
About 1 week
Discover
Map reality before designing anything. The stated problem is treated as a hypothesis, not a brief, until evidence confirms or contradicts it. No solutions in this phase.
What we do
We run a discovery conversation, audit your public surface, look at the tools your team actually uses, and read between the lines of recent reviews and regulatory context. Every observation becomes an evidence entry with a source and date.
What comes out
- Evidence log of every observation, tagged with source and date
- Assumption register of every claim that still needs validation
- A written, evidence-grounded statement of the actual problem (which may differ from the stated one)
On our side
We run the discovery conversation as a team. One of us leads on a given engagement; the other two contribute review and pattern-spotting on the evidence log.
On your side
One 60 to 90 minute conversation with the owner or operator. We may follow up by email for missing context. No prep deck required.
02
Phase 2
About 1 week
Define
Turn evidence into a problem map and a buyer logic map. The stated problem and the validated problem get compared. Divergence is named and the gap is closed before any solution shape is drawn.
What we do
We extract patterns from the evidence log, write the problem map (what is broken, why it persists, what it costs), and write the buyer logic map (who decides, what they care about, what they have already tried). Patterns require two or more independent sources.
What comes out
- Problem Map: what is broken, why it persists, and what it costs your firm
- Buyer Logic Map: stakeholders, decision rights, friction points, prior attempts
- A 3-pass review where the riskiest assumptions get challenged before commitment
On our side
We extract patterns from the evidence log and write the problem and buyer logic maps. The technical lens shapes architecture readiness; the operational lens reads the people-and-process implications; the domain lens reads the vertical-specifics.
On your side
One review session with the owner where we walk through the maps and you accept or amend them. About 60 minutes.
03
Phase 3
1 to 2 weeks
Develop
Design the solution shape. Specific scope, milestones, dependencies. Still no code. The proof system is defined here so the work has a written bar to be judged against once delivered.
What we do
We translate the problem map into a service architecture (what the system has to do), a business model (what changes operationally for your firm once it is live), and a proof system (the evidence the work succeeded). All three are assumption-challenged before delivery starts.
What comes out
- Service Architecture: scope, deliverables, milestones, dependencies, tech stack
- Business Model: what the system removes (manual work, SaaS cost, ambiguity)
- Proof System: the criteria the working system has to meet at delivery
On our side
We translate the problem map into a service architecture and a stack pick. The technical lens drives the architecture; the domain lens stress-tests vertical-specific assumptions before delivery starts.
On your side
One scoping conversation with the owner. We bring the architecture; you tell us where it does not match your reality. About 90 minutes.
04
Phase 4
2 to 6 weeks
Deliver
Build, validate, hand off. The system runs in production at the end of this phase, not in staging. Validation evidence is logged against the proof system criteria from phase 3.
What we do
We build the system end to end on Next.js, Sanity, Vercel, and Postgres. Working software gets pushed to your environment regularly. We validate against the proof system criteria, document operations, and hand the system off with a real walkthrough.
What comes out
- Working system running in production
- Validation log against the phase-3 proof system criteria
- Engagement summary covering what was built, what we learned, what the next step is
- Handoff documentation: training, ongoing access, maintenance plan
On our side
We build the system end to end and validate against the proof criteria from phase 3. Code is written and shipped on our side; one of us joins for handoff training when the work touches your team; one of us joins for vertical QA where applicable.
On your side
Weekly or biweekly check-ins (30 minutes), plus access to one decision-maker for blocking questions. Final handoff session with the team that will use the system.
Start with Discovery
Every engagement opens here. We run Discovery free, named at $650 of value. You get a written read on what is actually broken before any contract is signed.
Phase 1 plus phase 2 land in roughly two weeks for most engagements. Build duration depends on the scope decided in phase 3. Phases may cycle when discovery surfaces a constraint that reshapes earlier work; we document the cycle, we don't pretend it didn't happen.
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