Strategy
The rewrite you were quoted isn't the only option
An old application that's slow and full of small bugs usually gets one answer: rebuild it. That answer is often wrong, and it's the easy thing to quote. This is what happened when we upgraded one instead, three months, 40% faster, and the two questions that tell you which situation you're actually in.
5 min read
Strategy
Nobody taught you how to read a software quote
Three quotes for the same project, at wildly different prices, and no way to tell which one is honest. That's most people's experience of buying software. What the spread actually means, why the cheapest and the priciest are usually both wrong, and the questions that sort it out.
5 min read
Strategy
The burglar alarm I built after the burglary
The 97-day break-in was found by accident, and accident is not a security strategy. So the week after the cleanup went into alarms, backups that leave the building, and a restore test. Here is what watching a server actually looks like when you build it.
6 min read
Strategy
How much does custom software cost?
Every developer answers this with "it depends," which is true and useless. Here are real bands for small business projects, what moves the number, and how to read a quote when you cannot read code.
1 min read
Custom tools
Does your business need custom software?
Not sure if custom software is worth it for your business? Here are the clear signs it's time to stop working around your tools and start building ones that actually fit.
9 min read
Strategy
What to do when your developer disappears
The person who built your software stopped answering emails. Find what you own, work out what shape it is in, and get moving before something expires while nobody is watching.
3 min read
Strategy
Inheriting a codebase you can't ship
A half-finished project landed in your lap and nobody can get it over the line. Here's how a rescue actually works.
6 min read
Strategy
Why I turn down work I could technically do
Saying yes to the wrong project helps no one. Here's how I decide whether I'm actually the right person to build the thing you need.
5 min read
Performance
Your images are the reason your site is slow
Before you blame your host or your platform, look at your photos. On most small-business sites, images are the single biggest thing to fix.
4 min read
