Services/Bespoke Builds
Strategic engineering for novel software.
Sometimes the answer is not a website, an app, or an integration — it is a piece of software nobody has built before. For those projects we work in equity-style partnerships, deep retainers, or a single-project deep-dive. Senior engineering only.
Who this is for
Three kinds of teams we work with.
Founders with a complex idea
No SaaS solves it. Off-the-shelf will not stretch. You need a partner who can think with you about the architecture, not just take the spec.
Technical teams needing a senior view
You have engineers. You want a second opinion on the architecture, the AI strategy, or the build vs. buy question — from someone who has shipped what you are about to.
Equity-style partnerships
You are pre-funding. We can take a portion of the build in equity for the right idea and the right founder.
What you get
Concrete deliverables. No vapourware.
The list below is what ships, not what we promise. Every project is quoted against this scope so you know exactly what you are paying for.
Architecture design
System diagram, ADRs, build / buy / borrow recommendations.
Technical prototype
A working spike that proves the hard part works.
Engineering spec
Written so any senior engineer can pick it up.
Hands-on build
We can build the whole thing or just the spine.
Code review + mentoring
For your existing team, on the work we do not touch.
Cost modelling
Honest infrastructure cost projections at 1x, 10x, 100x scale.
Security review
Threat model, auth design, data handling, compliance.
Launch playbook
How to ship it, monitor it, and not get woken up at 3am.
How we do it
A four-step path. Designed not to surprise you.
Deep-dive call
A long, candid conversation. Sometimes the answer is "do not build this".
Discovery sprint
Two to four weeks. Architecture, prototype, and an honest cost.
Build phase
Either we build it, or we hand it to your team with a spec they can run with.
Ongoing partnership
Advisory, fractional CTO, or full-time engagement — whatever the work needs.
Stack
Selected work
See it in production.
Pricing
Bespoke Builds Custom — let’s scope it.
These projects are quoted on the work, not a price card.
Custom builds price differently — let’s scope it.
Includes
- check_circleDiscovery sprint from R85 000
- check_circleEquity-style partnerships considered
- check_circleFractional CTO from R45 000 / month
- check_circleSenior engineering, no juniors
- check_circleNDA and IP assignment standard
FAQ
Questions about bespoke builds.
Everything we get asked at the start of a project. If yours is not here, just write to us.
It means the work does not fit the other five service shapes. Usually it is a complex platform, an AI-native product, a deep technical research project, or a long-term partnership where the scope evolves quarterly.
For the right project, yes — usually a blended model where we take cash for direct costs and equity for the upside. We are selective. We have to believe in the founder and the wedge.
Yes. Typically two to four days a month for early-stage teams — architecture, hiring, AI strategy, technical due diligence. From R45 000/month.
Absolutely. A 2–4 week discovery sprint is a fixed-price engagement (from R85k) and produces an architecture, a prototype of the hardest part, and an honest build estimate. You can take the output to any engineering team.
Then you have saved a lot of money. We have killed three projects at the discovery stage in the last 12 months. We would rather lose the build fee than ship something that should not exist.
Standard. We sign yours or use ours. IP is assigned on delivery. We do not retain rights to client work beyond using it as a case study with your permission.
Because the work genuinely does not fit a price card. Our smallest bespoke engagement was a R85k discovery sprint. Our largest was a R2.4m build over nine months. The shape decides the price.
Related insights
Further reading from the workshop.
Practical writing on the topics this service touches — pricing, decision frameworks, ROI data, and the things that change once a project is live.