Spreadsheet to web app
A shared spreadsheet that runs quoting, jobs or stock, rebuilt as a simple web app with logins, history and fewer mistakes. Less time lost to copy and paste.
Custom software and MVP development Software and product development, from prototype to production.
Custom software development means designing and building web apps, customer portals, internal tools and SaaS products around how your team and customers actually work. We help founders and growing businesses go from MVP to production in small steps you can see, with code you fully own, built to be maintained by whoever comes next.
When the spreadsheet, the agency or the first version stops keeping up.
Most software projects that struggle do not fail on code. They fail on scope: too much built before anyone used it, decisions nobody wrote down, and a system only one developer understands.
Perhaps your business runs on a spreadsheet that has grown into a product of its own. Perhaps you have an idea you want to test with customers before you raise or hire. Or you have a first version that works, just about, and every change now takes longer than the last.
We start with the smallest thing worth building, put it in front of real users early, and grow it in releases you can see and try.
Where you need senior direction first, our fractional CTO services cover architecture and build-or-buy decisions. Our cloud and infrastructure consulting keeps what we ship secure and affordable, and our CRM integration services connect it to the tools you already use. We work remotely with businesses in the US and UK, and worldwide.
What you get.
Working software you own outright, and everything needed to keep it running after we step back.
- A short product brief: the problem, the users and what the first release must do, agreed before any build
- A clickable prototype to test the idea with real users before full build
- A production web app, customer portal or internal tool, released in small, visible steps
- Automated tests, sensible hosting and a deployment pipeline, so releases are routine rather than risky
- Full code ownership: the repository, accounts and hosting set up in your name
- Documentation and a handover for whoever maintains it next, whether that is your team, an agency or us
How it works.
Four stages, each with a fixed scope and something you can see at the end of it.
Step 1
Shape
We work out who the software is for, what the first release must do and what can wait. You get a written brief and a rough cost before anything is built.
Step 2
Prototype
A clickable prototype your team and customers can try. Cheap to change, and the quickest way to find out what people actually need.
Step 3
Build
We build in short cycles, with a working release you can use at the end of each one. Tests and deployment are set up from the start.
Step 4
Launch and hand over
We launch, watch how it is used and fix what we find. Then we hand over to your team or agency, or keep supporting it on a retainer.
Typical projects.
Examples of the kind of software we build. Your project will be shaped around your own problem.
Customer portal
A place where customers check orders, download documents and raise requests themselves, instead of emailing your team. Fewer routine requests landing in your inbox.
First SaaS product
A founder’s idea taken from prototype to a first paying release, with sign-up, billing and the core feature done well. A first release real customers can sign up for and pay for.
Rescue and stabilize
An existing app that has become slow or fragile, reviewed, tested and put back on a footing where changes are safe again. Releases go out without the fear of breaking something.
Who it’s for.
Teams with a clear problem and no senior engineer to own the answer.
Related services.
Software rarely stands alone. These often go with it.
CTO advisory
Senior judgment on build-or-buy, architecture and hiring before you commit to a build.
ExploreCloud and infrastructure
Hosting, deployment and security that fit your size and budget.
ExploreCRM and integrations
Connect your new software to the CRM, finance and support tools you already use.
ExploreQuestions about custom software development.
More answers on the services page, or ask us on a discovery call.
How much does a software project cost?
It depends on scope, which is why we start with a short brief. Builds are agreed in milestones, each with a fixed price and something you can see at the end of it. See how engagements are priced.
How long until we have something we can use?
A clickable prototype typically takes a few weeks. A first production release depends on scope, but we aim to put working software in your hands early and build from there.
Who owns the code?
You do. You own all the code and intellectual property we build for you. The repository, hosting and accounts are set up in your name from day one, with documentation, so you can take the work to another team at any time.
Should we build, or buy an off-the-shelf tool?
Often buy. If an existing product does most of what you need, we will tell you, and help you set it up instead. We build when your process is what sets you apart, or when the tools on the market do not fit.
Can you work with our existing developers or agency?
Yes. We can lead the build, review their plans and code, or fill the senior gap alongside them. The aim is a stronger team, not a dependency on us.
What does MVP development include?
It covers everything needed to put a first working version in front of real customers: a short product brief, a clickable prototype to test the idea, then a production release with the core feature, sign-up and hosting set up properly. Each milestone has a fixed price agreed up front, and you own all the code and IP from day one.
MVP vs prototype: which should we build first?
Usually the prototype. A prototype is a clickable mock-up you can put in front of users, typically within a few weeks, and it is cheap to change. An MVP is the first working release that real customers can sign up for and use. Testing a prototype first means the MVP is built on what people actually need.
Have an MVP to build, or a system that has outgrown itself?
A 30-minute call with a senior technologist. We’ll tell you what it needs, and what it doesn’t.