Services
You are about to spend on build. Do you know exactly what to build, what to cut, and why — before a developer writes a single line?
AI tools can generate outputs fast. Building the wrong thing fast is still expensive. I bring more than a decade of design, systems, and product thinking to generate the right questions, the right frameworks, and a clear "build this, not that" direction — before the spend begins. Or I surface that the timing or approach needs to change, which is a valuable outcome in its own right.
I work with owner-led businesses that need rigour before they commit to build. If you have ever watched a project stall because requirements were unclear — or you are determined not to find out the hard way — this is the right entry point. Engagements are scoped and time-boxed so you get a validated direction without a multi-year programme.
How I work: Most of the collaboration is asynchronous — written questions, shared documents, structured exercises you complete on your timeline, and review rounds. I do my focused work outside typical office hours, so we agree check-in points rather than defaulting to live workshops or full-day facilitation. Short calls happen when they genuinely help; they are not the backbone of the engagement.
Build partners
If you build software for others or work in a studio, the outputs are the same: clear requirements and documentation you can use to quote, plan, and build — which helps the business paying for the work and the people doing the implementation. I treat this as collaboration between peers, not as one side "fixing" the other.
Referral
Someone needs discovery or a spec before you quote or start build; I take that piece and hand back material you can work from.
Joint project
You stay on as the build partner; I take discovery, specification, or prototype, then we hand off with clear boundaries.
Tighter scope
Requirements were never clear, or they changed after work began; a focused engagement can align documentation and priorities so you can move forward with confidence.
Get in touch with how you prefer to collaborate — solo developer, studio, or in-house team — whether that is a referral, subcontracting, or a single scoped engagement.
Engagements
We agree the exact slice before we start. Below is the usual shape — most engagements combine two or more of these.
Outcome: Clear, prioritised requirements your developers (or a partner) can estimate from.
What it can include: Story-style mapping of who the product serves and what matters first; how the main parts of the domain fit together — via async prompts, documents, and your inputs on your timeline.
Out of scope: Aims at a buildable picture, not open-ended research or enterprise-style procurement theatre.
Outcome: A brief stakeholders can align on before build — problem, scope, priorities, and what “done” means for the first release.
What you get: Plain-language documentation your team and build partner can use to quote and plan.
Out of scope: Legal, security, and compliance sign-off stay with you; I flag where those voices need to join the conversation.
Outcome: Something clickable that proves the core workflow before you invest in production code — less build risk, clearer demos for stakeholders or users.
What it can include: Focused slice (for example a mobile-friendly web app on the critical path). The prototype proves the workflow — your development partner can extend or rebuild in a stack that fits your situation, with the spec as the anchor.
Out of scope: Validates the critical path — not full edge-case coverage or production hardening.
Outcome: Build does not start from a blank page — scope, priorities, artefacts, and open questions are explicit.
Details: I shape the package for your preferred build partner, or we align an introduction after discovery if you want one — say so when we scope.
Out of scope: Ongoing delivery, engineering, and maintenance stay with your team or partner; my role is structured handoff, not day-to-day build management.
Out of scope
I am deliberate about scope so expectations stay clear. The list below is not exhaustive, but it is a fair picture of what I do not take on.
If you are not sure whether your need fits, get in touch — a short message is enough to find out.
