What do I actually get?

A written recommendation: the buy-vs-build analysis, the recommended approach, real cost and time estimates, a scoped feature list if the answer is build, and the tools to evaluate if the answer is buy. No code — the deliverable is a good decision.

What if the answer is to build it?

Then you have a clean, scoped spec and a fixed-bid range, and you can build it with us or take the spec to another developer. The sprint fee is often credited toward the build if you proceed with us.

How is this different from IT consulting?

IT consulting is broad advisory across tools, security, and systems. A strategy sprint is a focused, time-boxed deep dive on one software decision, ending in a specific costed recommendation. They overlap — if you're not sure which you need, we'll point you to the right one.

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Figure out what to build before you build it.

The most expensive software is the software you build that you didn't need. A software strategy sprint is a short, fixed-fee engagement that ends with a clear written recommendation — what to build, what to buy off the shelf, what to skip entirely, and what it'll cost. No code deliverable; the deliverable is a good decision.

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Based in Chattanooga, serving the Tennessee Valley and remote. One-to-two-week sprint, fixed fee, no code deliverable.

What a software strategy sprint includes

Illustration of a dashboard used to weigh business decisions.

A strategy sprint is research and analysis, compressed into a week or two, that turns 'we think we need software' into a concrete, costed plan. Here's what's involved.

Discovery — understanding the process, the goal, and the constraints
A survey of off-the-shelf tools that might already solve the problem
A buy-vs-build analysis with real cost and time estimates for each path
A recommended approach with the reasoning spelled out
If build: a scoped feature list and a phased plan, with a fixed-bid range
If buy: the specific tools to evaluate and how to roll them out
Risk and dependency callouts so there are no surprises later
A written document you own — useful whether or not you work with us next

Why us

Why businesses choose us for software strategy

We've talked plenty of prospects out of building software — recommending a $30/month SaaS that saved them an $8,000 build that wouldn't have done the job better. That honesty is the point of the sprint: a recommendation from someone who can build, but isn't trying to sell you a build.

We'll tell you not to build

About one in three strategy engagements ends with 'don't build — buy this instead.' We'd rather save you the money and earn the trust than sell a project that shouldn't exist.

Real numbers, not vibes

The recommendation comes with actual cost and time estimates for each path — buy, build, or hybrid — so you're deciding on numbers, not gut feel.

From someone who ships

Our estimates are grounded in actually building this stuff every week, so the build numbers are realistic and the off-the-shelf survey is current.

You own the deliverable

The written strategy is yours. If you take it to another developer to execute, it's a clean spec they can work from. No obligation to build with us.

How it works

How a strategy sprint runs

One to two weeks, fixed fee, ending in a decision you can act on.

1. Kickoff call

We dig into the process you want to improve, what success looks like, your budget, and your constraints.

2. Research

We survey the off-the-shelf options and sketch what a custom build would actually involve, gathering real costs and timelines for each.

3. Analysis + recommendation

We weigh buy vs. build vs. hybrid against your goals and budget and write up a clear recommendation with the reasoning and the numbers.

4. Walkthrough

We walk you through the document, answer questions, and leave you with a plan you can execute — with us, with someone else, or with an off-the-shelf tool.

Outcomes

What you get out of it

A decision you can trust, made on real information, before the expensive part starts.

Money spent in the right place

The sprint routinely saves multiples of its cost by steering you away from an unnecessary build or toward a cheaper path that works.

A clear plan

You go from 'we think we need software' to a concrete, costed roadmap you can act on.

Confidence

The decision is backed by research and real numbers, so you can commit without second-guessing.

A reusable spec

If the answer is build, the document is a clean spec any developer can execute — including but not limited to us.

Software strategy — FAQ

Questions people ask before we start.

Illustration of a list of frequently asked questions.

A fixed fee, typically $1,500–$3,500 depending on the complexity of the decision. It's a small fraction of what a wrong build costs, and it routinely pays for itself by changing the decision.

Where we work

Software strategy for businesses across the Tennessee Valley.

We’re based in Chattanooga and work with small businesses across the region — Hixson, East Ridge, Red Bank, Soddy-Daisy, Signal Mountain, Ooltewah, Collegedale, Cleveland TN, and Dalton GA — plus remote clients anywhere.

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Thinking about building something?

Free 30-minute call. Tell us what you're considering and we'll tell you whether a strategy sprint would save you money — or just answer it on the call if it's simple.