Operations, systems and growth for owner-run companiesIdea to Operating Product
You say “I've got this idea.” We come back with a business model, unit economics, product requirements, an architecture, a working MVP, and the operating plan to run it.
Why two stages
Nobody should commit to a build this size in one decision, and nobody can honestly price one before it's scoped. So it's sold in two stages. The first is worth buying on its own, including when the answer is don't build this.
| Stage | Scope | Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaping | Business model, unit economics, requirements, architecture, build estimate, and a go or no-go. | 3–4 weeks | $18K–$25K |
| Build | Working MVP and the operating plan to run it. Priced at the end of shaping, against real scope. | 10–14 weeks | $60K–$150K |
What “operating” means here
A product you can run on Monday morning. Ledger and controls on day one where money moves. Roles, permissions and an audit trail. The operating plan, who does what on Monday morning, alongside the software. Most first versions are a spreadsheet and good intentions, and they get rebuilt the moment real money moves through them. We build the first version so it doesn't need that.
Who this is for
Owners with an idea next to a business they already run: a product their customers keep asking for, a service they already deliver by hand, a gap they can see because they're standing in it. It needs finance, product and operations thinking in the same room, which is why it's rarely offered.
Proof
Our founder did this four times for his own companies before offering it to anyone else: a payments platform, a grant system, a receivables product and a seller-funding product, each from business model to production.
Start with shaping. It's worth buying on its own.