Work scoped from the map, not from a catalog.

Three shapes. Every one starts by looking at how work actually moves. We don’t sell hours in disguise, and we don’t sell a platform you didn’t ask for.

Systems diagnostic

A paid, time-boxed engagement. We interview you and the people closest to the work, inspect the tools and artifacts you already have, and write down the real path — including the unofficial one.

You leave with

A map of the current journey for one or two critical jobs of work
Where time, errors, rework, and key-person risk hide
A ranked set of moves: automate, replace, stop, or leave alone
A build recommendation with rough shape and sequencing — or an honest “don’t hire us for this”

Typical shape: one to two weeks of calendar time, concentrated working sessions rather than a drawn-out study.

Automation, integrations, and internal tools

We implement the path the diagnostic named. Work is sliced so something useful is in your hands early — not after a six-month “phase one.”

This can include

Workflow automation across the tools you already pay for
Integrations between CRM, billing, inbox, files, and ops systems
A small internal tool when a spreadsheet or shared inbox is the actual product
Applied AI for intake, classification, extraction, or drafting — only where it beats a rule

Scoped after the diagnostic. You keep the credentials, the code, and the runbook.

Fractional systems lead

Once a path exists, someone has to keep it clear. This is a standing retainer for operators who don’t need a department and don’t want the stack sliding back into tribal knowledge.

The job

Triage new tool and automation requests against the map
Maintain integrations and the internal tools already in production
A monthly pass on what’s drifting, duplicative, or newly painful
A named human who already knows the system when something breaks

Usually follows a diagnostic and at least one build slice. Not a helpdesk. Not a body shop.

Questions

Straight answers.

Do you only work after a diagnostic?

Almost always. If you already have a sharp map and a specific build, we can talk. If the problem is “we need automation,” the diagnostic is the first honest step. It is a real deliverable, not a decoy for a larger sale.

Will you just implement Zapier / Make / n8n?

If that’s the right layer, yes. The point is a reliable path, not a brand of glue. Sometimes the right move is an off-the-shelf workflow. Sometimes it’s a small app. Sometimes it’s deleting a step.

Do you sell AI retainers?

No. We use models where they earn it — document intake, classification, extraction, first drafts. If a checkbox and a rule will do, that’s what we ship. AI is a tool in the kit, not the product.

Who does the work?

You work with the person who maps the system and writes the code. We don’t bait-and-switch you onto a junior bench after the kickoff.

How does pricing work?

The diagnostic is a fixed, paid engagement. Build work is scoped from what it finds. We don’t publish a fake menu of packages because the work isn’t a package. We’ll be explicit about money before anything starts.

Next step

Start with the map.

Send a short note about what’s looping back to you. We’ll tell you if a diagnostic is the right first move.

Request a diagnostic