Journal

Notes, briefs and operating thinking.

Published when there's something worth saying. Not on a schedule.

07 Jul 2026 · Honesty · 6 min read

When not to build custom software

The honest version of our pitch includes a checklist that talks some prospects out of hiring us. Here it is.

09 Jun 2026 · Method · 5 min read

Maintenance is the product, not the afterthought

The handover-and-vanish model looks like a deliverable. For an operator running the thing daily, it's the start of the real work.

12 May 2026 · Engineering · 6 min read

What actually makes a build R&D, and what's just assembly

Most "innovative" briefs are known components in a new order. A smaller number genuinely don't know the answer until the code is written.

21 Apr 2026 · Operations · 6 min read

Running one back office across the UK and Costa del Sol

Two jurisdictions don't have to mean two systems. The operators who avoid duplicating their back office made that decision early, not after the second spreadsheet.

10 Mar 2026 · Craft · 5 min read

Why premium software means fewer features, not more

Premium isn't a longer feature list. It's a shorter one, built properly, that nobody has to work around six months later.

18 Feb 2026 · Method · 6 min read

How to commission custom software without getting burned

Most bad builds don't fail in the code. They fail in the brief, the milestones, and the absence of a way out when things go sideways.