Articles & Case Studies
Practical perspectives on software, data, and AI for South African SMEs.
The question we ask at the end of every project
When a project wraps up, there's usually a natural inclination to move on. The thing is built, it's working, the client is happy. But we've found that one question, asked honestly at the end, tends to be more useful than any amount of mid-project review.
Read more → Thought LeadershipSecurity in custom software isn't just an enterprise concern
Security is one of those topics that tends to get treated as somebody else's problem — either too big for a small business to think about seriously, or something that can wait until the product is more established.
Read more → How-ToWhat a good software handover actually looks like
Every project ends. The question is whether it ends in a way that leaves the client genuinely able to own what was built — or whether it creates a new kind of dependency.
Read more → Thought LeadershipWhen to rebuild and when to repair
One of the harder conversations we have with clients is about whether to fix what exists or start again. It's harder than it sounds, because both options carry risks that are easy to underestimate from the outside.
Read more → How-ToWhat "done" actually means in a software project
"Done" is one of the most contested words in software development. Not because people disagree about what they want — but because they often haven't had the conversation about what done means before the work starts.
Read more → Thought LeadershipWhy the way your team communicates affects the software you build
There's a principle in software development — Conway's Law — that says organisations tend to build systems that mirror their own communication structures. It's one of those ideas that sounds academic until you see it play out in a real project.
Read more → Thought LeadershipThe hidden cost of building on the wrong foundation
There's a particular kind of problem that shows up in businesses that have been growing fast. The technology that got them here is starting to limit what they can do next — not dramatically, but in ways that compound.
Read more → How-ToWhat we look for when we inherit someone else's codebase
A fair amount of the work we take on starts with code that already exists. Sometimes it was built in-house, sometimes by a previous agency. Either way, the first thing we do isn't write a line of new code.
Read more → Thought LeadershipHow we think about fixed-price projects
Fixed-price projects are appealing for an obvious reason: you know what you're spending. But the way most agencies price fixed-scope work creates a different kind of risk that doesn't always get named upfront.
Read more → Case StudyYour team's workarounds are actually valuable data
When we start a new project, one of the first things we ask about is the workarounds. Not to judge them — but because they're usually the most honest picture of where the current system is failing.
Read more → Thought LeadershipThe difference between a vendor and a partner
Most businesses have worked with a vendor at some point. Someone who does the work, delivers a thing, sends an invoice. The transaction is clean. The relationship is clear. There's nothing wrong with it — until you need something more.
Read more → How-ToWhen the brief changes mid-project (and what to do about it)
Scope change is one of those things that gets talked about like it's a failure — something that happened because someone didn't plan well enough. We've never quite seen it that way.
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