An honest guide
Do you need custom software, or will an off-the-shelf tool do?
Sometimes the answer is custom software. Often it isn't. We build software for a living, and we still tell people when a cheaper tool is the better choice. This page gives you the questions to ask yourself first.
Why we're telling you this
Software is a solution, not a necessity. If a tool like Pipedrive can solve your problem for a few hundred dollars a year, paying us far more makes no sense. We'd rather lose the sale than build something you didn't need.
Ask yourself these questions
Is there a real problem?
Can you name the bottleneck, in hours lost, deals missed or decisions you can't make? "It would be cool to have" isn't a problem.
Have you tried the standard tools?
Tools such as Pipedrive, HubSpot, monday.com and Asana cover a lot. If one fits, use it. If you can't make one fit without paying for many tools or user seats, that is a sign custom may be worth it.
Does your process differ from the standard one?
Several services, different pipelines, mixed pricing models, commissions or special rules often break standard tools.
Will your team use it?
Software only works if people enter data and change how they work. If that isn't realistic, no software, custom or not, will fix it.
Is your time better spent elsewhere?
You can build things yourself with AI now. It takes hours. If those hours are worth more somewhere else, hiring someone makes sense.
Do you have the budget for it to be a good investment?
Custom software is not cheap and carries risk. It makes sense when the value it brings is greater than the cost.
What we do if we think you don't need us
We say so on the call. If we can, we point you to a tool or to someone who can set it up, such as for monday.com, Asana, Pipedrive or HubSpot. We don't give blanket advice, because every company and every preference is different. We listen first, then recommend.
What we do if we think you do
We ask more questions about how you operate, map what the software should do, and give you a priced plan. See How We Work.
These are the kinds of systems we build when the answer is yes:
- Custom CRMs for companies that sell more than one thing
- Customer and employee portals that collect information and keep the human touch
- AI built into your business software, answering from your own data
- Workflow automation that fixes one real bottleneck at a time
Next step
Not sure which side you're on? Tell us what you're trying to fix, and we'll tell you honestly.
Tell us what you're trying to fix