05 · Development consultation
A senior developer in your corner, before it gets expensive.
Planning a build, untangling an app that’s grown messy, or chasing a bug nobody can pin down? We help you design software properly, choose an architecture that scales, and get stubborn issues fixed, all without signing up to a full project.
Bring us in when…
- You’re about to commission a build and want it scoped right
- Every new feature takes longer than the last
- Production keeps falling over and nobody knows why
- Your developer left and took the knowledge with them
- Your team wants a second opinion before a big decision
What we help with
Three things, done properly.
-
01
Software design
Turn an idea or a vague brief into a clear plan: data models, user flows, API contracts and a spec a developer can actually quote against.
- Requirements & technical specs
- Database & domain modelling
- API design and integration planning
- Build-vs-buy and tooling advice
-
02
Architecture
Structure that holds up as you grow. We review what you have, map where it’s heading and recommend the simplest setup that gets you there.
- Architecture reviews & code audits
- Scaling, queues & caching strategy
- Hosting, deployment & CI pipelines
- Decision records your team can follow
-
03
Issue handling
When something’s broken, slow or unexplained, we dig in, find the root cause and fix it, or hand your team a clear, prioritised plan.
- Production bugs & incident triage
- Performance & slow-query fixes
- Security and dependency reviews
- Post-incident write-ups
What you walk away with
Advice you can act on, not a slide deck.
Every engagement ends with something written down: findings ranked by impact and effort, diagrams of how things fit together, and clear next steps your team (or ours) can pick up straight away.
- High The issue, in plain English Why it matters, what it costs you, and the fix.
- Medium An architecture decision Options weighed, trade-offs, and our recommendation.
- Low A quick win Small change, worth doing next sprint.
Ways to work with us
As much or as little help as you need.
-
One-off
Consultation session
A focused [2-hour] call on one problem or decision, with a written summary and next steps afterwards.
-
Fixed price
Review & audit
A deep look at your codebase, infrastructure or plans. You get a prioritised findings report and a walkthrough call.
-
Monthly
Advisory retainer
Ongoing senior input for your team: design reviews, architecture calls and a direct line when something breaks.
How it works
-
Intro call
A free 30-minute chat to understand the problem.
-
Access & context
Repo, logs or docs shared under NDA.
-
Investigate
We dig in, test ideas and talk to your team.
-
Report & next steps
Written findings, a walkthrough, and help to act on them.
Consultation FAQs
Questions we get asked.
Do you only consult on Laravel projects?
Laravel, PHP and Vue are home turf, but design and architecture principles carry across stacks. If your project is outside what we know well, we’ll tell you on the intro call rather than bluff it.
Can you just fix the problem for us?
Yes. For issue handling we can diagnose and fix directly, or hand your developers a clear plan, whichever suits your team and budget.
We already have developers. Is this still useful?
Often more so. We work alongside in-house teams as a second pair of senior eyes, reviewing designs, pressure-testing decisions and unblocking tricky problems.
Will you sign an NDA?
Of course. We’re happy to sign yours or provide our own before we look at any code or data.
Is it remote or in person?
Mostly remote over video call. We’re in West Yorkshire, so in-person workshops around Leeds are easy to arrange.