Frequently asked
questions

Vertical SaaS is software as a service built specifically for a single industry or niche. Unlike horizontal tools that try to serve everyone, vertical SaaS is designed around the exact workflows, terminology, and needs of your industry.

Off-the-shelf software is the right call when your process is genuinely standard and a proven product already fits it, because it is cheaper and available today. It stops making sense when you are paying for workarounds: spreadsheets bridging gaps between systems, rekeyed data, features you cannot get because they are not on someone else's roadmap, or per-seat licensing that scales against you. A purpose-built platform fits your process instead of the other way round, and you own it. We will tell you honestly which side of that line you are on.

Yes, we build responsive web applications and can develop native or cross platform mobile apps depending on your requirements.

Absolutely. We specialise in integrating AI capabilities into existing workflows and software systems, adding intelligence without requiring a complete rebuild.

Yes. Inheriting a half-finished build, an unsupported legacy system or a project that stalled when the original developer moved on is common work for us. We start with an honest assessment of what is worth keeping, then either stabilise and extend what exists or migrate you off it in stages, so the business keeps running throughout.

It varies depending on scope and complexity. A focused MVP might take 8-12 weeks, while a full enterprise platform could take 6+ months. A single-page marketing or event site can be delivered in days. We'll give you a realistic timeline during discovery.

Yes, we follow an agile methodology with regular sprint cycles, demos, and feedback loops so you always have visibility into progress.

Absolutely. We work alongside you, not just for you. Regular demos, reviews, and collaboration sessions are built into our process.

Yes, happily, and we can sign yours or provide one. We treat everything you share during discovery as confidential whether an NDA is in place or not, and we will not name you as a client or publish a case study about your project without your written approval.

You choose. We can keep building new features, move to an ongoing support and maintenance arrangement, hand the whole thing over to your in-house team, or some combination. Because you own the code and we build on clean, well documented foundations, handover is a real option rather than a threat.

Every project is different. We provide a detailed proposal after the discovery phase. We're transparent about costs and work within your budget constraints.

Both, and we will recommend the one that suits the work. Well defined pieces with a clear scope, a marketing site or a specific integration, suit a fixed price so you know the number up front. Platform builds where the requirements will genuinely evolve are better served by time and materials with an agreed budget envelope and a fixed-price discovery phase first, because a fixed price on a moving target just gets padded. Either way you get a written proposal before work starts.

Often yes, but it is worth being precise about how. AI-assisted development lets a small team deliver more in less time, so the build itself costs less than a traditional agency timeline would. On the operational side, automating high-volume repetitive work gives time back to people who are currently doing it by hand. What AI does not do is remove the need for judgement, testing or maintenance, and we will tell you when a well designed conventional system is the cheaper answer.

Yes, we offer flexible support and maintenance packages after launch. We don't disappear after go live.

We typically work on projects where we can deliver meaningful impact. Get in touch and we'll let you know if we're a good fit.

We use modern, proven technologies including React, Next.js, Node.js, Python, and cloud platforms like AWS and Vercel. We choose the right tools for each project.

You do. On completion the code, the design and the intellectual property transfer to you. There is no lock-in and no per-seat licence working against you as you grow, and because we build on clean, modern, well documented foundations any developer can pick the project up, whether that is us or your own team.

Yes, we leverage high quality open source tools and frameworks wherever appropriate, and contribute back to the community.

Security is built into everything we do. We follow OWASP best practices, encrypt data at rest and in transit, and can comply with NZ Privacy Act requirements.

We typically deploy to cloud platforms like AWS, Vercel, or Azure, depending on your requirements for performance, compliance, and cost.

Yes, if data sovereignty is a requirement, we can deploy to NZ based data centres.

For general enquiries we come back to you within one business day. For clients on a support arrangement we agree response targets up front, with anything that stops the business working treated as urgent and picked up the same business day. Because we are a small team you are dealing with the people who built the system, not a first-line queue.

Yes, we set up CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and infrastructure as code so your application is production ready from day one.

We work across natural language processing, computer vision, predictive analytics, recommendation systems, and generative AI, always focused on solving real business problems.

We use a combination of proprietary models and leading AI APIs (like OpenAI, Anthropic, and others) depending on the use case, cost, and performance requirements.

No, and we'll tell you that. We only recommend AI when it genuinely adds value. Sometimes a well designed traditional system is the better choice.