Field notes
Notes on what software costs, and who owns it.
Plain-language writing on what we build and why. Made for operators, IT leads and public-sector buyers weighing build-vs-buy. No fluff. No SEO bait.
We publish when we have something useful to say, usually a real problem we've solved, an honest pricing breakdown, or a comparison most articles dance around. If you want to skip ahead, the contact page is where the actual conversation starts.
Vancouver
How to Choose a Custom Software Company in Vancouver: An Honest Buyer's Guide
There is no single best custom software company in Vancouver. There are five categories of vendor, and the right one depends on your budget, your timeline, and whether you intend to own the code. Here is the honest comparison, including where a small local studio is the wrong choice.
Aug 9, 2026 · 10 min read
Economics
Why Per-Seat SaaS Pricing Punishes You for Growing
Hire five people and the bill goes up five seats' worth, but the software did not get five times better. Here is the compounding math, the cases where per-seat is genuinely fair, and where the crossover lands.
Aug 9, 2026 · 8 min read
Ownership
What Happens After Custom Software Launches, and What Maintenance Really Costs
The most common objection to commissioning custom software is who maintains it. Here is the straight answer: what needs attention, how often it comes up, what it costs, and why it does not eat the savings.
Aug 9, 2026 · 8 min read
Strategy
How Long Does Custom Software Take to Build?
Right after 'what does it cost?' comes 'how long will it take?' Here are honest timelines, from the first shipped milestone to a full build, and the real reasons projects run late.
Jun 15, 2026 · 8 min read
Strategy
Has Your Business Outgrown Spreadsheets? The Signs It's Time
Spreadsheets run more businesses than anyone admits, until they quietly become the bottleneck. Here are the signs you've outgrown them, and the cheapest way to move off without a big-bang rebuild.
Jun 15, 2026 · 8 min read
Public sector
How a Small, Read-Only Assessment Fits Normal Public-Sector Purchasing Policy
A small, read-only assessment of one system is an ordinary operating purchase. Here's how municipal and public-body teams scope it to fit their own purchasing policy, with ownership and accessibility terms that survive an audit.
Jun 14, 2026 · 8 min read
Economics
What Custom Software Actually Costs in Canada (2026)
Nobody publishes custom software prices, so everyone assumes the worst. Here are honest 2026 ranges for Canadian builds: what a focused tool costs, what a full build costs, and what actually moves the number.
Jun 13, 2026 · 9 min read
Trades
When Jobber Stops Being Enough for an Electrical Contractor
Jobber is a good front door. But around 8 to 10 trucks, permits, inspections, and a service-plus-construction split start to break it. Here's how to tell, and what comes next.
Jun 13, 2026 · 9 min read
Accessibility
WCAG 2.1 AA for Government Software: What Compliance Actually Requires
WCAG 2.1 AA gets named in every public-sector contract and understood by almost no one. Here's what the standard actually requires, where teams fail, and why retrofitting it costs far more than building it in.
Jun 12, 2026 · 8 min read
Strategy
Build vs. Buy: A Decision Framework You Can Apply in 30 Minutes
An opinionated build-vs-buy framework you can run yourself in 30 minutes. Six questions, real worked examples, and an honest answer at the end.
May 4, 2026 · 10 min read
Vancouver
Internal Tools for Vancouver Businesses: A Buyer's Guide
Vancouver businesses run on a different mix of tools than the average. Here's a grounded buyer's guide for trades, professional services, and multi-site operators across the Lower Mainland.
May 4, 2026 · 10 min read
Field service
ServiceTitan vs. Custom: An Honest Comparison
ServiceTitan is excellent at what it's built for. It's also the wrong tool for a lot of the trades businesses that signed for it. Here's an honest comparison of when each one is the right call.
May 4, 2026 · 10 min read
Strategy
Stock vs. Custom: Why Pros Run Custom Kit in Every Serious Field
F1 cars. Olympic rifles. Concert grand pianos. Hedge-fund order management systems. In every serious field, the people at the top run custom. Software is no different.
May 4, 2026 · 10 min read
Economics
The Real Five-Year Cost of Running on SaaS
Most owners look at SaaS by the month. Once you look at it across five years for a 15-person business, the number changes shape, and so does the conversation about owning it instead.
May 4, 2026 · 10 min read
Economics
What an Internal Tool Should Cost in 2026
Honest cost ranges for custom internal tools in 2026, by complexity, with real timelines and no hand-waving. What you should expect to pay, and how to spot a quote that's wrong.
May 4, 2026 · 10 min read
Custom software
When You've Outgrown Your SaaS: 7 Signs
Seven concrete signals that your SaaS stack has stopped serving the business and started running it. If three of these describe your shop, you've outgrown the rental.
May 4, 2026 · 9 min read
Custom software
Custom Software vs. SaaS: Which One Actually Makes Sense for Your Business?
Most small businesses rent SaaS tools that almost fit. Here's an honest breakdown of when custom software makes more sense, and when it doesn't.
Apr 20, 2026 · 8 min read
Trades
Why Trades Businesses Need Custom Internal Tools (And What to Build First)
Electricians, HVAC, plumbers, and GCs are drowning in manual workflows. Here's what the right internal tool looks like for a field service business.
Apr 15, 2026 · 8 min read
Running a system nobody wants to touch?
A condition assessment tells you how much working life is left in it and what it would take to add more. Fixed price, read-only, and nothing about how the system runs changes while it is underway.