Your system runs. But every deploy feels like a prayer session.
We audit, dissect, and restructure the architecture of systems that have started to crack — so your team can deploy without drama again, and your business can be changed at a reasonable cost.
Signs you might need to talk to us.
Onboarding new engineers takes more than two months before they're truly productive.
Every small change in one module triggers unexpected bugs elsewhere.
Deployments require long maintenance windows, and everyone holds their breath when the button is pressed.
Only one or two people on the team truly 'understand' the system in full.
The vendor or engineer who originally built the system can no longer be reached.
Product roadmap consistently misses engineering estimates, often by more than 2x.
Adding a simple feature requires long discussions that conclude: 'this isn't easy.'
Three stages. No drama.
1. Diagnose (1-2 weeks) — We go into the codebase, infrastructure, and existing documentation. Output: an honest diagnosis report. What's healthy, what's sick, what needs to be dismantled.
2. Document (1-2 weeks) — Current architecture diagrams, dependency flows, ADRs for important decisions that were never recorded. Output: documentation your team can use to explain the system to anyone.
3. Recommend (1 week) — Ranked recommendations: what to fix now (urgent), 3-6 months out (strategic), and what can wait (intentional debt). Every recommendation comes with an effort estimate and clear trade-offs.
Three ways to engage, depending on your situation.
Audit Only (4-6 weeks) — Diagnose + Document + Recommend. Then we hand over to your team for execution. Right for teams with capable engineers who just need a clear map.
Audit + Refactor (3-6 months) — Audit followed by direct execution on the urgent parts. We work side-by-side with your internal team.
Embedded Architecture Partnership (6+ months) — One of our senior architects is involved as part of your team on a part-time basis. Not day-to-day execution, but involved in every major technical decision.
FAQ
Questions before we start.
Do we need to give full access to the codebase?
For an accurate diagnosis, yes — we need at minimum read access. We always work under NDA and access can be limited to a staging environment or replica.
Some clients prefer we access via screen-share with their engineers, especially for very sensitive systems. That can be arranged.
How much does it cost?
Depends on the scale of the system and engagement model. Audit-only for a mid-scale system typically falls in the range of standard professional technical projects.
After a 30-minute initial discussion, we can give a more concrete estimate. We don't have a 'starter' package because every system has different conditions.
Do we have to use your follow-up services after the audit?
No. The audit is designed as a standalone product. Many clients just need the map and recommendations, then execute internally. That's a good outcome.
Our system uses a fairly unique stack. Can you handle it?
Depends. Our team has experience with mainstream stacks (TypeScript/Node, Go, Python, JVM, Ruby, PostgreSQL, Kafka, Kubernetes, AWS/GCP). For stacks outside that, tell us first — we'll be honest if it's not our area of strength.
Our engineering team will be defensive during the audit. How do you handle that?
Understandable. We've been in their position. Our audit never becomes a 'report card' for engineers — our focus is on the system and decisions, not people.
Good engineers are usually the most vocal about reporting problems, and we always ensure they're part of the process, not the subject of evaluation.
If you've read this far, it's probably time to talk.
A 30-minute initial discussion, free and without obligation. We'll ask a few things about your system to understand the context, and you can ask us anything. If it's not a fit, we'll say so.