Atelier
The making layer.
Bespoke software and AI builds for problems that need a system designed around them. A small number of engagements per year, senior on every file, aftercare bundled in.
What we take on
Shapes of work.
Internal systems that off-the-shelf SaaS cannot hold without compromising the business model.
AI builds where the model is one component of a system that has to behave correctly under load.
Data pipelines that have to be auditable, not just functional.
Founder-led product rebuilds where the original codebase has aged out of its assumptions.
Bespoke tooling for operators who measure their work in correctness, not throughput.
Greenfield systems where the architecture decisions made in week one will compound for a decade.
How builds work
Three stages, no surprises.
Scoping
Two to three weeks of paid discovery. We map the problem, name the constraints, and write the brief — even if we never build it. The brief is yours either way.
Build
Eight to twenty weeks, depending on shape. The principal writes architecture and reviews every commit. A small senior team contributes; no offshoring, no junior labour.
Aftercare
Six months of bundled aftercare on every build. Bug response, documentation revisions, knowledge transfer to the team that takes over. No retainer trap.
Constraints we hold
What the studio will not do.
We do not offshore the work.
We do not staff junior engineers on builds.
We do not enter 50/50 joint ventures.
We do not work where IP ownership is unresolved.
Frequently asked
Direct answers.
- How long does a typical build take?
- Eight to twenty weeks for the build itself, with two to three weeks of scoping in front. Anything shorter is usually Counsel; anything longer needs decomposition.
- Do you white-label or work behind agencies?
- No. The relationship is direct, founder to studio. We will not sit beneath a non-technical intermediary on a build engagement.
- Who owns the IP?
- You do, on delivery, with a perpetual licence to anything reusable we bring in. Our standard contract is two pages and we will share it on first call.
- Do you take equity in lieu of fees?
- Rarely, and only on engagements above a certain size with founders we already know. We are not in the venture business.
- Will my code be sent to AI providers?
- Only with explicit agreement, on contract. Default posture is local-only tooling and self-hosted models for any sensitive surface.
Engage Atelier
Bring us the problem off-the-shelf cannot hold.
Every enquiry receives a personal reply, written by the principal, within two working days.
No forms. No phone trees. Direct to the studio.