How do you charge for a diagnostic?

The diagnostic is sold separately for clients who are not yet ready for a full build, or rolled into the build cost for clients who are. Standalone, it runs ₹1L to ₹3L over one to two weeks. If you proceed to a build inside ninety days, the diagnostic fee is credited against the build.

Who owns the code and the data?

You do. Source code in your repository, database in your hosting account, infrastructure under your name. We will host and operate the system as part of a Technology Partner retainer if you want, but ownership stays with you. No vendor lock-in clause, no exit penalty.

Yes. A mutual NDA is standard before the diagnostic begins. We share existing client names only with consent, never the operational specifics of an engagement without explicit permission.

Can we start with a small piece and expand later?

Yes, and most engagements do. We typically start with the single workflow that is hurting the most (RFQ, quotations, inventory, dispatch) and add modules over the next twelve to eighteen months. The schema is designed for the expansion from day one.

What happens if the project goes over scope or timeline?

Scope changes are negotiated in writing inside the two-week cycle, not at the end. Timeline slip on our side is on us; we do not bill for it. Timeline slip caused by slow feedback or major scope changes from your side is discussed early, not surfaced at the end.

Will our team be able to maintain the system after you hand over?

Yes if you have a developer or technical lead. The codebase is intentionally readable. We document the architecture, write a runbook, and train your team. Many clients choose Tier 02 (Technology Partner retainer) anyway so they do not need to hire in-house, but the option stays open.

Do you work with clients outside India?

We focus on Indian founder-led businesses because the operational context is what we understand best. We have built systems for Indian companies with overseas operations, and that works. A purely overseas client without India operations is rarely a fit.

Approach

How we work.

Technology partner for founder-led businesses. A diagnostic worth signing off on. A build the client sees every two weeks. Launch with documentation, training, and clean ownership. Then, optionally, a long-term technology partnership.

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Engagement structure

Four phases. One conversation each.

Each phase has a single owner on our side, a single decision-maker on yours, and a written hand-off at the end. There is no separate account manager.

Phase · 01

Diagnostic + scoping

1 to 2 weeks. We map the workflows, identify the decisions you need to make, and define what the system must do. Sometimes sold separately as a paid audit for clients not yet ready for a full build.

₹1L–₹3L

Phase · 02

Build

4 to 12 weeks depending on scope. Iterative. You see working software every 1 to 2 weeks, not at the end. We embed in your operations, not in a separate office.

₹3L–₹6L to ₹6L–₹15L

Phase · 03

Launch + handover

Documentation, training, a clean codebase, and full ownership transfer if you want project handover. Source code in your repository, infrastructure in your accounts.

Included in build

Phase · 04

Long-term partnership

Optional but recommended. Ongoing retainer where we host, monitor, patch, and evolve the system. Quarterly improvement cycle. Priority support.

₹50k–₹1.5L / month

Typical build

6 wk12 wk

From diagnostic to launch on a focused single-workflow build. Working software ships every one to two weeks throughout. Embedded in your operations, not in a separate office.

Diagnostic deliverables

What you receive from a paid diagnostic.

Four written artefacts, regardless of whether the engagement proceeds to a build. The diagnostic stands on its own.

Operational map

Every workflow that matters, drawn out as it actually runs today. Roles, hand-offs, data sources, and the points where information disappears or gets re-entered.

Decision inventory

The specific operational questions the founder needs answered weekly, monthly, quarterly. Tagged against the system that should answer each.

Software shortlist with rationale

Honest assessment of what off-the-shelf could do, what would need a custom layer, and what would need a full build. Costed against a five-year horizon.

Scoped build proposal

If a custom build is the answer, a written proposal with modules, timeline, milestones, pricing, and the hand-off plan. Sometimes the diagnostic itself is enough.

Technology choices

What we build on is decided by what you need.

Every project lands on a stack chosen for its scope, its expected lifetime, and the operational reality of the team that will live with it. There is no house stack we force onto every engagement. There is a house principle that shapes every stack we pick.

We are technology-opinionated in one direction: the client owns the code, the data, the infrastructure, and the relationships with every vendor and integration. We avoid subscription dependencies in the architecture where we can, because it costs us slightly more on the first build and saves the client every month for years.

The specific components, the application server, the database, the messaging, the integrations, get chosen at diagnostic. What is right for a community institution is not right for a multi-tenant enterprise build. What is right today may not be right in three years. The principle is the constant; the stack is the variable.

What you bring

The buyer responsibilities that make this work.

Engagements succeed when both sides play their role. These are the four things we ask of every client. Most of them are structural, not effortful.

A single decision-maker

One person on your side authorised to approve scope, sign off on milestones, and resolve disagreements between team members about how the workflow should run.

Operational access during diagnostic

Two or three conversations with the team that actually runs the workflow. Sometimes a half-day visit. We need to see the operation, not a description of it.

Decisive feedback inside each two-week cycle

Working software ships every one to two weeks during the build. We need feedback within forty-eight hours of each ship. Slow feedback is the single largest source of timeline slip.

A team prepared for the change

A new system changes how people work. Founder visibility on the rollout matters. We do not parachute software into a team that has not been told it is coming.

Cadence

What a typical build week looks like.

One sprint per two weeks. One ship per week. One decision conversation. The cadence is deliberate and the same on every engagement.

Monday

Sprint planning over a thirty-minute call. We review what shipped last week, what feedback came in, and what is committed for the next two weeks. Written summary in your inbox by end of day.

Tuesday to Thursday

Build. Quiet days from your side; we are heads down. You see commits land in your repository if you watch, but no meeting is required.

Friday

Working software shipped to your staging environment, recorded walk-through video, and a short note on what is next. You and the operational team try it over the weekend.

The following Monday

Feedback call. We adjust scope, refine, or move forward. The cycle resets.

After launch

How long-term partnerships work.

Most clients pick one of three tiers after launch. Tier two is where the long-term value compounds, and where our existing partners (Carbiforce, AK Suppliers & Distributors, and Toloba Chennai AEM) sit today.

Tier 01

Project handover.

We ship, we hand over clean code, documentation and training. You own everything. Many clients pick this and we stay friends.

One-time · No retainer

Tier 02 · Recommended

Technology Partner.

We host, monitor, patch, and evolve the system. New features ship quarterly. Priority support. The way our long-term partners work with us today.

₹50k–₹1.5L / month

Tier 03

Embedded Operations.

We become your effective technology team. Strategic input, continuous delivery, no separate vendor management. For founders who want serious technology leverage without hiring a CTO.

₹2L–₹5L / month

What we do not do

The work we walk away from.

Saying no is part of the offer. The wrong project costs more than no project. We are explicit about what we will not take on, because the buyer who is sold on the wrong terms is the same buyer who is unhappy at the end.

Saying no is part of the offer.

Engagement principle

Refusals

−White-labelled generic ERPs sold as custom
−Reskinned templates
−SaaS products we resell across clients
−Projects we cannot deliver in 12 weeks of build time or less
−Competing on price
−Pitching on cold calls

Pricing

Full structure.

Every engagement maps onto one of these tiers. We publish the ranges because the ranges are the filter.

Engagement	Range	Timeline
Operational audit / diagnostic	₹1L–₹3L	1–2 weeks
Focused internal system (single workflow)	₹3L–₹6L	4–6 weeks
Full operational system (multi-module)	₹6L–₹15L	8–12 weeks
Enterprise build	₹15L–₹50L+	3–6 months
Technology Partner retainer	₹50k–₹1.5L / month	Ongoing
Embedded Operations retainer	₹2L–₹5L / month	Ongoing
Performance marketing	₹75k–₹3L / month	Ongoing, 6-month min

EngagementOperational audit / diagnostic
Range₹1L–₹3L
Timeline1–2 weeks
EngagementFocused internal system (single workflow)
Range₹3L–₹6L
Timeline4–6 weeks
EngagementFull operational system (multi-module)
Range₹6L–₹15L
Timeline8–12 weeks
EngagementEnterprise build
Range₹15L–₹50L+
Timeline3–6 months
EngagementTechnology Partner retainer
Range₹50k–₹1.5L / month
TimelineOngoing
EngagementEmbedded Operations retainer
Range₹2L–₹5L / month
TimelineOngoing
EngagementPerformance marketing
Range₹75k–₹3L / month
TimelineOngoing, 6-month min

Filtering ranges. Scoped to the project at diagnostic, not at first call.

Questions founders ask

FAQ.

The seven questions that come up before signing, answered directly rather than evasively.

How do you charge for a diagnostic?: The diagnostic is sold separately for clients who are not yet ready for a full build, or rolled into the build cost for clients who are. Standalone, it runs ₹1L to ₹3L over one to two weeks. If you proceed to a build inside ninety days, the diagnostic fee is credited against the build.
Who owns the code and the data?: You do. Source code in your repository, database in your hosting account, infrastructure under your name. We will host and operate the system as part of a Technology Partner retainer if you want, but ownership stays with you. No vendor lock-in clause, no exit penalty.
Do you sign NDAs?: Yes. A mutual NDA is standard before the diagnostic begins. We share existing client names only with consent, never the operational specifics of an engagement without explicit permission.
Can we start with a small piece and expand later?: Yes, and most engagements do. We typically start with the single workflow that is hurting the most (RFQ, quotations, inventory, dispatch) and add modules over the next twelve to eighteen months. The schema is designed for the expansion from day one.
What happens if the project goes over scope or timeline?: Scope changes are negotiated in writing inside the two-week cycle, not at the end. Timeline slip on our side is on us; we do not bill for it. Timeline slip caused by slow feedback or major scope changes from your side is discussed early, not surfaced at the end.
Will our team be able to maintain the system after you hand over?: Yes if you have a developer or technical lead. The codebase is intentionally readable. We document the architecture, write a runbook, and train your team. Many clients choose Tier 02 (Technology Partner retainer) anyway so they do not need to hire in-house, but the option stays open.
Do you work with clients outside India?: We focus on Indian founder-led businesses because the operational context is what we understand best. We have built systems for Indian companies with overseas operations, and that works. A purely overseas client without India operations is rarely a fit.

Begin

Engagements begin with a conversation.

Not a pitch. Not a presentation. A conversation where we ask about the business, understand the workflows, and identify what is visible and what is not. By the end we both know if this is a fit.

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