OurModule

How we'll work together

A clear, collaborative process, from your first message to full handover.

You bring the problem, in your own words. I propose the solution, in plain English. No technical knowledge required at any point.

Hands typing on a laptop at a wooden table beside a small potted plant

Built around your business

  • Typical length2 to 8 weeksDepending on what we build
  • First cost to you$0The conversation and the quote are free
  • Who owns itYou doEvery account in your name, from day one
  • Your contactJust meNo account manager, no hand-offs

One module at a time

The idea the company is named after: build the most valuable piece first, put it to work, and let it earn its keep while we build the next one.

  1. Weeks 1 to 4Live
    Module 1Live and earning
  2. Weeks 5 to 8Being built
    Module 2Being built
  3. When you are readyNext
    Module 3Your call
  • Value in weeks, not monthsThe first piece goes to work long before the whole picture is finished.
  • Every next step is a choiceEach module gets its own quote. Nothing is a commitment you made months ago.
  • Stop any time, keep it allWhatever exists is yours, in your accounts, documented, and working.

Software people call this agile development: build a small working piece, use it for real, and let what you learn shape the next piece.

Step by step, in detail

Six steps, the same every time. Here is what happens at each one, what I need from you, and what you walk away with.

  1. Step 1: One short conversation

    one conversation

    Everything starts with a conversation, not a contract. You tell me what is slow, frustrating, or costing you time, and I ask enough questions to understand how your business actually runs.

    A designer on the phone at her studio workbench, laptop open
    • It starts with one easy conversation, over a call, email, or in person if you are local, whichever suits you.
    • I then work out what would genuinely help, and propose what we should build first. Sometimes the honest answer is smaller than you expected.
    • You get a fixed quote broken into milestones, each with a plain-language description of what it delivers and when, usually within a few days.
    • If the quote works for you, we sign off and get to work. Nothing starts before your go-ahead.
    What I need from you

    A description of the problem in your own words. You do not need to know what the solution should be.

    What you get

    A fixed quote, a milestone schedule, and a clear plan you can say yes or no to. This step is always free: if I can't find you a real way to save time or money, you don't pay a cent.

  2. Step 2: Your accounts, your name

    about 1 day

    Every account the project needs is registered in your business's name from day one, and I build inside it from the first line of code. You choose how the accounts get opened: by you, or by me for you.

    Hands at a laptop on a workbench in a bike workshop, tools on the wall behind
    Option 1

    You open the accounts

    You open each account in your business's name and add my login, either on your own from a step-by-step guide I send, or on a guided call with me. Expect half an hour to an hour.

    Option 2Easiest for most small projects

    I open the accounts for you

    I open every account under a new email address just for your project, build inside them, and hand that address to you at launch on a short call of about 15 minutes. Every account comes with it.

    • Either way, the accounts are in your business's name from the start, so nothing is ever transferred, moved, or bought back later.
    • Wherever a provider offers it, I work through my own login, and I confirm in writing when my access has ended.
    • Running costs are billed by the providers to you directly, and a website runs on free plans. If a provider needs a payment card (an AI provider, for example), it is always your own card, added by you.
    What I need from you

    Option 1: half an hour to an hour, with my guide or on a call with me. Option 2: one invite at the start so I can connect your domain, and a 15-minute call at launch.

    What you get

    Every account in your business's name from day one, whichever option you choose. Nothing ever lives in somebody else's account.

  3. Step 3: Build with check-ins

    1 to 6 weeks

    I build in stages so we always stay on the same page: you see the work as it comes together.

    A woman at a wooden table looking closely at something on a tablet
    • I build inside the accounts we just set up, so the work is yours as it takes shape and there is never anything to migrate later.
    • Each milestone from the quote gets built and then shown to you as real, working software, not mockups or progress reports. A review works best when you have something to click around in, even while it is rough.
    • If something is not right, we catch it at that milestone, while it is still easy to change.
    • You always know which stage we are on and what is coming next, and the price does not move unless you ask for something new and approve the cost first.
    What I need from you

    A little time at each milestone to look at what has been built, share your thoughts, and approve it.

    What you get

    Working software at every stage, and no surprises at the end.

  4. Step 4: Review and refine

    2 to 7 days

    Before anything goes live, you get proper time with the finished build to use it the way you actually will.

    A hand with a stylus ticking items off a numbered to-do list on a tablet
    • You try the finished work on your own devices, desktop, tablet, or phone, and note anything you would like polished even further.
    • I make the final refinements.
    • Nothing goes live until you are happy with it.
    What I need from you

    A proper look at the finished build, ideally with anyone on your team who will use it every day.

    What you get

    A finished product that works the way you expected, with the rough edges taken off.

  5. Step 5: Train and launch

    1 to 5 days

    Software nobody knows how to use is not much use. If your team needs to be shown, I show them.

    A smiling shopkeeper in an apron holding up a Yes, we're open sign
    • If you would like it, I walk your team through the parts they will use, on real data.
    • You get plain-language documentation explaining how everything fits together, so you are never lost and any future developer could pick it up quickly.
    • We go live together, at a time that suits your business. Nothing old gets switched off or archived until you say so.
    • For thirty days after launch, any questions that come up are answered at no charge.
    What I need from you

    A sense of who needs to know what, and a launch date that works around your busy periods.

    What you get

    A live website, system, or workflow, and a team that knows how to use it.

  6. Step 6: Hand over and stay available

    up to 15 minutes

    This is the step most people never get from an agency. Everything is yours, in your name, with nothing held back.

    Two people shaking hands in front of a white brick wall
    Option 1

    If you opened the accounts

    There is nothing to hand over. The accounts have been yours from the start.

    Option 2

    If I opened them for you

    On a short call of about 15 minutes, you take over the email address your accounts were opened under. You set your own password and two-step verification, and every account comes with it.

    • My login stays through the thirty days of support after launch. Then I leave each account and confirm in writing that my access has ended. From that point I can only get back in if you invite me.
    • Because the accounts were in your business's name from the start, there is nothing to transfer, unlock, or buy back.
    • You are free to bring in anyone else at any point, and they will find a documented system rather than a puzzle.
    • I stay available for tweaks, new features, or whole new projects whenever you need me. Anything substantial gets its own fixed quote first.
    What I need from you

    A 15-minute call at launch if I opened the accounts for you. Nothing at all if you opened them yourself.

    What you get

    Complete ownership and the keys to every account, no lock-in, no required monthly retainer, and someone who already knows your setup if you want more done later.

You can see it all, as it happens

Every project comes with a private portal. Sign in whenever you like to see where things stand, without waiting for a status email.

  • Where things stand

    Each project's status, what is being worked on now, and the target dates.

  • Updates from me

    Dated notes as work lands, emailed to you as well if you like.

  • Your agreements and files

    The signed agreement, each statement of work, and anything else I share, kept there for good.

  • Invoices in one place

    Every invoice with its status, payable online or by e-transfer, and a receipt once it is paid.

ourmodule.com/portal
A customer's project page in the OurModule portal: status, what is being worked on, dated updates, the statement of work, and invoices
A project in the portal: status, updates, paperwork, and invoices in one place.

Avoiding the IT horror stories

Most people have heard a story about a build that went badly. Here is how this process avoids the classic pitfalls.

Ownership
The story you have heardSite or system lives in the agency's accounts; leaving means a migration or a fee.
How we will workEverything in your accounts, in your name, from day one.
Pricing
The story you have heardHourly billing that creeps, or a total that grows before launch.
How we will workA fixed quote, half to start and half on delivery; it changes only when you ask for something new.
Ongoing cost
The story you have heardA required monthly retainer or maintenance plan.
How we will workNo required retainer. Running costs go straight to the providers, at cost.
Who you talk to
The story you have heardAn account manager, then a project manager, then a developer.
How we will workOne person, the one building it.
Documentation
The story you have heardA login and a goodbye.
How we will workPlain-language documentation, so any developer can pick it up.
Availability
The story you have heardSupport in a distant time zone, with replies days later.
How we will workLondon, Ontario, on North American hours, with replies within one business day.
How things are explained
The story you have heardJargon that leaves you more confused after the meeting than before it.
How we will workPlain English. Technical detail lives in your documentation, not in our meetings, unless you want it.
Strings attached
The story you have heardDiscounts that require testimonials, reviews, or referrals.
How we will workThe quote is the quote. No strings.
Robert Smith at his desk
Who you'll be working with

Robert Smith

I know these stories because I have been on your side of the fence: I have hired agencies that did exactly this, and yes, it drove me crazy. Every conversation, every build, and every handover in the six steps above is with me personally.

More about me

Common questions

The things people ask before they say yes. If yours is not here, it is one short email away.

  • What if I want to stop partway through?

    You can. You pay for the work done up to that point, and whatever exists is yours, in your accounts, documented, so any other developer could carry it on.

  • What if I change my mind about something?

    Small changes are part of building, and check-ins exist to catch them early. If you want something genuinely new, I tell you what it costs and how it affects the schedule, and you decide. The price never moves without your yes.

  • How do we stay in touch?

    Email for most things, a call when talking is quicker, and in person if you are in London, Ontario and prefer it. You hear from me at every milestone at minimum, and I always reply within one business day. There is no account manager and no support queue: you always talk to me.

  • What do I need to prepare?

    Nothing formal. Bring the problem, and my questions will draw out the rest: what is slow, who does it today, and what better looks like. There are no forms to fill out and nothing to install. Just show me your process and I will handle the rest.

  • What if something breaks later?

    Tell me and I will look at it. If something I built turns out to have a fault, I fix it, and that is not billable work. Changes to outside services, changes made by others, and new requests get a fixed quote first.

  • What if I already have a website or system?

    Often we can build on it. Sometimes improving what you have is right; sometimes rebuilding is faster and cheaper. I tell you honestly which I think applies. For anything substantial, I can start with a fixed-price audit: a plain-English report on what you have, what is solid, and what to keep, fix, or replace.

  • What will I have to sign?

    Less than you might expect. One short master agreement that sets the ground rules, signed once, then a one-page statement of work for each module with the fixed price and what you will receive. If you want a confidentiality agreement before you show me anything, ask and I will send one the same day. Everything is signed electronically by email, and the signed copies live in your portal.

  • How do payments work?

    Each module has its own fixed price: half to start, half when it is delivered. No hourly billing, no retainer, and the small running costs for things like hosting go straight to the providers, in your own accounts.

The research agrees: small beats big

Decades of studies of software projects point the same way. The bigger the single bet, the worse the odds, and the projects that pay off are the ones delivered in small, finished pieces. That is the whole idea behind OurModule.

This is why we build one module at a time.

Every project here starts with one small piece, scoped to land in weeks and prove itself in daily use before the next one is quoted. You get the approach the research says works, while the businesses still buying the giant project walk into the old traps.

Smaller bets, faster results, and no big-bang launch to lose sleep over.

Ready when you are.

The first conversation is free, and so is the quote. Tell me what is slow or frustrating, and I will take it from there.

Start your projectBack to the overview

See how this runs for each kind of project: Websites · Business systems · AI workflows