Hiring someone to build inside your early-stage chaos is a leap of faith. Here’s exactly how I work, so it feels less like one.
Most of my engagements run two to six weeks, scoped to a single sharp question. I work as one person across the whole loop, discovery, design, and build, which means no handoffs, no team to coordinate, and no translation loss between “what we learned” and “what we shipped.” You get speed because there’s no one to hand the baton to.
Here’s the shape of it.
FIRST THING’S FIRST
Before we start: a scoping conversation
We start with a short, no-obligation call to figure out whether this is a fit. You tell me the problem, however messy. I’ll tell you honestly whether it’s something I can move fast on, what I’d focus on first, and roughly what it would take. If I’m not the right person for it, I’ll say so and point you somewhere better. You leave the call with a clearer problem either way.
Week one: we find the real question
Early-stage problems are fuzzy on purpose, that’s what makes them worth solving. The first job is getting specific: who this is really for, what they’re actually trying to do, and what evidence would tell us we’re right or wrong. I’ll talk to your users or your team, dig into what already exists, and come back with a sharp, testable question instead of a vague mandate. This is where a lot of engagements quietly change direction, because the obvious problem often isn’t the real one.
The middle: I build and test
I design the experience and build a working prototype, real enough to put in front of real users. Not a clickable mockup, not a slide deck, something that actually runs. Then we get it into users’ hands and watch what happens. I share progress as I go, so you’re never waiting weeks in the dark, and you can steer as evidence comes in. This is the part most teams find surprising, because assumptions meet reality here, and reality usually has notes.
THE END
You leave with signal and something that runs
When we wrap, you have two things. First, a clear read on whether this direction is worth pursuing, grounded in how real users actually responded, not in opinion. Second, a working artifact you own completely: something you can build on, demo to investors, hand to your engineers, or take straight into your roadmap. There’s no dependency on me to make sense of it, and no open-ended retainer you have to keep feeding. The goal is to leave you with momentum, not a monthly invoice.
What I need from you
The engagements that go best share three things: a real problem you genuinely care about solving, access to the people it’s for (your users, or a fast path to them), and a willingness to let evidence change the plan. If you have those, we’ll do good work together.
And if you need more than a sprint
Some founders don’t need a one-off project, they need a builder-operator alongside them through an extended ambiguous stretch. If that’s you, we can talk about an ongoing fractional arrangement instead. But most people start with a single scoped engagement, and I’d usually recommend that, it’s the lowest-risk way to find out what it’s like to work together.
Have a hard problem you want built and validated, not just advised on?
That’s the work I do best. If you’re sitting on an ambiguous, important idea and you’d rather have a working prototype and real user signal in a few weeks than another quarter of debate, let’s talk.
FAQs
Is your process different when working on smaller projects?
Yes, and that’s by design. Not every problem needs a full sprint. If your question is narrow enough, sometimes a few days of focused discovery, a tightly scoped prototype, or a single build is all it takes. We’ll size the engagement to the question, not the other way around. If you’re not sure how big your problem actually is, that’s exactly what the scoping call is for.
How much do you charge?
Engagements are scoped and priced per project, not by the hour, so you know the cost up front and there are no surprise invoices. Most sprints fall within a predictable range depending on scope and timeline, and I’ll give you a clear number in our scoping call before you commit to anything. If budget is a constraint, tell me early and we’ll find the version of the work that fits it.
I already know what I need and don’t need validation. Can I save time and money and have you skip that part?
Sometimes, yes. If you’ve already done the discovery and have real evidence for what you need, we can go straight to building, and I’ll tell you honestly on our call if I think that’s the right move. But I’ll also be straight with you: the “build only, skip validation” path is where I see the most expensive mistakes, because the thing everyone is sure about is often the thing users quietly reject. If you’re confident, we can absolutely move fast. I’ll just make sure you’re choosing that with eyes open.
Can I apply to work as a contractor?
I run Idealis as a solo studio, that’s part of what keeps it fast and low-overhead, so I’m not currently bringing on contractors. That said, I like knowing good people. If you do work that complements mine, feel free to reach out and introduce yourself, and I’ll keep you in mind if a project ever calls for an extra set of hands.
Idealis 