How / The five phases

Five phases. Free demo on staging within 48 hours.

Every project — site, AI integration, SaaS, custom software — runs through the same five phases: Discover, Derive, Design, Build, Deploy. The free written audit happens before any contract. Staging demos within 48 hours. Production deploy at week-of-spec.

Get a free audit → See case studies

→The pipeline

The five phases

Free written audit in 48 hours, no sales call. About 1 in 3 readers self-implement and never hire — which is fine. The other 2 hire because the audit shows they can trust the work.

1. Discover — Free audit, 48 hours

You send the URL or describe the problem. We send back a written audit covering current state, gaps, and what we would build. No sales call required, no obligation. Most clients hire after this — about 1 in 3 read it and self-implement, which is fine.

technical audit of current site
AI surface audit (how you appear in ChatGPT/Claude/Perplexity)
schema and metadata audit
recommendation memo with priorities

2. Derive — Statement of work

Fixed-price quote with milestones, deliverables, and a payment schedule. No T&M, no scope creep, no surprise invoices. You see the price before you commit.

fixed price
milestone-based payment
defined deliverables

3. Design — Architecture + UI

Information architecture, content outline, schema plan, UI design (Figma or working HTML staging). One revision round included. Approval triggers Build.

content + schema architecture
visual design
tech stack decisions documented

4. Build — Loom updates weekly

Hand-coded build on staging. Loom video update every Friday. You see the work in progress and can redirect early. No 6-week silence followed by a "ta-da".

weekly Loom updates
staging URL throughout
open Slack/email channel

5. Deploy — Production + handover

Production deploy, DNS cutover (we handle it), schema validated, sitemap submitted, IndexNow ping, monitoring live. Documentation handed over. Training session for your team.

DNS + SSL cutover
monitoring + alerts live
full docs handed over
30-180 day support window

→Realism

Where projects typically take longer than 1 week

The build phase is fast because the other phases are not skipped. When a build slips, it is almost always because content or stakeholder feedback slips, not because code slips.

Risk 1

Content delays

If you do not have product photos, copy, or testimonials ready, the build pauses. We can write copy as part of the engagement (Tier 4+ websites) but stock photography is on you.

Risk 2

Stakeholder feedback latency

If you take a week to respond to a Loom update, the project takes a week longer. We schedule a fixed weekly review slot so this does not happen.

Risk 3

Third-party data access

Integrations need API keys, OAuth approvals, or admin access to your tools. Get these requested on day one — the approval workflow at most companies is the slow path.

Risk 4

Domain / DNS / hosting

If you do not own your DNS, we may need your registrar to grant access. Easy to fix on day one, painful to fix on launch day.