RaftLabs is a software development consulting partner that figures out what to build before writing any code, for clients including Vodafone, Aldi, and Wells Fargo. Unlike a dev agency that starts coding from a brief someone else wrote, RaftLabs runs a consulting engagement first: architecture decided, scope documented, cost fixed. One team handles the analysis and the build, so nothing gets lost between the plan and the product.
Most software projects go wrong before the first line of code is written. The scope wasn't defined precisely enough, the architecture wasn't chosen for the right reasons, or someone committed to a six-month build based on a 30-minute conversation. This service suits businesses that have been burned by a previous build, are comparing quotes from multiple agencies and can't reconcile the differences, or have a technical disagreement internally that needs an independent view. It's also the natural starting point for any project where the cost of a wrong direction is high.
For teams ready to go straight to build, see custom software development. For businesses validating whether to build at all, see product discovery.
01Architecture review and decisions
We look at what you're planning to build and make the architectural calls that are expensive to get wrong: single-tenant vs. multi-tenant, where the data lives, which services to own vs. outsource, and how the system scales as usage grows. Every decision gets documented with its reasoning, so your team understands the rationale, not just the outcome.
For each major component, we model the honest total cost of owning it: build time, maintenance overhead, and risk vs. the SaaS or open-source alternative. Auth, payments, search, messaging, AI. You get a clear recommendation per component, not a list of options with no guidance.
We choose the stack based on your product's actual requirements, not what's fashionable. Performance targets, team skills, hiring market, and operating model all factor in. The recommendation comes with a rationale you can defend to your board or your future engineering hires.
04Scope definition and out-of-scope list
We write a scope document precise enough to produce a fixed-price quote: user stories, data models, API surface, integration dependencies, and an explicit list of what's not included. This document removes scope creep as a cause of cost overruns before the project starts.
05Vendor and agency quote review
If you've received quotes from other teams that don't make sense, we'll read them and tell you why. Different numbers for the same product usually means different scopes -- we'll identify what's missing from each, where the risk is hidden, and what a realistic cost looks like.
06Integration and dependency mapping
We map every third-party system, API, or internal tool the product has to connect with. Timelines usually slip on integration: the API that requires a paid tier, the internal database with no export function, the auth model that fights your new architecture. We surface those before development starts.
Engagement
How the consulting engagement works
A focused engagement produces a fixed-price development plan in 1--2 weeks. No surprises, no vague milestones.
- Day 1--2
01Problem and context
We talk through your situation: what you're trying to build, what constraints exist, what decisions are already made, and what's still open. We review any existing documentation, previous quotes, or technical work that's been done.
- Days 3--5
02Architecture and stack decisions
We make the architectural calls and document each one with its trade-offs. Stack selection, build-vs-buy recommendations, and integration mapping all happen here. Nothing left as "we'll figure it out later."
- Days 5--7
03Scope definition
We write the scope document: what's in, what's out, and what the build milestones look like. User stories and acceptance criteria, not a vague feature list. This is the document the development team works from.
- Day 8--10
04Fixed-price plan
We produce the development plan: phased roadmap, sprint-level timeline, and a fixed cost per phase. You have everything you need to make a go/no-go decision, or to take to any development team.
- Step 05
05Handover and Q&A
We walk you through every decision and document. If anything needs revisiting or you want to adjust scope before development starts, we do it here. The plan is final and build-ready at the end of this session.
Get the plan before you commit to the build.
Walk us through your product and what you've already tried. We'll scope it, make the architecture calls, and give you a fixed-cost development plan.
