Live
Build approved
Reviewed with clients
Week 4 of 6
HOW WE WORK
From first question to working product. Without the usual chaos.
A structured three-phase process designed for businesses that cannot afford to get this wrong.
4+ days per request Approval takes 4+ days every request
"Chase by email every time"
solves this natively solves async approval natively
Up 38 since launch
Brom
Marcus T.
How we approach it differently
Most studios start with a brief. We start with a question.
Is this the right thing to build? Is there evidence that the people you are building it for actually want it? Is there a cheaper way to find out before you commit to a build?
We ask those questions first. Not because we are cautious, but because the businesses that get this right almost always validated the opportunity before they wrote a line of code. Discovery is not a preliminary step. It is the work.
discovery · session 4 of 12
Brom S. — Lean Otter
● REC
AI
AI Transcript Live
Brom: How do you currently handle approval requests from clients?
Sarah:
Key insight: approval delays are the primary friction point. 9 of 12 participants raised this unprompted.
Our Process
Three phases. One outcome.
A structured approach that limits your risk at every stage. Each phase has a fixed price, a defined deliverable, and no obligation to continue.
01
Phase 01: Discovery
The right thing to build, before anything is built.
We interview your clients, map the competitive landscape, and pressure-test the opportunity before any design or development begins.
You leave with a clear written recommendation. Build, don't build, or build differently.
Discovery — Northbridge
12
Interviews
6
Competitors
3
Workflows
1
Recommendation
Interview participants
SR Sarah R. Head of Operations Key insight
MP Marcus P. Regional Director Done
AT Anika T. Procurement Lead Done
+8 more interviews completed
02
Phase 02: Build
A working product in your clients' hands.
The same team that ran Discovery builds it. Fixed scope, fixed cost, agreed before work begins. No surprises.
Your clients are using it without a translation layer or context lost between phases.
Advisor portal · Lean Otter Share
Section 1
ApprovalCard / Desktop
Pending approval
Contract review — Northbridge Pending
Submitted by Sarah R. · 2 hours ago Client onboarding — Westfield Approved
Submitted by Marcus P. · Yesterday Approve selected
Decline
Brom
Mike
Design Prototype
Frame
W320
Hauto
R6
Fill
#1B6B72
Text styles
BodyJakarta · 10
LabelJakarta · 8
Spacing
Pad8 10
Gap4
03
Phase 03: Partner
A partnership built around adoption and growth.
After launch, the same team works alongside you to make sure the product delivers real value for the people using it. We track adoption, identify what is working and what is not, and iterate in the direction that matters most to your clients.
The goal is a product that grows with your business, not one that needs us to keep it alive.
Northbridge Portal
Northbridge
#general
#portal-updates
#feedback
#roadmap
# portal-updates
4 members
MB
Mike Bailey Mon 9:14
Good news this week. 47 active users, up from 9 at launch. Approval time is down from 4 days to same day.
+38 users since launchSR
Sarah Reynolds Mon 9:31
Team are actually using it now — that's the main thing. Can we scope bulk approvals? Hearing it a lot from the team.
👍 2
MB
Mike Bailey Mon 9:33
Absolutely. Happy to jump on a call Thursday to scope it out.
📅 Scoping call — Thu 2pmReply...
Send
Common Questions
The things people usually ask before they reach out.
We're not a tech company. Is this relevant to us?
That is exactly the point. We work with established businesses in professional services, trades, and knowledge industries. You do not need to understand AI to work with us. You need a problem worth solving and the willingness to act on the answer.
How long does an engagement take?
Discovery is two weeks. If that is all you need, that is all you pay for. A full build typically runs eight to twelve weeks depending on scope. You will know the timeline and the cost before you commit to anything beyond the first phase.
What does it cost?
Discovery is a fixed-fee engagement. Build projects are scoped and priced after Discovery, so you know exactly what you are committing to before any significant spend. We do not bill by the hour and we do not run open-ended retainers until there is something worth maintaining.
How is this different from hiring an agency?
The people you meet at the start are the people who do the work. No account managers, no juniors, no handoffs. We also stay involved after launch to measure whether the product actually gets used. A product nobody uses is not a success, regardless of how well it was built.
We already have developers. Do we still need you?
We handle the work your developers do not have time for: defining the right problem, validating it with real users, and making sure the product gets adopted after launch. We work alongside your existing team, not instead of them.
We are not sure we are ready yet.
Most clients say that when they first reach out. Readiness is not a prerequisite. If you have a problem worth solving and a business that can act on the answer, the first conversation will tell you whether the timing is right.
START WITH A CONVERSATION
Not sure what to build first?
That's where most clients start.
You don't need a polished brief or a clear product vision. You need a problem worth solving. The first conversation is twenty minutes.
Book a twenty-minute call