About the Collective
We are a software engineering collective building internal systems and real products for companies that value reliability over hype.
The collective consists of around ten senior, independent engineers working together under a shared structure. Each member remains a freelancer, but we collaborate as a unit: one team, one delivery standard, one invoice.
Why We Exist
We built this collective to solve a recurring problem we kept seeing on both sides of the table: companies need strong engineering outcomes, but classic agencies are expensive and inflexible, while solo freelancers don't scale or disappear over time.
Most companies don't fail because they lack ideas. They struggle because internal tools rot, MVPs break, and systems become too risky to touch.
Hiring a full development team is slow and expensive. Agencies come with overhead and long contracts. Ad-hoc freelancers solve one problem and leave another behind.
Our answer is a middle ground: a small, senior, product-focused collective that delivers like a team, but stays as flexible as freelancers.
How the Collective Works
- All members are senior engineers with product experience
- We assemble small teams per project
- We rotate internally when needed to avoid single-point dependency
- All work is invoiced through one company
- Revenue is shared internally based on contribution
- Clients always deal with one responsible contact
This structure allows us to scale up or down without changing how the client experience feels. From the outside, you work with one team. Internally, we keep flexibility, resilience, and autonomy.
What We Build
We focus on software that runs companies, not marketing experiments. Typical work includes:
- Internal tools replacing Excel and manual workflows
- Custom operational systems
- Product foundations and MVPs that need to survive real usage
- Stabilization and rescue of existing codebases
- Pragmatic AI integrations where they create real value
We don't build demo software. We build systems that people depend on.
How We Work
Our way of working is deliberately structured:
- Clear scope before writing code
- Small, focused delivery teams
- Documentation as part of delivery, not an afterthought
- Preference for simplicity over cleverness
- Client infrastructure whenever possible
- No long-term lock-in unless it makes sense for both sides
We care more about systems that age well than about speed at any cost.
What Makes Us Different
We are not
- A classic agency
- A freelancer marketplace
- A staff augmentation provider
- A venture studio chasing hype
We are
- Product-minded engineers
- Outcome-focused
- Flexible by design
- Long-term thinkers
Our goal is not to be everywhere. Our goal is to be useful, reliable, and easy to work with.
Working With Us
Some clients work with us on a single internal tool. Others continue via longer-term models like our Extended Workbench.
In all cases, collaboration starts with a clear conversation about fit, scope, and expectations.
If our way of working aligns with how you think about software, we should talk.