Notes on
building.
The Creative Collective publishes practical notes for entrepreneurs and small businesses who need building help: what custom software costs, whether to hire or outsource, and how to write a request a developer can build from.
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Build the smallest thing that proves it
Why the first version should do embarrassingly little, and how to work out which single piece actually tests whether your idea holds. Read -
What "unlimited development" actually means
Unlimited subscriptions are increasingly common and vaguely described. Here is the mechanism, where the real limit sits, and who it suits badly. Read -
How much should a small business pay for custom software?
What custom software actually costs a small business, why quotes vary so wildly, and how to tell a real number from an opening position. Read -
Should you hire a developer or use an agency?
The real trade-offs between hiring in-house, using an agency, and working with a subscription partner, including when each one is the wrong answer. Read -
Migrating off Bubble without breaking what already works
When a no-code build stops being the right home for your product, and how to move it to real code without a rewrite, a freeze, or a day of downtime. Read -
What to ask a development partner before you sign
Nine questions that separate a partner from a supplier, and what the answers tell you, including the ones where a confident reply is the warning sign. Read -
Why your last project ran over
Software projects rarely overrun because the coding took longer. They overrun for four reasons, and three of them are fixable before you start. Read -
How to write a request a developer can build from
You do not need a specification. You need to answer four questions, and most requests fail because they answer none of them. Read -
Six signs your business has outgrown its tools
How to tell the difference between tools that need replacing and tools you have simply not finished learning, before you spend money on the wrong one. Read -
The spreadsheet you should replace first
Most small businesses run on several critical spreadsheets. Here is how to work out which one is costing you money, and which ones to leave alone. Read
Twenty minutes, and you will know if this fits.
No pitch deck and no discovery phase. Tell us what you are trying to ship, and we will tell you plainly whether we are the right partner for it, including when we are not.