A Standing Process · How clients actually work with us

How we work.

Most agencies are intentionally vague about the process. We're intentionally specific. Here's what happens, in order, from the first email to year three of being a client. Read this before signing anything with anyone — us included.

First conversation (free, 30 min)

You email me with a one-sentence description of the problem. I respond within 24 hours, usually same day. We set up a 30-min call — phone, Zoom, or in-person if you're Metro Atlanta. The call is honest scoping: I tell you which of our services fits, what doesn't, and if you'd be better off NOT working with us.

30 minutes, free, no slides
You leave with a written recommendation in your inbox by EOD
I'll explicitly tell you if our products don't fit your situation

II.

Written proposal (24-48 hours after the call)

If we're a fit, you get a written proposal within 2 business days. It includes exactly what's being built, what's NOT being built (the out-of-scope section is the most important part), pricing breakdown, timeline with milestones, and what we need from you to start. No mystery markup, no 'enterprise pricing on request.' Real numbers.

Specific scope — bullet-listed deliverables, not vague promises
Out-of-scope section is signed by both parties — protects you from scope creep, protects us from feature drift
Timeline with milestones every 2 weeks (for Custom Software) or per-week for Digital Services setup
Total cost upfront — setup + monthly, no hidden fees

III.

Build (per scope)

Once you sign and pay the deposit (50% for Custom Software, full setup fee for Digital Services), we start. You see milestones every 2 weeks for Custom Software. For Digital Services, your site is live in 5-7 business days. We send updates without you asking. If something is going to be late, you hear about it from us before the deadline, not after.

Digital Services setup: 5-7 business days to live site
Custom Software: bi-weekly milestone reviews + sign-off before next phase
We push proactive updates (you don't have to chase us)
Slack/text/email — whichever channel YOU prefer

IV.

Launch + handoff

For Digital Services: site goes live, you get walkthrough video + written handoff doc. For Custom Software: code transferred, IP transferred, deployment instructions documented. You own everything — if you ever want to leave, we hand it all over with no hostage-taking. We charge a monthly retainer because the value is in maintenance, not because we're holding your work captive.

Full code + IP transfer to you on completion
Documentation in plain language (not just code comments)
30-day post-launch warranty — anything that breaks, we fix at no charge
Off-ramp clause: terminate the retainer with 14 days notice, we hand over everything

Ongoing relationship

Digital Services clients get monthly updates + quarterly review of what's working. Custom Software clients can opt into a maintenance retainer or pay-per-fix. We respond to client emails within 24 hours during business hours, same-day for Full Service ($279/mo) subscribers. You text Elijah's personal cell when something urgent comes up — that's not a bug, that's the model.

Monthly check-in for Digital Services clients
Quarterly review of metrics + roadmap input
Direct text access for urgent stuff (no support ticket bureaucracy)
Always-on transparency about what we're working on and why

✦

The commitments.

These aren't a marketing list. They're in every contract, every engagement, every email. If we violate any of them, you have grounds to terminate and we refund.

No surprise invoices

Every dollar we charge is in the written proposal. If something changes scope, you sign off before any work happens.

No vendor lock-in

Your code, your IP, your domain, your data. If you leave, you take it all. We don't make leaving painful.

Honesty over closing

If our product doesn't fit, we say so. We've turned down deals that would have been bad fit — we'd rather lose the sale than burn the relationship.

Real response times

Same day on most emails. 4 hours on Full Service subscriptions during business hours. 24-hour max anywhere else. If we're going to miss, we tell you first.

Code you can read

Every Custom Software project ships with plain-language documentation. Even if a senior developer with no PV history needs to maintain it later, they can.

Christian-rooted ethics

We don't evangelize, but our work is shaped by it. Honesty over closing, respect over urgency, the work is the witness. If you don't share the faith, that's fine — but the ethical floor is the ethical floor.

✦

When we say no.

We turn down work. Specifically:

If your business model relies on practices we're uncomfortable with — adult, gambling, predatory finance, MLM.
If you're asking us to build something that misleads your customers (fake reviews, deceptive countdown timers, dark patterns).
If the timeline you need is faster than we can deliver well. We'd rather refer you elsewhere than ship something we'd be embarrassed by.
If a chemistry mismatch shows up on the first call — for both of us. Engagements need both sides to want to work together.
If your problem is genuinely better solved by an off-the-shelf tool. We'll tell you which one to use and walk away.

Ready for the first conversation?

Email me a one-sentence description of what you're trying to do. I'll respond same day with whether we're a fit.

Start the conversation