How We Work
The operating model behind the delivery. How constraints shape decisions, how cycles run, and what handoff actually means.
Operating principles
The principles that guide how we make decisions and deliver work.
Constraints come before solutions
We map governance paths, security review requirements, and legacy integration points before proposing solutions. If a solution won't survive InfoSec review, it's not viable.
First call: "Who needs to sign off?" and "What failed review before?" Second call: options that fit those constraints.
Decisions must be reversible
Small interfaces, clear boundaries, documented trade-offs. If a choice locks you in or creates hidden dependencies, we flag it immediately. Even if it slows delivery.
We choose options with an exit path: standard formats, clear interfaces, and seams you can swap without rewriting everything.
Progress is measured by reviewable output
Progress is tracked through concrete artefacts stakeholders can validate: working code, documented decisions, integration proofs, threat models.
We optimise for outputs that unblock decisions, not activity that looks busy.
Ownership is non-negotiable
Every engagement is designed so your team owns the outcome. We don't deliver systems that require us to run them. You get decision records, runbooks and architectural context. Execution continues without us.
Documentation is produced alongside delivery, reviewed continuously, and validated before we step away.
Delivery loop
Delivery runs in short cycles with explicit checkpoints, surfacing risk early and keeping decisions under control.
Typical 2-week cycle structure
What needs to be true by day 10? What will stakeholders review? What unblocks the next step?
Code, integrate, or prototype. Decision rationale and trade-offs are captured as we go, not retrofitted later.
Demo the working increment. Walk through decisions. Surface concerns before they become blockers.
Continue to next cycle, pivot based on learnings, or close if the outcome is complete. No drifting cycles.
Risk is controlled
Short cycles expose issues early, when they can still be addressed without escalation.
Transitions are predictable
Stakeholders see progress continuously, making ownership transfer routine rather than disruptive.
Decisions are auditable
Rationale and constraints are recorded as work progresses, so choices remain defensible long after delivery.
What delivery actually includes
Everything needed for your teams to operate and evolve the system independently.
Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
Six months from now, someone will ask "why did we do it this way?" This lets them defend the decision or revisit it with full context.
Runbook and operational guide
Your team needs to operate this without us. Clear runbooks mean fewer 2am escalations and more confident day-to-day operation.
Threat model and security review notes
When your security team audits this later, or when you need SOC2/ISO certification, this documentation exists. Not retrofit. Not "we think it was...".
Operational readiness walkthrough
Reading docs isn't the same as running it. We ensure your team can actually operate this before we step back.
Still have questions?
Every organisation has different constraints and approval paths. Let's discuss how this model maps to your specific context.
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