Feasibility Sprint
You have a machine, a spec, or an API document on your desk. You don’t know if the software side is doable, how long it would take, or whether there’s a cheaper way around it. Most people would start by selling you a project. I start by giving you an answer.
What you get#
- A written assessment, 3–5 pages. Whether it can be done, which routes exist, what each one costs and risks, and which one I’d take. If it applies, I’ll also explain why I think you shouldn’t build it at all.
- A running demo. If it’s technically feasible, you get something you can run, not a diagram. Mock mode where needed, so nothing touches your credentials or your equipment.
- A straight answer. It isn’t a sales document with a proposal attached.
What I need from you
- The device manual, API doc, drawings or spec.
- One 45-minute call.
- A named person I can ask questions to during the three days.
The terms#
“Not feasible” costs the same as “feasible”. That way I have no reason to tell you what you want to hear, and you keep the written analysis either way, which is usually the part that saves you the most money. If I can’t reach any conclusion because the information isn’t there, you get everything back, and I’ll tell you within 24 hours. If we go ahead and build it, the $750 comes off the project price in full. Your documents stay yours, and I’ll sign your NDA before you send anything.
Scope and price#
| Tier | Price | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $750 | One device, one interface, or one clear technical question. Assessment plus a minimal demo. |
| Extended | $1,500 | Several devices, systems that have to talk to each other, or a genuine architecture choice. Assessment, a runnable prototype, and a recommendation. |
I limit my own time: twelve hours on a standard sprint, twenty-four on an extended one. The limit protects you. An engineer who has put forty hours into an assessment finds it hard to conclude “don’t build this”, and an independent answer is what you’re paying for.
When this is the right move#
- You’ve been asked to quote something and you’re not sure what you’d be agreeing to.
- A piece of equipment has no documented interface and you need to know whether it can be read at all.
- Someone told you it’s impossible and you’d like a second read.
- You’re choosing between two architectures and want the trade-offs written down by someone who would have to live with the result.
When it isn’t
- You already know exactly what you want built. Skip this. Send me the scope and I’ll give you a fixed-price quote for free.
- You want a general technology strategy review. This isn’t that.
- You just want a gut feeling. Send it over and I’ll give you a one-line answer for free. If the honest answer is “it depends”, which it usually is, that’s when a sprint is worth paying for.
“Why is an assessment paid? Everyone else does it free.”#
Because free assessments are sales documents. Their conclusion is almost always “yes, and it will cost X”, since that’s how the person writing them gets paid. Here you’re paying for an answer that can be no. And if the answer is yes, the fee comes off the project, so it costs you nothing in the end.
Send me what’s on your desk: the manual, the spec, the drawing, or just the question. I’ll tell you within a day whether a sprint is the right thing to buy. Start here