Stop renting your roadmap

In one week, prototype the in‑house replacement for the 20% of features you actually use—complete with TCO, migration plan, and a path to production.

Book a Prototype in the RoomSee the scorecard & calculator
Why CFOs choose this path

Lower run‑rate, shorter payback. Swap seat bloat for a thin system you own.

Faster change, fewer surprises. Release on your cadence instead of a vendor roadmap.

Cleaner integrations & control. Native auth/data, fewer brittle workarounds, auditable logic.

Right‑sized UX. Thin UIs for operators; agents do the heavy lifting.

What you get in a week
  • A working replacement slice for the high‑value 20% you actually use.
  • A TCO & payback model grounded in your real costs.
  • A migration plan (exports/imports, mappers, checklist).
  • A path to production (30‑60‑90, staffing, risk register).

Delivered via Prototype in the Room (1–5 days).

Rapid prototyping engagements start at $6,500/day. One‑week sprint pricing on request.
How it works (Mon–Fri)
  1. Day 0 — Prep (async). Cost/usage snapshot, export paths, obligations.
  2. Day 1 — Capability map. Must‑have journeys; pick the smallest viable slice.
  3. Days 2–3 — Prototype. End‑to‑end workflow (UI, data, auth, audit) with sample data and smoke tests.
  4. Days 4–5 — Decision & plan. TCO/ROI, risk, 30‑60‑90, migration checklist.
Download sample agenda
When to build vs. buy vs. blend

Build: the 20% you hammer daily and need to change often.

Buy: regulated/commodity domains (payroll, tax, payments).

Blend: keep a minimal vendor core; wrap unique flows with agents.

Use the scorecard to decide. ≥26/40 = strong candidate.

Risk, security, and governance

We follow least‑privilege, encrypt in transit/at rest, keep RBAC + audit from week one, and use ask‑to‑act gates for writes. You leave with a risk register and DR/BCP notes appropriate to scope.

Book a Prototype in the Room

Build vs. Buy — Tools

Run the payback math and score agent readiness side‑by‑side.

Buy vs Build ROI Calculator

Compare the total cost of a SaaS subscription (buy) vs building in‑house (build). Adjust inputs to see payback, NPV, IRR, and savings.

Buy (SaaS)

$
$
$

Time/contractor costs to administer the SaaS

Baseline SaaS (B)$75,000
Buy TCO (B + admin)$85,000

Build (in‑house)

$

Fractional FTE to maintain feature parity

$
$
Run‑rate (R)$20,000
Build cost (C)$25,000

Financial Settings

Used for NPV and IRR calculations

Results

Annual savings (B + admin − R)$65,000
Monthly savings$5,417
Payback4 mos, 19 days
3-yr NPV$136,645
3-yr undiscounted net$170,000
3-yr ROI (undisc.)680.0%
IRR (3 yrs)254.15%
Discount rate used10.00%

Assumptions & Notes

  • Baseline SaaS B = seats × price/seat × 12 + overages.
  • Buy TCO includes your annual admin/ops cost for the SaaS.
  • Run‑rate R = infra + (maintenance FTE × loaded cost).
  • Build cost C = days × blended rate (one‑time at t=0).
  • Payback (months) = 12 × C ÷ (Buy TCO − R). If savings ≤ 0, there’s no payback.
  • NPV/IRR use annual cashflows: −C at t=0; +Savings at t=1..N.
  • Results are directional and exclude taxes, risk adjustments, and scope creep.