The Operating Promise
Six things we put in writing on every engagement. This page is what we mean by each one, and what happens when we miss.
- 01
A written status every Friday
What it means
A short written update every Friday, in your language, whether or not there's progress to report. What we did, what's next, anything that changed. Including the weeks where the answer is no progress and here's why. Those are the weeks it matters.
If we miss it
You can ask for it, and you shouldn't have to. A missed Friday without a reason is a thing to escalate, not a thing to be patient about.
- 02
A person replies within four business hours
What it means
A human reply from someone who knows your system, within four business hours. One hour if production is down, with a named person to escalate to and their number. Not an acknowledgement. A reply.
If we miss it
Escalate to Carsten, and he'll tell you why it happened.
- 03
Two people understand every system
What it means
At least two of our engineers know your system well enough to work on it. Nobody here is a single point of failure, including on holiday, including if somebody leaves. This is also why we take two clients at a time rather than four. Two people per system across four clients isn't arithmetic that works.
If we miss it
We don't take the work. This is the one we'd turn down a project over.
- 04
Nothing goes live without a runbook
What it means
Before anything runs in your business, there's a written document covering how to tell it's broken, what to check first, and who to call. Written for whoever is on shift, not for an engineer.
If we miss it
It doesn't go live.
- 05
No lock-in
What it means
A standard, boring, proven stack, named before you sign. You own the code, the documentation and every account. If you want to take it to another supplier or bring it in house, everything you'd need is already written down. We'd rather you stay because it's working than because leaving is expensive.
If we miss it
You'd know, because you'd be stuck. Ask about the stack on the first call. We'll tell you before you've paid anything.
- 06
Bad news first
What it means
If something's late, you hear it the day we know, with a new date and the reason. Not at the deadline, not when you ask.
If we miss it
This is the one that ends the relationship, and it should. Everything else here is recoverable.
The rest of it, plainly
Costs we pass through are billed at cost. No markup, and we tell you what they'll be before they start.
Quotes in EUR. Fourteen day terms. Fifty percent up front on builds.
Minimum engagement three months.
Care runs twelve months and you can stop any month after the third.
For German clients, Carsten is the named contact on the contract and the escalation endpoint. He's German, he's the person you'll be dealing with, and he's not a layer between you and the engineers.
Ask us about any of the six on the call. They're easier to check than they look.