Custom software,
done with full honesty.
With us, technology is no longer something cold or scary. We offer tech solutions that truly fit your needs, even if it means we don’t build it.
Seattle-based, working worldwide
Problems we solve
If you have these frustrations, you’ve come to the right place!
Your business is unique, and the current SaaS doesn’t cut it.
You fit your business to a tool, because the tool doesn’t fit you.
You want to start building your own tools, but don’t know how to.
Using AI gives you something that feels like working, but only the feel.
You have been “burned” by a sketchy and/or cold dev shop before.
A big quote with reasons you don’t understand.
Services
Honesty is what we value the most.
Whatever we end up offering you, we will be transparent with our process and pricing.
Tech Consulting
With 8+ years of experience working with small to mega projects, we can lead you to a correct direction, even if it means you don’t keep working with us.
Custom Software
Not only can we build a software that fit your business perfectly, we have extended experience in operating it under harsh conditions.
Fractional CTO
You don’t need to hire somebody to hire engineers! We are all you need to launch a tech team from scratch, from hiring to PdM.
Our forte
Areas we feel especially confident about.
While we can handle various problems in many industries, here are some areas where we have gone deep.
Supply Chain
Integrating a supply chain with countless stakeholders.
Food & Agriculture
Handling of perishable goods with complex order management.
Japan-US Bridge
Bilingual tech support, localization, Japan/US expansion.
Social Awareness
First-hand experiences with LGBTQIA+, disability, immigration, AAPI.
Science
Working with academic institutions, professors, students, etc.
About me
Hi, I’m Rio!
Rio (Taiga) Araki(they/them)LinkedIn
Wesleyan University
I started my engineering career in 2018 at Recruit Holdings (parent company of Indeed) in Japan, working for Japan’s biggest real estate platform. Since then, I worked with multiple clients, ranging from a founding technical hire to a part of a gov-funded project. I moved to Seattle in 2022 with my partner and a golden retriever, Perry! I’m an immigrant from Japan and a proud non-binary.
Software engineering
- React
- React Native
- Ruby on Rails
- Java
- TypeScript
- Ruby
- Python
- Postgres
Tech management
- Technical hiring
- Building teams from zero
- Engineering management
- Product management
- Project management
- Remote & cross-timezone teams
Tools & infrastructure
- AWS
- Docker
- GitHub Actions
- WordPress
- Figma
- Claude API
- Google Apps Script
Work
What that has looked like in practice.
Agriculture
Supply Chain Management System
A Japanese agricultural distributor hired us as their first technical person of any kind. Nobody at the company had run a distribution business before, so there was no spec to build from. We went and found out how the work actually happened, then built the system that runs their operation today.
Impact
- $8M+
- a year in sales handled
- 0
- downtime at system migration
- 5 years
- in production
Artificial Intelligence
Original AI Model for Supply Chain Automation
This is the next step after the system itself. We’re building an AI agent that answers questions from people all over the supply chain, and creates and updates their data when they ask for it. The harder part is allocation, the most complicated and most expensive decision in agricultural distribution. Our own model takes a set of purchases and orders and proposes the best way to match them up. It’s live, and still early.
Impact
- −50%
- operational mistakes (target)
- −60%
- time spent on allocation (target)
- 3–5×
- scale, with the same team (target)
Healthcare
Full Website Renewal with SEO
The website was how this mental health clinic got almost all of its patients, so the rebuild had to carry real weight. We interviewed the owner about his business, mocked up the screens with him until we agreed, and spent the most time on the page that mattered most: the reservation form. The keywords we went after came out of those same interviews.
Impact
- ~20
- English keywords at the top of Google
- 50+
- SEO articles published
- 6 years
- and still running
Process
We take pride in a transparent, easy-to-understand process.
At each step, we communicate clearly with plain language and respect. Our typical engagement looks like this.
Talk
We ask about your business before we make anything.
Investigate
We interview and/or visit your company to truly understand how the work gets done, including unwritten rules.
Mock
We code and provide you with semi-working prototype to confirm that we’re on the same page.
Build
You see the process as we build it; we know that sometimes you need to see a running software to know what you want.
Operate
We can stay with you and make sure our software is properly installed and everybody is on board.
Our tech consulting and fractional CTO services are unique for each project. Please contact us and we’re happy to talk about what your process would look like!
FAQ
Common questions.
How do I know if I need custom software at all?
That’s exactly why we’re here to help you! We have extended experience in providing businesses with a tech solution that they truly need.
Who will actually be doing the work?
Rio handles and takes responsibility for every step of your project. They are the one who talks to you, and also the one who codes majority of a system, if not all.
Can you work with a Japanese company, or a Japanese team?
Absolutely! Rio is a bilingual who has worked in both Japan and the United States. They have deep understanding of both cultures, and any work task can be performed in either language.
How much does it cost, and are there hidden costs?
It depends on the work, so we talk about it case by case. You get the number before anything starts, and it doesn’t change unless you agree to it. If something comes up that would change the price, you hear it from us before we do the work, not on the invoice.
How long will it take?
We can’t answer that during the first meeting because answering that would be dishonest. You will get a real schedule after we agree on what to make over a prototype. Alternatively, we can propose a system that fits your deadline.
Who owns the code?
You do, unless we agree on something else for a specific project. The source code and documentation are yours to keep.
After it launches, are we stuck paying you forever?
No! While you have an option to keep us around for installation and operation of the system, we can part ways with no strings attached after the launch.
Contact
We’re looking forward to working with you!
Please feel free to contact us, and we will schedule a 30 minute free consultation.