Dev Shops Build What You Ask For. We Build What You Actually Need.
Reyem Tech delivers custom software development for startups and SMBs across Canada and the US burned by dev shops that shipped spaghetti code. Unlike typical dev shops, our work is CTO-led: a fractional CTO owns the architecture, code quality, and long-term maintainability so your engineering team inherits something they can actually build on. Senior developers, fixed-price engagements, and a written architecture decision record on day one.
What We Deliver: Custom Software Development Built to Last
Software built with CTO-grade architecture, documentation, and knowledge transfer — not just code.
MVP & Product Development
From validated concept to market-ready product. We scope aggressively, build incrementally, and ship what matters. Every MVP ships with architectural decision records so your next team knows why the code looks the way it does.
You get: A production-deployed MVP with documented architecture, test coverage, and a prioritized feature backlog for your next phase.
Legacy System Modernization
Modernize or replace aging systems that slow your business — without the "big bang" rewrite risk. We pay down technical debt as part of the migration, not after.
You get: A phased migration plan, working replacement system, data migration, and zero-disruption cutover.
System Integration & API Development
Connect your tools, platforms, and data sources into a unified ecosystem that eliminates manual work.
You get: Documented API contracts, working integrations, monitoring, and an integration architecture your team can extend.
Cloud Architecture & Infrastructure
Design and build cloud infrastructure that scales with your business — not infrastructure you'll outgrow in 6 months.
You get: Infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and a runbook your team can operate.
Web & Mobile Applications
Responsive web applications and native mobile apps built with the same architectural rigor as enterprise software.
You get: Production applications with automated testing, performance benchmarks, and deployment automation.
Rescue & Recovery
Inherited a codebase nobody can maintain? Dev shop delivered spaghetti code? We diagnose, stabilize, and chart a path forward with senior developers — no junior handoffs, no learning on your dime.
You get: A technical audit report, stabilization fixes, and a prioritized remediation roadmap — so you know exactly what you're dealing with.
Who This Is For: Founders Burned by Dev Shops, or Planning Ahead
CTO-led development is built for leaders who need more than code — they need a technical partner.
The Founder With a Validated Idea
"I've validated the market opportunity and I'm ready to build. But I've heard too many horror stories about dev shops delivering something unusable. I need a technical partner who will challenge my assumptions and build something that survives past launch."
The CEO With a Broken System
"Our critical system was built by an agency 5 years ago. Nobody on our team understands it. Every change takes weeks and breaks something else. I need someone who can diagnose the mess, stabilize it, and chart a path forward without starting from scratch."
The CTO Who Needs Capacity
"I have a strong architecture vision but my team is stretched thin. I need senior developers who can execute at my standards — not juniors I have to babysit. I need people who understand why we made the decisions we made."
The Operations Leader Automating Workflows
"We have 3 systems that don't talk to each other. Every month-end close takes a week of manual data entry. I need someone to connect everything and automate the painful parts — and document it so we're not dependent on them forever."
Signs Your Software Development Partner Is Failing You
These are the patterns we see over and over in the codebases we inherit. If three or more sound familiar, your current partner isn't working out.
Commits go in with no description — or worse, messages like "fixed stuff"
There are no automated tests, no CI pipeline, no deploy documentation
Every small change breaks something unexpected in a different part of the app
Nobody on the team can explain why the code is structured the way it is
Invoices routinely exceed estimates and "unexpected complexity" is the only explanation
The architecture was never documented — and the original developer left months ago
How Our Custom Software Development Engagement Works
A structured process from scoping to independence.
Discovery & Scoping
Weeks 1-2
Architecture-first discovery: we map your business goals, technical constraints, and success criteria. You receive a scoping document with architecture recommendations, technology choices, timeline, and fixed-price estimate.
Foundation Sprint
Weeks 2-4
Set up infrastructure, CI/CD, architecture scaffolding, and deliver the first working increment. You see deployable code within the first month.
Iterative Development
Months 1-6
2-week sprints with deployed increments. Architecture reviews at every milestone. You have visibility into progress and can course-correct continuously.
Handoff & Independence
Final 2-4 weeks
Documentation, knowledge transfer sessions, team training, and operational handoff. Goal: your team operates the system independently.
Decision gate:
After each phase, you decide whether to continue. No multi-year contracts, no lock-in.
Cost Comparison
How CTO-led development compares to the alternatives.
| CTO-Led Development | Traditional Dev Shop | In-House Team | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical project cost | $50K - $300K | $30K - $200K | $500K+ first year |
| Architecture quality | CTO-grade, documented | Variable, undocumented | Depends on talent |
| Time to first delivery | 2-4 weeks | 4-8 weeks | 3-6 months (after hiring) |
| Post-delivery maintenance | Team can maintain independently | Ongoing support contract required | Self-sufficient |
| Hidden costs | None | Rework, re-architecture, vendor lock-in | Recruiting, benefits, management overhead |
| Risk of rewrite in 2 years | Low — built for longevity | High — built to spec, not to last | Medium — depends on team stability |
Results That Matter
Measurable outcomes from CTO-led development engagements.
2.5x
Faster time-to-market vs traditional dev shops
70%
Reduction in post-launch defects
85%
Of clients maintain independently after handoff
0%
Projects requiring full rewrite within 2 years
Who This Is NOT For
You need a team of 20+ developers for an enterprise build (we can refer you)
You want the cheapest hourly rate (we optimize for outcomes, not hours)
You need staff augmentation with no technical leadership (that's a body shop)
You want to dictate every technical decision (we're partners, not order-takers)
How We Engage on Software Development
Applicable engagement depths — pick the one that matches where you are. Each is a real, scoped engagement, not a vague consultation.
For software, the Health Check runs automated scans of code quality, dependencies, test coverage, and security to show how maintainable your codebase really is and where the risk is concentrated. It's the standard $2,000 fixed-scope review of your stack, architecture, team, and risk, with a written report and a 60-minute readout in about two weeks. The full architecture review, codebase rescue, and build live in the advisory and hands-on tiers.
Ongoing architecture guidance on a monthly retainer: we review critical design decisions, evaluate technology choices, and keep your team from accumulating expensive debt — you keep your development velocity, we keep the architecture clean.
We embed as senior technical leads to own specific workstreams — feature delivery, legacy migration, API design — working inside your team's sprints with CTO-level architecture oversight on every pull request that matters.
End-to-end ownership: we scope, architect, build, and hand off your production system with full documentation, CI/CD, monitoring, and team training — so your team inherits something they can actually maintain without us.
The Reyem Tech ladder
Four buyable rungs. Pick the one that matches where you are. Each step is a real, productized engagement — not a vague consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
We choose technology based on your project requirements, team capabilities, and long-term maintenance needs — not based on what is trendy. We have deep expertise across modern web and mobile stacks, but the technology conversation happens after we understand your business goals.
Pricing follows our engagement ladder, scoped to your project. The $2,000 Technology Health Check is the entry; advisory is from $2,750/month; hands-on is from $8,000/month (an embedded fractional CTO); and a full fixed-scope build — fractional CTO plus developers at $50–$100/hour — typically runs $30K–$200K depending on scope — an MVP sits at the lower end, legacy modernization and complex integrations higher. These are typical averages for planning only — actual cost is assessed per project and scope, and is not a guaranteed price. We give a ballpark on the first call and a fixed-price estimate after scoping.
MVP: 2–4 months. Legacy modernization: 3–8 months. Complex integrations: 2–4 months. You see working software within the first 2–4 weeks of every engagement — not at the end.
Dev shops execute specifications. We own the architecture, challenge requirements, and deliver software with the documentation, testing, and knowledge transfer needed for your team to maintain it independently. Every project has CTO-level oversight — not just senior developers billed at senior rates.
Yes. We often embed alongside internal teams, providing architectural leadership and senior capacity. We mentor your developers throughout the engagement so they are stronger when we leave — not dependent on us.
We start with a technical audit — assessing architecture, code quality, test coverage, and security posture. You receive a written report with a prioritized remediation plan, whether or not you continue with us.
We design for independence. Every project includes documentation, knowledge transfer, and team training so you can operate the system without us. If you want ongoing support, we offer retainers — but the goal is that you do not need one.
A senior developer costs $150K–$200K/year plus benefits, recruiting fees, and management overhead. You also need an architect, DevOps capability, and QA coverage. We provide the full team with CTO leadership for the duration of your project — then you pay only for what you need going forward.
We take these projects on. Our rescue engagements start with a technical audit (1–2 weeks): we map what you have, identify the critical path, rank the technical debt, and propose a stabilization plan. You leave the engagement with either working code or a clear-eyed understanding of why the previous vendor failed you.
In many cases, yes. SR&ED credits apply when development involves technological uncertainty and systematic experimentation — common in novel integrations, custom ML pipelines, or greenfield architectures solving unproven problems. Straightforward CRUD apps usually do not qualify. We structure our engagements to support a SR&ED claim where applicable and recommend pairing with a specialised SR&ED accountant.
Yes. We build native and cross-platform mobile applications with the same architectural rigor we apply to web systems — including API design, offline capability, and deployment automation.
