How We Work
Four phases. No surprises. You leave understanding what was built and why.
Most tech engagements end with you more dependent than when you started. Someone built something, didn’t explain it, and now you need them to maintain it.
That is not what happens here.
Phase 1 — Assess
Before we build anything, we map everything you have.
A 2–4 hour session covering every device, every service, every account, every vulnerability. Where your data lives. What depends on what. Where the single points of failure are. What the hurricane scenario looks like for your digital life.
You receive a written report. Prioritized. Honest. Not a sales document.
Some items on the list you can act on today. Some require building new infrastructure. We discuss the sequence together.
Duration: 2–4 hours on-site
Deliverable: Written audit report with prioritized recommendations
Phase 2 — Map
Based on the assessment, we design the architecture together.
Not “here’s what I recommend you buy.” Actual architecture: what talks to what, where data lives, how backups flow, what keeps working when the internet goes out.
You make decisions with full information. If something is overkill for your situation, we say so. If something is critical and missing, we make the case plainly.
Duration: 1–2 sessions, often same day as assessment
Deliverable: Architecture diagram and build plan
Phase 3 — Build
We build alongside each other.
You are present for every piece of this. We explain every decision as we make it. If you want to understand the configuration, we explain it. If you want to understand why we’re using this software instead of that one, we explain it.
The goal is not to finish fast. The goal is for you to understand what exists in your home or office when we’re done.
Duration: 1–3 days depending on scope
Deliverable: Working systems, documented configuration
Phase 4 — Teach
Before we leave, we verify you can operate what was built.
Not “here’s a manual.” Hands-on: you run the backup manually. You check the sync. You restart the service. You know what to look for.
We document the procedures in plain language and leave that documentation with you — offline, on your local network, accessible without calling us.
The measure of success: you don’t need us to come back.
Duration: Half day
Deliverable: Operations documentation, hands-on walkthrough
After the engagement
If something breaks in the first 30 days, we come back and fix it at no charge.
After that, you have the documentation and the knowledge to handle most issues yourself. If something is genuinely complex — a hardware failure, a major platform change, a new system to integrate — we’re available.
Three assessment slots per month. Kauaʻi only. No retainers.