Build vs buy, custom software cost, Virtual CIO, and sector-specific software realities. Written by a team that builds and operates real platforms.
A practical decision framework for 1–300 staff organisations. When does off-the-shelf SaaS stop scaling? When is custom software actually cheaper? An honest take from a team that builds both — and recommends each, when it's right.
Honest Australian ranges for SMB projects, what actually drives cost, and the hidden SaaS costs you're already paying. Plus a 5-year TCO comparison.
The patterns rarely announce themselves — they accumulate. A 7-sign diagnostic for ops leaders, with a "what to do" angle on each.
Both work. They work for different organisations, at different stages. Cost comparison, when each fits, the hybrid model, and common mistakes.
Where off-the-shelf software falls short — and what custom does about it.
The donor CRM / accounting / grant reporting stack almost fits. The cost is the gap between "almost" and "actually." Plus a budget reality check.
Field reps in regulated environments need sample, visit, and formulary tracking that generic CRM doesn't model. Sector-specific CRM is often overkill. Where custom wins.
Our second hockey fitness-test app times the 6 × 40 m Repeated Sprint Ability test with two phones, to a couple of milliseconds, with a still of every crossing. How it works and how we tested it.
Multi-stakeholder, season-paced, member-driven. Referee, fixture, and registration workflows that off-the-shelf doesn't fit. Plus the volunteer-and-budget reality.
The stories behind our platforms and client builds — what they solve, how we built them, and what each one shows about how Stacksy works.
A Perth keynote speaker with a decade of bookings and no website at all. No colour direction either — so we built three complete sites and handed him a password.
Same content, professional delivery — then the marketplace filled up. A Perth halal meat rebuild that gained a deli and a catering arm within a fortnight of launch.
The Deputy alternative built specifically for sports and community clubs. The case study of pricing utilities like utilities, not like enterprise SaaS.
Field-first software for Australian medical and pharma reps. The case study of building for an underserved middle of the market.
The feedback platform tackling community sport's officiating crisis. The case study of going deep on a sector before writing code.
The workspace we built for ourselves — tickets, projects, conversations, ops in one fast place. The case study of internal-tool-becomes-SaaS.
A zero-PII, two-way anonymous feedback platform. The case study of building software where the principles are non-negotiable.
Affordable dynamic QR codes that are yours. The case study of disrupting a utility category that incumbents left lazy.
Branded shortlinks on your own domain, with click tracking and bio pages. The case study of "bring your own domain" done right.