Second Opinion
You're facing one decision: rewrite or refactor, microservices or modular monolith, this stack or that one, buy or build. Send me the context, I read your code, and you get a written recommendation with the trade-offs named, plus a call to argue about it. Async, one week, fixed price.
One architecture question, answered in writing.
Big engagements need trust that doesn't exist yet. This is the small first step: a real decision, properly analyzed, at a price that doesn't need a procurement process. An outside architect can also say the thing your own team can't say without career risk.
What enters evidence.
- Deliverable 01
- Written analysis of your specific decision (10–20 pages)
- Deliverable 02
- Repo review, I read the actual code, not just your description
- Deliverable 03
- Trade-offs named explicitly, with a recommendation I'll defend
- Deliverable 04
- Effort and risk estimates for each path
- Deliverable 05
- 60-minute call to challenge the recommendation
How the case runs.
Day 1, Brief: you send the question, the context, and repo access.
Day 2–5, Analysis: I read, prototype if needed, and write.
Day 6–7, Delivery: written recommendation + a call where you push back.
Who books this.
- 01
CTOs and team leads facing a fork-in-the-road decision
- 02
Teams split between two architectures who need a tiebreaker
- 03
Companies that want to test working with me before anything bigger
German SMEs can often fund part of this
This kind of engagement is frequently eligible for BAFA consulting funding (up to 50%) and, in NRW, the MID programme. Public funding runs through 2026. You apply, eligibility depends on your company; I'll point you to the right programme on the call.
01What kind of question fits this format?
One concrete fork in the road: rewrite or refactor, microservices or modular monolith, this stack or that one, buy or build. Anything where two credible paths exist and the cost of choosing wrong is high. Broad questions like 'review everything' fit an audit better.
02Do you actually read our code?
Yes, that is the point. I read the repository rather than working from your description of it, because the description is usually where the assumptions hide. I will prototype a risky part if that is what settles the question.
03What do we receive?
A written analysis of ten to twenty pages with the trade-offs named explicitly, a recommendation I will defend, effort and risk estimates for each path, and a sixty-minute call where you push back on it.
04Why is this cheaper than an audit?
It is deliberately the smallest way to work with me. One decision, fixed price, one week, no procurement process. Most people who book something larger start here.
Still unsure whether this is the right shape of work?
Book a call