Established small and medium-sized businesses have different goals than tech startups.

We call this the “thoroughbred” option. 

A thoroughbred is exciting, and that’s precisely what our clients don’t need.

Our clients need software that will work well tomorrow, next year, and the year after that.

We call this the “workhorse” option.

Workhorse software does its job quietly, dependably, without too much kicking or complaining.

With the right care, the workhorse can have an extraordinarily long and productive life.

Over time, it makes you a lot more money than it costs you.

We build and maintain workhorse products for private, small to medium-sized businesses with greater than £1m in revenue. 

The SMBs we serve usually aren’t technology companies. 

Yet, they still need applications to automate certain tasks and processes and mitigate or minimise staffing costs.

They usually don’t have a CTO or in-house staff with the technical expertise required to support the application effectively. 

Yet, they still need a team of technical experts who think and act like business partners, not vendors. 

Foxsoft is that team. We give our clients a proven process to keep their apps working and proactively make them better. 

We turn applications from liabilities into assets.

Do you need a workhorse app?

Whether you work with our team or not, here’s what we recommend:

1. Embrace a "Support & Maintenance First" philosophy

To build software that keeps working, you have to think beyond the project brief.

Our founder, Andy Henson, used to work on the IT support and management side too. He spent many, many hours listening to end users complain rightfully about how poorly-built apps made their jobs harder.

If you want software that actually makes work and life easier, then you must work with the right technologies in an established ecosystem (e.g., Ruby on Rails). 

That way, you know it’s going to last a long time. It’s not a fad. Lots of developers will still be working with it five years from now.

Foxsoft brings a holistic, long-term, systems-oriented mindset to the products we build (and rescue). 

2. Trust the Four Pillars

Once you finally commit to building software, it’s tempting to dive right in. How soon can we get started?! Maybe we could have a working version by the end of the year?

A product roadmap will help you pump the brakes (a little at least), ask the right questions, and ensure that you’re putting a Support & Maintenance First philosophy into practice:

Once development starts, an Agile Everything approach with short feedback loops will get you to honest feedback and improvements faster. 

To create a valuable asset, you must be in an investment, not an expense, frame of mind.

Already have a Ruby on Rails app?

We’re good at rescuing projects and getting clients on a stable footing. 

We’ll start with a Foundation Audit and then tell you precisely what you need to do for Safety, Resilience, Adaptability, and Documentation. Our on-demand development team can augment your in-house team with minimal disruption to overall workflow.

We’ll get your app back to where it should be and keep it there.

To start the conversation, book a 20-minute consultation

3. Invest in obvious value

It won’t surprise you that software is like anything else. You get what you pay for.

As you find the right balance between up-front cost and long-term value, focus on the six ways the best Ruby on Rails development makes the value obvious:

If these six facets of value matter to you, then start the conversation with us

4. Update often

Getting an up-to-date, reliable software product is one thing. Keeping it is another.

Thankfully, this isn’t as complex as it sounds:

There’s no such thing as perfect software; improving the application can’t just be about clean code but achieving bigger business objectives.

We use the judgment gained from 20+ years of building software to know which bugs and issues are worth fixing and which ones aren’t.

Traits Important to Foxsoft

We don’t enjoy talking ourselves up, but we thought it’d be helpful for you to know what’s important to us:

1

Flexibility

We can work with your in-house technical team or fill both the fractional CTO and technical roles for you. An on-demand team that can augment the in-house team with minimal disruption to your overall workflow.

2

Trustworthiness

We still have our earliest clients on board, and we won their trust through technical expertise, honesty, and an enduring commitment to their needs. We must counterbalance our love of wielding tech with the more pragmatic aim of finding the best solution within your budget.

3

Clarity of Thinking

We’re really good at helping our clients define the problem itself. What are you solving for? What are the root causes? How will you know that the problem is fully solved? What’s truly required to get the job done? We’ll help you confront reality. Better questions lead to better software products.

4

Collaborative Persistence

We keep in touch with you, and we keep going long after other developers would have given up. 

It’s your move

When you’re hiring a Ruby on Rails agency, treat the process like speed-dating.

Disqualifying the wrong matches quickly is a positive thing. In fact, one sign of a good agency is knowing which clients you work best with and can produce the best results for. 

They save you time and money by saying no to you. 

With that in mind, let’s date, shall we?