Custom Solutions

As a Principal Software Engineer with 15+ years of experience, I build tailored software solutions that solve your real business problems — efficiently and without unnecessary overhead. You work directly with me — no middlemen, no bloat — just clear agreements, fast delivery, and transparent billing.

1. Discovery & Requirements

Discovery and Research Process

Every project starts with a clear understanding of what problem we’re solving.

Together, we define:

  • The main goal and success criteria.
  • A realistic Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that delivers core value early — with an estimated cost (+/- 20%).
  • A simple, practical roadmap for the first 1–2 iterations.

At the end of discovery, you receive a clear, actionable plan tailored to your project—a concrete roadmap for the next steps.

2. Proposal & Agreement

Offer and Pricing Process

Based on our agreed MVP and roadmap, I prepare a clear proposal:

  • Estimated days for the MVP, with a range (+/- 20%).
  • Daily rate: €1,000 per productive day.
  • Payment only for accepted results — nothing hidden.

You always stay in control.
If your priorities change, we adjust the next cycles — so you only invest in what brings real value.

3. Iterative Development

Development Process

I develop your solution in focused, time-boxed cycles — each usually 2 or 6 weeks.

At the end of each cycle:

  • You receive fully working software, deployed to your test environment.
  • You test it quickly — ideally within 5 days — and share clear feedback.
  • You accept the parts that meet your needs. Accepted features are billed, rejected parts are not.

After each cycle, we plan the next one or two iterations together — so we keep the project practical, flexible, and always aligned with real priorities.
This success-driven, iterative approach means you only pay for features that work as promised, and nothing else.

What I need from you:

  • Fast access to the right people who know the business and the system.
  • Prompt feedback and testing so I can keep building efficiently.
  • Availability for short planning sessions to align the next cycle.

This partnership mindset is the core of how I deliver real value, reliably — one successful cycle at a time.

4. Success-Based Payment

Iterative

You only pay for work that delivers value.

Here’s how:

  • After each cycle, I send you a clear breakdown: which features were delivered, which were accepted, and the days spent.
  • You pay only for accepted parts.
  • Payment is due within 14 days of acceptance.

Your side:

  • Test what I deliver quickly (max. 5 days) so we can keep moving.
  • Tell me what works and what needs refinement — so every cycle brings you closer to your goal.

This means:
Iterative — we adjust as needed.
Success-oriented — you only pay for what works.
Risk-free — no big upfront commitment, just practical, trustworthy delivery.

5. Working Together

Modern monitoring dashboard showing system metrics and performance

When the software is ready, I make sure it runs reliably in your production environment.

I can:

  • Deploy the application securely — on your servers or in the cloud.
  • Build and configure a modern CI/CD pipeline for smooth, safe releases.
  • Set up monitoring and logging so issues can be detected and resolved early.
  • Help you define alerting rules, basic runbooks, and best practices.
  • Provide ongoing support if needed, including Service Level Agreements (SLAs) by arrangement.

The result: you get a system that doesn’t just work in theory — it’s robust, maintainable, and ready to grow with your business.

Contact

If I have sparked your interest, please contact me at rico.metzger@smart-software-engineering.com