Discovery sprint
Turn ambiguity into a concrete, costed plan — scope, prototype and estimates you can act on immediately.
06Counsel
Strategy & Advisory — Senior thinking before the first line of code.
Product direction, technical architecture and the trade-offs that decide outcomes — the counsel that makes the difference between building the thing right and building the right thing. Direct access to people who’ve shipped.
All servicesTools & platforms we build with
FigmaMiroLinearNotionLoomMazeFigmaMiroLinearNotionLoomMazeFigmaMiroLinearNotionLoomMaze
SeniorDirect access to decision-makers
ClarityA roadmap you can act on
De-riskedDecisions made with evidence
(Overview)
The work, in full.
The most expensive mistakes are made before development starts. We bring senior product and engineering judgement to the decisions that matter — what to build, how to build it, and in what order — so your investment compounds instead of stalling.
Whether you need a fractional CTO, a discovery sprint or an architecture review, you get direct access to people who’ve shipped real products and can tell you the truth.
We don’t pad engagements. Often the most valuable advice is to simplify, delay, or buy instead of build — and we’ll say so.
(What you can achieve)
Where this takes you.
A few of the outcomes we build inside Strategy & Advisory — each one a real, ownable asset for your business.
Architecture review
A clear-eyed assessment of what to keep, fix or rebuild — and the decisions that affect cost for years.
Product roadmap
A prioritised path from where you are to where you're going, grounded in users and business reality.
Fractional CTO
Senior engineering leadership on tap for strategy, hiring and delivery — without a full-time hire.
(What's included)
Everything inside Strategy & Advisory.
A complete, senior-led practice — expand each area to see exactly what we deliver.
Decide what to build, for whom, and in what order — with evidence.
- Discovery & research
- Positioning & roadmap
- MVP definition
- Success metrics
(How we work)
A timeline built to de-risk the outcome.
An illustrative engagement — every project gets a precise schedule after discovery.
Kick-offLaunch & beyond
01Listen
02Investigate
03Recommend
04Support
01Day 1
Listen
We start with your goals, constraints and the decisions you’re facing — and what success actually looks like.
02Days 2–4
Investigate
We dig into your product, users, code or market as needed — evidence over opinion.
03Week 1
Recommend
We deliver clear, prioritised recommendations and a roadmap you can act on immediately.
04Ongoing
Support
We can stay on to help you execute — or hand the plan to your team with confidence.
(Deliverables)
What you walk away with.
- 01Product or technical strategy document
- 02Prioritised roadmap
- 03Architecture & recommendations
- 04Cost & timeline estimates
(Tools & stack)
Built on proven foundations.
Methods
Discovery sprintsDesign thinkingLean / Agile
Artifacts
RoadmapsArchitecture diagramsPrototypes
Tools
FigmaMiroLinearNotion
(Why Blacktide)
Why ambitious companies choose us.
01
Senior people only
No juniors learning on your budget. The people who scope the work are the people who build it.
02
Owned, never rented
You keep the code, the IP and the infrastructure. No black boxes, no lock-in — ever.
03
Engineering is the brand
Speed, reliability and craft aren’t technical details. They’re how trust is felt.
04
One partner, end to end
Strategy, brand, web and software under one roof, moving at a single pace.
05
On call 24/7/365
An under-two-hour response SLA — and an average real response measured in minutes.
06
Radically transparent
Clear scope, clear pricing, clear reporting. No surprises and no theatre.
Always on — 24/7/365Talk to the people who'll answer
Launch is the start. We stay on call.
When something needs us, a real person responds — fast. These are our actual support figures, not aspirations.
24/7/365On call, every day of the year
<2hGuaranteed SLA response time
≤5mAverage real response time
(Selected work)
Proof, on request.
Much of our strongest work sits behind NDAs — platforms, products and rebrands for clients who value discretion. We don't put their results on a public reel.
Instead, we share relevant strategy & advisory case studies privately, matched to your sector and goals — including metrics, process and outcomes.
Request private case studies Shared under mutual NDA(FAQ)
Questions, answered.
Still unsure? A quick inquiry gets you a straight answer from the people who'd do the work.
(Explore)