You built the first version. Let's make it real.
You know your business cold, and you've already built the rough version. A spreadsheet the whole operation runs on. An app you vibecoded that works… mostly. A prototype that proved the idea.
I'm a 20-year product engineer who turns almost-software into production software, for a price that's right on this page.
4 startup exits. Previously engineering lead at Able.com and solutions engineer at Foursquare.
Is this you?
If you checked two or more, we should talk.
Looking for a technical cofounder or a full dev team? I'm probably not your guy, but book a call anyway and I'll point you in the right direction.
Pricing & packages
Real prices, listed up front, so you can think it over before we ever talk.
Roadmap & Risk Audit
$1,500fixed, one week
Send me your spreadsheet, your vibecoded app, or both. You get a plain-English report: what’s solid, what’s dangerous, and what to do next, whether or not you hire me to do it.
- Security, data-loss, and billing-bug review
- Prioritized fix list in plain English
- 30-minute walkthrough call
- Fee credits toward a Build Sprint
Best first step if you already have something built.
Build Sprint
$5,000per month · most v1s ship in ~2 months
Full speed: spreadsheet or rough app in, production software out. Every sprint starts with the full audit, and we fix the v1 scope in writing before we build.
- Includes the Roadmap & Risk Audit
- Demo every Friday, so we course-correct weekly
- Built in your accounts from day one
- Launch: deploy, handbook, walkthroughs
- Stop at any month boundary, keep everything
The flagship. This is how ideas become products.
Partnership
$2,500per month · month-to-month
After launch (or standalone): I stay on as your technical partner, keeping your software alive and improving at cruising speed.
- Weekly ship log
- Same-week bug turnaround
- Quarterly “what’s next” roadmap chat
- The first call when you need anything built
For software that has to keep working.
"Working with Zack was an absolute dream. He took my idea and vision for a new online scheduling tool for my cake shop and turned it into an easy-to-use solution that was exactly what I needed. Less friction at checkout led to higher sales, and his streamlined scheduling system saved me stress AND administrative costs. Total game changer for my business!"
What you actually get
From the Audit
- The written report itself, in plain English with no jargon
- A prioritized fix list you can hand to any developer
- A 30-minute walkthrough call
From a Build Sprint
- Everything from the audit, since every sprint starts with one
- A live production app at your domain
- The code, in your GitHub account
- Hosting and deployment set up in your accounts
- A plain-English handbook + Loom walkthroughs
- Security and backup baseline
From the Partnership
- A weekly ship log of what changed and why
- Same-week turnaround on bugs
- A quarterly “what’s next” roadmap conversation
Everything lives in your accounts.
Your GitHub. Your hosting. Your domain. It's your software from day one, and it stays yours, with everything you need to carry it forward, with or without me.
"Anyone getting Zack for a month is lucky. He's the unaffordable and unhirable combo of talented designer meets talented engineer meets experienced entrepreneur."
What working with me looks like
- 1
Before we start
A 30-minute call, then I look at your spreadsheet or app. Every build starts with the audit, so we both know exactly what we’re working with. The v1 scope gets fixed in writing before any money moves.
- 2
Weeks 1–8
I build in your accounts from day one. You see a demo every Friday: 15 minutes, Loom or live. You course-correct weekly, not at the end.
- 3
Launch
Deploy, handbook, walkthrough videos. Then you choose: Partnership, or ride solo. No lock-in either way.
Want the fine print on how I work? I keep a user manual.
"Zack is the first call when I need anything built, period. He is an amazingly talented, yet humble individual who listens more than he speaks and guides more than he corrects. He is able to get out of you what you want even when you can't quite tell him what it is. He is also extremely flexible and able to adapt and change at the drop of a hat, which if you have built anything from scratch you will know how often that can happen."
People I've built for
Bon Vivant Cakes
A Chicago cake shop drowning in back-and-forth scheduling emails. Now: online scheduling and checkout that cut admin time and lifted sales.
bonvivantcakes.comAugusta Planner
A tax expert who knew Section 280A cold. Now: compliance software that documents tax-free rental income for business owners.
augustaplanner.comCPA Connect
An accounting firm running its practice on spreadsheets and email. Now: a platform for client management, workflows, and billing.
mycpaconnect.comEventually Ticketing
Event organizers stuck bolting external ticket checkouts onto Squarespace. Now: ticketing that lives natively in Squarespace Commerce.
eventuallyticketing.com"Zack's an incredibly talented developer but what makes him stand out is his hyper collaborative DNA, high velocity of shipping and a strong sense of design. I loved working with Zack on the SaaS app he built for me so I could get to revenue very quickly. I'd 100% recommend him to any other ambitious founder."
"I am lucky enough to work with Zack Gilbert as our own fractional CTO resource for software and coding at Week of the Website - he's taking on new projects and I couldn't recommend a better partner for success!"
"just saying, @zackgilbert is the best cofounder a boy could have."
Questions you might have
- What if my build takes longer than two months?
- Most v1s ship in about two months. If yours is running long, you’ll know weeks ahead, because we fix the v1 scope in writing before we start and you see a demo every Friday. Billing is monthly, so there’s never a surprise invoice, and you can stop at any month boundary and keep everything built so far.
- What do you build with?
- Boring, proven technology: Ruby on Rails or Next.js, Postgres, and standard hosting. The kind of stack any competent developer can pick up after me. No exotic frameworks you’ll be stuck maintaining.
- Do you work with existing developers or teams?
- Yes. Cleanup engagements often mean building on whatever (or whoever) came before. And no judgment about what I find: getting a first version working at all is the hard part. My job is making it solid.
- What happens if we stop working together?
- Nothing bad. Everything already lives in your accounts: code, hosting, domain, documentation. You keep it all and any developer can pick up where I left off. That’s by design.