Tidal Shift A Tech Studio

Our Services

From product ideation to venture co-building, we offer comprehensive solutions to help you build, launch, and scale your digital products.

Product Ideation Sprint

Transform your idea into a validated product concept in just two hours.

Product Discovery Workshop

De-risk your product investment with comprehensive discovery before writing a single line of code.

Fractional CTO & Technical Advisory

Access senior technical leadership without the $200k+ salary commitment.

Custom Software & App Development

End-to-end design and development of bespoke web and mobile applications.

Product Design & UX/UI

User-centered design that turns requirements into intuitive, conversion-optimized experiences.

Dedicated Development Teams

Dedicated engineering capacity that feels like part of your team.

Venture Co-Build Partnerships

We engage as a co-founder, investing product and engineering resources in exchange for equity (15–35%).

Service Bundles

Combine services into integrated packages for better value and seamless execution.

Most Popular

Founder's Launch Package

From idea to launched MVP with one partner.

Timeline: ~18–22 weeks

  • Product Ideation Sprint ($1,000 value)
  • Product Discovery Workshop – Standard ($15,000 value)
  • Product Design & UX/UI – Mobile/Web MVP ($20,000 value)
  • Custom Development – Simple MVP ($40,000 value)

Single team across all stages, fewer handoffs, clearer accountability, and typically faster delivery vs. coordinating 3–4 separate vendors.

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Strategic Validation Package

De-risk your concept and establish technical leadership before building.

Timeline: 3–4 months

  • Product Ideation Sprint ($1,000, credited)
  • Product Discovery Workshop – Starter ($8,000 value)
  • Fractional CTO – 3 months part-time ($24,000 value)

Clear technical and product strategy, credible estimates, and a technical leader in your corner when talking to investors or choosing build partners.

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Scale & Growth Package

Accelerate roadmap delivery with a dedicated team and senior oversight.

Timeline: 6 months, extendable

  • Dedicated Starter Team – 6 months (3 people, $22k/month × 6 = $132k value)
  • Fractional CTO oversight (Included, ~$18k value)

A ready-made engineering org (developers + leadership) for less than 2 senior in-house hires, with faster ramp-up and more flexibility.

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Core Services

Comprehensive solutions tailored to your stage and needs.

Next: Product Discovery Workshop

Product Ideation Sprint

Transform your idea into a validated product concept in just two hours.

We facilitate structured ideation sessions using proven frameworks (Jobs-to-be-Done, Value Proposition Canvas) to help you crystallize your vision, identify core features, and chart a clear path forward.

The Value

Instead of spending weeks debating features or investing months building the wrong thing, you leave with clarity on what to build first, confidence in your approach, and a realistic understanding of time and investment required.

Ideal For

Early-stage foundersEntrepreneurs validating conceptsTeams brainstorming pivotsIntrapreneurs seeking internal buy-in
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What You Get

Deliverables

  • 2-hour facilitated session using our proprietary ideation app
  • Session recording & transcript for your team's reference
  • Prioritized feature list with top 5–7 capabilities ranked by impact
  • Technology stack recommendations tailored to your needs and budget
  • Rough order-of-magnitude estimate (typical MVP ranges from $40k–$150k)
  • Next-step roadmap outlining the path from validation → discovery → MVP
  • Follow-up consultation (30 minutes within 2 weeks)
Next: Custom Software & App Development and/or Product Design & UX/UI

Product Discovery Workshop

De-risk your product investment with comprehensive discovery before writing a single line of code.

Our structured discovery process aligns stakeholders, validates assumptions, and creates detailed specifications that serve as your product blueprint. This ensures you build the right thing, the right way, the first time.

The Value

Discovery workshops reduce development costs by 30–40% by eliminating rework and scope creep and aligning all stakeholders upfront. You gain clarity on scope, confidence in estimates, and artifacts any development team can execute against.

Ideal For

Funded startups ready to buildEstablished businesses launching new productsTeams with validated demand but unclear execution path
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What You Get

Research & Strategy

  • User personas (3–5 detailed profiles) grounded in research
  • User journey maps showing critical touchpoints and pain points
  • Competitive analysis with positioning recommendations
  • Feature prioritization matrix using MoSCoW or similar method
  • Problem–solution and value proposition articulation

Technical Planning

  • Technical architecture recommendations with scalability considerations
  • Technology stack selection with rationale
  • Security and compliance considerations (GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2)
  • Third-party integration requirements and feasibility analysis

Design & Execution Planning

  • Wireframes / low-fidelity prototypes for core user flows
  • Information architecture and navigation structure
  • Development roadmap with phased approach (MVP → V1 → V2)
  • Detailed cost estimate with +/- 20% accuracy
  • Risk assessment identifying technical, market, and execution risks
  • Executive summary deck for stakeholder or investor presentation

Post-Workshop Support

  • 2 follow-up sessions (60 minutes each) over 90 days
  • Implementation guidance as you begin development
Next: Custom Development, Dedicated Teams, or Venture Co-Build Partnership

Fractional CTO & Technical Advisory

Access senior technical leadership without the $200k+ salary commitment.

Our fractional CTOs bring deep experience building and scaling technology products and teams. We provide strategic direction, hands-on architecture oversight, and leadership so you can make better technology decisions with confidence.

The Value

Fractional CTOs often save 60–70% vs. hiring a full-time CTO when factoring in salary, benefits, bonuses, and equity, while still providing high-caliber leadership. You avoid costly architectural mistakes, hire better, and connect technology decisions directly to business outcomes.

Ideal For

Non-technical foundersStartups between technical leadersCompanies scaling engineering teamsPre-Series A/B fundraising
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What You Get

First 30 Days (Onboarding)

  • Technology assessment report (systems, codebase, tooling, processes)
  • Architecture review with concrete recommendations
  • Team capability audit and org design suggestions
  • 90-day technology roadmap with prioritized initiatives
  • Technical debt analysis and remediation plan

Ongoing Engagement

  • Weekly or bi-weekly strategic advisory sessions
  • Architecture decision records (ADRs) for key technical choices
  • Vendor/tool evaluation with cost–benefit analysis
  • Technical hiring support (role definition, interviews, assessments)
  • Code review practices and quality standards
  • Investor-ready technical documentation and due diligence support
  • Board and stakeholder communication
  • Security and compliance guidance (e.g., SOC2 readiness)
  • Product roadmap collaboration with founders and product leads

Custom Software & App Development

End-to-end design and development of bespoke web and mobile applications.

We handle architecture, development, testing, and deployment to deliver scalable, maintainable products tailored to your needs.

The Value

Custom development gives you full control over your roadmap, eliminates SaaS platform constraints, and creates an asset you fully own. Building with quality from day one avoids expensive rewrites and technical debt.

Ideal For

Startups building their MVPBusinesses digitizing operationsCompanies with unique workflows or integrations
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What You Get

Planning & Architecture

  • Technical architecture documentation (diagrams, data models)
  • Technology stack selection and justification
  • Environments and CI/CD setup (staging, production)
  • Security approach for authentication, authorization, and data protection
  • Sprint planning and milestone definition

Core Development

  • Full-stack web and/or mobile app implementation
  • API design and implementation (REST/GraphQL) with documentation
  • Database design and optimization
  • Third-party integrations (payments, analytics, messaging, etc.)
  • Automated testing (unit, integration, E2E) with meaningful coverage
  • Bi-weekly demos and feedback loops

QA, Launch & Handoff

  • Security review and remediation of key findings
  • Performance optimization and load testing
  • Cross-device, cross-browser testing
  • Production deployment and monitoring setup
  • User acceptance testing support
  • Knowledge transfer sessions and documentation
  • 30-day post-launch stabilization support

Product Design & UX/UI

User-centered design that turns requirements into intuitive, conversion-optimized experiences.

We combine research, interaction design, and visual design to create experiences that users love and that drive results.

The Value

Well-executed UX/UI can improve conversion and retention while reducing support costs and rework. A good design system increases development speed for future iterations and keeps the product consistent.

Ideal For

New product designRedesignsConversion optimizationInvestor-ready UX for fundraising
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What You Get

Research & Strategy

  • User research synthesis (interviews, surveys, analytics where available)
  • User personas (3–5) with goals, behaviors, and pain points
  • User journey maps for critical flows
  • Jobs-to-be-Done and value proposition framing
  • Accessibility review (for redesigns) against WCAG 2.1 AA

Information Architecture & Flows

  • Sitemaps and navigation structures
  • User flows and task flows for core journeys
  • Content hierarchy aligned with user and business goals

Design & Prototyping

  • Low-fidelity wireframes for key screens
  • High-fidelity designs in Figma across breakpoints
  • Interactive prototypes for core flows
  • Design system and component library (buttons, forms, layout patterns)
  • Micro-interactions and state designs (loading, error, empty, success)

Testing & Handoff

  • Usability testing with findings report and prioritized fixes
  • Accessibility recommendations and verification where applicable
  • Developer-ready specs inside Figma (spacing, tokens, interactions)
  • Design QA during implementation

Dedicated Development Teams

Dedicated engineering capacity that feels like part of your team.

We provide dedicated developers and tech leads that integrate into your workflows, managed with proven agile processes.

The Value

Dedicated teams eliminate recruitment delays and ongoing hiring risk while giving predictable monthly costs. This model is ideal once you have a clear roadmap and need consistent throughput.

Ideal For

Scaling products after MVPReplacing or augmenting in-house teamsLong-running roadmaps
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What You Get

Team Composition

  • Dedicated full-time developers (not shared across clients)
  • Technical lead/architect for teams of 4+
  • Project manager for teams of 5+
  • QA engineer for teams of 6+

Execution

  • Agile planning: sprint planning, standups, retrospectives
  • Bi-weekly demos and progress reviews
  • Automated testing and CI/CD pipelines
  • Documentation of architecture, APIs, and processes

Collaboration

  • Integration with your tools (Jira/Linear, GitHub, Slack/Teams)
  • Clear reporting and velocity metrics
  • 4-hour or more timezone overlap where possible

Venture Co-Build Partnerships

We engage as a co-founder, investing product and engineering resources in exchange for equity (15–35%).

Our venture co-build model is for founders with strong ideas but limited capital or technical bandwidth. We invest our product, engineering, and strategic resources, aligning our success with yours through a structured, multi-phase process.

The Value

This structure keeps your upfront cash obligation moderate while ensuring both sides are invested. You get a long-term technology partner with skin in the game, scaling architecture ready for growth, strong technical story for investors, and support in building out your permanent team.

Ideal For

Founders with strong domain/market insight but no technical co-founderEntrepreneurs with audience/distribution but no product teamValidated opportunities with $10M+ addressable market and venture-scale potential
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What You Get

Partner Economics

  • Equity: Typically 15–35% total across all phases
  • 20% discount on all standard Tidal Shift service rates for this venture
  • Discount applies to: Ideation Sprint, Discovery Workshop, Design, Development, Teams, Advisory

Phase 1: Validation (4–8 weeks)

  • Market and customer discovery
  • Competitive and landscape analysis
  • Problem–solution fit validation
  • Technical feasibility assessment
  • High-level product strategy and positioning
  • Initial architecture and technology approach
  • Go/no-go and scope recommendation for Build & Launch
  • Equity for Phase 1: typically 5–10%

Phase 2: Build & Launch (3–9 months)

  • Detailed product specification and backlog
  • UX/UI design and design system
  • Full-stack engineering and integrations
  • QA, security, and performance work
  • Production deployment and analytics setup
  • Early user onboarding support
  • Equity for Phase 2: typically additional 10–20% (total ~15–25%)

Phase 3: Scale & Growth (Ongoing)

  • Ongoing product strategy and roadmap evolution
  • Fractional CTO leadership and architecture governance
  • Performance and reliability improvements
  • Hiring support to build your internal team
  • Fundraising support (deck input, technical narrative, diligence support)
  • Experimentation and optimization (A/B tests, funnel improvements)

How We Work

Our structured process ensures clear communication, predictable delivery, and successful outcomes.

1

Discovery Call

30 minutes

Understand your goals, constraints, and fit.

2

Scope & Proposal

≈1 week

Written scope, timeline, deliverables, and pricing.

3

Kickoff

Align on success metrics, communication cadence, and tooling.

4

Execution

Agile delivery with regular demos and status updates.

5

Delivery & Handoff

Review, documentation, training, and support window.

6

Ongoing Partnership

optional

Maintenance, new features, strategic advisory.

Ready to Get Started?

Share a short note with your product idea, current stage, target users, and timeline, and we'll schedule a discovery call to explore the best starting point.

Email: [email protected] | Location: Mount Pleasant, SC (Charleston "Silicon Harbor" Region)