An independent second opinion before a start-up signed a major build

The client

Two founders building a new Australian telehealth service, ahead of launch.

The challenge

The founders were ready to sign a service design proposal from a specialist vendor, with nobody on their side reading the fine print. As the design grew, so did the question of what the full build would cost and what was truly needed for launch.

The approach

Act as the founders' independent technical and commercial adviser: read everything, explain it in plain English, and put clear questions to the vendor in writing.

The solution

We reviewed the proposal and drafted the founders' reply, flagging gaps in terms and conditions, payment terms, privacy and data handling, and regulatory risk. After a call with the vendor, the agreed amendments were captured in writing. The review was commercial and practical, not legal advice.

As the project moved into design, we:

• Reviewed an 87-page specification and sent 18 questions to the vendor
• Produced build cost ranges so the founders could weigh scope against budget
• Prepared a plain-English pre-read for the founders
• Facilitated the scope session with the vendor

The results

The founders went from a proposal with seven red flags to one they were comfortable signing. The scope session settled seven launch decisions and set a lean launch scope against the founders' own budget.