Joe Niland

I help business owners, founders and co-founders avoid expensive software mistakes.

If software isn't your area of expertise, it can be hard to make decisions. I'll give you an independent assessment in plain language so you can make an informed decision.

Does any of this sound familiar?

  • Your developer says everything's on track, but you're not seeing a lot of actual progress.
  • The quoted development fee is higher than you expected for something that seems simple.
  • Your developer says the project MUST be rebuilt from scratch, but it seems to work fine.
  • Every bug fix seems to create five more bugs, and they don't even seem related.

An independent review can help you work out what needs to change.

What if you just knew?

  • You'd know why development is slow and whether it's reasonable.
  • You'd know that it's OK to accept that quote.
  • You'd know whether to rebuild or keep what you have.
  • You'd know if the software has structural problems that will get in the way of rapid change.

Software is complex

Software is an essential part of nearly all businesses, but judging its quality and deciding where to invest takes experience.

A software project is like a building project. Success comes down to the design, the materials, and the people doing the work. That's why building sites have independent inspections: nobody expects the builder to certify their own work.

The incentives don't always align with the owner's interests. A builder may prioritise volume, a tradie on hourly rates may have little incentive to finish quickly, and a supplier may recommend expensive materials. An independent inspector helps the owner understand the quality of the work and any problems it could cause down the track.

I provide that independent oversight for software projects. I've been involved in hundreds of projects and will explain what's happening with yours in plain language.

Joe operates as our acting CTO, and his impact has been significant. He owns our technical strategy and roadmap end to end, from system architecture decisions to representing us on compliance and security matters like ISO 27001. The development and CI/CD processes he's put in place allow us to deploy to production frequently and scale in a controlled way with confidence. He's been a real asset.

David Berry

Founder & CEO, InBudget

How I can help

Fractional CTO - AUD $15,000/mo ex GST Sold Out

Need a technical leader without hiring a full-time CTO?

I'll work closely with your team as your technical leader, covering architecture decisions, development process, vendor and contractor oversight, hiring guidance, security, and infrastructure. I'll make sure your technical decisions are sound and aligned with your business goals. Engagements typically run over three to six months.

Slots occasionally open up. Apply and I'll add you to the waitlist.

Learn More »

Technical Assessment - AUD $9,500 ex GST

Worried your software isn't built right, your team is underperforming, or your product isn't ready for production?

I'll start with a kickoff call to understand your business and goals, then assess your situation through interviews, code review and architectural analysis. You'll receive a written report with prioritised recommendations. You can choose from the common assessment types or request a custom assessment.

See Assessment Options »

Backchannel - AUD $1,500/mo ex GST

Expert input when questions come up, without booking calls every time.

After a kickoff call to learn about your business and tech stack, I'll be available via Slack for ongoing advice. You can ask questions as they come up and receive a response within one business day.

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Advice & Unblocking - AUD $495 ex GST

Weighing up a vendor proposal, a migration, or a hire, and want an experienced second opinion?

We'll spend 60 minutes working through your specific problem so you can decide what to do next. You'll receive my recommendation and a written summary with next steps.

Learn more »

All offerings come with a money-back guarantee. See each service page for details.

Joe knows what he's doing when it comes to software architecture. He is very to the point and efficient. You don't have to tell him what to do. Instead it's almost the opposite where he tells you what's the best approach after you communicate your specific business goals for your software.

Richard V.

SaaS Founder

Joe Niland

I'm Joe Niland

I help business owners build software successfully.

I've been building software since 1999 and have worked as a developer, consultant and business owner. Running my own businesses means I face the same decisions you do.

I've worked with clients such as Tourism Australia, Monster.com, Subaru of America, and Western Sydney University.

I'm based in Sydney, Australia, and regularly work with clients in the US, UK and Europe. Most of the work is async, and I schedule calls in a window that suits you.

Recent results

Stopped a costly hire by fixing what they already had. A growing company was planning an expensive hiring round to get a stalled project over the line. They'd been relying on their developer's status reports but had no independent view of what was actually needed. My analysis uncovered what the project genuinely required to be market-ready and built a roadmap that got there with their existing team. They avoided hiring altogether.

Assessment

Ruled out an unsuitable approach and saved six figures. A client was about to commit to a large-scale data streaming build using AWS Kinesis. I ran a focused proof of concept that proved the approach wouldn't work for their use case. They found out for a fraction of the projected development cost instead of halfway through the project.

Assessment

Improved security, deployments and maintainability for a law firm. A law firm had software that had grown organically without proper engineering practices. I recommended security scanning, structured deployments, and code organisation. The result was an effective, maintainable in-house software setup they could build on with confidence.

Assessment

Helped a client meet Xero App Store security requirements before submission. A client needed to get their app approved for the Xero App Store, which involves a rigorous security review process. I guided them through the requirements upfront, so when they submitted, there was no back and forth on complex security issues.

Backchannel

Cut hosting costs by 90% with a simpler architecture. A wedding directory had been built on an over-engineered stack with infrastructure that was too expensive for their stage. I recommended simpler technology, cheaper hosting, and free alternatives to the paid tools they didn't need yet. Their monthly bill became manageable while they were getting the business started.

Advice & Unblocking