/// Steer
Your business is growing. Your technology shouldn't be the thing that stops it.
When progress slows, releases break things and your developers are losing momentum, it's time to change course rather than start again.
/// Sound familiar?
What you might be experiencing
None of this means you built it wrong. It means the system has outgrown the practices around it. That's normal. What matters is what you do next.
/// What Steer is
Technical oversight for software that matters
We don't take over your project. We don't replace your team. We work alongside you to identify what's gone wrong, build a plan to fix it, and check in regularly to make sure you're making progress.
We apply these principles every day to systems we've built and maintained for over ten years. Steer gives your team access to the same discipline, without needing us full-time.
Steer is for PHP systems: Symfony, Laravel, or older code with no framework. We bring static analysis with PHPStan, and baseline existing problems with SARB, the open source tool we wrote for exactly that.
The guiding principles
- Code should be tested
- Releases should be safe
- Architecture should be understood
- Developers should be able to move with confidence
How we apply them depends on your codebase, your team and your business.
/// How it works
Initial review
We spend time understanding your system, your team and your challenges: code, infrastructure, processes and people. Typically two to four weeks.
Action plan
A prioritised, realistic list of improvements. We're honest about what's achievable and what trade-offs you'll face.
Regular check-ins
We don't hand you a report and disappear. We review progress, adjust the plan and set goals until you're where you need to be.
/// Why we can do this
We live with the consequences of our own advice
The practices we bring to Steer are the same ones we apply daily to systems we've built and maintained for over a decade. When we tell you something will work long-term, it's because we've already proven it on our own projects.
/// What we expect from you
Good fit
- Your business is commercially successful
- You understand technology is a strategic asset
- You're willing to invest time and resource to improve
- You want a long-term solution, not a quick fix
Not for you
- You want ongoing BAU support
- You're looking for the cheapest option
- You need someone to take over entirely
- You're not prepared to make changes
/// Questions
What is Steer?
Technical oversight for software that matters commercially but has gathered problems. We review it, agree a plan with you, then check in regularly until you're back on course. We don't take over your project or replace your team.
How long does the initial review take?
Typically two to four weeks.
What do you look at?
Code, infrastructure, processes and people: tests, deployments, static analysis, architecture, and how the team works day to day.
What kinds of codebases do you review?
PHP: Symfony, Laravel, and older code with no framework. That includes large codebases that have never had static analysis. We introduce it with baselining tools like SARB, which we wrote.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the size of the system and how much ongoing steering you need. We agree the scope after a first conversation, with no obligation.
Do you need to be on-site?
No. We're based in Bristol and work with teams across the UK, mostly remotely, visiting when it helps.
What if we need hands-on help, not just oversight?
That's Build, where we take ownership of the architecture, code and infrastructure ourselves.
Start a conversation
We'll talk through where you are, what the symptoms are, and whether we can help.