We ship the roadmap your last team couldn't.
Rails codebase nobody wants to touch. Legacy app that's slowing growth. Features piling up with no one to ship them. We take over, get up to speed fast, and start shipping.
THIS IS RIGHT FOR YOU IF
"We're on Rails and the original team is gone."
We specialize in Rails rescue and ongoing development. Taking over an app mid-flight is something we've done many times.
"Features are taking 3x longer than they should."
Usually a debt problem, architecture problem, or team familiarity problem. We identify the root cause and fix it — not just the symptoms.
"We have a roadmap but nobody's shipping it."
We embed into your product workflow, pick up the roadmap where it stalled, and start delivering against it — with the same velocity expectations your own team would have.
WHAT WE DO
Structured codebase handover
We don't ask you to re-explain the product from scratch. We read the code, the tickets, the docs — everything available. Within one week we understand the application well enough to make decisions. We document what we learn so no knowledge lives only in our heads.
Feature development against your roadmap
We work from your existing backlog, sprint structure, or ticket system. We write tests, document decisions, and keep your stack healthy as we add to it. We don't build features that create the next rescue engagement.
Security and performance alongside delivery
We don't defer hardening to a "phase 2" that never comes. Security patches, dependency upgrades, performance fixes, and test coverage improvements happen continuously, alongside feature work.
Documentation and knowledge transfer
We write architecture decision records, maintain updated READMEs, and make sure the knowledge we accumulate gets baked into the codebase — not locked in a Slack thread or a departing engineer's head.
A dedicated block of engineering time each month. We're embedded in your team, shipping against your roadmap, handling incidents. The right structure for continuous delivery.
For teams that need a burst of senior Rails or React engineering to clear a backlog, ship a specific feature set, or address a technical emergency. No long-term commitment required.
How we get started
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1. Risk Assessment
We start with our $4,500 codebase audit. You get a clear picture of the application before we commit to ongoing work.
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2. Scoping call
We walk through the findings and align on what matters most. We propose an engagement structure that fits your velocity and budget.
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3. Onboarding week
Repo access, environment setup, team introductions. We begin reading and documenting the codebase before writing a single line.
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4. First ship
We aim to merge something meaningful in the first two weeks. Early momentum matters - builds trust and validates our understanding of the app.
“Several hours per month are now saved by automating key reports…I am delighted to report that Ryan Fairweather and the team at Pixeltree have delivered in spades.”
— Lorne Markowitz, ConsultMD
Common questions
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For Modernization engagements, yes - we strongly recommend it. Taking over an application without a structured review means we’re billing you for our own learning curve. The Assessment makes the onboarding faster and cheaper for everyone.
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Typically one to two senior developers, depending on scope. We don’t staff projects with juniors managed by a senior. The people on the retainer are the people writing the code.
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That’s a completely reasonable goal and we’ll help you get there. We’ll document architecture decisions, maintain clear READMEs, and provide handoff support when you’re ready to transition. Some clients use us an an interim while they hire.
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Our primary specializations are Ruby on Rails, React, and Python. We can evaluate other stacks on a case-by-case basis. Email us with your stack and we’ll be honest about whether we’re the right fit.