Who We Are

I started Drivethrucode because I thought it was possible to deliver more code, to more people, in less time, for less money.

The process of developing custom software is now at the point where you can often drive up, place your order, and get your apps, fast.

How is that possible? By using low-code technology, and specifically Microsoft’s Power Platform.

 
There was a time when all cars were made by hand, and what’s more, all the parts in all the cars were made by hand. Software applications have been largely stuck in that same place for the last 70 years – every part is made by hand.

Ok, I’m stretching things a bit because there are libraries and APIs and such, but it’s hard to argue with the basic idea. Low-code technology is really, actually, finally getting us away from so much hand-coding. (See Low-Code Technology reports by  Gartner Group and Forrester )

But if low-code technology is available to anyone, which it is, what’s special about Drivethrucode?

Let me answer that with a question: what makes some software projects successful and others not?

In a word, management.

Many years ago I had the good fortune to own and run the largest software consulting company in the San Francisco Bay Area that worked as an IBM Business Partner. We sold hundreds of their midrange business systems. And because there were few off the shelf packages to be found back then, we executed, literally, hundreds of custom software projects, for businesses large and small.

You learn a few things from that:

  • have well-defined goals
  • manage the scope
  • have continuous feedback in both directions
  • use appropriately skilled people
  • deliver early and often
  • under promise and over deliver

The most succinct single statement I know is, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. (not sure who said that first) Most of those bullets I listed are packed into that one statement.

Another important question is, what is the role of custom software in businesses today?

Geoffrey A. Moore, Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution

In his book, “Dealing With Darwin“, Geoffrey Moore describes a life-cycle of software innovation in companies and analyzes when custom software is an appropriate investment. In a nutshell, custom software arises when a business innovates to improve products, services or processes. Initially these innovations may be on a small scale, but the most successful innovations take hold and scale up within the organization, and some become mission critical. These innovations are good candidates for custom software, particularly when they enhance a company’s strategic differentiation. In essence, how can you differentiate yourself from competitors with off-the-shelf software for your mission critical products, services and processes? You really can’t, it needs to be custom software, especially if you’ve really innovated something.

The point of this is simple: low-code technology facilitates and accelerates mission critical innovation. This is perhaps its most significant value – faster evolution of products, services and processes, and faster scalability.

We have a team of people with a wide variety of skills, both onshore and offshore, ready to focus on your main thing and help you improve your products, services and processes.  We are here to make a difference for you and your business – we hope to work with you.

Steve Kilner

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