Skip to main content
Our Approach

We're Builders

Small, experienced teams delivering production software in weeks. Products, tools, custom solutions — all from a foundation we've spent three years refining.

Intelligrit is a software company that builds and delivers production applications for government and industry. We work with federal, state, and local agencies as well as private sector clients. Our teams are small, senior, and fast — and we've spent three years building the tools and methodology to make that speed repeatable.

13 days
Integrity — 1st place, ACT-IAC National AI Hackathon
75 days
4M lines Java/XML to production TypeScript
2 days
TWI Map — 12M words, 807 chapters

Every project starts from a foundation that already handles authentication, logging, deployment, and security. We don't rebuild the plumbing every time. That means your project starts with production-grade infrastructure on day one — not a proof of concept that needs months of hardening before anyone can use it.

Why We're Fast

The hard problems are already solved

Secure authentication, structured logging compatible with enterprise monitoring platforms, error tracking, single-binary deployment, and automated build pipelines. These aren't features we build per-project — they're the foundation every project inherits. We write business logic from the start, not plumbing.

Small, experienced teams by design, not by budget

Adding people to a team adds communication overhead. A 3-person senior team with the right foundation ships faster than a 15-person team still setting up infrastructure. We scale by spinning up more small teams, not by inflating existing ones.

Taste matters more than headcount

AI can generate code. It takes senior judgment to generate the right code — to know what to build, what to skip, and when the AI is confidently wrong. Our engineers average 15+ years of experience. They drive the AI, not the other way around. Test-driven development validates every output.

Right-sized architecture

One binary. File-based databases that handle tens of thousands of concurrent users, back up by copying a single file, and require minimal administration. Easy to manage, easy to monitor. When you outgrow them, swap to an external database with a config change. Same code, same tests. No re-architecture to scale.

The existing system is the requirements

For modernization work, we don't spend months gathering requirements — the legacy system already defines exactly what needs to happen. It's the most precise specification you'll ever have. AI excels at understanding existing codebases and translating them to modern stacks. That's why we ported 4M lines of Java/XML to 120K lines of TypeScript in 75 days — the scope was defined from the start.

How We Work With You

We augment what you have

You already pay for enterprise AI, identity management, and infrastructure. We don't replace any of it. We connect your existing systems with custom solutions that make your current investments actually useful.

We deploy where you need us

Inside your security boundary. Air-gapped. Your cloud or ours. Our architecture — single binary, no external dependencies — means deployment is simple regardless of where it lands. Works within Zero Trust and regulated environments.

We never see your data

Decoy is a single binary with a config file — your team can run it inside your security boundary to generate production-scale synthetic data. For very large datasets, Decoy can sample rather than replicate the full volume. Or provide us with sample data you already have. Either way, we develop and test against synthetic data. Your real data never crosses the boundary. Not managed by policy — eliminated by architecture.

Your operations team will love us

One binary, one config file, standard logging. Deploy means copy a file and restart a service. Back up means copy the database file. Monitor with the tools you already have — our structured logs plug into whatever monitoring platform you run. No multi-step pipeline, no container orchestration, no mystery dependencies.

You use it, then tell us

Every engagement produces working software your people can use — not slide decks about software we plan to build. We put it in front of real users continuously. They use it, they tell us what's wrong, we fix it. The cadence is driven by the work, not a calendar.

Our tools, flexible access

Our engineers develop with the best available AI and tools on our own equipment, connecting via VPN or whatever your environment requires for deployment and integration. Synthetic data means we don't need access to sensitive data to develop at full speed — and that's what makes fixed-price work: clear scope against known data, not a moving target.

We build connectors, not silos

You use JIRA and we use GitHub? We build a connector. You need status in Confluence? We automate it. We integrate with your systems of record and keep them updated — your tracking and compliance workflows stay intact.

Async-first, meeting-light

Written decisions in your documentation system. Deep work protected. Meetings when they add value, not as a default. We adapt to your process — if you need standups, we'll do them. If kanban works better, we're there.

Are We a Good Fit?

We're transparent about fit — some projects benefit more from our model than others. We'd rather figure that out together upfront than discover it three months in.

We're a great fit when:

  • +You have a specific, bounded problem
  • +You have real end users who will use the software and give feedback
  • +You have a decision-maker who can evaluate working software
  • +You can provide data access or sample data for development
  • +You want production software, not a study or a roadmap
  • +You're frustrated with how long things take
  • +You have a plan for adoption when the software ships

We're probably not the right fit when:

  • The goal is still undefined (though Discovery can help you get there)
  • You need staff augmentation or hourly contracting
  • All development must happen in a restricted environment
  • No end users are available for feedback during development
  • No data access and no willingness to use synthetic data
  • No one is planning for rollout after delivery

Working Together

We don't ask you to commit to a large contract before either side knows if this works. Every engagement starts with a small, bounded step — and each phase only happens if the previous one went well. You're paying for solutions, not hours.

Phase 1Fixed Fee

Discovery

We sit down with the people who live with the problem every day. We understand the actual systems, the actual data, and the actual constraints. If you can run Decoy against your data sources or provide us with sample data, we start building against realistic data from day one.

You get: An honest assessment of fit, a scoping document, and a clear picture of what the engagement would look like — timeline, milestones, and cost. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you here and save everyone's time.

Phase 2Fixed Fee

Working Prototype

Working software. Not a mockup, not a slide deck, not a wireframe — a usable application built against your data (synthetic or real) that your people can actually use. This is the moment both sides decide if the approach is right.

You get: Running software your end users interact with directly. They give feedback, we adjust. The direction is validated by real usage before anyone commits to full delivery. Section 508/WCAG AA compliant from this point forward.

Phase 3Firm Fixed Price

Delivery

Full build, deployed into your environment, with real users on it. Firm-fixed-price tied to delivery milestones — you pay for working software at each stage. Your users interact with the software continuously and their feedback drives what we build next. The pace is set by the work, not by a calendar.

You get: Production software with source-available license. Enterprise-grade authentication, logging, monitoring, and Section 508/WCAG AA compliance — all included from the foundation, not bolted on at the end. Deployment is straightforward: a single binary with a simple configuration file.

OngoingOptional

Support & Evolution

After delivery, the software works without us — that's the point of source-available licensing. You can run it, modify it, and maintain it independently.

To receive ongoing software updates and improvements — including fixes and features we build for other clients on the same product — you need a support contract. This keeps us connected to your systems so we can ensure updates work in your environment. We offer support contracts, retainers for customization, and monthly hours buckets depending on your needs.

Source-Available Licensing

Everything we deliver comes with a source-available license. You get the full source code. You can read it, modify it, run it, and maintain it — with or without us. If you decide to part ways, everything keeps working. No vendor lock-in, no panicked deadline-driven upgrades.

Source-available means you have full access to the code, but the license is not work-for-hire. We retain ownership and you license it. You can't redistribute it or open-source it, but you can use it, modify it for your needs, and run it indefinitely. This is what lets us invest in the product across clients — and why every client benefits from improvements we make for others.

We build on open languages with strong stability guarantees and permissively licensed dependencies we can fork and fix if needed. No dependency on a vendor's roadmap. You can always build from source.

We speak your language

Our Director of Contracting and Clients brings decades of acquisition experience at the highest levels, including service as a State Department branch chief. She's sat on both sides of the table — as buyer and as contractor — and designed our engagement model to solve the problems she saw firsthand. For government work, we understand acquisition processes and what agencies actually need. For private sector, we speak the same language of milestones and deliverables.

Accessibility from lived experience

Our CEO is blind and tests every application with NVDA and VoiceOver daily. Section 508 and WCAG AA compliance isn't a checklist we run before delivery — it's built in from the first prototype forward, because it's how we experience our own software. If it doesn't work with a screen reader, we know before you do.