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Read article →Custom software consulting for serious operational constraints
Business-critical software when workarounds start costing real money.
Senior engineering help for custom software, AI workflow automation, integrations, and modernization.Software Survivor helps established businesses and funded product teams build business-critical web apps, AI workflow automation, integrations, and cloud platforms. Based in Fresno, we offer custom development and tech consulting to teams across California and the US.
Principal Engineer-ledTarget + Pressed Juicery experience1 business day response
10+ years
building and modernizing production software
Target + Pressed Juicery
enterprise and operations-heavy experience
1 business day
typical response for qualified project conversations
Software for Business-Critical Workflows
The best engagements start with a real business constraint: a workflow that will not scale, a product that needs technical depth, or a legacy system that has become too expensive to carry.
Custom Business Software and SaaS
Plan and build revenue, operations, and customer-facing products with maintainable architecture, clean APIs, and practical delivery milestones.
AI Workflow Automation and Integrations
Connect the tools your team already uses, automate expensive manual workflows, and add AI where it can create measurable leverage.
Architecture, Rescue, and Technical Leadership
Stabilize fragile systems, modernize legacy code, and get senior engineering judgment before a rebuild, scale-up, or key technical hire.
Better-fit clients
Built for buyers with a serious software problem.
This is a strong fit when the software is tied to revenue, operations, compliance, customer experience, or a product roadmap. It is less useful for one-off brochure sites or projects where the only goal is the lowest possible hourly rate.
Start a Project ConversationBusiness-critical systems
Internal platforms, portals, dashboards, and product workflows where reliability and maintainability matter more than a quick prototype.
Operational complexity
Teams with spreadsheets, disconnected apps, manual review steps, or customer handoffs that are now too costly to run by hand.
Senior technical direction
Founders and operators who need architectural clarity, delivery leadership, or an experienced partner before growing an engineering team.
Who you'll work with
Antonio Perez, Principal Engineer
Every engagement is led directly by a Principal Engineer with over a decade of experience building software for startups, small businesses, and enterprises including Target and Pressed Juicery. You get senior judgment on architecture and delivery from the first conversation.
More about Software Survivor →Latest Insights
Practical writing on custom software, AI workflow automation, architecture, and technical leadership
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Featured Product Build: Candid Moments
A serverless photo-sharing product that replaces manual photo review with automated moderation, built on AWS Lambda, Rekognition, and S3.
Candid Moments
Candid Moments gives private events a shared photo gallery where every guest upload is screened automatically before anyone sees it. It is a useful example of where Software Survivor fits: turning a costly manual review process into a dependable serverless platform.
Automated Photo Moderation
Private Event Galleries
AWS Rekognition Screening
Serverless Lambda and S3 Pipeline
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Turns a child's name and interests into a personalized storybook video — a complex AI and media pipeline with OpenAI and RunwayAI, shipped as a working product.
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See More Client Work →Common Questions
The questions most teams ask before starting a custom software project
How much does custom software development cost?
Most serious custom software engagements start in the five-figure range. Smaller advisory or architecture reviews can be scoped separately when you need a clear technical plan before implementation. Share the problem, constraints, and budget range so we can recommend the smallest responsible next step.
How long does a typical software project take?
Project timelines vary by complexity, existing systems, and decision speed. A focused first release may take 4-8 weeks, while more complex integrations or modernization efforts can take 3-6 months. The first conversation is used to clarify scope, risk, and a practical delivery path.
Can you help with existing software systems?
Yes. Existing-system work is often the strongest fit: architecture reviews, modernization plans, rescue work, performance and reliability improvements, integration cleanup, and incremental replacement of fragile workflows.
How do I get started with a software project?
Start with a project conversation. Share the workflow, business constraint, timeline, budget range if known, and what a useful first release would accomplish. If there is a fit, the next step is usually a short discovery call or scoped architecture recommendation.
Bring a Serious Software Problem.
If your team needs a dependable partner for a revenue, operations, or product system, start with the constraints. We will help clarify the architecture, delivery path, and first useful release.
Start a Project ConversationYou'll hear back within one business day — no sales deck, just a working conversation about your constraints and the most useful first step.