Two weeks to a clear architecture and AI plan, before you spend on the build.
Make the right technology investment decision, before committing the budget.
- Two-week Sprint
- Fixed price
Fictional example
Norval Components: should we commit €1.6M to a new ERP and MES?
One illustrative case: a manufacturer weighing a €1.6M ERP/MES replacement. The same method applies to any significant system.
- Investment under consideration
- €1.6M
- Recommended first programme
- €380k–€520k
- To a structured decision
- 2 weeks
Track record
Who you'd be working with
For over 15 years I've been on both sides of technology investments: as a founder and executive deciding where the money goes, and as the architect accountable for making it work.
I've designed platforms for Securitas Global, Simoldes, PLMJ and the Gulbenkian Foundation, where the public energy data platform was adopted by more than 50 municipalities.
I've built companies, made technology investment decisions and led the teams that delivered them. I know what happens when a plan meets budgets, people and legacy systems. The Sprint is how I help leaders get those decisions right.
From hardware to e-commerce, from booking systems to AI pipelines: I know what works, and the fastest, leanest way to get there.
Solution architecture and multidisciplinary teams for a national-scale programme in Portugal, across multiple organisations.
Co-founder of Skyhour, Field, MyKubo and Rummo · ESA BIC Portugal alumnus
Selected projects
Selected client projects and companies I founded.
Security TechSecuring a global security company's operations platform
Securitas Global · System Architect
Industrial IoTKnowing where every asset is on a factory floor
Simoldes · IoT System Architect
Big DataMaking national energy data usable by municipalities
Adopted by 50+ municipalities
Gulbenkian Foundation · Lead Data Architect
Enterprise SoftwareHelping a law firm find the right document fast
PLMJ · System Architect
Fundraising platform
Architecture and design of a platform where active AI agents connect startups and investors.
Architecture & design · 2026
Earlier projects were in architecture and leadership roles; recent clients are confidential.
When to bring me in
- A vendor has proposed a new platform or a major investment, and you want an independent view before you sign.
- You want to move on AI but can't tell where it brings real return and where it's hype.
- A technology project is late or over budget, and you need to decide before investing more.
- A legacy system (an ERP, a booking platform, an intranet) has become expensive or hard to maintain, and you need to modernise it without stopping the business.
- Your team has several valid technical proposals, and management needs to choose one.
What if the answer is “don't build”? Then you'll know before spending on it.
The Sprint
How it works and what you get
For organisations preparing significant technology investments, platform modernisations or AI initiatives.
Understand.
Kick-off, conversations with your key people, and a review of your current systems, data and goals. We agree what success looks like.
Decide.
Architecture, options and trade-offs, AI priorities, roadmap and cost range. I present it, we discuss it, and I hand everything over.
What you'll walk away with
Architecture blueprint
How your systems should fit together, documented and explained.
Build / buy / integrate decision
For each key component, with the reasoning.
AI opportunities, ranked by value
What to automate first, and what to leave alone.
Phased roadmap with a cost range
What to do first, next and later, and what each phase is likely to cost.
Risks and how to reduce them
Technical, delivery and vendor risks, stated plainly.
A final walkthrough session
With your team.
What you receive
See exactly what you'll receive
A short executive decision document: plain language, a few pages, decisions first. See a fictional example of the format.
Terms
Fixed price from €6,000 Two weeks
Half on signing, half on delivery. Scope and final price agreed in writing before we start.
The Sprint covers one well-defined decision; larger programmes are scoped separately.
Not included: building or implementing the plan; third-party licences, cloud or model costs; ongoing support after the walkthrough session.
How I stay independent
- No vendor commissions, and I don't resell licences or equipment.
- Implementation only if you ask, after the decision.
- I may recommend another vendor, or not building at all.
- Any conflict of interest is disclosed in writing.
- Any referral fee is disclosed.
After the Sprint, clients can continue with me as an adviser or have me oversee another vendor's build.
Contact
Before you commit the budget, let's make sure the plan makes sense.
Book a 30-minute call. We'll discuss the investment you're considering, the decisions you need to make, and whether the Sprint is the right fit.
Book a callThe booking will ask:
- What you're considering building or changing
- The approximate investment
- When you need a decision
Prefer email? Write to hello at pedrobalas dot com
Questions
Frequently asked
Do we have to build with you afterwards?
No. The plan is yours and works with any team.
What do you need from us?
A few hours of your key people's time across the two weeks, and access to the relevant documentation and systems.
Is this only for AI projects?
No. I look at AI where it makes sense. The core is a sound architecture and a realistic plan.
We already have a CTO or tech team. Why you?
I give them independent validation and support. I don't replace them.
We haven't defined what to build yet.
That's a good time to start.
How independent are your recommendations?
Fully. I take no vendor commissions and don't resell licences or equipment. I may recommend another vendor, or not building at all.
Do you work in Portuguese and English?
Yes.