Henry Doce

I help founders get the plan right before they start spending on development.

Software engineer. Startup advisor. 7 years building software. Most of that inside startups. I scope products, pressure-test ideas, and build when the plan is solid.

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The Situation

Building a product is deceptively complex.

Between where you are now and a working product, there are dozens of high-stakes technical decisions where one wrong call early compounds fast, even for smart, resourceful founders.

Most developers will jump straight to building without a plan. Others will insist on engineering the perfect architecture before anything ships. Both waste your time and money. I focus on getting your core value into real customers' hands as fast as responsibly possible, then building from what you learn.

How I Work

Discovery & Scoping

I work with you to define exactly what you need. No inflated scope or timelines.

  • Risks and open questions identified before they become expensive
  • Technical clarity on every moving part
  • Phased roadmap with real numbers
  • A document that's yours, no strings attached

Technical Strategy

I help you think through the decisions that shape everything downstream.

  • Architecture and infrastructure
  • Whether and how to use AI
  • Compliance requirements (HIPAA, SOC 2)
  • Build vs. buy, and when to hire

Build

Once we've locked in the plan, I build it.

  • Work delivered in phases so you can test and learn early
  • Scoped around business impact, not engineering perfection
  • Same person from discovery through deployment. No handoffs, no lost context.
  • Project-based pricing, not hourly

What This Looks Like in Practice

A healthcare product was weeks away from starting development. The plan looked reasonable on the surface, but when I dug in, the problems stacked up. The scope had grown past what was actually needed. The timeline didn't hold up against the team's real capacity. And there were compliance risks nobody had flagged yet.

I ran a 48-hour scoping sprint and delivered a phased roadmap that cut the plan back to what mattered, set a realistic timeline, and surfaced the risks before they got expensive.

“His insights are clear, actionable, and always drive projects forward.”
Dustin Hurtt

Dustin Hurtt, DIA Dev and Design

The Path Forward

1

Intro Call (15 min, free)

You tell me what you're building. I'll share how I think about it. We figure out if there's a fit.

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2

Discovery ($750)

I dig into your project and deliver a written scope, phased plan, and realistic budget. This is where most of the expensive mistakes get caught.

3

Your Call

You'll have a clear plan and a real budget. From there we can move into a build engagement, ongoing advisory, or you take the plan and run. No pressure either way.