Advise · Discovery & Technical Scoping
A clear plan and a written quote before anything gets built.
Discovery & Scoping is a short, paid engagement that turns a business problem into a buildable plan: requirements, architecture, integration and AI readiness, risks, and a fixed written quote. You own the plan whether or not Cloudstruct builds it.
Who it’s for
- Companies that know something needs building but not exactly what
- Teams comparing building, buying, or integrating an existing tool
- Owners who want a realistic cost before committing to a project
- Businesses with a stalled project that needs an honest second look
Problems we fix
What usually brings people to us
- A project that keeps growing in scope before anything is built
- Quotes from different vendors that can’t be compared
- No clear answer on whether to build, buy, or integrate
- Risks that only surface halfway through a build
What’s included
What Discovery & Technical Scoping covers
- Requirements and workflow review
- An honest build, buy, or integrate recommendation, including when not to build
- Architecture and integration plan
- Integration and AI readiness notes where relevant
- Risks, assumptions, and open questions in writing
- A phased delivery plan and a fixed written quote
How it works
From first call to ongoing care
01
Understand the problem and constraints
How the business works today, and what must change.
02
Review systems and data
What exists, what can be kept, and what it connects to.
03
Recommend an approach
Build, buy, or integrate, with the reasons.
04
Deliver the plan and quote
A written plan and a fixed quote for the build.
How we charge
Fixed-fee engagement
Quoted up front as a fixed fee, credited against the build if you go ahead. It usually takes 1–2 weeks.
What the cost depends on
- The size and complexity of the problem
- How many systems and data sources are involved
- How many people need to be interviewed
Every engagement
- A written quote before any work starts
- Changes approved in writing before they’re made
- You own your accounts, code, and content
Proof
Selected case studies
Since 2015
Canadian corporate yoga company
A custom .NET Core SaaS platform, run end to end
A corporate yoga company runs its teachers, clients, classes, and billing on a custom .NET Core application that Cloudstruct built and runs end to end: hosting, database, security, maintenance, integrations, and advice, with support going back to 2015.
2015supported since
12 domains
North American mobile personal-training franchise
Second engagement with the same client · since 2014
12-domain server migration: GoDaddy to OVHcloud
Moved six WordPress sites, six ASP.NET/WCF applications, and their databases off aging shared hosting onto a Canadian-hosted Windows Server 2022 environment the client owns.
25%cost reduction
12live domains moved
Who you’ll work with
One point of contact, a team behind it
You get one point of contact from the first call through to ongoing care, with a small, senior team behind them doing the work. We have been building and supporting client systems since 2014, including a franchise’s operations platform and a corporate yoga company’s custom platform, each for more than a decade.
Cloudstruct was founded by Mark Dos Santos, who has also spent 15+ years leading ecommerce and technology teams in-house; his full background is on LinkedIn.
Common questions
How is the fee determined?
By the size of the problem and how many systems are involved. It is quoted up front as a fixed fee and credited against the build if you go ahead.
How long does discovery take?
Usually 1–2 weeks. The timeline and fee are agreed in writing before discovery starts.
Do we have to hire Cloudstruct to build it?
No. You own the plan and can take it to any team.
What do you need from us?
Time with the people who know the process, access to the systems involved, and a decision-maker for the recommendation.
Is this the same as hiring a fractional CTO?
No. Discovery is scoped to one project and ends with a plan and a quote. Ongoing executive technology leadership is Mark’s separate advisory practice at markdossantos.ca.
How is this different from a Technical Audit?
Discovery plans something new. A Technical Audit reviews a system you already have.
Need executive-level technology leadership? Ongoing strategy and fractional CTO work are Mark Dos Santos’s separate advisory practice.
Visit markdossantos.caReady to talk about Discovery & Technical Scoping?
Tell us what you’re working with and we’ll give you a straight read, in writing.