Axium Foundry - Technical Consultancy for NYC Startups

Why Axium Foundry Exists

I started Axium Foundry after seeing the same problem over and over: ambitious founders with great ideas, stuck waiting months to hire senior engineers or burning cash on offshore teams that deliver technical debt.

The typical options all suck. Heroku-style platforms lock you in and cost 3x more. AWS overwhelms with complexity. Offshore dev shops produce code you'll spend twice as much fixing later. Junior developers mean months of management overhead. And hiring senior engineers? That's 3-6 months of recruiting before a single line of code.

There had to be a better way.

Axium Foundry is that better way. You get senior engineering expertise when you need it, without the overhead of full time hires. I build fast, I build right, and I don't lock you into anything proprietary. You own your code, you control your infrastructure, and you can hire your own team whenever you're ready.

How I Work

1

Free Health Check

I start every engagement with a free consultation. You explain your situation, I give you honest technical advice. No sales pitch. If I don't think I can help, I'll tell you. If there's a better approach than what you're considering, I'll explain why.

2

Clear Scope & Timeline

No vague estimates. I'll write a detailed scope document that explains exactly what I'm building, what's included, what's not, and how long it will take. You'll know what to expect before I start.

3

Weekly Demos & Updates

You see progress every week. I show you what's working, what's next, and where I need your input. No disappearing for weeks and hoping it turns out right. Continuous feedback means I build exactly what you need.

4

Ship Production Ready Code

When I launch, it's ready. Tests, monitoring, documentation, deployment automation. Your future team can take over seamlessly, or you can keep working with me. Either way, you own everything.

5

Your Choice What Happens Next

After launch, it's up to you. Many clients keep me on retainer for ongoing development and support. Others hire their own team and transition gradually. Some come back for specific projects. No long term contracts. No lock-in. Work with me as long as it makes sense.

What I Believe

Honest Technical Advice

I'll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. If you're overbuilding, I'll tell you. If you're considering the wrong stack, I'll explain why. Honest advice saves you time and money.

No Vendor Lock-In

You own your code, you own your data, you own your infrastructure. I don't build proprietary systems that trap you. If you want to move on, you can. If you want to hire your own team, great. I'll help with the transition.

Modern Tools, Proven Stack

Rails isn't trendy, it's proven. It powers Shopify, GitHub, Basecamp, and thousands of successful startups. Combined with modern deployment tools, it's the fastest way to build and the cheapest way to run.

Speed Without Shortcuts

Fast doesn't mean sloppy. I move quickly because I use the right tools and have done this many times before. But I never skip tests, monitoring, or proper architecture. Fast and right aren't mutually exclusive.

Focus on NYC Startups

I'm based in NYC and understand the startup ecosystem here. Being local means I can meet in person when it helps, but most work happens remotely regardless. I work with companies anywhere, but NYC startups are my focus.

One Person, Real Expertise

You work directly with me, not a sales team that hands you off to junior developers. I've built products, scaled startups, and know what actually works. No account managers. No surprises. Just senior engineering expertise.

Why Rails, Hotwire, and Turbo Native?

Rails is still the fastest way to build web applications. It's been around since 2004, powers some of the biggest companies in tech, and has a massive ecosystem of gems and developers. Most importantly, it lets you ship fast without accumulating technical debt.

Hotwire and Turbo let you build modern, reactive interfaces without heavy JavaScript frameworks. You get the speed and interactivity users expect, with less complexity and better maintainability. No more managing state across two separate applications (backend and frontend).

Turbo Native is the secret weapon for mobile. Wrap your Rails app in a native iOS shell and you have a real App Store app—with 100% code sharing. Companies like Basecamp and HEY have proven this approach works at scale. For startups, it means shipping mobile without hiring mobile developers.

This isn't the newest stack. It's the stack that works.

What if you need something else?

I'm pragmatic. If your specific requirements genuinely need a different stack, I'll tell you honestly and potentially recommend other partners. But 95% of startups don't need the complexity of microservices, separate frontend frameworks, or native mobile codebases. Rails + Hotwire + Turbo Native covers most use cases faster and cheaper.

Who I Work With

Pre-Seed & Seed Stage Startups

You have an idea and maybe some early customers. You need to build an MVP fast and validate product market fit before hiring a full team. You want senior judgment, not junior execution.

Companies with Legacy Rails Apps

Your Rails app is slow, outdated, or expensive to run. The original developer is gone. Your current team is afraid to touch it. You need someone who can rescue and modernize without a full rewrite.

Solo Founders Who Need Technical Leadership

You're technical enough to be dangerous but not experienced enough to build production systems. You want someone who can make architectural decisions, not just write code. You need a technical co-founder, but hiring one hasn't worked out.

Startups Between Engineering Hires

Your CTO or senior engineer just left. You're recruiting but it takes months. Meanwhile, your product needs updates, bugs need fixes, and customers are waiting. You need someone senior to keep things moving.

About Axium Foundry