colibri.build Let's talk

IAN BEARSS, custom systems builder.

Less friction.
More forward.

I'm Ian, a custom systems builder. I get inside your operation, find what's slowing you down, and build the system that moves you forward.

Explore the work
Independent in Fort Collins. Working everywhere.Have a good problem?

Made to
make a difference.

A few things I've put into the world.
Different problems. Same care.

Private wealth platform William Allan Wealth interface Private project

William Allan Wealth

A private wealth platform that passed the client's compliance review.

Built from
the inside out.

The details you see.
The systems you don't.
Web design & development Crawshaw CPAs interface View case study

Crawshaw CPAs

A CPA firm site rebuilt as a conversion path, not a brochure.
Web design & development Jacob Educational Therapy interface Visit live site

Jacob Educational Therapy

A live practice site, shipping since June 2026.
Custom software / Operations Kitchen Command interface Visit live app

Kitchen Command

Kitchen operations with gated access, rate limits, and signed sessions.
AI systems / In development Keystone Codex: an arched keystone above an open book Explore the project

Keystone Codex

Source-grounded AI for regulated work. Cites every claim, says "I don't know" instead of guessing.
Custom software / Contractor operations Reclaim contractor workspace with fictional sample projects, estimates, and billing Open interactive demo

Reclaim by colibri.build

A contractor workspace connecting estimates, project delivery, billing, and evidence-backed revenue review.
Your problem could be next.

A little room
to play.

A small flock. A little mischief.


I started behind a bar.
I taught myself to build.

Now I work with one operator at a time, from the first conversation to the finished system. I sit inside the operation first, write the finding second, and only ship software if the finding calls for it.

A solitary builder with a laptop, on a cliff above the clouds

Small by choice.
Built for the big stuff.

Good systems start with giving a damn.No handoffs. No disappearing act.

Thought, meet action.

The approach

Make it move.

A GOOD
IDEA.IN GOOD
HANDS.

From the first conversation
to the thing you actually use.

First, the problem.
Then, the possibility.

Three stages. Each priced on its own.
A clear decision at every step.

01

Find it.

Discovery

Get close to the work.
Find the real problem.

  • Time inside the operation with the people doing the job
  • A written finding on where the hours go
  • A straight answer on whether software is the right fix
  • Fixed fee, fixed scope
02

Prove it.

Pilot

Try it where it matters.
Make the decision with evidence.

  • Four weeks against real workflows and real people
  • Success criteria frozen before work starts
  • One witnessed evaluation, then a written go or no-go
03

Ship it.

Production

Build what works.
Make it yours to run.

  • A build scoped from what the pilot proved
  • Flat price for the build, monthly for what it costs to run
  • A system your team operates without me

You don't need a specification.
Start with what's stuck.

Put your problem into words

Fair questions.

Anything else?
Just ask me.

What does a custom systems builder do?

I sit inside the operation, find where hours disappear, and build the software that stops it. Ops tools, automations, web apps, answer systems, and the sites that front them. If software is the wrong fix, you still get that in writing.

How do discovery, pilot, and production work?

Discovery is time with the people doing the job, a written finding, and a quote. A pilot is four weeks against your real workflows and your real people, with a go or no-go at the end. Production is the build scoped from what the pilot proved.

Do I have to go through all three stages?

No. Each stage is priced on its own. You can stop after any of them.

Do you work remotely?

Yes. I am based in Fort Collins, Colorado, and I work with operators anywhere.

Got something that eats
a day a week?

Tell me where the time goes.
Let's see what we can do about it.

ian@colibri.build

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