STARTUPS FIRST · TECH + PRODUCT
Startup consulting for teams at every stage
BrainStormers is a technical and product consultancy built for startups.
Since 2018Product and engineering, together or separately
The drawing shows an app screen and, under it, the services and data stores behind it, with the checkout call marked where a button meets the code.
Scale-ups and established companies hire us too, for a fractional leader, an audit or a short project.
THREE WAYS TO HIRE US
One service, one suite or both
Our startup consulting is modular: hire only the help you need. Engineering covers custom software development for startups. Product covers product management consulting. Or combine them: our software product development services put one senior team on one plan. See all BrainStormers services.
ONE TEAM
Product and engineering together
One plan from first idea to launch, with product and technical decisions made together instead of passed across a gap.
ENGINEERING
Engineering
Senior engineers who fix, build and run your software, from an AI-built prototype to the cloud it runs on.
- AI code fixes
- Crisis response
- MVP development
- Fractional CTO
- DevOps consulting
- Cloud consulting
- and 4 more
PRODUCT
Product
Seasoned product people who validate ideas, shape the roadmap, test with users and plan for scale.
- Fractional product manager
- Product strategy
- Product discovery
- Idea validation
- Usability testing
- UX audit
- and 3 more
URGENT
Production down or AI-built code failing
- The app is down and the person who built it is not answering. An emergency software developer can get in and find the fault.
- An app built with AI tools worked in the demo and now breaks with real users. A vibe code audit shows why.
- A project is months late, the budget is spent and nobody can say when it ships. Software project rescue starts with the facts.
Urgent requests jump the queue
Led by Thanos GkanasCo-Founder, engineering- checkoutoperational
- sign-inoperational
- apioperational
- paymentsoperational
- adminoperational
- cause: bad deploy
- fix: rolled back
- next: blameless postmortem
HOW WE WORK
Audit, build, ship
Our consulting for startups follows three steps, so you always know where things stand.
- 01
Audit
We find out what is true first, through an AI code audit or idea validation. You get a written summary ranking what to fix or test first.
- 02
Build
Then we do the work, or guide your team through it, from a first version built with our MVP development services to AI features.
- 03
Ship
We launch, keep it running with DevOps consulting services and hand over docs, runbooks and next steps.
The drawing shows one engagement as a burn-up chart and, under it, scope signed after the audit, one agreed change, a demo each cycle and a handed-over release.
WHO WE HELP
Startups first, and the teams they grow into
Most of our work is with startups, from first idea to Series A. Scale-ups and established companies hire the same senior people for a fractional leader, an audit or a defined project.
How to build an MVP without a technical co-founder
For non-technical founders who need business advice and a build partner in one, in plain words.
Product help for technical founders
For founders who can build it themselves and want help deciding what to build, for whom and at what price.
Senior engineering capacity and product help for teams
For scale-ups and established teams that need senior hands, a fix for a stuck project or product leadership without a long hiring process.
WHO YOU WORK WITH
Two founders, one team
Roger Grekos leads product, projects and scale. He has 12+ years in product, from discovery and pricing to startup scaling strategy. Thanos Gkanas leads engineering. He has 20+ years building software systems, from architecture and crisis response to technical due diligence services.
On combined work they share one plan, and bring in senior people from a trusted network when more hands are needed. Engineers who want to join it: see senior engineer contract work.
Roger Grekos
CO-FOUNDER · PRODUCT
I judge a plan by one test: could we tell quickly that it was wrong? If not, we rewrite the plan before anyone builds.
Thanos Gkanas
CO-FOUNDER · ENGINEERING
I trust a system once I have seen it fail safely. Until then, I assume it will fail at the worst moment and plan for that.
ENGAGEMENT MODELS
Ways to work with us
Pick how much of the work you want us to own, from a startup business consultant on one decision to senior people inside your sprints. Details: How we work and consulting engagement pricing.
Advisory
Senior advice on one decision at a time: a plan, a codebase, a hire or a vendor quote.
You get
- A straight answer to the question you bring
- Written notes and next steps after each session
- A second opinion before you commit money
Typical shape
Working sessions, booked when you need them
Quoted after a short call
Ask for a quoteHands-on project
We do a defined piece of work for you: an audit, a fix, a build or a research round.
You get
- A written scope before work starts
- The work itself: code, designs or research
- A handover your team can run with
Typical shape
Scoped to your project, delivered in milestones
Quoted after a short call
Ask for a quoteEmbedded capacity
Senior engineers join your team through team augmentation, and product leads can embed the same way.
You get
- Senior people in your sprints and stand-ups
- Reviews and standards your team keeps
- Notes and docs that stay when we leave
Typical shape
Set days each week, for as long as you need
Quoted after a short call
Ask for a quoteFractional lead
A part-time leader who owns decisions and reports to you: fractional CTO services or a fractional product manager.
You get
- Ownership of the roadmap or the technical plan
- Hiring help: job specs, interviews and onboarding
- Regular updates you can share with investors
Typical shape
An agreed share of each month, reviewed monthly
Quoted after a short call
Ask for a quote
THREE TOOLS
Check it yourself first
Quick checks to run before you talk to any startup consultant, including us. Score the AI-generated code risk in your app, compare a quoted fractional CTO rate with a full-time salary, or plan the scope of an MVP. Your answers stay in your browser.
AI code risk check
Ten questions that show where an AI-built app is most likely to break: security, data, payments or operations.
CTO cost calculator
Set the hours you need and compare a fractional CTO with a full-time hire, monthly and yearly, from the quote you have.
MVP scope planner
Pick your features and see what to build first, what to cut, and a range of weeks and cost.
LATEST
Recent guides and alerts
Practical guides from both founders, plus platform deprecation alerts when a vendor change affects your stack. All in BrainStormers insights.
SCALE STRATEGYGUIDE
How to build a product roadmap
How to build a product roadmap a startup can follow: formats, a seven-step process, RICE scoring, a copyable template, examples for three stages and habits that keep it honest.
Roger GrekosSCALE STRATEGYGUIDE
How to find product-market fit
How to find product-market fit: the signals that show it, how to run the product-market fit survey, the questions to ask, and what to change when the answer is no.
Roger GrekosAI CODE FIXINGGUIDE
How to measure and reduce technical debt
How to measure technical debt, the types that hurt startups most, and a step-by-step way to reduce technical debt while you keep shipping features.
Thanos Gkanas
FAQ
Questions about our startup consulting services
What does BrainStormers do?
BrainStormers is a startup consulting firm based in Toronto. We give founders, scale-ups and established teams senior engineering and product help, as advice, hands-on work or both. Engineering covers architecture, AI code fixes, crisis response, MVP builds and infrastructure. Product covers validation, discovery, UX and UI, pricing and scale planning. You can hire one service, one suite or both together.
Can we hire you for engineering only, product only, or both?
Yes, all three work. Engineering-only work is led by Thanos Gkanas, our Head of Engineering. Product-only work is led by Roger Grekos, who leads product, projects and scale. If you hire both, one plan covers product and code, and the two founders decide together wherever a product choice meets a technical one.
Do you work with non-technical founders?
Yes. Non-technical founders get the same senior people, with every decision explained in plain words. We can test the idea with real buyers, scope the first version, build it and walk you through what each part does. That way you can judge progress yourself and talk to investors and future hires with confidence.
What is the difference between your advisory and hands-on work?
Advisory means we help you decide: a working session on a plan, a codebase, a hire or a vendor quote, with written notes afterwards. Hands-on means we do the work ourselves: an audit, a fix, a build or a research round with an agreed scope. An engagement can start as advisory and turn hands-on once the next step is clear.
Can you fix an app that was built with an AI coding tool?
Yes. Apps that are vibe coded often work in a demo and then fail under real users, real data or a security check. We audit the code, rank the risks, fix the causes that matter most and add tests around them, so your team can keep building with AI tools more safely.
Who does BrainStormers work with: which stages and team sizes?
Startups are our focus, from solo founders with an idea to teams at Series A. Scale-ups and established companies bring us in for shorter work: a fractional lead, a code or UX audit, due diligence, a rescue or senior engineers for a quarter. The work changes with the stage: validation and MVPs early on, infrastructure and scale planning later.
How does the first conversation work?
It starts with a 20-minute call booked in our calendar, or a short project form if you would rather write first. We ask about your goals, product, team and constraints. Then we suggest a next step: an advisory session, a scoped piece of work, or a pointer elsewhere if we are not the right fit.
Who are the founders of BrainStormers?
BrainStormers is led by its two co-founders. Roger Grekos (Co-Founder, Product, Project & Scale) has 12+ years in product and covers validation, discovery, UX, pricing and growth planning. Thanos Gkanas (Co-Founder & Head of Engineering) has 20+ years building software systems and covers architecture, AI code fixes, crisis response and infrastructure. Each profile lists the services they lead and the guides they write.
NEXT STEP
Tell us what you are building
Book a 20-minute call, or send a few lines about your product and what is in the way. You leave knowing your next step, even if it is not with us.