Palmetto Software
We partner with Lowcountry businesses to turn real operational problems into software.
You know your business and your industry. We know how to build software.
If there is a frustrating process in your business that wastes time, costs money, or simply should work better, we want to hear about it. If we believe the same problem exists across your industry and there is a real opportunity to solve it, we may fund and build the software ourselves.
You help us understand the problem and shape the product. We do the technical work.
Currently working with businesses in Charleston and the surrounding Lowcountry.
What We Do
Palmetto Software works with established local businesses to find operational problems that are worth solving with software.
We are not looking to replace every system you use or take on open-ended custom software projects. We look for one specific problem: something your team deals with regularly, something that causes real frustration or expense, and something other businesses in your industry are likely dealing with too.
If the problem checks out, we build a focused software product around it.
The Kind of Problems We Like
The best conversations usually start with comments like:
“We hate dealing with this.”
“We do this every day.”
“There has to be a better way.”
“Our current software doesn’t handle this properly.”
“We’re still doing this with spreadsheets, email or text messages.”
We are interested in the unglamorous problems that businesses quietly deal with every day. Those are often the ones most worth fixing.
How It Works
We meet.
We spend time with you and the people who actually do the work. Usually the first conversation is simply 20–30 minutes at your business or over coffee.
We understand the problem.
If there is something worth exploring, we dig into the workflow and understand how it is handled today, where it breaks down and what a better solution would need to do.
We validate it.
Before building, we speak with other businesses in the same industry and look carefully at existing software. We only proceed if the problem appears to be broader than one company and existing solutions do not solve it well enough.
We build it.
If the opportunity validates, Palmetto Software funds and builds the initial product. We deliberately keep the first version focused, with a goal of getting working software into real use in approximately 30 days.
You help us improve it.
Our Design Partner and the employees using the product give us practical feedback while it is being built and tested.
We take it to market.
The Design Partner continues to use the core product free. Palmetto Software owns and commercializes the software for other businesses in the industry.
From problem to working software in approximately 30 days.
What Is a Design Partner?
A Design Partner is an established local business willing to let us learn how a real part of the business works.
We are looking for owners and operators who know there are things in their business that could work better and are willing to give us honest access and feedback.
A typical Design Partner provides
- A few hours of workflow discovery with the right people on the team.
- An honest look at how the problem is handled today.
- Several short feedback sessions while the product is being built.
- Real-world testing of the initial software.
In return
- There is no development bill.
- You have significant influence over the initial product.
- You get continued free use of the core product we build together.
- We handle the product development, technology and commercialization.
This is deliberately a small, hands-on program. We work closely with a limited number of local businesses rather than taking on a large volume of projects.
Who We’re Looking For
We are currently looking for established businesses in Charleston and the surrounding Lowcountry.
The best fit usually has:
- Multiple employees.
- Repeatable operational or administrative processes.
- An owner or senior operator who knows the business well.
- Employees who can show us how the work is actually done.
- Processes that still rely heavily on spreadsheets, email, text messages, paperwork or workarounds.
- A willingness to give candid feedback.
We are particularly interested in businesses where the owner can say, “Everyone in our industry has this problem.”
Have a problem worth solving?
You do not need a software specification or even an idea for an app. Just tell us about something in your business that is unnecessarily difficult, repetitive or frustrating.
If you are in the Charleston or Lowcountry area, we are happy to come to your business or buy the coffee.