The Unheard-of Exception
We don’t chase projects. We build platforms that earn trust, pass audits, and compound ROI — by design, not by accident.
Who We Are
Look at the landscape and you’ll see the herd: dev shops racing to promise speed and price.
“We build fast. We build cheap. We build what you ask for.”
That’s not us.
Grad Specs was built by operators and engineers who were tired of fragile builds, failed adoptions, and compliance chaos. We saw too many “finished” projects that looked good in a demo but collapsed under real-world use.
So we made a decision:
We don’t chase — we choose.
We don’t build what you ask for — we build what you meant.
We don’t stop at “it works” — we insist on “it works, it’s governed, and it pays back.”
We are a performance architecture firm and a clarity engine for regulated and high-stakes environments. When we step in, the chaos gets a conductor.
What We Do Differently
Fit for Purpose ⚙️ Fit for Use 🛡️ Built to Last
This isn’t a tagline — it’s the standard we hold ourselves to on every engagement.
Fit for Purpose
We start with the real problem, not the loudest symptom. We rationalize requirements, map value, and align every feature to a clear business outcome.
Fit for Use
We design for the people who have to live in the system every day: operators, frontline staff, and auditors. If they won’t use it, we haven’t finished. That’s why we embed policies, SOPs, and training paths directly into the platform, so adoption isn’t an afterthought — it’s the core.
Built to Last
Our architecture rebuilds from core with every change, so you don’t get regression roulette every time someone edits a label or adds a field. Your environment gets stronger with each release, not more fragile. The result: platforms that pass audits, survive turnover, and stay governable over the long haul.
How We Work
1. We Unify Product, Process & Performance
Most partners pick a lane: they’re either “product people,” “process people,” or “platform people.”
Grad Specs combines all three:
Platform engineering & architecture
Operational mapping & user journey design
Compliance, risk, and governance design
Every project is co-led by elite engineers and specialists in operations, compliance, and continual improvement. That’s how we turn a build into a governed system instead of another one-off app that someone has to babysit.
2. We Deliver Value in Degrees
We don’t do big-bang, pray-it-works launches.
We work in graduated specifications — each phase delivers measurable ROI and operational relief before we move to the next.
Discovery → Value Mapping → Core Launch → Iterative Expansion
Each phase ends with a quantified return, governance alignment, and zero-error handoff.
Your leadership gets visibility. Your operators get clarity. Your auditors get clean trails. Your next iteration starts from strength, not from rework.
3. We Stay for the Adoption
We don’t disappear after “go-live.”
Our Usability & Continuous Optimization workshops let us circle back at 30 days and 6 months to measure what’s really happening in the field — where time is leaking, where users struggle, and where additional automation will unlock the next level of ROI.
That’s how we turn every release into a compounding asset instead of a one-and-done project.
Our Fearless Standard
We bet on ourselves.
If a client doesn’t see a clear light at the end of the tunnel — a realistic, grounded path to ROI and operational relief — we treat the engagement like future fuel, not a sunk cost. This isn’t a cute marketing trick. It’s how we force ourselves to: Challenge vague requirements instead of blindly implementing them Tell the truth about tradeoffs and timelines Protect the client from “pretty demos, painful reality” We’re not here to win arguments. We’re here to win confidence.
The Outcomes We Stand For
Our clients don’t hire us because they want “more software.”
They hire us because they want:
Certainty instead of headcount A platform that absorbs operational load so they can scale without endless staffing. Progress instead of promises Roadmaps with measured outcomes, not wish lists. Peace of mind instead of more management Systems that are auditable by design, easy to operate, and resilient to staff turnover. When Shane hires us, he’s not buying lines of code — he’s buying control of his operation. When Collin calls us, he’s buying relief from the noise and a way to get value in market quickly without gambling his reputation.
The People Behind Grad Specs
Derek Hobbs
Founder & CEO
John Barber
Fractional Program & Operations Advisor
Together, Derek and John operate like a coach-and-quarterback team: one defending the standard, the other reading the field and calling the plays that keep every initiative fit for purpose, fit for use, and built to last.
Why We Exist
Grad Specs exists to end a specific kind of waste:
- Wasted projects that don’t get adopted.
- Wasted time lost to clumsy workflows and manual workarounds.
- Wasted opportunity when compliance fear stalls innovation
Our mission is simple:
To be the team executives call when they want certainty instead of staff, progress instead of promises, and peace of mind instead of more management.
We don’t just ship code. We deliver governed platforms that perform, systems that last, and operational certainty that endures.