Talk to the CEO

The engineering partner for ambitious products

Strong teams
for bold ideas.

Blackbird is a boutique software development firm with deep experience building products from the ground up. We are a team of veteran engineers that have taken startups from concept to acquisition, helped large companies ship at startup speed, and provided technical leadership for some of the world's most recognizable brands.

We specialize in web, mobile, and AI-driven products across many industries including consumer, enterprise, finance, and healthcare. We excel at rapid prototyping and MVP delivery, with the judgment to balance speed, security, and scalability.

Companies bring us in when they need experienced judgment, not just implementation. We embed directly into your team, provide strong technical leadership, surface risk early, and adapt as conditions change. We take full ownership of outcomes, holding ourselves to the same standards you expect from your internal team.

Playbook
Rule #1

Use small, veteran teams

We start by assembling small teams of exceptional engineers. You work directly with the people writing the code. No middle layers, no heavyweight PM process, no games of telephone. Just seasoned builders who have repeatedly taken products from idea to launch.

TRADITIONAL BLACKBIRD YOU PM SR DEV JR DEV YOU SR DEV SR DEV SR DEV
Rule #2

Embed deeply in the project

We integrate so closely that we feel like part of your team, not a vendor. We stay oriented to your goals, adapt as things change, and default to close collaboration over process. We collaborate directly in real time, working through the details together as one team. You'll always have full visibility into what we're doing and why.

Jamie Park 10:42 AM Team's going back and forth on whether the modal or inline edit feels better Ben Dixon 10:43 AM Want me to just build both so you can try it out? Jamie Park 10:43 AM Yes if we can turn it around quickly Ben Dixon 10:44 AM It will be in staging in 20 minutes
Rule #3

Act like a startup

We are the veteran startup team you never had to hire. We know how startups operate: customer discovery, hypothesis-driven development, and a relentless focus on product-market fit. We start with a clear hypothesis, test it fast, and adjust. No bloated roadmaps, no ceremony. Just experienced builders who have run this playbook before.

HYPOTHESIS BUILD MEASURE LEARN
Rule #4

Use AI as a tool, not a crutch

AI creates opportunities and risk for product development. The opportunity is extraordinary leverage: small teams can now build more, faster than ever before. The risk is over-reliance: teams that let AI drive accumulate code they don't understand and debt they can't pay down. Our veteran engineers capture the speed without ceding the judgment.

QUALITY FAST HIGH SPEED HUMAN-ONLY AI-ONLY BLACKBIRD
Rule #5

Execution over ego

We only hire people who are low drama and easy to work with. Our engineers are collaborative, direct, and focused on getting things done. No posturing, no politics, no over-promising. We tell you when something is hard, admit when we're wrong, and let the work speak for itself.

CHECKOUT SCREEN · TASKS 5 OF 6 DONE Build cart summary + order total S Integrate Stripe payment form J Add address autocomplete A Handle declined + failed states M Send order confirmation email J QA on iOS, Android + desktop S
Services

Software Engineering

Our engineers have deep, hands-on experience across the full stack. Frontend, backend, web, mobile, APIs, cloud infrastructure, data pipelines—we've done it all. We know how to build MVPs, scale systems, and ship everything securely.

Web Mobile APIs Full-Stack Rapid Prototyping DevOps

AI & ML Engineering

Blackbird is at the forefront of a rapidly evolving AI space. We've been building AI products since we were founded in 2016 and know gen AI, traditional ML, data engineering, and LLM application development inside and out. Our team of engineers and data scientists have built and shipped AI in real products, at scale.

Generative AI ML Data Science Data Pipelines Automation Evaluation

CTO Consulting

Our engineers have served as CTOs, technical co-founders, and engineering leaders at startups and growth-stage companies. We embed as technical leaders who shape architecture, surface risk early, align engineering with business goals, and help you build to scale.

Architecture Feasibility Risk Assessment Tech Stacks Technical Planning

Product Strategy

We help you build the right thing. From discovery through launch, we work with you to define what to build, validate assumptions, and find your market.

Product Discovery Validation MVP Definition Analytics Go-to-Market

Team Building

Our goal is to work ourselves out of a job. We get your product to a stable, well-architected place and then help you bring in the full-time team to own it. We know what good looks like: how to hire the right engineers, structure teams, and put the practices and processes in place that let an internal team thrive long after we're gone.

Hiring Onboarding Process Culture Role Definition AI Adoption

Compliance & Security

We build security in from the start. We have worked in highly regulated industries including fintech and healthcare and understand what it takes to operate in high-compliance environments. We can walk you through security certifications like SOC 2 and HIPAA, conduct audits, and ensure your product is ready for enterprise customers who demand it.

SOC 2 HIPAA FERPA ADA Accessibility Security Audits Compliance
Work

“Blackbird impressed everyone at Blue Apron with their strategic collaboration, design thinking, and technical proficiency.”

Inna AlecksandrovichDirector of Supply Chain Strategy and Operations, Blue Apron

“They were proactive problem solvers, entrepreneurs, creative coders, and had the experience you need to succeed on complex projects.”

Jon MaplesVP of Product, Gimme Radio

“Blackbird integrated seamlessly into our existing project, helped design a comprehensive solution and then rapidly brought that idea to life.”

John BurkeChief Engineer, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

“One of IDEO’s most unique and valuable partners…not many people can operate at that level—Blackbird can.”

Kate LydonPublic Sector Portfolio Director, IDEO

“Blackbird impressed everyone at Blue Apron with their strategic collaboration, design thinking, and technical proficiency.”

Inna AlecksandrovichDirector of Supply Chain Strategy and Operations, Blue Apron

“They were proactive problem solvers, entrepreneurs, creative coders, and had the experience you need to succeed on complex projects.”

Jon MaplesVP of Product, Gimme Radio

“Blackbird integrated seamlessly into our existing project, helped design a comprehensive solution and then rapidly brought that idea to life.”

John BurkeChief Engineer, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

“One of IDEO’s most unique and valuable partners…not many people can operate at that level—Blackbird can.”

Kate LydonPublic Sector Portfolio Director, IDEO

“Collaborative, thoughtful and technically savvy.”

Sam BeckerDirector, IDEO

“I found the team genuine and real. Blackbird brought the architecture, system and software expertise.”

Tim SwieterCo-Founder, Yellow Hat AI

“Blackbird displayed a depth of experience in not only development, but also business strategy in the startup realm that has been invaluable.”

Monica StallingsCo-Founder, Argossey

“One of IDEO’s most unique and valuable partners…not many people can operate at that level—Blackbird can.”

Kate LydonPublic Sector Portfolio Director, IDEO

“Collaborative, thoughtful and technically savvy.”

Sam BeckerDirector, IDEO

“I found the team genuine and real. Blackbird brought the architecture, system and software expertise.”

Tim SwieterCo-Founder, Yellow Hat AI

“Blackbird displayed a depth of experience in not only development, but also business strategy in the startup realm that has been invaluable.”

Monica StallingsCo-Founder, Argossey

“One of IDEO’s most unique and valuable partners…not many people can operate at that level—Blackbird can.”

Kate LydonPublic Sector Portfolio Director, IDEO

SaaS Enterprise Software Consumer Apps Consumer Electronics Fintech Banking Lending Insurance Healthcare Wellness Pharma Food & Beverage Hospitality Retail Automotive Logistics Construction Government Education Non-profit
Water.org savings app mobile interface
Nonprofit Mobile

Water.org

Water.org partnered with IDEO.org to expand funding for their micro-loans platform by creating a consumer savings account that invests users' capital in water access loans. They needed a technical partner to tackle the product management and engineering challenges involved.

Blackbird worked with IDEO.org and Water.org to build and launch an MVP, then iterated through Build, Measure, Learn sprints. The app features real savings accounts, US bank integrations, and a compelling social impact interface. Blackbird also helped define long-term team needs and onboard new hires and service providers.

The result is a polished fundraising platform on iOS and Android putting users' savings to work funding clean water access worldwide.

Journey Idea → MVP → Launch → Team
Services Mobile, Web, Product Strategy, Hiring
Lineup labor optimization graph
SaaS Workforce

Lineup.ai

1848 Ventures and IDEO had a hunch that AI could help restaurants predict sales and optimize labor. They needed a technical partner to turn that idea into a working product.

Blackbird provided technical leadership from concept to scale. After a discovery phase, we built and launched an MVP in months, powered by an ML model ingesting POS data, weather, and local events. The platform evolved into a dual-sided solution: predictive analytics for managers and a mobile app for employee scheduling and shift management.

Lineup expanded rapidly across restaurant groups. After scaling the system, we helped hire and onboard a full-time dev team. Lineup was later acquired by TimeForge.

Journey Idea → Prototype → MVP → Scale → Team → Acquisition
Services Web, Mobile, ML Engineering, Strategy, Hiring, Team Building
Google Pixel Buds wireless earbuds
Consumer Hardware R&D

Google Buds

Google X was developing an experimental "future of human hearing" headset with advanced spatial audio capabilities. They needed a partner who could build mobile apps for internal testing while working closely with their firmware team on cutting-edge audio algorithms.

Blackbird built a responsive mobile testing application and collaborated directly with Google's firmware engineers to implement spatial audio algorithms. Through multiple launch-and-learn cycles, we rapidly prototyped experimental features, assessed technical feasibility, and adapted the roadmap based on real user feedback.

The testing application validated experimental spatial audio features through continuous user testing. The algorithms and approaches that emerged from this collaboration between Blackbird and Google X were later incorporated into Google Buds.

Journey Idea → Prototype → Validation → Launch
Services Mobile, Prototyping, Algorithms, Testing
Soluna mental health platform
Healthcare Government

Soluna

California launched a $4.7 billion initiative to address its youth mental health crisis, aiming to serve 6+ million young people. The state needed a partner who could deliver at scale while meeting strict requirements for privacy, safety, and clinical effectiveness.

Partnering with IDEO and Kooth, Blackbird won a $188 million contract against 450+ vendors. We co-designed the platform with 300+ young people and built a comprehensive digital mental health ecosystem: coaching, peer support, self-guided tools, and crisis intervention, all HIPAA and FERPA compliant with 24-hour access.

Soluna launched in January 2024 and achieved 94% user satisfaction. After 1.5 years, we transitioned the platform to Kooth's internal team, which is now expanding to additional states.

Journey Idea → Prototype → MVP → Scale → Team
Services Web, Mobile, Product Strategy, Compliance, Hiring
Ford Greenfield Labs mobility app
Ford Greenfield Labs route planning app
Automotive R&D

Ford Greenfield Labs

Greenfield Labs, created by Ford to explore future mobility opportunities, needed a seasoned technical partner who could jump in on demand to develop mobile applications with complex data integrations and visualizations for concept pilots.

Over a seven-year partnership, Greenfield Labs called on Blackbird repeatedly for different initiatives. We developed three distinct mobility pilot applications spanning route planning, bus system integration, and package delivery, plus built an in-dash prototyping framework for rapid concept iteration.

All pilot programs successfully generated strategic insights for Ford's mobility research. The partnership allowed Greenfield Labs to quickly spin up technical projects when opportunities arose, with our team providing development capability and technical guidance until the lab's closure in 2023.

Journey Idea → Prototype → MVP
Services Prototyping, Mobile, CTO Advising, Capabilities Building
Baleen income analysis platform
Fintech AI/ML

Baleen

Evaluating self-employed borrowers is notoriously difficult. Lenders must sift through sprawling tax documents to compile comprehensive income analyses. Two founders recognized this challenge but needed a technical partner.

Blackbird began with a deep dive into lending rules and tax document analysis. Within months, we launched an MVP that generates rich, interactive income reports in minutes. The AI backend processes tens of thousands of pages per minute with high accuracy. We scaled the system over four years and achieved SOC 2 certification.

Blackbird was Baleen's technical partner from idea through scale to successful acquisition in early 2026.

Journey Idea → MVP → Scale → Acquisition
Services Web, AI/ML, Product Strategy, Compliance
Ditto virtual try-on facial analysis
Computer Vision Retail

Ditto

Ditto, a leading virtual try-on and frame recommendation platform serving over 60 million users annually, needed help updating their core technology. Their mobile SDK required significant updates and a port to JavaScript to better serve their growing base of eyewear retailer clients.

Blackbird collaborated closely with Ditto's team to tackle intricate facial recognition and virtual try-on algorithms. We ported their mobile SDK to JavaScript and refactored the codebase to improve performance and expand platform compatibility.

The JavaScript implementation expanded Ditto's platform reach and improved performance across web and mobile, helping them maintain their position as the leading virtual try-on provider before their acquisition by 1-800 Contacts in 2021.

Journey Legacy → Modernize → Scale → Acquisition
Services Web, Algorithms, Computer Vision
Citibank branch with banking workstations
Citibank workstation touch screen interface
Fintech Enterprise

Citibank Workstation

Citibank needed to strengthen its leadership position in Asia through a next-generation in-branch experience, while navigating significant technical debt and complex regulatory requirements.

Working with Citibank teams in Singapore and Tokyo, a Blackbird principal led development of a flexible HTML and JavaScript UI framework used across ATMs, banking workbenches, retirement planning, currency trading, credit applications, and video service desks.

The launch delivered a new ATM, workbench, large-screen marketing wall, and wayfinding touch walls supporting multiple languages and regional regulations. Since launch, Citibank Asia has moved from #57 to #1 in customer satisfaction.

Journey Legacy → Unified Framework → Rollout
Services Web, Compliance
About
2016 Founded
50+ Projects
20+ Teammates
30k+ Pull Requests
Nish Steve Peter Olivia Vance Lili Jeremy Greg Dave Adarsh James Jesse Matt Tim Yi-Ning

Blackbird was founded in San Francisco in 2016 to provide a better way to build software.

We saw the same problem over and over: founders needed a technical partner, not a feature factory. Engineers were focused on specs and code, not on product goals. The engineers who built the product were often stuck behind layers of management and process. And collaboration between engineering and the rest of the team was fractured and disjointed.

We believed there had to be a better way. Our goal was to bring engineers closer to the product and the decisions that shape it. With that we staked out these principles:

01

Goals over Specs

Focus on what the product needs to achieve, not just what's written down in an outdated spec. Prioritize outcomes, ask the right questions, and make decisions that move the product forward.

02

Leadership in Chaos

Embrace the chaos of new product development and avoid paralysis. Provide steady technical leadership and help move the team forward.

03

Trust through Transparency

Things will go wrong and trust must be earned. Provide full transparency of estimates, progress, and mistakes to build trust.

04

Be a Realist

Take real-world constraints such as budgets and deadlines seriously. Make pragmatic choices and stay out of trouble.

05

Be a Professional

It's our job to be productive in high-friction, high-unknown environments. Be a good steward of the product.

Let's build the future together.

Give us a shout if you'd like to know more about working with Blackbird. We're always on the hunt for our next great challenge.

Talk to the CEO