Who We Are
GrailForge is a boutique technology house that thrives on solving niche problems to exceptionally high standards. Our approach is unapologetically opinionated and we believe that the best results are achieved when a goal is pursued with integrity, craftsmanship, pragmatism, respect and a generous touch of humour.
We aim to be the company we want to work for - put simply, a company that has a healthy relationship with its staff and customers, makes a positive impact on the world and creates the kind of products and services that excite us.
Our Technology Stack
At GrailForge, we believe that true mastery lies not in any specific technology, but in the fundamentals of software engineering and the ability to wield the right tool for the job. When you have a deep understanding of the core principles, you can work effectively with any technology stack required to achieve your goals no matter how often the current in-vogue framework or "best practice" changes.
We have the strongest experience and preference working with:
- C#
- Blazor
- Python
- Elixir
- JavaScript
- Astro
- Linux
- PostgreSQL
- Openstack
- Microsoft Azure
- AWS
While we have our preferences, we ultimately try to remain technology-agnostic and flexible, adapting our approach to the unique needs of each project. Some of the other technologies we work with:
- Android
- Docker
- Terraform
- git
- SASS
- Tailwind
- Unity
- Vue
- C++
- Kotlin
- Rust
- TypeScript
- Ableton Live
- Photoshop
- Blender
- Davinci Resolve
- Inkscape
- SQL Server
Our values
Although we are a technology company, we are not just about technology. Yes, we know, you've heard that before. Everywhere you look in tech, someone wants to "make the world a better place".
The thing is - one person's "better place" is another person's dystopian nightmare. What do we mean when we say "better?"
We believe that technology should be used to empower people, not to control them. This applies to direct control in the form of things like government tracking and intrusive monitoring, but also to less obvious forms of control like selective censorship of social media feeds to facilitate political agendas.
We believe that technology is a tool that can be used to improve the world, but it is not an end in itself. Thought experiments and proof-of-concepts are nice but the greatest value of science and engineering lies in its application.
We believe the brightest future is the one where education is available to all and where information flows the most freely. We are strong proponents of open-source and free software, contributing to existing projects and sharing our work when possible.
We believe that privacy is one of the most important elements in fostering a healthy society. While not a classic 'fundamental human right' in the sense of something like freedom of speech or freedom from slavery, it is a key enabler of those rights and an important right on its own, more so in the digital age than ever before.
We prefer to partner with and contribute to companies and projects which show a committment to similar core values to ours, however we are not ideological absolutists. 'Truth' is often subjective. Nuance is a real thing. Perspective matters. Respectful disagreement and compromise are always more healthy than dogmatism and zealotry.
Who We Are Not
We are not a 'Silicon Valley startup', chasing capital-only investors or prioritizing growth at the expense of our culture. We have witnessed firsthand how quickly a company's values can decline under such circumstances, and we refuse to compromise our principles or culture for a quick pay day. Our day-to-day business is our real long-term business.
We do not aspire to be a massive company. Unlike industry behemoths boasting about having hundreds (or even thousands) of employees, we take pride in our boutique nature. Our small-by-design operation means you aren't paying for overheads like pay-to-play partnerships or exotic marketing campaigns. We offer direct engagement and an unrivaled level of personal attention without the typical endless stream of 'middlemen' and managers.
We are not blind followers of trends. We aren't a "crypto company". We aren't claiming to be "the uber of [insert niche here]". You'll see no virtue-signaling about how 'diverse' thanks to a once-a-year rainbow social media logo. You'll find no vacuous cliches like a footer on every page telling you that our site is "made with ❤️". We don't subject visitors to yet another obnoxious cookie banner clamining "legitimate interest" for all the ways you're being tracked. Instead, we focus on efficient delivery of information and a frictionless visitor experience, and we shun the practices of those merely fixated on keeping up with trends for trends' sake or because it is the path of least resistance.
We are not mere numbers in a spreadsheet. We prefer building long-term relationships over making a quick buck. That extends as much to our own partners and employees as to our customers. When we hire expertise, we reimburse it fairly - no payment in promises of pizza, 'family spirit' and heart emojis.
We are not afraid to say "no". We will tell you when we think something is not a good idea, or when we think there is a better way to do something. We rather say 'no' and lose a client than commit to a project that we don't think is a good fit for us or not in the best interest of the client.