← Maxime Ronceray

Complex, Unusual, or Custom Problems

If your problem does not fit a category, that is usually a sign it is worth solving, not a reason to wait.

Every service on this site describes a recognisable shape of problem: a configurator, a training simulator, a website. Not everything fits one of those shapes. Sometimes the thing you need does not have a name yet, or it sits across two or three of those categories at once, or it involves a physical object as much as a piece of software. This page exists for that.

An unusual request without an obvious solution yet is usually a good sign, not a blocker. Some of the most interesting projects I have worked on started exactly that way: a client describing a problem they were not sure anyone could actually solve, because it did not look like the kind of thing you hire a designer or a developer for. Those tend to be the projects I enjoy most, because nobody has already worked out the answer for you.

Describe the task or process you are trying to simplify, even if you cannot picture the end result yet. I will tell you honestly how I would approach it, whether it is realistic, and roughly what it would take, before you commit to anything.

Software and hardware together

Most of what I build lives entirely on a screen. But not every problem stops at the screen, and I bring an engineer's approach to the physical side of a project as well, not just the software. If a solution genuinely needs a physical object, a sensor, or something a person can hold and interact with, that is inside what I can take on, not outside it.

I use FDM and SLA 3D printing for prototyping, moving from an idea to a physical part you can hold, test, and iterate on within days rather than weeks. FDM is where most functional prototypes start: fast, cheap, and good enough to test fit and mechanism. SLA comes in when a part needs finer detail or a smoother finish, for example a housing or an enclosure that has to look considered, not just work.

On the electronics side, I build with Arduino and ESP32 for specific IoT use cases: a sensor that needs to log or transmit data, a device that needs to respond to the physical world and report back to an app, a one-off piece of connected hardware that does not exist as an off the shelf product. This comes from genuine hands on tinkering, not a course I once took. A concrete example: I designed and built a custom UI for my own car's Android based infotainment screen, replacing the stock interface with one I designed myself, wired through the vehicle's own hardware. It is a small project, but it is a real one, built end to end by one person, which is exactly the kind of thing this page is for.

The broader capability behind all of this is bridging the virtual and the physical: connecting software and 3D interfaces to real world sensors and hardware, so a screen is not just showing information, it is reading and reacting to something real. If your project needs a piece of software that talks to a physical device, or a physical device that needs a piece of software to make sense of it, that combination is exactly what I am set up to build.

Examples of what this looks like

These are illustrative, not an exhaustive list. The common thread is a problem that needed thinking through from scratch rather than a template.

  • A planning tool built around a specific, non standard process that does not match any existing software
  • A calculator that turns a complicated set of variables into one clear number, built around your actual formula, not a generic one
  • A gamified experience designed to make a task people usually avoid feel worth doing
  • An internal dashboard that pulls scattered information into one place a team will actually use
  • A physical prototype paired with custom software, for example a device with a companion app or interface
  • A one off automation solving a specific, unglamorous problem nobody else would bother building for you

How this gets scoped

  1. A free written brief

    You describe the problem, and I respond with an honest read on whether it is buildable, how I would approach it, and roughly what it would involve. This costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

  2. Fixed price, fixed scope

    Once we agree on the approach, I confirm a fixed price and a fixed scope in writing before any work begins. Because every custom project is different, there is no generic price list here. You get a specific number for your specific problem.

  3. Full delivery at the end

    You receive the full source code, and where hardware is involved, the hardware designs as well: schematics, firmware, and 3D models. Nothing is held back and nothing depends on an ongoing relationship with me unless you want one.

On quote

Common questions

What if I'm not sure this is even buildable?

Tell me anyway. Describe the problem as you understand it, even if the solution is not clear to you yet, and I will give you an honest read on feasibility and approach. Sometimes that means confirming it is straightforward. Sometimes it means telling you which part is genuinely hard and how I would de-risk it early. I would rather tell you something is not a good fit than take on a project I do not believe in.

Do you handle both the hardware and the software?

For suitable projects, yes. That can mean the electronics and firmware side, an Arduino or ESP32 build, together with the software or interface layer that sits on top of it, designed and built by the same person. That is usually the advantage of bringing me in over hiring separately for each side: one person understands the whole system, so nothing gets lost between the hardware and the software.

Can you build a physical prototype, not just an app?

Yes. FDM and SLA 3D printed prototypes and physical builds are a real part of my practice, not an occasional side project. If your idea needs something a person can hold, test, or interact with physically, that is inside what I do, and it can be paired with the software or interface that makes it useful.

What if my project needs certification or safety compliance?

I flag that honestly, upfront. Some projects, particularly anything involving electrical safety, medical use, or regulated environments, require formal certification that goes beyond what a single generalist should sign off on alone. Where that applies, I will say so clearly and scope the project with the right specialists brought in for that specific part, rather than quietly taking on responsibility I should not be taking on.

Start a project

Send me a short message describing the problem, even an unusual or half formed one. I read every message personally and reply within one business day.

Start a project