Have the real conversation
A facilitator helps the business explain what is slow, frustrating, repetitive, costly, easily missed or too dependent on one person.
YAGGI
You’re All Going to Get It
Start with the problem. Not the software.
We start with a conversation.
YAGGI helps a business understand what is really getting in the way before anyone decides what to buy, change, automate or build.
You can start online before we meet, or begin with a guided conversation. Either way, the purpose is the same: understand what is really happening before anyone jumps to a solution.
If you start online, YAGGI saves the information as a case so a later conversation can start further ahead rather than making you repeat everything.
How YAGGI works
Human judgement first. Systematic evidence underneath.
Find the actual problem
YAGGI captures the evidence, looks for patterns and separates the underlying issue from the first solution somebody happened to think of.
Check what already exists
Before building anything, we look at process, training, configuration and the systems the organisation already pays for.
Make the smallest useful move
That might be a process change, training, configuration, integration, automation or — only where there is a real gap — a focused new tool.
What happens after discovery
Not every problem needs software.
Sometimes the answer is a clearer process. Sometimes people need training or a system configured properly. Sometimes two existing tools need connecting.
Automation can remove repeated admin. A new application only makes sense when there is a genuine capability gap.
Connect where possible. Build where necessary.
Working examples
Different problems. The same discipline.
These are examples already emerging from the SHACADEMY systems work. They are not meant to show that every discovery ends in software — they show how tightly scoped solutions can sit around existing operations.
RE:ME
LiveSimplify an existing customer journey
A focused small-business system for vouchers, booking and communication without replacing more of the operation than necessary.
RE:ME
LiveSimplify an existing customer journey
A focused small-business system for vouchers, booking and communication without replacing more of the operation than necessary.
The problem
The customer journey needed to be simpler: clearer booking, easier voucher purchase, cleaner communication and fewer unnecessary options.
What we did
We kept the service model intact and built only the missing pieces around it — a focused voucher flow, Stripe checkout, customer emails and clearer booking information.
Why this approach
The aim was not to replace the business with software. It was to remove friction around the parts customers and the practitioner actually needed.
What happened / next evidence
The RE:ME system is live and taking real payments. The next measure is operational: whether it reduces manual admin and makes the customer journey easier over repeated use.
Fast Book
PilotAdd convenience without replacing the source system
A faster layer for repeat activity booking while the existing venue platform remains responsible for payment, attendance and booking records.
Fast Book
PilotAdd convenience without replacing the source system
A faster layer for repeat activity booking while the existing venue platform remains responsible for payment, attendance and booking records.
The problem
Regular swimmers and activity customers can face repeated logins, session searches and different booking journeys across venues.
What we did
Fast Book adds a convenience layer on top of existing provider systems rather than trying to become the booking platform itself.
Why this approach
The venue's existing system remains the source of truth for availability, payment and attendance. That protects operations while improving the customer journey.
What happened / next evidence
The SHAC pilot has already tested persistent login and faster access to sessions. Multi-venue adapters are still being developed, so this remains a pilot rather than a finished multi-venue product.
Survey / HEAT
PilotTurn field evidence into a useful report
Structured capture, interpretation and a human-editable final report so the output can be reviewed before it is shared.
Survey / HEAT
PilotTurn field evidence into a useful report
Structured capture, interpretation and a human-editable final report so the output can be reviewed before it is shared.
The problem
Field conversations and surveys can produce useful evidence but leave somebody with the manual job of turning notes into a clear, usable report.
What we did
The survey captures structured evidence, helps interpret what was said, creates a draft report and then deliberately puts a human review/edit stage before anything is sent.
Why this approach
The system should speed up analysis without pretending that raw responses or AI interpretation are automatically the final truth.
What happened / next evidence
The current version is in pilot testing. The key design decision is already in place: the final report is editable and must be reviewed by a person before completion and sending.
Ask Matt
In developmentHelp people make the next decision
A guidance layer that combines structured operational information with a clear route to a suitable place, session or next action.
Ask Matt
In developmentHelp people make the next decision
A guidance layer that combines structured operational information with a clear route to a suitable place, session or next action.
The problem
People often know they want to swim, paddle or try an activity, but not which venue, session or route is actually suitable for them today.
What we did
Ask Matt combines location, suitability, access, kit and operational information to guide someone towards a practical next step rather than just returning a list of places.
Why this approach
The useful answer is not simply 'what is nearby?' It is 'what is appropriate for this person, with these constraints, now?'
What happened / next evidence
The initial London/Surrey model is being developed and tested. The value will be proven through better recommendations, fewer unsuitable choices and useful provider referrals.
A practical first step
Tell us what feels harder than it should.
We do not need a software brief. We need the real story of what happens today, where it gets stuck and what it costs in time, effort, errors or missed opportunity.