# BRACKETS > Clarity in what to build. Quality in what we ship. *Full content of every page is available at [https://meetbrackets.com/llms-full.txt](https://meetbrackets.com/llms-full.txt).* ## About BRACKETS is a digital product studio based in Bratislava, Slovakia. We help companies find clarity in what to build and deliver it as high-quality digital products through product discovery, design, software engineering, and AI integration. We work with clients across healthcare, fintech, e-commerce and enterprise — from early-stage discovery and MVPs through long-term ownership of mission-critical software. Our model combines hands-on delivery with fractional technical leadership. ### Key facts - Name: BRACKETS - Legal name: BRACKETS by TRIAD s.r.o. - Also known as: Brackets, meetbrackets, Brackets agency, BRACKETS by TRIAD, BRACKETS by TRIAD s.r.o. - Founded: 2015 - Headquarters: Slávičie údolie 7728/47, 811 02 Bratislava, SK - Area served: Worldwide - Areas of expertise: Product discovery, Product design, UX and UI design, Web and mobile engineering, AI integration, Fractional CTO, Software ownership and SLA, Workflow and process digitization - Email: connect@meetbrackets.com - Phone: +421 910 120 009 - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/meetbrackets - Website: https://meetbrackets.com ## Services Brackets organizes its work into the following pillars. Each pillar is a distinct service offering with its own dedicated page. ### AI & Agentic Engineering URL: https://meetbrackets.com/accelerate AI is both how we build and what we build. We use agents in delivery, with senior engineers owning architecture and review. And we build AI into the products we ship for clients: assistants, [computer vision](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/ai-running-technique-analysis), intelligent workflows. ### Build and Delivery URL: https://meetbrackets.com/build You get a team that owns the outcome. Not a collection of contractors who write code and disappear. Every project gets a PM, designer, architect, and senior engineers. ### Fractional Leadership URL: https://meetbrackets.com/lead Not every company needs a full-time CTO. But every company making technology decisions needs someone who's done it before. We provide senior technical leadership on a fractional basis. ### Own Your Software URL: https://meetbrackets.com/own Juggling spreadsheets and tools that don't quite fit your business? At some point, building your own becomes the smarter investment. We help you figure out when, and then we build it. ### Product and Discovery URL: https://meetbrackets.com/think Most failed projects fail not because the code is bad, but because the scope was wrong. We help you figure out what to build before a single line of code is written. ## Frequently asked questions ### What's agentic engineering, and how is it different from vibe coding? Vibe coding is generating code with an AI and hoping it works. [Agentic engineering is using AI agents as serious engineering tools](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/vibe-coding-vs-agentic-engineering-what-actually-changes-when-you-ship), with senior review, architecture decisions, and quality controls. The first is fast and brittle. The second is fast, production-ready and stays sustainable for years. We do the second. *Source: AI & Agentic Engineering* ### Do you build AI products or use AI internally? Both. We use AI tools daily in our engineering workflow, and we build AI-powered features into client products: chatbots, assistants, recommendation engines, document processing, workflow automations, and more. *Source: AI & Agentic Engineering* ### What models and tools do you use? We use models from Anthropic, OpenAI, ElevenLabs, and open-source providers. For orchestration and automation: n8n, Claude Agents and custom integrations. Whatever fits the use case. We're model-agnostic and tool-pragmatic. *Source: AI & Agentic Engineering* ### Can you work with our existing data? Yes. We typically start with your existing data and build AI features on top of it. We focus on practical applications, not moonshot R&D. *Source: AI & Agentic Engineering* ### Is it EU-compliant? We design for GDPR and the EU AI Act from the start. Data stays in EU-hosted infrastructure unless you explicitly decide otherwise. *Source: AI & Agentic Engineering* ### What if AI isn't the right solution? We'll tell you. Honestly, most problems don't need AI. They need better processes or simpler automation. We recommend AI only when it genuinely earns its complexity. *Source: AI & Agentic Engineering* ### What technologies do you use? React, Next.js, Laravel, React Native. Chosen per project, not per hype cycle. AI-writes code, humans architect and review. *Source: Build and Delivery* ### How large are your teams? Typically 3–8 people: PM, designer, architect, 2–4 developers, and QA. Scaled to the project, not to the budget. *Source: Build and Delivery* ### Can you take over an existing codebase? Yes, but we'll audit it first. We need to understand what we're inheriting before we commit to it. *Source: Build and Delivery* ### How do you handle communication? Weekly demos, async updates, direct access to your team. No layers of account managers between you and the people doing the work. *Source: Build and Delivery* ### What does ongoing support look like? We offer retainer-based support for launched products — monitoring, bug fixes, incremental improvements, and scaling. *Source: Build and Delivery* ### What's the difference between fractional CTO and consulting? A consultant gives advice and leaves. A fractional CTO is embedded — attending your standups, reviewing your architecture, mentoring your team. We own outcomes, not just recommendations. *Source: Fractional Leadership* ### How much time does a fractional CTO spend with us? Typically 1–2 days per week, depending on the engagement. Enough to drive decisions, not so much that it replaces a full-time hire. *Source: Fractional Leadership* ### When should we hire a real CTO instead? When you've validated your product-market fit, have 5+ engineers, and need someone full-time. Until then, fractional makes more sense financially and strategically. *Source: Fractional Leadership* ### Can you help us hire a permanent CTO? Yes. We often help define the role, interview candidates, and ensure a smooth transition. We'd rather help you outgrow us than create dependency. *Source: Fractional Leadership* ### Do you also build, or just advise? We can do both. Some engagements are advisory only. Others combine leadership with hands-on delivery through our team. *Source: Fractional Leadership* ### How do I know if custom software is worth it for us? Two questions to start with. First, how much of your day is spent working around a tool? If the answer is "a lot," the fit conversation is worth having regardless of price. Second, are you spending €10k+/year on SaaS that covers less than 70% of your needs? If yes, the cost math is probably already in your favor. *Source: Own Your Software* ### How does a SaaS replacement actually work in practice? It's almost never a big-bang switch. We start by mapping which parts of the SaaS you actually use, which parts you work around, and which parts the tool does that nobody on your team relies on anymore. Then we build the highest-impact module first, usually the workflow costing you the most in time or workarounds, and run it alongside the old tool. Then we continue in phases. *Source: Own Your Software* ### How long does this take? A typical SaaS replacement runs 2–6 months depending on complexity. We start with the highest-impact module rather than rewriting everything at once. You see real value inside the first quarter. *Source: Own Your Software* ### Isn't custom software expensive to maintain? You own the code. We offer ongoing support retainers, or you can bring it in-house. Either way, you're not locked in. *Source: Own Your Software* ### Can you migrate our existing data? Yes. [Data migration](/saas-replacement/data-migration) is part of every replacement project. We plan it early and test it thoroughly. *Source: Own Your Software* ### What if we only need to replace part of our stack? That's actually the most common scenario. We build the custom piece and integrate it with the SaaS tools you want to keep. *Source: Own Your Software* ### How long does a discovery sprint take? Typically 2–4 weeks depending on complexity. We'll shape the timeline during our initial conversation. *Source: Product and Discovery* ### What do we get at the end? A clear product brief, validated scope, technical architecture, and a realistic plan to move forward. Or a clear reason not to. *Source: Product and Discovery* ### Do we need a technical team? No. We bring the technical expertise. You bring the domain knowledge and business context. *Source: Product and Discovery* ### Can you also build what we discover? Yes. Most of our discovery engagements evolve into full build partnerships. *Source: Product and Discovery* ### What if we already have a product that's stuck? We run the same clarity process. Often the product isn't stuck, the scope is. *Source: Product and Discovery* ### Is vibe-coded software a bad thing? No. It is how a lot of good products now start, and getting to something real quickly is an advantage. The audit exists to tell you whether what you built can carry the next stage, not to judge how it was written. *Source: Is your vibe-coded software ready for production?* ### We have no tests and no documentation. Is that a problem? It is normal for software built this way, and it does not block the audit. We read the code itself and write down how the system actually behaves, which is usually the first documentation the product has ever had. *Source: Is your vibe-coded software ready for production?* ### Will you tell us to throw it away and start over? Only if the evidence points there, and it rarely does. Most products built this way need targeted repair in a few specific places, not a rewrite. We tell you honestly either way. *Source: Is your vibe-coded software ready for production?* ### Who sees our code? Only BRACKETS engineers and the AI coding assistants they use while doing the audit, which are Anthropic services on business plans that do not train on your code. Access is read-only, and you can remove our access at any time. *Source: Is your vibe-coded software ready for production?* ### How do you choose a technical partner for a financial application? Four things, in order. First, verifiable work on products that carry money or contracts, not a general portfolio with one bank logo in it. Second, integration experience with a system of record the partner does not control, because in financial services the source of truth almost always sits somewhere else and keeping it in sync is most of the work. Third, a clear answer on data handling: where financial and personal data lives, who can reach it, and what happens when the contract ends. Fourth, evidence they can ship to a live regulated platform without breaking it. Ask for a specific example, not a reassurance. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Can you use AI in a regulated financial product? Yes, if you are deliberate about where the model sits. For Crowdberry we built a conversational assistant inside a platform supervised by two national banks. It answers investor questions and keeps its own knowledge current as platform content changes, which removes manual upkeep. What it does not do is make or influence an investment decision on its own. That line matters. AI is well suited to retrieval, explanation, document processing and cutting administrative load. It is badly suited to being an unsupervised decision-maker where a wrong output has a financial or regulatory consequence. Projects that succeed start from a specific operational problem. Projects that fail start from "we should use AI" and go looking for a use case. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Should we build custom financial software or use an existing SaaS product? Start by looking at what you can buy. We do. Off-the-shelf works while your product and process look like everyone else's. It stops working at the point where your differentiator is exactly the thing the tool won't do: your own product mix, your own commission logic, your own multi-market rules, your own approval chain. Global Finance needed a mortgage calculator carrying data from every Slovak bank and a workflow running from lead to product management, which no generic CRM was going to hold. The right question isn't build versus buy, it's at what point customising a bought tool costs more than owning the thing outright, and how much of your margin the subscription is quietly taking. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Can one application serve several countries? Yes, and it is usually the better decision. We built one application for Winners Group covering Slovakia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Poland and Romania. Each market has different regulatory requirements and product specifics, so the architecture absorbs those differences instead of forking the product. The alternative, one app per country, means duplicated effort, inconsistent experiences and a maintenance burden that grows with every market you enter. The work is in designing for market-level flexibility and product-level consistency from the start, because retrofitting it later is significantly more expensive. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Can you automate our sales and customer care processes? That is most of what our financial clients ask for. For Global Finance we replaced scattered manual steps with a single CRM that collects leads from multiple sources, runs the client's financial analysis, produces a portfolio proposal and manages their products automatically. More than 500 salespeople use it daily. The pattern that works is to map the workflow as it actually runs, including the spreadsheets and the informal steps, then automate the two or three points where time is genuinely lost. Automating a process nobody had a problem with is the most common way these projects waste money. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Do you have experience integrating with core financial systems? Yes. For both Winners Group products we integrated with InsuranceContractManager, the client's brokerage system and single source of truth for contracts and product data, so nothing is duplicated and the broker-facing experience reflects the system of record. For Moon we built a complex integration with the financial services provider behind the platform to give customers real-time access to their funds. For Global Finance we pulled mortgage data from every Slovak bank into one calculator. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Can you work on a live platform without disrupting it? Yes, and for regulated services it's the normal case rather than the exception. Crowdberry has operated for over a decade under national bank supervision with more than 16,000 investors on the platform. We reworked the investment flow, the dashboard and the secondary market, and added an AI assistant, all on the live product. The approach is unglamorous: understand what the current system guarantees before changing it, ship in slices, and treat stability as a feature rather than an afterthought. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Are you GDPR compliant? Yes, and we're ISO 27001 certified for information security and ISO 9001 for quality management. All client infrastructure runs on servers in Germany, so no data leaves the EU. Every financial product we build handles personal data under GDPR as a design constraint from the first architecture decision, not as a review at the end. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### How much does a fintech platform cost? It depends on the scope of work more than on anything else: how many markets and regulatory environments it has to serve, how many systems of record it has to connect to, and how much of the compliance work is already done on your side. A single-market customer zone and a six-country platform are different projects. As a range, our financial services projects typically start around €25,000 and most sit between €50,000 and €200,000. A discovery phase turns that range into a real number and a scope you can hold us to. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### How long does a fintech project take? The same thing drives the timeline as drives the price: how many rules the system has to hold and how many existing systems it has to connect to. A discovery phase that ends with a validated scope and an architecture usually takes a few weeks. A first working version that real customers or advisors can use is typically a matter of months rather than weeks. Financial products then keep evolving for as long as the business does, which is why most of our work in this space is long-term rather than a single delivery. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Who owns the code? You do. That includes the repository, the documentation and the infrastructure. We build so that another team could take over, because a financial platform will still be running long after the people who wrote it have moved on. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### Can you work alongside our in-house team? Yes, and often that's the better setup. Several of our financial clients have capable internal teams and bring us in for a specific product, a specific market, or the parts nobody internally has time to own. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### What happens after launch? Most of our financial work is long-term. Winners Group came back for a second product after the first. Crowdberry brought us onto a platform they had already run for a decade. We treat launch as the point where the product starts, not where the engagement ends. *Source: Financial software that survives contact with a regulator* ### What should you look for when choosing a software partner for healthcare? Four things, in order. First, healthcare projects you can verify, not a generic portfolio with one hospital logo in it. Second, a clear answer on data handling: where patient data lives, who can access it, and what happens to it when the contract ends. Third, integration experience with systems the partner does not control, because most healthcare projects are integration projects wearing a different hat. Fourth, evidence they can maintain what they build. A clinical system will outlive the team that wrote it, so ask who supports it in year five and get a real answer. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### What makes AI projects succeed in a medical setting? Mostly the decision about where the model sits. AI works well on the operational layer: processing documents, structuring records, cutting the administrative load on clinical staff. Our Dr. Max leaflet system is a good example, an AI-accelerated build that put a working product in the client's hands in days. AI works badly as an unsupervised decision-maker where a wrong output has a clinical consequence. The projects that succeed start from a specific, measurable operational problem and keep a human in the loop on anything clinical. The projects that fail start from "we should use AI" and go looking for a use case afterwards. If a vendor is enthusiastic about putting a model in a position where nobody checks it, that tells you something about the vendor. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### What should you consider when digitalising a clinic? Start with what the staff actually do all day, not with what the software could do. Most clinic digitalisation projects fail because they optimise a process nobody had a problem with while leaving the real bottleneck untouched. The sequence that works: map the current workflow including the paper and the spreadsheets, find the two or three points where time is genuinely lost, and solve those before touching anything else. Then budget for the transition period when the old and new systems run in parallel. That phase is always longer than anyone plans for. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### Do you have experience with medical records integrations? Yes. For Calma we integrated with the medical records system a Slovak clinic is legally required to keep. That system communicates in an unusual way and offers none of the standard connections, so we built it to sync in the background while the patient's booking goes through immediately. For ZITA we integrated with TISS, the ERP system used by ophthalmologic clinics, for real-time stock sync. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### Are you GDPR compliant? Yes, and we're ISO 27001 certified for information security and ISO 9001 for quality management. All client infrastructure runs on servers in Germany, so no data leaves the EU. Every healthcare product we build handles personal data under GDPR as a design constraint from the first architecture decision, not as a review at the end. For Danone we designed the entire data infrastructure around privacy compliance from day one, consolidating scattered sources into a single compliant warehouse. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### Where can I get healthcare software developed in Europe? Central Europe has a concentrated cluster of studios with genuine healthcare experience, working for clients across the EU. The practical advantages are EU data residency by default, GDPR as a native requirement rather than an imported one, and overlapping time zones with Western European clients. BRACKETS is a 20-person product studio based in Bratislava. Our healthcare clients include Dr. Max, Danone, the European Association of Nuclear Medicine and the Vienna-based health venture of UNIQA Insurance Group. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### How much does a healthcare platform cost? It depends on the scope of work more than on anything else: how many domain rules the system has to hold, how many existing systems it has to talk to, and how much of the compliance work is already done on your side. Two clinics of similar size can land a long way apart. As a range, our healthcare projects typically start around €25,000 and most sit between €50,000 and €200,000. A discovery phase turns that range into a real number and a scope you can hold us to. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### Can you build healthcare software for a budget under €50,000? Yes, for a defined scope. That budget realistically covers a discovery phase, a working prototype, or a focused tool that solves one clear problem. It does not cover a full patient-facing platform with multiple integrations and compliance work. We would rather scope something small that ships and works than start something large that runs out of money halfway through. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### How long does a healthcare project take? The same thing drives the timeline as drives the price: how many rules the system has to hold and how many existing systems it has to connect to. A discovery phase that ends with a validated scope and an architecture usually takes a few weeks. A first working version that real patients or staff can use is typically a matter of months rather than weeks. After that, healthcare products do not stop. They evolve for as long as the organisation does. Our Danone partnership has run since 2010 and EANM is on its second project with us. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### Should we buy an off-the-shelf tool or build custom? Start by looking at what you can buy. We do. For Calma we evaluated several ready-made booking tools and built a prototype before concluding they couldn't handle session sequencing, credit logic and bulk rescheduling. For EANM, a generic learning platform could not carry specialist certification paths. The right question isn't build versus buy, it's at what point customising a bought tool costs more than owning the thing outright. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### Who owns the code? You do. That includes the repository, the documentation and the infrastructure. We build so that another team could take over, because a healthcare product will still be running long after the people who wrote it have moved on. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### Can you work alongside our in-house team? Yes, and often that's the better setup. With Mavie Next we joined as an external development partner supporting a competent in-house team rather than replacing it. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### What happens after launch? Most of our healthcare work is long-term. Danone since 2010, ongoing SLA support for ZITA covering everything from CMS updates to helping a customer who cannot log in, and a second project for EANM after the first. We treat launch as the point where the product starts, not where the engagement ends. *Source: Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated* ### How long does a codebase audit take? Most audits run two to four weeks, depending on the size of the system and how much context is available. *Source: What is your legacy code really costing you?* ### Do you need our whole team's time? No. We need read access to the code, a short kickoff, and a few conversations with people who know the system. The heavy lifting is ours. *Source: What is your legacy code really costing you?* ### Will you recommend a rewrite? Only if the evidence points there. Most systems don't need a full rewrite; they need targeted fixes and a clear plan. We tell you either way. *Source: What is your legacy code really costing you?* ### What do we get at the end? A written assessment, a risk register, and a migration plan with effort and impact for each step. Everything in plain language. *Source: What is your legacy code really costing you?* ### Can you also do the work you recommend? Yes. Many audits lead into a focused engagement, but there's no obligation. The plan stands on its own. *Source: What is your legacy code really costing you?* ### Isn't building always more expensive than a subscription? Not always, and less often than it used to be. Building got substantially cheaper as AI took over the repetitive part of the work, so the comparison that held five years ago no longer does. A subscription still looks cheap until you add the workarounds, the integrations, and the time lost to a tool that doesn't fit. We price both sides properly and tell you when staying is the better call. *Source: Replace your SaaS subscription with software you own* ### Do we have to replace everything at once? No. Most teams replace one tool where the pain is clearest, prove the value, then decide what's next. We help you pick the right first step rather than a big-bang rewrite. *Source: Replace your SaaS subscription with software you own* ### What happens to our data in the current tool? We map your data and integrations up front, so a switch is planned around exporting and migrating what matters. Getting your data out cleanly is part of the plan, not an afterthought. *Source: Replace your SaaS subscription with software you own* ### Will you tell us if we shouldn't replace a tool? Yes. If a SaaS tool still fits and the numbers favour staying, we'll say so. The goal is the right decision, not a project. *Source: Replace your SaaS subscription with software you own* ## Authors ### Pavol Perdík URL: https://meetbrackets.com/author/pavol-perdik CEO at Brackets. CEO and founder of BRACKETS, a 20-person digital product studio in Bratislava. 15+ years in tech: started as a developer, grew into technical leadership, now runs the business. Helps clients translate business problems into shippable software, from the first discovery conversation to production. ### Samuel Trstenský URL: https://meetbrackets.com/author/samuel-trstensky Solution Architect & Tech Lead at Brackets. Solution Architect & Tech Lead at BRACKETS with 8+ years in software engineering. Leads projects from first discovery call to production, bridging what clients need with what the architecture can sustain. BRACKETS' go-to person for AI-driven solutions, both for clients and internal tooling. ## Case studies Selected client work. Each case study documents the situation, the decisions, and the outcome. - [Digitalization and Optimization of Core Sales Process](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/digitalization-and-optimization-of-core-sales-process) - [Dr. Max Leaflet Management System](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/dr-max-leaflet-management-system) - [Smarter Investing Experience and AI Assistant](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/smarter-investing-experience-and-ai-assistant) - [Mobile Platform for Financial Services Across Six Countries](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/iwinners-client-application) - [How we combined digital innovation with better health services](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/how-we-combined-digital-innovation-with-better-health-services) - [Unified Healthcare Ecosystem for Mothers & Babies](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/unified-healthcare-ecosystem-for-mothers-babies) - [Next-Gen LMS for Nuclear Medicine Education](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/next-gen-lms-for-nuclear-medicine-education) - [Patient Booking Platform for a Mental Health Clinic](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/calma-patient-booking-platform-for-a-mental-health-clinic) - [Digitalization and Optimization of International Team Workflow](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/ikea-production-tool) - [Online investment platform for retail customers](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/online-investment-platform-for-moon) - [Custom-Built CRM for Complex Financial Sales](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/tailor-made-crm-for-global-finance) - [Boosting sales efficiency with a custom opportunity management system](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/boosting-sales-efficiency-alef-nula-opportunity-management) - [Driving Growth in Logistics: Mobile App for BOX ID Systems](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/driving-growth-in-logistics-mobile-app-for-boxid) - [A joyful digital home for the little ones' eyes](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/joyful-digital-home-for-little-ones-eyes) - [E-shop, booking system and customer zone in one platform](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/zita-e-shop-booking-system-and-customer-zone-in-one-platform) - [Mobile App for Workspace Management Platform](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/desk-ly-mobile-app-for-workspace-management) - [Shaping the Future of Nuclear Medicine Workforce](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/shaping-the-future-of-nuclear-medicine-workforce): Turning a technical field into an engaging, playful platform to attract the next generation. - [AI-Powered Running Technique Analysis](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/ai-running-technique-analysis) - [From Reporting Tool to Broker Community Hub Across Six Countries](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/business-partners-mobile-application) - [Create Beautiful Admin Panel Quickly](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/create-beautiful-admin-panel-quickly) - [Revolutionizing Agency Management](https://meetbrackets.com/case-studies/revolutionizing-agency-management) ## Articles Long-form thinking on product strategy, engineering, and AI. - [We built a Jira Service Desk copy. Vibe-coded in 3 days. Well, sort of…](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/vibe-coded-service-desk-in-3-days): Could we vibe-code an entire service desk in a single day? Short answer: it gets you something that looks done. It doesn't get you something that is done. Here is what the day, and the three weeks after it, taught us. (by [Samuel Trstenský](https://meetbrackets.com/author/samuel-trstensky)) - [What legacy code migration actually costs in the AI era](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/legacy-code-migration-cost): Vendor lock-in was never a contract. It was the cost of moving your code, and that just collapsed. Here is how we take over a legacy codebase now, and where it still bites. (by [Samuel Trstenský](https://meetbrackets.com/author/samuel-trstensky)) - [The Boring End of SaaS](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/the-boring-end-of-saas): Everyone predicts SaaS is dead. I think the truth is more boring: it splits in two. Here is the build-vs-buy math that flipped, and what it means for your next renewal. (by [Pavol Perdík](https://meetbrackets.com/author/pavol-perdik)) - [Vibe Coding Is for Thinking. Agentic Engineering Is for Shipping.](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/vibe-coding-vs-agentic-engineering-what-actually-changes-when-you-ship): For months I used the two terms interchangeably. Most people still do. They are not the same activity, and the difference shows up the moment you put either one into production. (by [Pavol Perdík](https://meetbrackets.com/author/pavol-perdik)) - [From hero to zero: why we're replacing every SaaS tool we built on top of](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/from-hero-to-zero-why-we-re-replacing-every-saa-s-tool-we-built-on-top-of): We spent 18 months building on SaaS tools. Now we're ripping them out. Here's what broke and why I'd do it differently today. (by [Samuel Trstenský](https://meetbrackets.com/author/samuel-trstensky)) - [Your Business Is Unique. Your Software Should Be Too.](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/your-business-is-unique-your-software-should-be-too): For decades, businesses had to adapt their unique workflows to fit the rigid boxes of off-the-shelf SaaS because custom software was a luxury reserved for tech giants. In 2026, AI has permanently bent the software development cost curve. Here is why the old compromises no longer make sense for your operations. (by [Pavol Perdík](https://meetbrackets.com/author/pavol-perdik)) - [I Don't Write Code Anymore. So What Do I Actually Do?](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/i-dont-write-code-anymore): I uninstalled my code editor. AI agents handle the typing now. Here's what my day actually looks like and why the thinking part matters more than ever. (by [Samuel Trstenský](https://meetbrackets.com/author/samuel-trstensky)) - [When Everyone Can Code, What Do You Pay For?](https://meetbrackets.com/thinking/when-everyone-can-code-what-do-you-pay-for): AI made code cheap. But the code was never where the value lived. Here's what actually matters when the typing is automated. (by [Pavol Perdík](https://meetbrackets.com/author/pavol-perdik)) ## Glossary Plain-language definitions of the terms that come up when auditing or replacing the software you depend on, grouped by topic. ### Audit Your Vibe-Coded Software URL: https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software/glossary - [Authentication](https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software/authentication): Authentication is the process a system uses to verify that a user, service, or device is who it claims to be before creating a trusted session. - [Authorization](https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software/authorization): Authorization is the set of rules that decides which data and actions an authenticated user or service may access. - [Dependency Risk](https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software/dependency-risk): The exposure a product carries through the third-party packages it depends on. AI-generated code tends to add dependencies quickly, so the surface is usually wider than the team expects. - [Input Validation](https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software/input-validation): Input validation checks that data entering a system has the expected type, shape, range, and meaning before the system uses it. - [Secrets Management](https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software/secrets-management): Secrets management controls how credentials, keys, tokens, and certificates are stored, delivered, rotated, and revoked. - [Test Coverage](https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software/test-coverage): The share of a codebase that automated tests actually exercise. In software generated with AI the number is often high while the tests verify very little. - [Threat Modeling](https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software/threat-modeling): Threat modeling maps what a system must protect, where trust changes, how misuse could occur, and which controls should prevent or limit it. ### Legacy Codebase Audit URL: https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/glossary - [Anti-Corruption Layer](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/anti-corruption-layer): A translation boundary that keeps a new component from adopting a legacy system's data model, terminology, or interface. It allows both systems to communicate during an incremental migration. - [Branch by Abstraction](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/branch-by-abstraction): A technique for replacing a component behind a shared abstraction while old and new implementations coexist. It allows a large legacy change to be delivered through small steps on the main development line. - [Characterization Test](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/characterization-test): An automated test that records what existing software currently does. It gives legacy refactoring a behavioural baseline without assuming that every observed result is correct or desirable. - [Code Coupling](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/code-coupling): The degree to which parts of a software system depend on each other's implementation or behaviour. Strong coupling can make a local change spread across a legacy codebase. - [Code Hotspot](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/code-hotspot): A part of a codebase that changes frequently and carries significant complexity or defect risk. Hotspot analysis helps an audit focus attention where maintenance pressure and difficult code overlap. - [Cyclomatic Complexity](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/cyclomatic-complexity): A metric based on the independent paths through a unit of code. In a legacy audit, it helps locate logic that may be difficult to understand, test, and change safely. - [Dependency Graph](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/dependency-graph): A map of the relationships between modules, services, libraries, and data stores in a software system. It helps a legacy codebase audit reveal what a proposed change can affect. - [Refactoring](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/refactoring): A disciplined change to the internal structure of existing code without changing its observable behaviour. In a legacy codebase, refactoring makes selected areas easier to understand, test, and modify. - [Strangler Fig Pattern](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/strangler-fig-pattern): An incremental migration pattern that routes selected capabilities from a legacy system to new components until the old implementation can be retired. It avoids replacing the whole system in one release. - [Technical Debt](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/technical-debt): The accumulated cost of past shortcuts in a codebase. In a legacy system it is the single biggest thing an audit has to measure before you refactor. - [Test Coverage](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase/test-coverage): Evidence about which parts of a legacy codebase execute during automated tests. It helps a migration team locate protected behaviour and areas where changes need additional verification. ### SaaS Replacement URL: https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/glossary - [Build vs Buy](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/build-vs-buy): A structured comparison between keeping or buying a software product and building a system the business owns. - [Cutover Plan](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/cutover-plan): The timed sequence of decisions and actions used to move users, data, and integrations from a SaaS product to its replacement. - [Data Mapping](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/data-mapping): A specification that connects data fields, values, relationships, and rules in a SaaS product with their destination in a replacement system. - [Data Migration](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/data-migration): The controlled transfer of business data from a SaaS product into a new system, including selection, transformation, validation, and cutover. - [Data Validation](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/data-validation): The checks that confirm migrated data is complete, accurate, connected, accessible, and usable in a SaaS replacement. - [Parallel Run](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/parallel-run): A transition period in which a SaaS product and its replacement operate together so outputs and working procedures can be compared. - [Rollback Plan](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/rollback-plan): A predefined procedure for restoring safe operation in the former SaaS product when a replacement cutover cannot continue. - [Switching Cost](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/switching-cost): The one-time and transitional effort required to move from a SaaS product to another product or to software the business owns. - [Technical Debt](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/technical-debt): The hidden cost that shapes build-versus-buy. When you weigh replacing a SaaS tool with software you own, technical debt sits on both sides of the decision. - [Total Cost of Ownership](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/total-cost-of-ownership): The complete cost of acquiring, operating, changing, and eventually leaving a software system over a defined period. - [Workflow Mapping](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement/workflow-mapping): A documented view of the people, steps, decisions, data, and systems that make up a business process before a SaaS product is replaced. ## Other pages - [Who we are](https://meetbrackets.com/about): BRACKETS: 20-person digital product studio from Bratislava. Senior engineers, pragmatic AI, zero drama. Building software that matters since 2015. - [How we think](https://meetbrackets.com/approach): Principles that guide every project: product discovery, build and delivery, software ownership, AI-powered acceleration, and fractional leadership. - [Is your vibe-coded software ready for production?](https://meetbrackets.com/audit-your-vibe-coded-software): BRACKETS - AI digital product studio: A free audit of your vibe-coded software: an honest read of what the AI-generated code really does, where it is thin, and what to fix before production. - [We hire right](https://meetbrackets.com/careers): Careers at BRACKETS — a 20-person product studio from Bratislava building digital products across Europe. See open roles, our culture, and what it's like to work here. - [Get in touch](https://meetbrackets.com/contact): Get in touch with BRACKETS — a digital product studio from Bratislava. Email, phone, or book a call. Visit us at Innovators Hub. - [Cookie Policy](https://meetbrackets.com/cookie-policy): How meetbrackets.com uses cookies — what we store, what needs your consent, and how to change or withdraw it at any time. - [Financial software that survives contact with a regulator](https://meetbrackets.com/fintech-software-development): Investment platforms, broker apps and financial CRMs for regulated providers across Europe. ISO 27001 certified, EU-hosted. Crowdberry, Winners Group, Moon. - [Healthcare software that holds up when the rules get complicated](https://meetbrackets.com/healthcare-software-development): Patient platforms, clinical tools and health portals for healthcare providers across Europe. ISO 27001 certified, EU-hosted. Dr. Max, Danone, EANM, Calma. - [What is your legacy code really costing you?](https://meetbrackets.com/legacy-codebase): A legacy codebase audit from BRACKETS: an honest read of your architecture, risks and technical debt, plus a migration plan and what each step costs. - [Talk to us right from your Claude](https://meetbrackets.com/mcp): Talk to BRACKETS directly from Claude. Book meetings, send messages, ask questions through our public MCP server. No login required. - [Replace your SaaS subscription with software you own](https://meetbrackets.com/saas-replacement): SaaS replacement from BRACKETS: an honest look at when replacing a rented SaaS tool with software you own is cheaper than staying, and how to price the switch. - [Terms and Conditions](https://meetbrackets.com/terms-and-conditions): Terms and Conditions for the BRACKETS Free Code Audit — what the audit is, how we handle your code and data, and your rights. ## Optional - [Sitemap](https://meetbrackets.com/sitemap-index.xml): full URL index with last-modified dates - [Robots](https://meetbrackets.com/robots.txt): crawler policy - [Slovensky](https://meetbrackets.com/sk/llms.txt): this site in Slovak (llms.txt)