Stories of transformation.
Tiny spells. Big relief. Here's how real founders moved from "overwhelmed" to "under control."
We don't measure success in lines of code written. We measure it in hours gained, anxiety reduced, and the quiet confidence of a system that just works.
Because DigitalFairytales is a micro studio, every story here was shaped directly by the founder — from the first conversation to the final tiny spell.
"I sleep on weekends now."
The Tension
A solo founder with a growing user base but a fragile codebase. Every deployment was a gamble. He was spending Saturday nights fixing bugs instead of resting.
The Fix
Two weeks of Engineering Firepower. I stabilized the core database, wrote automated tests for the critical paths, and set up a deployment pipeline that runs with one click.
"It feels like the engine was replaced while the car was moving. The noise is gone."
"Like having an invisible admin assistant."
The Tension
A boutique agency drowning in manual onboarding. Copy-pasting data from Typeform to Trello to Slack. Details were getting lost, and the founder felt like a professional data-entry clerk.
The Fix
A set of AI Sprinkles. Now, when a client signs, a workflow triggers: folders are created, welcome emails drafted, and the team is notified. Zero manual clicks.
"I regained about 5 hours a week, but the mental relief is worth 10 times that."
"Finally confident in the roadmap."
The Tension
Felt held hostage by an external development agency. Bills were high, progress was opaque, and she didn't know if the tech stack they proposed was overkill.
The Fix
Monthly Technical Direction. I audited the agency's work, simplified the requirements, and gave the CEO the vocabulary to push back. We cut the roadmap in half and doubled the speed.
"Simen gave me my voice back. I'm no longer nodding along; I'm leading the product again."
"Independent technical leadership when we needed it most."
The Tension
A stealth-mode startup needed senior technical direction but wasn't ready for a full-time CTO. Complex architectural decisions were piling up, and delivery risk was increasing.
The Fix
Fractional CTO engagement. Strategic guidance, pragmatic architectural input, and autonomous execution. Focused on outcomes, not activity. Reduced both delivery and technology risk.
"Simen brought strong judgement to complex technical decisions. His contribution added immediate value and helped reduce delivery and technology risk."
— Graeme Sewell, Technical Leader