Custom software is not a cost. It is an investment, and like any investment, it requires discernment. RoleModel CEO Caleb Woods sat down with bestselling author and entrepreneur Jordan Raynor to talk through what faithful stewardship looks like when it comes to technology: when to build, when to wait, and what discernment actually looks like.

Most people treat AI like a search engine: one-line prompt in, generic output out. The problem isn't the tool. It's the input. CRAFT is a five-part framework for communicating with AI the same way you'd brief a sharp colleague: Context, Role, Ask, Fit, Tune. Each component gives the model something specific to work with so it stops guessing and starts producing output you can actually use.

Most growing SMBs don't notice spreadsheet debt until it's already slowing them down. This post names the real costs: wasted hours, cascading errors, expertise trapped in one person's head. When pulling a report requires three people and two days, you stop asking questions. You're likely already paying for better software. Just not in predictable line items.

Every quarter, the RoleModel team sets aside regular project work to ask a different kind of question: how could we build better? Not better in theory. Better in the ways that show up in the work we do with our partners. This quarter, five teams ran real experiments. The results were mixed. That was the point.

We've added real-time collaborative editing to LightningCAD, allowing multiple users to work simultaneously on the same design with live cursor visibility, dynamic updates, and optional project locking to prevent conflicts. Beyond improving team workflows, the update also boosts single-user performance and lays the groundwork for future capabilities like offline editing, batch updates, and AI-powered virtual collaborators.

Custom software should help your business scale without adding headcount. We start by understanding how you actually operate, uncover opportunities you may not have seen, and design software around your process. The result is a long-term partnership where the software becomes more valuable over time.

Great software isn't built in a single release. We get working software in your hands quickly, deliver an early return on your investment, and refine from there through tight feedback loops. Each iteration builds on a sustainable foundation, so your software grows with your business.

Your competitive advantage lives in how your business operates, but that knowledge is often trapped in spreadsheets, manual processes, and key people. We learn your business deeply, codify that expertise into custom software, and build something that works the way you do, not the other way around.

Once a quarter, our entire company comes together in person for a few days of focused experimentation and collaboration. We call these CCC Days—named after our core values: Character, Collaboration, and Craftsmanship. With many of our team members working remotely, CCC Days give us a valuable chance to connect face-to-face, collaborate across departments, and work with people we don’t usually interact with in person. During this time, we shift our focus to experiments—testing out new ideas, exploring emerging technologies, and test-driving methods that could help us serve our clients more efficiently. It’s also a great opportunity for junior team members to step into leadership roles, run projects, and grow their skills in real time. This quarter, we focused on AI experiments and LightningCAD efficiencies. Here are a few of the experiments we explored during our latest CCC Days: RoleModel Way of Developer AI. We conducted an experiment to refine the RoleModel Way of Developer AI, focusing on leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) for code generation and editor integrations. Our goal was to compare the performance of the newest local models (running on an on-premise server) with cloud-based solutions like GitHub Copilot, specifically assessing their viability for tools such as autocomplete and agentic code development. Using a VS Code plugin called Continue, we tested local model integration but found significant performance gaps—local models were slower and lacked advanced features like agents or tool calling. This highlighted the challenge of balancing speed and functionality for rapid development workflows. Shifting focus to cloud models, we explored GitHub Copilot’s capabilities, noting its robust infrastructure on Azure servers and potential IP protection for organizations. We also experimented with Copilot Instructions—custom markdown configurations to guide the model’s behavior, such as adopting a pirate persona or referencing project-specific files like READMEs, Gemfiles, and private packages. Our current recommendations include: Pilot GitHub Copilot via business subscriptions to assess usage and cost. Develop shared Copilot Instructions to align with team best practices and tool-specific context. Continue exploring local models as advancements may improve their viability.

As we mark ten years of LightningCAD, we’re pausing to reflect—not just on how far we’ve come, but also on how deeply our roots in Expertise Amplification, Iterative Value, and Process Scaling have shaped our journey.

Once a quarter, our entire company comes together in person for a few days of focused experimentation and collaboration. We call these CCC Days—named after our core values: Character, Collaboration, and Craftsmanship . With many of our team members working remotely, CCC Days give us a valuable chance to connect ...

One way we incorporate our values of Character, Collaboration, and Craftsmanship into our company practices is through our quarterly CCC Days events (named for our core values). During CCC Days, our entire company meets at our Apex, NC, office to work on experiments. These experiments usually explore new features or technologies that might benefit our partners or simplify our workflows. We are excited to share a few of our experiments from Q1 and their possible implications.