Brownfield Development
Building on what you have, not starting from scratch. For 20 years, Coalesce has specialized in extending, improving, and modernizing existing software systems. We're not afraid of your codebase.
Since 2006
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$125M+ client revenue supported
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4+ year avg. client relationship
Most software projects aren't greenfield. They're brownfield: existing systems that need new features, better architecture, or modernization. We specialize in inheriting code, understanding it quickly, and making it better without breaking what works.
When your existing system needs to evolve
Every agency wants to build something new. We'd rather build something right. Brownfield development is harder than greenfield because you have to understand what exists before you can improve it. That discipline makes us better engineers.
You have a system that works, mostly.
It's not perfect, but it runs your business. Customers depend on it. Revenue flows through it. You can't throw it away and start over. You need engineers who can improve it while it's running in production.
Previous developers have moved on.
The original team is gone. Documentation is sparse. Tribal knowledge has evaporated. You need someone who can read code, trace behavior, and understand the system well enough to change it safely.
You're tired of agencies who want to rewrite everything.
Every new team says the old code is terrible and wants to start fresh. Rewrites are expensive, risky, and usually unnecessary. We'd rather understand why decisions were made and improve incrementally.
Services
Codebase Onboarding
Rapid immersion in your existing system: architecture, patterns, pain points, and opportunities. We get productive quickly.
Feature Development
Building new capabilities on your existing platform without introducing instability or technical debt.
Refactoring & Cleanup
Improving code quality, reducing complexity, and paying down technical debt without changing external behavior.
Integration Work
Connecting your system with new services, APIs, and tools while preserving existing functionality.
Performance Improvement
Identifying bottlenecks and implementing optimizations that make your existing system faster and more efficient.
Documentation & Knowledge Capture
Creating the documentation your system should have had from the beginning so future developers can be productive.
Process
1. Discovery
We start by understanding your business: goals, constraints, existing systems (if any), and what success looks like. No 200-page audits.
2. Strategy
A prioritized roadmap based on your constraints. What's urgent vs. important. What we can ship in weeks vs. what needs architectural work. Clear trade-offs, not hand-wavy estimates.
3. Build
AI-augmented development with human review at every decision point. Whether we're starting fresh or working in your existing stack, you get senior engineers. No handoffs.
4. Launch
QA, deployment, and monitoring. We don't ship and disappear.
5. Iterate
Ongoing partnership, not a handoff. We stick around to make it better.
Recent Case Studies
Coalesce brought a rigorous development approach, meticulous attention to detail, and creative suggestions to the process. The team was clearly invested in the project's success and has become a trusted, valuable collaborator.
Morgan Brown
Inman News
FAQ
What makes brownfield development different from regular development?
Brownfield means you're building on an existing system rather than starting fresh. It requires understanding someone else's decisions, working within constraints, and improving code without breaking what works. It's a different skill set.
How quickly can you get productive on a new codebase?
We typically achieve meaningful productivity within 2-4 weeks. We've developed systematic approaches for codebase onboarding: reading code, tracing behavior, identifying patterns, and mapping dependencies.
What if the existing code is really bad?
We've seen bad code before. Usually it's not as bad as it seems once you understand the constraints the original team was working under. We assess what's worth keeping, what needs refactoring, and what should be replaced.
Do you work with any language or framework?
We're language-agnostic with deep experience in PHP, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, Java, and .NET. The principles of brownfield development are universal. Understanding existing code is a skill that transcends specific technologies.
Where is your team located?
We're headquartered in New York City, with senior engineers across the Americas and Europe. Our distributed team means faster turnaround without sacrificing quality or communication.
How do you price brownfield work?
Monthly retainers for ongoing development. Brownfield work is harder to estimate upfront because you discover complexity as you go. Retainers give us flexibility to handle what we find without constant re-scoping.
Ready to build on what you have?
We support $125M+ of client revenue annually with a lean team of senior engineers. Let's talk about your existing system.