Software Forged for Bold Ideas

A boutique studio for projects that need someone who understands your business as deeply as the technology. Technical depth and creative craft shape every solution.

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// What We Do
Services
The best software comes from understanding the problem deeply. Every engagement starts by learning how your business actually works - the people, the workflows, and where your impact comes from.

Custom Application Development

Applications that don't come from a template. From real-time simulations and visualizations to customer-serving products, we'll take over the hard work so you can focus on what matters, with better tools.

AI Training & Consulting

Your team walks away with more tools in their belt, more confidence in AI, and a clearer picture of both the good and bad of AI. We're honest about using AI. We'll briefly start with how it works. Then, we'll tell you where it helps, where it quietly fails, and how to build it into the way you already work. Workshops, embedded consulting, and custom playbooks shaped to your industry.

Creative & Technical Partnership

The ambitious ideas that need both technical depth and creative thinking. Physics simulations, programmatic art, interactive experiences, and AI integrations beyond just chatbots. The work most shops won't or can't touch. We go deep on these because they're the problems worth solving.

// Why We Build
More Than Just Code

Most software is invisible. Pipes moving data. Forms collecting input. It works. It's fine. We want more than fine.

We believe code is a creative medium. The best software doesn't just function. It moves people.

That's what Dream Software builds. Software worth talking about.

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// Selected Work
Proof of Craft
Every project here solved a real problem. This is the kind of work we seek out, and it's the kind of work we're proud of.
Client Project

Call Tracking & Billing System | IT Services Firm

A managed IT shop was losing revenue because billable phone time wasn't being tracked. Built a real-time call tracking system in two days — integrated with their desk phone API to detect calls, identify technicians, match callers to clients, and log hours against retainers. Embedded on-site with their team for a month to overhaul their monday.com CRM around the new data. Surfaced $70K in previously unbilled overage hours.

API Integration monday.com CRM Real-Time Tracking On-Site Collaboration
Respyte — Isometric 3D common room with fireplace Live Site Visit respyte.dev →

Respyte | Interactive 3D Personal Website

A personal website reimagined as an explorable isometric pixel-art world. Navigate rooms, read blog posts pulled from bookshelves, and play arcade games. More memorable than a static page ever could be.

Three.js TypeScript WebGL Isometric 3D Howler.js
Case Study

TONI | Operational Intelligence for Small Business

Small businesses drown in scattered data - email threads, calendar gaps, CRM notes nobody reads. TONI is a persistent AI layer we designed to solve that. It connects email, calendars, and relationship data into one place an LLM can reason about, then autonomously surfaces what needs attention before you have to ask. The architecture behind it is what we bring to clients with similar problems.

Python FastAPI SQLite Google Workspace AI/ML
// How We Work
From Spark to Ship
Every project follows the same deliberate path. No shortcuts, no surprises.
1

Discovery

First thing's first, we pick your brain until we agree on what the idea is. Not to change your idea, but to make sure that everyone involved is on the same page.

2

Design

Architecture, prototypes, and visual direction. We'll make the documentation up front so you see the shape of the solution before a line of production code is written.

3

Build

Iterative development with regular check-ins. Every engagement looks different, from on-site testing to fully remote interactions. No matter what, we make sure you're never in the dark with where things stand.

4

Deliver

We hand off clean code you can maintain, extend, or hand to another team. The code is tested and documented, with clear error logging where applicable. We also offer training as part of our hand-off, to make sure our software has the impact you wanted.

// Who's Behind This
About

Dream Software is a boutique studio for the kind of work that can't just be handed off, where understanding your business matters as much as writing the code. We are fully embracing the wave of AI, but we never let it make decisions for us or go unchecked. DSS is one builder working directly with you, backed by a network of experienced software engineers I trust for the parts that call for another voice.

Ryan Lechner

Ryan Lechner

Founder & Builder

I think in terms of effect: how a project will feel to the person on the other side of it, not just whether the spec is met. With a pastime of reading and writing poetry, I see everything through the lens of the audience. When I take on a project, I take it on fully: the technology, the people using it, the thing it's actually supposed to do in the world. Every piece of code I ship is code I'm proud to put my name behind.

// Frequently Asked
Common Questions
Answers to what people usually want to know before starting a conversation.
How much does a typical project cost?

Custom builds are priced against the impact they create for your business, not against a rate card. Every serious engagement starts with a discovery conversation and a scoped proposal. For the more repeatable work, here's a vague idea:

Custom Build
Scoped to impact
Applications, integrations, creative interfaces. Quoted against the outcome, not by the hour. Typical engagements start around $8K and scale up to $35K+ with scope.
Discovery Sprint
$3,500 – $8,000
A couple of weeks to stress-test an idea. Research, prototype, and an honest written assessment of what's worth building and what isn't.
Embedded Retainer
$5,000 – $10,000 / mo
Ongoing development, maintenance, or iteration on a shipped project. Dedicated availability for a defined scope. A relationship that keeps things moving.
AI Workshop
$1,200 – $5,000
Half-day or full-day, scaled to your team. From focused prompting sessions to hands-on builds, your team leaves with a working playbook, not just slides.
AI Enablement Engagement
$6,000 – $15,000
Multi-week program: custom training sessions, hands-on workflow builds, team documentation, and a roadmap. Your team leaves with working tools and a plan tailored to your business for how to keep building more.
Advisory Retainer
$1,000 – $2,500 / mo
A developer on call. Technical questions, architecture reviews, second opinions, and priority access when something bigger comes up.

These are ranges, not final numbers. Nonprofit, education, and early-stage projects we care about get flexibility. You'll always see the real number before you commit.

How long does a project take?

Small, well-scoped work can ship in days. The call-tracking system we built for an IT services firm went from nothing to live in just two days. Full builds usually run 4–12 weeks depending on scope, and workshops can be scheduled within two weeks. You get a concrete timeline in the proposal, not a vague range.

What kinds of projects do you take on?

Custom applications, AI-integrated tooling, creative and interactive experiences, and technical advisory. We lean toward work where craft matters, where the goal isn't just "ship something that runs" but "build something people are glad exists." If you've got a bold idea that's hard to hand off to a generic shop, that's usually where we fit.

What don't you do?

We're not the right fit for everything, and we'd rather say so up front. We don't do template WordPress sites, crypto or NFT projects, pure staff augmentation, or "make it look like our competitor" work. If a project is really about churning out something generic as cheaply as possible, there are better shops for that, and we'll happily point you toward one.

What technologies do you work with?

We care about using the right tech, not the tech that we've worked with before. We pick tools based on the problem. We've shipped real work in TypeScript, Python, Rust, React, Three.js / WebGL, .NET C#, and modern AI/ML frameworks. In the back-end, that usually means Node, FastAPI, Postgres, and the usual cloud pieces. If something unusual fits better, we'll tell you. If your existing stack is the right call, we won't invent a reason to replace it.

What does your AI training cover?

We build with AI every day. It's a constant collaborator in our own codebases, not a side project. Workshops teach teams how to actually work with these systems the way we do: not prompt tricks, but how to think about AI as a collaborator inside a real workflow. Where it's useful, where it quietly lies to you, and how to integrate it without betting the company on it. Tailored to your team's current level.

Can you work on an existing codebase?

Yes. We start with a written audit - usually a week - with an honest assessment of the code, the architecture, and the specific risks we see. You can walk away with just the audit if that's all you need. If you want to keep going, we build on what's there, refactor a specific layer, or recommend a targeted rewrite. No false urgency to throw anything away.

How do you handle confidentiality and client data?

Everything you share with us - systems access, business data, internal processes - is treated as confidential by default. We don't talk about your project, your business, or your data with anyone outside the engagement. We're happy to sign an NDA before our first conversation if you'd prefer, and we keep one ready to go. On the technical side: no credentials stored in code, no client data on shared machines, and the option to revoke our access the day an engagement ends. Your trust is the foundation of the relationship, and we treat it that way.

Do you work with remote clients?

Yes. And, for the right project, we'll embed on-site. We spent a month inside a client's operation rebuilding their CRM around a new data source, and the proximity made a real difference. Most work is remote, based out of Indiana with clients anywhere, using video calls, shared project visibility, and async updates.

What happens after a project ships?

You get clean, documented code that your team (or another team) can maintain and extend. We're also happy to stay involved on a retainer, handle a defined support window, or come back for future phases. The handoff is designed so you're never locked in.

Have Something Worth Building?

The best projects start with a conversation. Tell us what you're thinking, and we'll be honest about whether we're the right fit.

or call 317-749-7413  |  ryan@dreamsoftwaresolutions.com
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