Vaporware

Dan Moore, a programmer since age eight and Georgia Tech computer science graduate, initially founded Vaporware as a C Corp/S Corp in Delaware to solve his own SaaS problems. "What we realized was our ideas were kind of shit," he explains. The ventures didn't gain traction in the market, but something unexpected happened: the team became really good at building software. Around 2013, they started helping other entrepreneurs in local startup communities with their ideas, essentially falling into the consulting business by accident.

The agency's model centers on specialized "pods" designed for rapid MVP development. Each pod consists of a product manager (split between two pods), one designer, and two developers (front-end and back-end). For technology choices, Vaporware standardizes on React for web and desktop applications (using Electron), and React Native for mobile. Rather than building generic code, the agency focuses on learning specific things about a product's market fit. As Dan explains, the company was named Vaporware because "to sell a product, it doesn't have to exist"—they're building real, testable solutions, not theoretical concepts.

Vaporware positioned itself as a product consultancy that didn't just build what clients asked for, but challenged their assumptions. With an in-house product manager on every engagement, Dan and his team could say "no, that's a terrible idea" and guide founders toward better learning outcomes. The pricing model ranged from $25K for early-stage startups (often in accelerators) to $100K+ for more mature companies willing to invest in testing new markets. This positioning attracted founders who valued expert guidance over just development hours.

By 2019, Vaporware had grown to 8 people and generated $1.2M in revenue—a sustainable, profitable business. What set them apart was company culture and compensation philosophy. They maintained 40-hour work weeks, implemented a four-day client work / one-day flexible time model in 2019, and explored revenue-sharing and co-op/employee ownership models. They occasionally took equity stakes (roughly 10% of deals, or 2 out of 20 clients in 2019) when founders and team members were willing to take calculated risks together. However, Dan was cautious about muddying the client relationship too much: "you've essentially got it. You're guessing... is this guy going to be successful? Will his equity be worth anything, or do I just take the cash?"

Vaporware remains a lifestyle-first consultancy with strong unit economics. Rather than chasing venture capital like the SaaS companies they advise, Dan and his team have built a model that prioritizes team happiness, expertise, and meaningful work. The agency acts as advisor and builder combined, helping founders learn the truth about their markets quickly and affordably—all while maintaining the kind of work-life balance that most tech companies dismiss as impossible.