Because your business deserves more than just crossed fingers and contract signatures.
Most businesses aren’t equipped to technically vet or manage a custom development vendor. That’s where we come in. We help you choose the right dev shop, define your project clearly, ask the tough questions in meetings, and catch problems before they snowball. You’ll have a Red Corner FCTO by your side, keeping things aligned, protecting your budget, and making sure nothing gets lost in translation between business goals and technical output.
Would You Go to Court Without a Lawyer?
Working with a custom development agency is high-stakes. Most clients walk into the relationship focused on deliverables and deadlines. But without technical fluency and strategic oversight, even a well-intended project can go off course, fast.
At Red Corner, we don’t just advise from the sidelines. We embed a fractional CTO into your process to manage vendors the way they should be managed: with clarity, accountability, and business-aligned decision-making.
We start by translating your business goals into a clear project scope with measurable milestones. That alone eliminates much of the risk. Then we help you craft a vendor selection process that attracts the right fit, not just the flashiest presentation or lowest bid.
Once the vendor is in place, we manage the relationship day-to-day. That includes reviewing technical progress, asking pointed questions, flagging vague answers, and tracking every shift in scope, cost, or timeline. We don’t let you get surprised, we stay ahead of the curve so you can stay focused on outcomes.
And when the work is done, we ensure there’s a clean handoff. That might mean spinning up your internal team or running the system for you. Either way, we leave you in control, informed, prepared, and positioned for growth.
This is vendor management done right, from people who’ve been on both sides of the table and know what it takes to make the relationship work.
The Red Corner Approach
At Red Corner, we’re not just technical advisors, we’re your safeguard against misalignment, blown budgets, and avoidable chaos. Custom development is expensive, and even small misunderstandings between your team and a vendor can balloon into months of wasted time and six-figure overruns. Our FCTOs act as your translator, advocate, and project co-pilot, people who’ve lived through this process, from both sides. We make sure nothing critical gets lost in translation, and that your investment delivers what your business actually needs.
The peace of mind? That’s a bonus.
Foundational
Before you even choose a vendor, we make sure your project is defined in practical, measurable terms. That means working with you to clarify business goals, translate them into technical requirements, and set realistic milestones that vendors can commit to. We’ll guide you through writing an RFP that cuts through fluff and attracts serious contenders.
Then we’ll evaluate those vendors with you, technically, operationally, and culturally, so you don’t just pick the cheapest, or the slickest, but the right fit for your business. This foundational work saves time, avoids painful misunderstandings, and sets your project up to succeed.
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Evolution
Once your project is underway, we don’t disappear. Your Red Corner FCTO stays close to the process, reviewing change requests, helping you navigate scope shifts, and pushing for clarity when requirements evolve. We act as your sounding board for every decision that could affect cost, timeline, or outcomes. When things change, and they always do, we help you understand the implications. We also deliver a post-launch ROI assessment, not just based on promises, but actual delivery. You’ll know what you got, what it cost, and how it can be improved.
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Growth
Once the project is delivered, most vendor relationships taper off. Not with Red Corner. Your FCTO looks ahead, identifying how the new system or product can support scale, reduce future costs, or unlock new opportunities. We turn the lessons learned from this project into a playbook for the next one. And because we’ve been there from day one, we know exactly what worked, what didn’t, and how to grow from it. Red Corner isn’t just here for one project, we’re here to help you build a repeatable, reliable model for working with vendors that compounds value over time.
I want to tell you a story that’s all too familiar.
A while ago, a founder reached out to me for this exact service. They were about to hire a custom development agency and wanted a second opinion. I walked them through my process, how I help define scope, review vendor quotes, and make sure everything aligns with business goals before a single line of code gets written.
They appreciated it. But ultimately, they passed. The dev agency’s proposal looked solid to them, and they figured they’d save money going straight to build.
Eight months later, they called me again. The project was four months late, just as they were entering their busiest sales season. The product wasn’t stable, the roadmap was unclear, and the dev agencies were bleeding them dry with vague change orders and inflated quotes. They needed help. Fast.
So I got to work.
I met with both agencies, reviewed the codebase and project plans, and what I saw was exactly what I had warned about. Scope creep. Architecture shortcuts. A pricing model built to extract, not deliver. I made the call: we’d stop the bleeding and take back control.
I spun up an internal team in record time, a senior dev in Montreal, two contractors, and a DevOps specialist to stabilize the system. The code was riddled with deep structural issues, and at one point, we seriously considered starting over. But we fought through it. We got them through the season. We delivered.
I stayed on for a year as their FCTO. Together, we built the foundation for what is now a high-functioning product team, one that ships, scales, and innovates without fear.
If you’re reading this and you’re about to sign a dev agency contract, or already feeling the cracks in a project underway, I want you to know one thing: this is exactly why I built Red Corner.
I’ve seen too many founders lose sleep, lose money, or lose momentum because they didn’t have someone technical in their corner, someone whose only job was to protect their business.
Let’s fix that.
—
Oshri Cohen
Founder, Red Corner
Expert Guidance
Our FCTOs have worked inside development agencies, run in-house engineering teams, and managed vendor relationships from both sides. We don’t deal in hypotheticals, we’ve seen the pitfalls, the personality clashes, the scope debates, and the delivery failures. That’s why we’re effective. We know how to read between the lines in dev proposals, spot vague milestones, and hold vendors to clear standards. We’ve been in the room when things go sideways, and we know how to keep them straight. You get real operational experience, not consulting playbooks.
Continuous Support
Once the vendor has delivered, we don’t just step back, we step forward. Your Red Corner FCTO will either spin up your internal team to take over with confidence, or continue to manage and support the product directly. We ensure there’s no drop-off between vendor handoff and operational continuity. Whether it’s onboarding new hires, documenting handover processes, or running the system ourselves, we stay responsible until you’re fully self-sufficient, or until we hand you something better.
Tailored Solutions
No two dev projects are the same, and neither are our solutions. Some clients need help writing their first RFP; others have full product teams but want sharper vendor accountability. Some need deep technical review; others need translation between business intent and technical deliverables. Our FCTOs adapt to your situation. We don’t push best practices just because they’re trendy, we study your context, understand your pressure points, and design a support model that fits you and only you.
Innovative Approach
Our FCTOs come from startup environments where hesitation costs money and delays sink products. We bring that same urgency and creativity to your vendor oversight. Sometimes we push vendors to rethink how they deliver. Sometimes we bypass them to fix things faster. We’re not married to process, we’re committed to results. Whether it’s a clever shortcut or a full systems rethink, we innovate because we’ve been on the hook before, and we know what it takes to move fast without breaking your business.
Would You Go to Court Without a Lawyer?
We don’t just sit in meetings. We track every budget line, challenge unclear estimates, and tie technical decisions to business outcomes. Our FCTOs know what success looks like, and what failure costs. They’ve lived through delayed launches, hidden overruns, and missed milestones. That’s why they push for clarity early, plan for edge cases, and prevent waste before it happens. With Red Corner, you’re not just getting vendor oversight, you’re getting a fractional CTO who makes ROI part of the technical process.
Experience Managing Multi-Vendor Projects
Our FCTOs have managed overlapping vendors across design, development, QA, and infrastructure — often across time zones and with different priorities. They know how to keep handoffs clean, responsibilities clear, and timelines realistic. When multiple vendors are involved, the risk of finger-pointing skyrockets. We cut through that noise with clear documentation, structured communication, and a strong top-down view. You get the benefits of specialization without the chaos.
Vendor Negotiation That Protects Your Bottom Line
We’ve sat across the table from dev agencies, we know the tactics, the traps, and the fine print that turns budgets into black holes. Your FCTO will help you negotiate not just price, but clarity. We break down estimates, challenge vague timelines, and ensure every deliverable is tied to business value. The goal isn’t to squeeze vendors, it’s to protect you from surprises and get the most out of every dollar you spend.
Hands-On Support Through Delivery and Handoff
We don’t disappear after kickoff. Your Red Corner FCTO stays embedded through delivery, reviewing code drops, testing against business goals, and handling surprises as they come. When the vendor’s job is done, we step in to ensure your team is ready. That might mean training your staff, documenting the system, or managing support until you’re confident to take over. You don’t just get a product, you get continuity, context, and control.
Book Your Free Vendor Oversight Consult
TELEPHONE. 514-777-3883
Founded with Love in Montreal, Canada, but operates around the world :-)
Ready to make the right call on your dev vendor? Fill out the form and a Red Corner FCTO will get back to you within a business day. Want to skip the wait? Message us on WhatsApp and let’s get started today.
FAQ
What is Technical Vendor Management?
Technical vendor management is the process of overseeing third-party technology vendors, often custom dev shops, to ensure they meet your business needs, deliver what they promise, and do so on time and within budget. It’s part technical oversight, part strategic partnership, and part risk mitigation.
Why should I work with Red Corner when hiring a dev agency?
Because we speak the language your vendors do, and the language you need. We turn vague scopes into clear commitments, track costs and outcomes, and make sure your goals don’t get lost in translation. Dev shops often mean well, but they’re incentivized to ship code, not necessarily value. We make sure you get both.
What does Red Corner do during the dev agency selection process?
We help define what you actually need built, write or refine your RFP, review responses, run technical and cultural evaluations, and stress-test the vendor’s promises. This avoids future headaches by ensuring you start with the right partner.
Can you come in after I’ve already picked a vendor?
Absolutely. We’ll assess the contract, the scope, and the team, and we’ll let you know exactly where the gaps are. From there, we embed ourselves in the process to catch issues early and keep things moving forward.
What if I already have a project underway and it’s not going well?
We’re often brought in midstream to stabilize troubled vendor relationships. We realign expectations, repair communication gaps, and step in with a practical plan to protect your time, money, and outcomes.
Do you handle contracts and scope reviews?
Yes. We break down vendor language, flag vague or risky terms, and structure scope in ways that are enforceable and measurable. Our goal is to avoid ambiguity, and surprises, before work begins.
Is this a replacement for having an in-house CTO or tech lead?
For many of our clients, yes. If you don’t have senior technical leadership in-house, we act as your CTO. If you do, we plug into your team to manage vendor interaction and free up your internal leaders.
How is Red Corner different from a project manager or consultant?
PMs follow timelines. Consultants give advice. We do both, and then stay accountable for results. Red Corner FCTOs operate as embedded leaders who track decisions, ask hard questions, and turn tech strategy into business progress.
What kinds of vendors do you work with?
Everything from boutique dev studios and offshore agencies to large product consultancies. We’ve managed one-person operations and multinational teams, what matters is that they deliver what your business actually needs.
How involved will my FCTO be during delivery?
As involved as you want. We can lead calls, review pull requests, manage change requests, and prepare updates for your exec team. Whether you need us hands-on or quietly in the background, we adapt to your rhythm.
AFTER THE DELIVERY — WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
What happens when the dev shop finishes their work?
That’s when things get tricky, and when most clients are left unprepared. Software is never “done.” There are bugs to squash, features to expand, integrations to maintain, and infrastructure to monitor. Red Corner steps in to handle everything that comes next.
Will you take over from the dev agency after they deliver?
Yes. Your FCTO owns the transition. We ensure a complete handover, including code, documentation, infrastructure, access credentials, and unwritten knowledge. We don’t let your investment fall apart once the vendor signs off.
Can you build and manage an internal team after vendor delivery?
Absolutely. We’ve built internal product and engineering teams from scratch. We’ll recruit, train, and structure your team, or lead them ourselves until you’re ready to take the wheel.
What if I don’t want an internal team yet, can you run the system?
Yes. If you’re not ready to scale internally, we can own the platform on your behalf. We monitor, manage, triage issues, and guide improvements, so your business keeps moving while your team catches up.
Do you offer ongoing technical support after handoff?
We do. Support doesn’t mean waiting for problems, it means ensuring continuity, stability, and progress. We review performance, suggest enhancements, manage updates, and help you evolve from v1 to a more mature operation.
How do you handle bugs or feature requests post-launch?
We triage requests, assess impact, manage vendor involvement if needed, and build a process that balances iteration speed with product stability. You’ll know what’s changing, why, and how it impacts your business.
Can you manage future vendors or rebuilds?
Yes, and we often do. As your product grows, your needs evolve. We assess whether your initial build still fits and help you scope out and transition to the next phase, including vendor replacement or new architecture.
How long will Red Corner stay involved after delivery?
As long as you need us. Some clients work with us for a few months to build independence; others retain us for years as long-term technical leadership. We earn that trust by staying present and delivering consistently.
Do you help measure ROI after launch?
We do. Your FCTO will evaluate what you got versus what was promised — and help you tie outcomes to actual business metrics. We believe in transparency, not just shipping code.
What happens if the dev agency disappears or stops responding?
We step in, take control of the codebase and system, and either manage support ourselves or help you find a new vendor. We’ve rescued more than a few stranded projects, and we do it with speed, clarity, and no drama.