Custom software, apps and AI automation, built to pay for themselves.
Save up to 75% vs traditional agency rates, with AI-assisted development
No pitch. No pressure. Just cost-saving advice.
New Idea Machine is a Calgary custom software and AI automation agency serving small business owners worldwide.
Not sure where to start?
Watch a 30 second welcome video from our co-founder. Then, pick the path that sounds like you.
Still got questions? Start here →
You know your business better than anyone.
Our job is to lay out your software options and what each one costs, up front and down the road, so you can choose the one that's right for you. That could mean launching a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), opening a new revenue stream, or making what you already have run better.
When a custom build is the right choice, the price is fair: most agencies use AI-assisted development but keep the savings. We pass them on to you. Canadian companies may also qualify for government funding that covers part of the cost.
One client's numbers
It's a $22,000 build. He now saves $42,000 a year and earns extra revenue from resale.
paid once, for software he owns
saved every year
earned from resale
Minimize expenses. Maximize revenue.
A confidential analysis
Tell us the bottleneck, share the spreadsheets, or describe the new revenue stream.
All under mutual NDA.
The right-size solution
If something off the shelf will do the job, we say so.
We walked away from a $30,000 build because a $100 a month tool did it. Read Vera's story.
An estimate you can trust
Every feature priced separately, from our record of real builds, so you know what to build now and what can wait.
No surprises later. We are solid with our estimates.
Picture your business a year from now
Your software is running, the busywork takes care of itself, and you own the whole thing.
From startup to $10 million
"We've really gone from a small startup with a couple people to 15 people and a $10 million business."
Started right away, with no 12-month contract
"That lowered the risk. We didn't have to commit to a 12-month contract, all those big things that scared us off from other teams."
No more paying for software someone else owns
"The biggest change is not having the over $2,500 a year bill for software I owned nothing of. Now I just pay minimal hosting costs."
Who is New Idea Machine for?
Walk away with a clear plan, an estimate you can trust, and software built to fit how your business works: an app, an internal tool, an MVP, or an AI automation or agent.
We're right for you if you want:
Finances
- To know what each option costs now and in the years ahead
- No per-user fees, however many people use it
- To recover part of the cost with Canadian SR&ED tax credits, through a specialist we connect you with
- Full discovery without the $3,000+ fee. Our App Cost Calculator gives you the same results for $197, credited back in full when you build with us.
Planning
- To know what to build now, what can wait and what you don't need
- To know the difference between an AI automation, an AI agent and software that works exactly the way your business does
- Someone who tells you exactly what mistakes to avoid
- To know what to ask any developer before you sign, with our Hire the Right Developer checklist
- Software that grows with your business
Ownership
- To own your software and your data, instead of renting fragile third-party automations
- To be the admin on every account
- The freedom to leave at any time and take everything with you
Security and compliance
- Your customers' data kept safe, with security and compliance handled up front for about $2,500, not $30,000 or more after the build
Support
- Support, maintenance and new features after launch, whenever you need them
- Software any developer can maintain, not just us
We're not right for you if you want:
Finances
- To spend as little as possible up front, whatever it costs down the road
- One number locked in up front, even if it costs you 20 to 30 percent more
Planning
- A fast and easy solution, without weighing the options first
- Someone to build exactly what's on your list, without informing you about better options
Working together
- To hand it over and only see the finished product, without checking in along the way
A partner who does what they say
"You guys were my benchmark, for people that are true to their word."
Dawn Leadbetter, Founder, Nurse Matrix Systems Inc.
You'll be meeting with Rea directly.
Bring your idea, bottleneck or AI prototype you've built. A senior developer with expertise in exactly what your project needs turns it into secure, scalable, commercial-ready software.
You own your build from day one.
Start the conversation
Rea Hailley, CEO
20 years in B2B strategy, including growing a Shopify portfolio to $90 million in a single year.
She's not a developer and works with technology the same way you do.
AL Del Degan, CTO
33 years building software, including work with the Calgary Airport Authority, the City of Calgary, and Travel Alberta.
He guides every project we take on, included in your estimate.
Not ready to hire a developer?
Some projects, you can build yourself.
If you can type, you can use AI to build. No technical experience needed. Build your own working prototype, internal tool, or website in one day.
See the bootcamp →
