How a review unfolds
Engagement stages
A clear path from first note to handoff — so architecture reviews and API advisory feel like work with a beginning, middle, and end.
Architecture consulting fails when the calendar is vague. Utility Ridge uses four stages for most Backend Architecture Reviews and adapts the same spine for shorter advisory work.
- Intake
You send diagrams, ADRs, runbooks, and a short list of fears. We confirm scope, fee range, and session windows. No repository access is required on day one — only enough context to propose an agenda. - Examination
Live sessions with maintainers. We walk write paths, auth boundaries, retries, and the integrations that wake people at night. Asynchronous questions land in a shared channel for the engagement window. - Synthesis
Findings are drafted with severity and owners. We challenge our own first impressions before anything is marked final. You receive one brief, not a pile of slide decks. - Handoff
A closing walkthrough. Owners leave with named next steps. Optional follow-up office hours can be booked separately if the backlog needs a second pass after implementation starts.
What we need from you
A single point of contact, honest access to the people who own the code, and a decision about which environments are in scope. Secrets stay with you.
Natural next actions
- Browse consultations to pick a fit
- Read rates for planning figures
- Request a review intake when ready to reserve a window