Vancouver agency markups
Senior engineer rates in Vancouver run CAD 130-200/hr. Agencies bill 2-3x that. Many founders pay agency rates and get junior code.
British Columbia
Senior Product Engineer for BC Founders.
Web apps, mobile apps, AI automation, and voice agents for startups and small businesses across British Columbia. Based in Kelowna, working with clients in Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, and beyond.
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Kelowna
- Whistler
- Same-day response
10+Years shipping
BC-basedPT time zone
1-3 moDelivery window
100%Code ownership
The BC startup hiring reality
Common patterns I see
Looking for a 'technical co-founder'
Offering equity to a senior who has options. Senior engineers in BC pick the salary. Co-founder hunts take 12+ months and rarely produce a Day-1 partnership.
Offshore communication tax
Time-zone gap, language friction, IP ownership complications. Cheap upfront, expensive in coordination cost.
Funded but no technical lead
Pre-seed BC startups need to ship the MVP before they can recruit a full-time CTO. Contract is faster.
Services for BC founders
What I build for BC clients
MVP build
Zero to launched product in 4-12 weeks. Fixed-price, weekly demos, you own the code.
Web + mobile apps
Next.js / Nuxt web apps. Native iOS + Android via React Native. Often shared monorepo.
AI integrations
LLM features, voice agents, automation. Production systems with real grounding, not demos.
Fractional CTO
Architecture guidance, code review, hiring help, technical due diligence for funded BC startups.
Legacy modernization
Upgrade old WordPress / PHP / Ruby stacks to modern frameworks without rewriting from scratch.
Local SEO + content
Geo-targeted content for BC service businesses. Google Business Profile, schema, local-intent keywords.
BC clients shipped
Live projects in the province
Allure Lighting (Kelowna)
Outdoor lighting company. Modern Nuxt site, Jobber API integration, local SEO. Found via Google Maps + organic search.
Visit →Captain Plumber (BC)
Emergency plumbing service. SEO-optimized site + 24/7 AI voice receptionist for after-hours coverage.
Visit →Wrinkle.law (LegalTech)
Modern legal practice site with CRM-wired case intake.
Visit →FAQ
BC founder questions
Where exactly are you based?
Kelowna, BC. Pacific Time. Easy overlap with Vancouver, Victoria, and US West Coast clients. I do in-person discovery in the Okanagan and occasional trips to Vancouver.
What does a typical BC founder project cost?
MVP web app: CAD 12k-40k. Mobile app MVP: CAD 12k-22k. Polished web + mobile launch: CAD 25k-50k. Full custom SaaS: CAD 40k-150k+. Fixed-price quotes after the strategy call.
Can you help me hire engineers later?
Yes - I help BC founders interview, evaluate take-home tests, and onboard senior engineers. Often as part of a fractional CTO engagement.
Do you take equity instead of cash?
Rarely. For projects I find unusually compelling I'll consider a meaningful equity component on top of a reduced cash rate. Cash-only is the default.
Do you work with funded vs. bootstrapped startups?
Both. Bootstrapped get fixed-price tightly-scoped projects. Funded get longer engagements + fractional CTO advisory if useful.
BC founders ship faster with one senior engineer.
Free 30-minute strategy call. Fixed-price quote within 48 hours. Same-day response.