Bring the real problem.
A 30-minute conversation with Ivan about your business, your team, and what needs to change.
First: a shared understandingFounder-led. From code to delivery.
Put AI to work.
Move your
business forward.
Custom software built around your workflows, including private AI on your own data. Hands-on AI training and fractional CTO leadership to help your team deliver.
Work directly with Ivan. Ex-Google engineer. Startup co-founder. Free 30-min call. No technical brief needed.
From possibility to production
Your data
Your tools
Your workflows
One connected business.
Built for your business
Less manual work Useful intelligence
Your engineers
Your codebase
Your AI tools
A more capable team.
Built for your business
Hands-on workshops Personal AI handbooks
Built on experience.
Accountable to you.
Google 5 years in engineering
elude ↗ Going
Acquired by Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)
11 CTO roles Since founding Smirnov Labs
Selected work
From stalled builds
to working software.
Real businesses. Difficult problems.
Here’s what moving forward looks like.
Consumer lending fintech
Five years stalled. A production launch in six weeks.
About $1M invested before our engagement, with no working product.
6 weeks to the first production system
Delivered Hospitality software team
AI on your codebase. A handbook for every engineer.
Real-code workshops and a personalized AI handbook for every engineer.
2 days from setup to hands-on AI workflows
Delivered Mechanical & HVAC contractor
From four disconnected tools to one purpose-built platform.
Proprietary bid data stays on site. The broader platform build is ongoing.
2,509 historical bids made queryable
Build in progress Selected engagements, anonymized for client confidentiality. Outcomes are specific to each project.
What we do
Software, training,
and technical leadership.
You don’t need another AI pitch.
You need the right people turning it into working software, stronger
teams, and progress you can see.
AI & custom software
Make AI part of how your business runs.
Replace disconnected tools and manual work with software built around your business. Put AI to work on your workflows, your data, and your terms.
Explore AI buildsHands-on AI training
Turn AI access into engineering capability.
Your engineers have the tools. Help them use those tools well, through hands-on workshops on your codebase and a personalized AI handbook for each engineer.
Explore AI trainingFractional CTO & engineering
Put an experienced builder in your corner.
Connect business priorities to technical decisions. Get hands-on leadership for architecture, delivery, and hiring, with vetted engineers when you need more capacity.
Explore CTO & engineeringAssessments & recovery
A technical assessment you can act on.
When the build has stalled or the next investment needs scrutiny, get an independent read of the code, architecture, team, and delivery process.
Explore assessmentsAlready have the direction? We can bring the engineers.
Explore embedded talent
Ivan Smirnov Founder. Engineer. Your technical partner.
A founder on the hook
The person you meet
is the person
who owns delivery.
Five years at Google. Co-founder and CTO of Elude, acquired by Going. Eleven fractional CTO roles since starting Smirnov Labs.
Ivan connects the business problem to the engineering work, then stays close to the build. Behind him: an in-house developer, long-standing engineering partners, and a vetted bench that can grow with your needs.
Meet Ivan & the teamHow we get moving
Start small.
Make it count.
A clear first step beats an open-ended commitment. We scope around the next useful outcome, then build from there.
Scope the first win.
A 1–2 week technical assessment, a team workshop, or a defined build milestone. Agree on deliverables and pricing before work begins.
Next: a concrete proposalWork. Ship. Reassess.
Hands-on delivery with visible progress. Add capacity when it helps. Adjust direction as you learn.
Then: something you can use
Let’s find your first step Clear ownership. Your IP. A plan for handoff.
Where should we start?
Start with a free 30-minute call with Ivan. Bring the business problem, your current setup, and what needs to change. Together we will identify whether a build, a workshop, fractional leadership, or an assessment is the right first step. You do not need a technical specification.
Who is a good fit for Smirnov Labs?
Companies with revenue, funded startups, and investors with a real technology problem and a budget to address it. We work with existing teams or bring engineering capacity. Pre-revenue ideas without a budget set aside for the build are usually not a fit.
How do engagements and pricing work?
We define the first milestone, scope, and pricing after a short discovery conversation. Software builds usually run on time and materials; fractional CTO work uses a monthly retainer. Assessments and workshops are scoped to the team and system. Fixed fees are reserved for tightly defined work.
Will we work directly with Ivan?
Yes. Ivan owns technical strategy, review, and the client relationship. Delivery can include our in-house developer, a long-standing partner engineering team, or vetted contract engineers matched to your stack.
Can our data stay private?
Yes. We design private and on-premises AI infrastructure when the use case calls for it. We agree on data handling, access, and deployment constraints during scoping, before choosing models or services.
What do we own when the engagement ends?
You own the IP under the engagement agreement. We plan for handoff through documentation, clear ownership, and your team’s ability to operate what we build. Engagement scope and contractual terms are agreed before work begins.
A real conversation. A concrete next step.
Let’s make your
next move count.
Tell Ivan what you’re building, what’s stuck, or where AI could help. We’ll find the right place to start.
Book a 30-min call Free · Directly with Ivan · No obligation Prefer to write? Send a brief