Cause of a Kind

What it is

Cause of a Kind is a bootstrapped software development and modernization agency co-founded by Justin Abrams (CEO) and Mike Rispoli (CTO) on Long Island, New York. They build custom software, modernize legacy systems, and act as fractional CTO partners for small and mid-sized businesses — all on a flat monthly subscription model that eliminates the surprise invoices and scope creep that define most agency relationships. The model was purpose-built around a simple frustration: small businesses need real, maintained software but cannot afford the overhead of a traditional software firm and cannot trust the vibe-coded tools that break in production. Cause of a Kind fills that gap with U.S.-based engineers, no offshore handoffs, and a pricing structure that aligns the agency's incentives with the client's outcomes — when the software stays broken, the agency gets called. When it works well, clients grow and stay. Their services include Startup Igniter (idea to prototype sprints), DISCOWEEK and WEEK2WEEK (compressed deployment sprints), and ongoing fractional CTO engagements. They are also the hosts behind the Strictly From Nowhere podcast network, which includes CTO Confidential and other content for technical founders. They grew their YouTube presence from roughly 7,000 to 160,000-plus subscribers in five months by shipping content every single day, treating distribution as a business function rather than a marketing nice-to-have.

Who it's for

Small and mid-sized business owners who need real, maintained software but cannot afford a full-time engineering team — and who have already burned time or money on offshore agencies, vibe-coded tools that break, or development firms that disappear after launch. Also strong for early-stage founders who want a fractional CTO to help them make smart technical decisions without the equity cost.

Why it's better

• •Flat monthly model — no surprise invoices, no scope creep, no billing ambiguity.
• •Onshore, U.S.-based engineers — no offshore handoffs, no timezone coordination tax.
• •Fractional CTO model gives small businesses senior technical leadership without the executive salary.
• •Twenty years of co-founder partnership with aligned values and proven conflict-resolution under pressure.
• •They ship media every day — a team willing to publish daily will execute your software with the same discipline.