Build for growth. Keep complexity in check.

Approach

Dane MacMillanFounder & PrincipalLinkedIn ↗

Founded by Dane MacMillan, MacMillan House draws on 18 years of software, infrastructure, and technology leadership experience across SaaS and competitive e-commerce.

Growth puts pressure on software, infrastructure, and teams. Complexity is easy to approve and expensive to maintain. MacMillan House favours simple solutions that keep today’s decisions from becoming tomorrow’s constraints.

The work starts by understanding the business and the decisions ahead. Discussions with the relevant leaders, investors, and technical teams inform a focused review of systems, people, and practices, identifying strengths, technical debt, risks, and gaps.

Recommendations give decision-makers clear options, priorities, and next steps, whether the need concerns technology, investment, or leadership. Support can continue through executive advice, technical oversight, or leadership of embedded specialists, depending on the engagement.

The expertise behind the decisions.

Capabilities

Architecture

Assess software architecture, technical debt, and integrations to identify what can support the business and what needs to change. Guide modernisation without rebuilding what already works.

Infrastructure

Evaluate cloud costs, performance, security, and resilience. Identify where infrastructure creates unnecessary expense or operational risk, and prioritise improvements that support growth.

Leadership

Set technology direction, develop technical leaders, and help teams execute against business priorities. Give executives and boards a clear basis for investment decisions and oversight.

Selected experience

Google Cloud
Cloudflare
New Relic
Dynatrace
Docker
BigQuery
Google Analytics
Matomo
Fullstory
Google Tag Manager
GitHub
Vertex AI
OpenAI
1Password
Microsoft Intune
Microsoft Entra ID
Google Workspace
Atlassian

Kickbox
Algolia
Stripe
PayPal
Apple Pay
Informatica
Bazaarvoice
Canada Post
UPS
Flare

Git
Linux
MySQL
Redis
Memcached
Varnish
Elasticsearch
NGINX
Magento
Symfony
Django
React
PHP
JavaScript
Swift / SwiftUI
Python

Technology leadership at scale.

Case Study

Before founding MacMillan House, Dane MacMillan led technology and infrastructure through a thirtyfold increase in revenue in a highly competitive e-commerce environment.

He built the engineering team, guided platform modernisation, and developed the systems and operational capacity to sustain growth while supporting double-digit EBITDA margins.

ThirtyfoldIncrease in revenue

Double-digitEBITDA margins

Led cloud migrations and commerce replatforming, modernising critical systems while maintaining business continuity.
Modernised cloud infrastructure, reducing infrastructure costs by roughly one-third and backend latency by approximately 39%.
Built and retained an experienced engineering team, developed technical leads, and established testing and release practices that supported daily production releases.
Led technology and cybersecurity due diligence for a cross-border acquisition, identifying risks that informed transaction terms. Then directed the acquired business’s commerce replatforming and production cutover without downtime.
Presented technology strategy, risk, and acquisition-integration updates at quarterly board meetings with private-equity investors.

Assessment, direction, and leadership.

Services

Technology & Leadership

For CEOs and technology leaders strengthening systems, improving operations, and building effective teams.

Growth Audit
Typical duration: 4–6 weeks
Assess software architecture, cloud costs, performance, recovery readiness, and engineering culture. Review development and release practices, including how AI tools are used, and receive prioritised findings tied to business impact.
Technology Roadmap
Typical duration: 8–12 weeks
Define the software, infrastructure, and data integration changes needed to meet business priorities, including AI readiness where relevant. Compare options, costs, and risks, then establish a roadmap with clear ownership and a practical sequence for investment.
Fractional CTO
Minimum commitment: 3 months
Ongoing founder-led technology leadership to set priorities, develop teams, and guide investment decisions. Establish clear ownership, executive reporting, and oversight of engineering quality, risk, and progress.
Independent Project Review
Duration based on scope
An independent assessment of a stalled or high-risk replatform, migration, or software initiative. Identify the risks and remaining work, with recommendations on whether to continue, change direction, or stop.
Commerce Operations Advisory
Duration based on scope
Review how storefronts, ERP, CRM, warehouse, purchasing, returns, and merchandising systems work together. Recommend improvements to workflow automation, data reliability, and system integration, with clear priorities to reduce manual work.
Technology Leadership Hiring
Duration based on scope
Define CTO, VP Technology, and other senior technical roles around the needs of the business. Support candidate assessment through technical and leadership interviews, with clear recommendations to help CEOs make informed hiring decisions.

Transactions & Governance

For investors, boards, and executive teams navigating mergers and acquisitions (M&A), pre-investment technology due diligence, and major technology decisions.

Technology Due Diligence
Duration based on scope
Assess architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and team capability before an acquisition or investment. Buyers receive a clear assessment of technology risks and integration considerations. Sellers receive support preparing documentation and addressing gaps before diligence.
Post-Merger Technology Integration
Duration based on scope
Plan and oversee technology integration following an acquisition. Identify which systems should be consolidated, integrated, or retained across the combined business, with clear priorities for software, infrastructure, security, and teams while preserving continuity of operations.
Key-Person Risk & Succession
Duration based on scope
Identify where critical knowledge, access, or responsibilities depend on too few people across technology teams. Establish succession plans, knowledge-sharing practices, and clear ownership so the business can navigate departures, leadership transitions, and growth with less disruption.
Board & Executive Advisory
Minimum commitment: 6 months
Independent technology advice for boards and executive teams, with clear assessments of investment priorities, engineering performance, and risk. Includes preparation for board discussions and guidance on major decisions.

Scope, deliverables, and timing are agreed before each engagement.

Support across engagements

AI assessment and oversight: Engagements can include evaluating where AI adds business value, assessing AI integrations and products built with AI-assisted development, and guiding implementation with clear standards for security, reliability, and technical ownership.
Embedded specialists: MacMillan House can assemble trusted software development, product, infrastructure, IT, and data science specialists from an established network. Working remotely within client teams under MacMillan House’s leadership, they fill capability gaps while supporting internal ownership and knowledge transfer.

Before getting started.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should a company bring in MacMillan House?

When technology is constraining performance, a major investment or acquisition needs scrutiny, or experienced technical leadership is needed. Engagements can address an immediate problem or help evaluate the next stage of the business.

How does MacMillan House work with existing technology leadership?

Engagements can support an existing CTO or technology team with an independent assessment, specialist expertise, or additional leadership capacity. Responsibilities and decision-making authority are agreed upfront, with the work shaped around the team’s needs and business priorities.

How are fees determined?

Fees reflect the scope, level of involvement, and duration of the engagement. The fee structure and payment terms are agreed alongside deliverables and responsibilities before work begins.

Can sensitive matters be discussed confidentially?

Yes. A non-disclosure agreement can be arranged before sensitive business or transaction information is shared. The initial enquiry only needs enough context to establish whether MacMillan House can help.

Is MacMillan House a development agency?

MacMillan House is a technology consultancy focused on strategy, architecture, and leadership, rather than outsourced development. For select engagements, a team of trusted specialists can be assembled and led to build a product from the ground up, with direct principal oversight.

How does an engagement begin?

An initial conversation establishes the business priorities, constraints, and decisions ahead. The scope then defines the questions to answer, information and access needed, deliverables, timeline, and responsibilities before work begins.

Discuss your needs

What’s next for your business?

Contact

Discuss the technology decisions facing your business or investment. MacMillan House works with CEOs, technology leaders, investors, and boards.

Location and availability

MacMillan House is based in Montreal and works with clients across Canada and the United States. On-site meetings and working sessions can be arranged when useful for the engagement.

Dane MacMillan

Founder & Principal

[email protected]

Email a brief outline of your needs to arrange an introductory call.

Strengthen the technology behind your growth.