We work with companies of all sizes that have either revenue or funding in place. We are happy working with technical founders who are bootstrapping, but we are not a software outsourcing shop that builds everything if there is no technical capability inside your business. If you are in that situation, we are happy to connect you with good people we know, but that is not our gig. Whether you are a small team or a large organisation, we focus on helping you make smarter product and technology decisions.

We work with clients anywhere in the world and are comfortable balancing remote and in-person work. Human connection matters to us, so when it helps the work, we will travel. If you are based in Oxfordshire, we are always happy to meet for a coffee and point you in the right direction, even if you are not a client. No obligation.

Before founding Coppice Labs, we gained experience across a wide range of industries including travel, psychometric assessments, finance, academia, publishing and education. We are sector agnostic, but our focus is on digital products that make life better for individuals or give customers the ability to make the world a better place.

We keep time ring fenced so we can provide value and steer you in the right direction with little or no lead time. We can take on urgent and short term projects subject to availability. All work is project based and we prefer the first deliverables to be small and focused. Once we have proven the value and everyone is happy, we will work with you to define future deliverables that match your timescales.

Fractional means you do not need someone Monday to Friday every week. You might need us for a couple of days each week, to help interview for a senior hire, or to provide coaching and mentoring. If you are not at the point where a full time role is justified, fractional means you still get senior leadership and expert advice when you need it. You also benefit from someone who works with other organisations and brings fresh thinking without insider bias.

A Chief Product Officer focuses on building the right thing. A Chief Technology Officer focuses on building the thing right. We can cover both.

We can embed into your existing team, work alongside leadership, run workshops and deliver outputs. We have certain meetings we like to ensure take place, but we will work with you to agree the right rhythm for your business. We can be hands on, purely advisory, or start hands on and transition to an advisory role as your team grows in confidence.

Yes. Our work leans more towards product strategy, but we have deep technical knowledge. Having one person who understands both strategy and execution creates huge efficiencies and reduces time to value.

Absolutely. We do not replace roles. We work alongside the people you already have. We focus on upskilling your existing team and making them more effective, not making you dependent on us. If we cannot provide a specific skill ourselves, we draw on a trusted network of similar businesses who work to the same standards we do.

We train, coach and document as we go so nothing is lost. Everything is handed over clearly. We always check in after an engagement to learn, improve and make sure what we put in place is working for you. Our goal is for you to succeed without needing us forever.

We charge project fees, not day rates. Together we define the deliverables and desired timeframes. For example, a project might require around eight days of our time spread over eight weeks. We quote for the work based on the agreed deliverables. If it takes us longer than expected, you do not pay extra. If the extra time is caused by scope creep, we will address that before future work or make sure expectations are aligned in advance. We do not provide timesheets. Our focus is on achieving the outcomes you care about, not counting hours.

We would prefer most projects run for around eight weeks, usually starting with a shorter initial engagement. We can map out a pipeline of future eight week increments if you want to keep working together, but there is no obligation to commit to them in advance. We avoid long, fixed 18 month projects because they are rarely agile enough to deliver real value.

Fractional is a better fit when you do not have a full time need. If your company grows to the point where you need so much of our time that it is close to a full time role, we may recommend you hire a permanent senior leader instead. We can help with the hiring process, onboarding and then step back into a coaching or advisory role. For us, this is a sign we have helped you reach the next stage, not lost potential work.

Yes. We enjoy small, self contained projects and are happy to work on one offs with no guarantee of future work. This could be a strategy sprint, workshop or audit. We can also deliver purely advisory projects, still quoted as a project so we can include research, documentation and bring in trusted experts from our network if needed. Short term work can stay short term or lead to something longer. Whatever works best for you.