Custom CRM development for B2B teams that outgrew HubSpot or Pipedrive
Desses designs and builds custom CRMs, client portals and quote flows for B2B teams whose sales process stopped fitting a standard pipeline. Oskar maps the process, designs the screens and writes the code himself.
Based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Working Worldwide.
Custom CRM development for B2B teams that outgrew HubSpot or Pipedrive
Desses designs and builds custom CRMs, client portals and quote flows for B2B teams whose sales process stopped fitting a standard pipeline. Oskar maps the process, designs the screens and writes the code himself.
Based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Working Worldwide.
Custom CRM development for B2B teams that outgrew HubSpot or Pipedrive
Desses designs and builds custom CRMs, client portals and quote flows for B2B teams whose sales process stopped fitting a standard pipeline. Oskar maps the process, designs the screens and writes the code himself.
Based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Working Worldwide.
Custom CRM development for B2B teams that outgrew HubSpot or Pipedrive
Desses designs and builds custom CRMs, client portals and quote flows for B2B teams whose sales process stopped fitting a standard pipeline. Oskar maps the process, designs the screens and writes the code himself.
Based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Working Worldwide.
22+
pages run ChargeBlock’s sales-to-service cycle
3–4 wk
to a first working module your team uses
$8,000
from, fixed per module after the first call
Framer Partner · Pro Expert
Two CRMs in daily use, designed and coded by the same person
Both started with a process map and one module, and kept growing while the team was already working in them.
Next.js, Convex, Clerk · Energy, NL
ChargeBlock
Battery-storage installer. One platform runs the whole sale: a four-step quote wizard, PIN-signed contracts and invoices that follow the project, kept in sync with Outlook, Exact Online and Pipedrive.
22+
pages, sales to service
Next.js, Convex, Clerk · Client portal, NL
Desses CRM
The portal Desses runs its own client work in. Each client signs in to their own space with projects, tasks, files, feedback and meeting notes, on the same data the studio works in.
Two CRMs in daily use, designed and coded by the same person
Both started with a process map and one module, and kept growing while the team was already working in them.
Next.js, Convex, Clerk · Energy, NL
ChargeBlock
Battery-storage installer. One platform runs the whole sale: a four-step quote wizard, PIN-signed contracts and invoices that follow the project, kept in sync with Outlook, Exact Online and Pipedrive.
22+
pages, sales to service
Next.js, Convex, Clerk · Client portal, NL
Desses CRM
The portal Desses runs its own client work in. Each client signs in to their own space with projects, tasks, files, feedback and meeting notes, on the same data the studio works in.
Two CRMs in daily use, designed and coded by the same person
Both started with a process map and one module, and kept growing while the team was already working in them.
Next.js, Convex, Clerk · Energy, NL
ChargeBlock
Battery-storage installer. One platform runs the whole sale: a four-step quote wizard, PIN-signed contracts and invoices that follow the project, kept in sync with Outlook, Exact Online and Pipedrive.
22+
pages, sales to service
Next.js, Convex, Clerk · Client portal, NL
Desses CRM
The portal Desses runs its own client work in. Each client signs in to their own space with projects, tasks, files, feedback and meeting notes, on the same data the studio works in.
The invoice sheet, before and after one CRM module
Drag to compare the spreadsheet and inbox most sales teams run on with the invoicing module in ChargeBlock's demo environment, filled with fictitious data. Every milestone invoice sits on its quote, with its status and its Exact export.
40/40/10/10
milestone invoices, raised from the quote
4-step
quote wizard to a branded PDF
3
integrations kept in sync: Outlook, Exact Online, Pipedrive
The invoice sheet, before and after one CRM module
Drag to compare the spreadsheet and inbox most sales teams run on with the invoicing module in ChargeBlock's demo environment, filled with fictitious data. Every milestone invoice sits on its quote, with its status and its Exact export.
40/40/10/10
milestone invoices, raised from the quote
4-step
quote wizard to a branded PDF
3
integrations kept in sync: Outlook, Exact Online, Pipedrive
The invoice sheet, before and after one CRM module
Drag to compare the spreadsheet and inbox most sales teams run on with the invoicing module in ChargeBlock's demo environment, filled with fictitious data. Every milestone invoice sits on its quote, with its status and its Exact export.
40/40/10/10
milestone invoices, raised from the quote
4-step
quote wizard to a branded PDF
3
integrations kept in sync: Outlook, Exact Online, Pipedrive
Four steps. The team uses the CRM while it grows.
First module in 3–4 weeks.
01. Map the process
Every step, role and hand-off, before any screen exists. That walk-through becomes the data model, the roles and the price per module.
How a lead becomes a customer, and a customer becomes an invoice. That walk-through becomes the data model, the roles and the screens, priced per module. It also settles what stays in HubSpot or Pipedrive, because most teams keep a tool for one job and build only what it can't do.
02. Design the screens
The views your team opens fifty times a day come first. Then the states that usually get skipped: empty, loading, error, no access.
Lists, detail views, forms and the dashboard, shaped around the tasks people repeat. Then the states that usually get skipped: empty, loading, error, and the record someone isn't allowed to see. A CRM is software people live in all day, and it gets designed like the product it is.
03. Build and connect
Sign-in, organisations and roles, deployed under your own account. Accounting, email and calendar sync in the background.
Sign-in, organisations and roles, deployed on Vercel under your own account. Accounting, email and calendar sync in the background. AI tools make the build faster. Permissions, data from several systems and the failure cases still get done by hand and tested.
04. Launch and grow
Data moved from the old system, a walkthrough for the team, and the next module once the first one earns its keep.
Data gets moved from the old system, the team gets a walkthrough, and the code, data and documentation sit in your company's name. The next module starts once the first one earns its keep.
Four steps. The team uses the CRM while it grows.
First module in 3–4 weeks.
01. Map the process
Every step, role and hand-off, before any screen exists. That walk-through becomes the data model, the roles and the price per module.
How a lead becomes a customer, and a customer becomes an invoice. That walk-through becomes the data model, the roles and the screens, priced per module. It also settles what stays in HubSpot or Pipedrive, because most teams keep a tool for one job and build only what it can't do.
02. Design the screens
The views your team opens fifty times a day come first. Then the states that usually get skipped: empty, loading, error, no access.
Lists, detail views, forms and the dashboard, shaped around the tasks people repeat. Then the states that usually get skipped: empty, loading, error, and the record someone isn't allowed to see. A CRM is software people live in all day, and it gets designed like the product it is.
03. Build and connect
Sign-in, organisations and roles, deployed under your own account. Accounting, email and calendar sync in the background.
Sign-in, organisations and roles, deployed on Vercel under your own account. Accounting, email and calendar sync in the background. AI tools make the build faster. Permissions, data from several systems and the failure cases still get done by hand and tested.
04. Launch and grow
Data moved from the old system, a walkthrough for the team, and the next module once the first one earns its keep.
Data gets moved from the old system, the team gets a walkthrough, and the code, data and documentation sit in your company's name. The next module starts once the first one earns its keep.
Four steps. The team uses the CRM while it grows.
First module in 3–4 weeks.
01. Map the process
Every step, role and hand-off, before any screen exists. That walk-through becomes the data model, the roles and the price per module.
How a lead becomes a customer, and a customer becomes an invoice. That walk-through becomes the data model, the roles and the screens, priced per module. It also settles what stays in HubSpot or Pipedrive, because most teams keep a tool for one job and build only what it can't do.
02. Design the screens
The views your team opens fifty times a day come first. Then the states that usually get skipped: empty, loading, error, no access.
Lists, detail views, forms and the dashboard, shaped around the tasks people repeat. Then the states that usually get skipped: empty, loading, error, and the record someone isn't allowed to see. A CRM is software people live in all day, and it gets designed like the product it is.
03. Build and connect
Sign-in, organisations and roles, deployed under your own account. Accounting, email and calendar sync in the background.
Sign-in, organisations and roles, deployed on Vercel under your own account. Accounting, email and calendar sync in the background. AI tools make the build faster. Permissions, data from several systems and the failure cases still get done by hand and tested.
04. Launch and grow
Data moved from the old system, a walkthrough for the team, and the next module once the first one earns its keep.
Data gets moved from the old system, the team gets a walkthrough, and the code, data and documentation sit in your company's name. The next module starts once the first one earns its keep.
Award-winning experiences that drive long-term impact for startups and enterprises
From early ideas to mature products, the focus stays on clarity, scalability, and long-term impact. Not just how things look, but how they perform over time.
€20m
Client revenue and funding supported through results-driven design and development.
56+
Teams partnered with to design and build digital products that deliver impact.
Check more awards and recognitions
Award-winning experiences that drive long-term impact for startups and enterprises
From early ideas to mature products, the focus stays on clarity, scalability, and long-term impact. Not just how things look, but how they perform over time.
€20m
Client revenue and funding supported through results-driven design and development.
56+
Teams partnered with to design and build digital products that deliver impact.
Award-winning experiences that drive long-term impact for startups and enterprises
From early ideas to mature products, the focus stays on clarity, scalability, and long-term impact. Not just how things look, but how they perform over time.
€20m
Client revenue and funding supported through results-driven design and development.
56+
Teams partnered with to design and build digital products that deliver impact.
Check more awards and recognitions
70% of clients stay for years
Once the product is live it doesn't sit still. It keeps getting sharper.
Oskar is a highly competent designer who excels at combining business goals with user-friendly design. His curiosity and design expertise make him a reliable professional capable of elevating a design to the next level.
Desses has helped us for years with Branding & Online Marketing. Happy with his dedication and work he has delivered for Game Hero.
A really great collaboration, grateful for all your hard work!
Oskar is a highly competent designer who excels at combining business goals with user-friendly design. His curiosity and design expertise make him a reliable professional capable of elevating a design to the next level.
Desses has helped us for years with Branding & Online Marketing. Happy with his dedication and work he has delivered for Game Hero.
A really great collaboration, grateful for all your hard work!
70% of clients stay for years
Once the product is live it doesn't sit still. It keeps getting sharper.
Oskar is a highly competent designer who excels at combining business goals with user-friendly design. His curiosity and design expertise make him a reliable professional capable of elevating a design to the next level.
Desses has helped us for years with Branding & Online Marketing. Happy with his dedication and work he has delivered for Game Hero.
A really great collaboration, grateful for all your hard work!
Oskar is a highly competent designer who excels at combining business goals with user-friendly design. His curiosity and design expertise make him a reliable professional capable of elevating a design to the next level.
Desses has helped us for years with Branding & Online Marketing. Happy with his dedication and work he has delivered for Game Hero.
A really great collaboration, grateful for all your hard work!
70% of clients stay for years
Once the product is live it doesn't sit still. It keeps getting sharper.
Oskar is a highly competent designer who excels at combining business goals with user-friendly design. His curiosity and design expertise make him a reliable professional capable of elevating a design to the next level.
Desses has helped us for years with Branding & Online Marketing. Happy with his dedication and work he has delivered for Game Hero.
A really great collaboration, grateful for all your hard work!
Oskar is a highly competent designer who excels at combining business goals with user-friendly design. His curiosity and design expertise make him a reliable professional capable of elevating a design to the next level.
Desses has helped us for years with Branding & Online Marketing. Happy with his dedication and work he has delivered for Game Hero.
A really great collaboration, grateful for all your hard work!
What a CRM module includes
A first module starts at $8,000 / €7.000, with a fixed price per module after the first call, and usually takes three to four weeks. After that, most teams keep building on the Growth plan at $4,500 / €4.000 a month.
What a CRM module includes
A first module starts at $8,000 / €7.000, with a fixed price per module after the first call, and usually takes three to four weeks. After that, most teams keep building on the Growth plan at $4,500 / €4.000 a month.
What a CRM module includes
A first module starts at $8,000 / €7.000, with a fixed price per module after the first call, and usually takes three to four weeks. After that, most teams keep building on the Growth plan at $4,500 / €4.000 a month.
What gets built, and what each module replaces
Five modules. Each one ships on its own and works with the tools you keep. Most teams start with the CRM core or the quote flow.
01 / 05
Core
A CRM core shaped around how you sell
Pipelines, accounts and activities modelled on your process, with roles per team and the dashboards each role needs, without an Excel export every Monday.
02 / 05
Portal
Client portals on the same data
Customers, partners and installers log in to their own part and see their own orders, documents and status, on the data your team works in.
03 / 05
Flow
From quote to last invoice in one flow
A configured quote becomes a branded PDF, a signed contract and a set of milestone invoices without leaving the CRM. Below, the flow running at ChargeBlock.
1 flow
from quote to last invoice, with no spreadsheet in between
04 / 05
Billing
Invoices that follow the project
Invoices come from data you already have, on milestones or on a fixed schedule, and reach accounting without anyone retyping them.
05 / 05
Sync
The tools you keep, kept in sync
Outlook, Exact Online, Pipedrive and your own APIs stay connected, so the CRM is the one place where the numbers are right.
What gets built, and what each module replaces
Five modules. Each one ships on its own and works with the tools you keep. Most teams start with the CRM core or the quote flow.
01 / 05
Core
A CRM core shaped around how you sell
Pipelines, accounts and activities modelled on your process, with roles per team and the dashboards each role needs, without an Excel export every Monday.
02 / 05
Portal
Client portals on the same data
Customers, partners and installers log in to their own part and see their own orders, documents and status, on the data your team works in.
03 / 05
Flow
From quote to last invoice in one flow
A configured quote becomes a branded PDF, a signed contract and a set of milestone invoices without leaving the CRM. Below, the flow running at ChargeBlock.
1 flow
from quote to last invoice, with no spreadsheet in between
04 / 05
Billing
Invoices that follow the project
Invoices come from data you already have, on milestones or on a fixed schedule, and reach accounting without anyone retyping them.
05 / 05
Sync
The tools you keep, kept in sync
Outlook, Exact Online, Pipedrive and your own APIs stay connected, so the CRM is the one place where the numbers are right.
What gets built, and what each module replaces
Five modules. Each one ships on its own and works with the tools you keep. Most teams start with the CRM core or the quote flow.
01 / 05
Core
A CRM core shaped around how you sell
Pipelines, accounts and activities modelled on your process, with roles per team and the dashboards each role needs, without an Excel export every Monday.
02 / 05
Portal
Client portals on the same data
Customers, partners and installers log in to their own part and see their own orders, documents and status, on the data your team works in.
03 / 05
Flow
From quote to last invoice in one flow
A configured quote becomes a branded PDF, a signed contract and a set of milestone invoices without leaving the CRM. Below, the flow running at ChargeBlock.
1 flow
from quote to last invoice, with no spreadsheet in between
04 / 05
Billing
Invoices that follow the project
Invoices come from data you already have, on milestones or on a fixed schedule, and reach accounting without anyone retyping them.
05 / 05
Sync
The tools you keep, kept in sync
Outlook, Exact Online, Pipedrive and your own APIs stay connected, so the CRM is the one place where the numbers are right.
A CRM designed and coded by one person, from the process map to the last module
Custom CRMs usually go wrong at the hand-off between whoever maps the process and whoever writes the code. At Desses there is no hand-off: Oskar maps the process, designs the screens and writes the code himself.
One person, process to code
The person on the first call maps the process, designs the screens and ships the code. Nothing gets lost in a brief.
Straight about the fit
If HubSpot or Pipedrive covers your process with a few custom fields, you'll hear that on the first call, before any money moves.
Yours from day one
Code, data and docs in your company's name, deployed on your accounts. No licence that grows with every seat.
A CRM designed and coded by one person, from the process map to the last module
Custom CRMs usually go wrong at the hand-off between whoever maps the process and whoever writes the code. At Desses there is no hand-off: Oskar maps the process, designs the screens and writes the code himself.
One person, process to code
The person on the first call maps the process, designs the screens and ships the code. Nothing gets lost in a brief.
Straight about the fit
If HubSpot or Pipedrive covers your process with a few custom fields, you'll hear that on the first call, before any money moves.
Yours from day one
Code, data and docs in your company's name, deployed on your accounts. No licence that grows with every seat.
A CRM designed and coded by one person, from the process map to the last module
Custom CRMs usually go wrong at the hand-off between whoever maps the process and whoever writes the code. At Desses there is no hand-off: Oskar maps the process, designs the screens and writes the code himself.
One person, process to code
The person on the first call maps the process, designs the screens and ships the code. Nothing gets lost in a brief.
Straight about the fit
If HubSpot or Pipedrive covers your process with a few custom fields, you'll hear that on the first call, before any money moves.
Yours from day one
Code, data and docs in your company's name, deployed on your accounts. No licence that grows with every seat.
Full-stack expertise, seamlessly integrating design and development to create cohesive, high-quality digital experiences from concept to execution
For AI startups and enterprises building with AI
Full-stack expertise, seamlessly integrating design and development to create cohesive, high-quality digital experiences from concept to execution
For AI startups and enterprises building with AI
Full-stack expertise, seamlessly integrating design and development to create cohesive, high-quality digital experiences from concept to execution
For AI startups and enterprises building with AI
Design, development, and AI, run by Desses, in one flow
Startups and enterprises in AI, Fintech, and Cleantech come to Desses for the whole stack in one place. Product Design, Website Design & Framer Development when speed matters, and the AI & Custom Development for when a project needs more. Built to convert, and built to still load fast in month seven.
Design, development, and AI, run by Desses, in one flow
Startups and enterprises in AI, Fintech, and Cleantech come to Desses for the whole stack in one place. Product Design, Website Design & Framer Development when speed matters, and the AI & Custom Development for when a project needs more. Built to convert, and built to still load fast in month seven.
Design, development, and AI, run by Desses, in one flow
Startups and enterprises in AI, Fintech, and Cleantech come to Desses for the whole stack in one place. Product Design, Website Design & Framer Development when speed matters, and the AI & Custom Development for when a project needs more. Built to convert, and built to still load fast in month seven.
Fixed per module. You see where the money goes before anything gets built.
Fixed per module. You see where the money goes before anything gets built.
Fixed per module. You see where the money goes before anything gets built.
First module
Fixed price
$8,000+
$8,000+
/module
€7.000+ /module
One working module, usually in three to four weeks, priced after the first call.
What’s included
✓
Process mapping workshop
✓
Screens designed with every state
✓
Built, connected and deployed on your accounts
✓
Code, data and docs in your name
Growth
Subscription
$4,500
$4,500
/month
€4.000 /month
Keep building one module at a time while the team already uses the CRM.
What’s included
✓
One active request at a time
✓
Design + development in one flow
✓
Cancel monthly
✓
Same person on every call
For reference: RaftLabs, a CRM development shop, publishes $40K–$80K for a CRM MVP in 10–16 weeks (updated July 2026). One shop’s pricing, not an average.
Tell us what you're building. Framer development, product design or AI platforms.
Book a 30 minute intro call. Projects start at $8,000 / €7.000, retainers at $4,500 / €4.000 a month. No WordPress builds or one-page sites.
Tell us what you're building. Framer development, product design or AI platforms.
Book a 30 minute intro call. Projects start at $8,000 / €7.000, retainers at $4,500 / €4.000 a month. No WordPress builds or one-page sites.
Tell us what you're building. Framer development, product design or AI platforms.
Book a 30 minute intro call. Projects start at $8,000 / €7.000, retainers at $4,500 / €4.000 a month. No WordPress builds or one-page sites.
What sales leads and CTOs ask before building a CRM
What does custom CRM development cost?
At Desses, a first module starts at $8,000 / €7.000, with a fixed price per module after the first call. Most teams continue on a monthly plan from $4,500 / €4.000 as the CRM grows. For reference, RaftLabs, a CRM development shop, publishes $40K to $80K for a CRM MVP (updated July 2026). The number moves with the count of roles, integrations and how clean your data is.
You see where the money goes before anything gets built, and you can drop a module instead of haggling over a total.
First working module at Desses: from $8,000 / €7.000, usually three to four weeks.
Ongoing: the Growth plan at $4,500 / €4.000 a month, or per module as a project.
Published market band: a CRM MVP at $40K to $80K in 10 to 16 weeks, a full platform at $80K to $120K in 16 to 24 weeks (RaftLabs, a CRM development shop, updated 12 Jul 2026).
The market figures are one shop’s published pricing, so treat them as a reference point and not an average.
How long does it take to build a custom CRM?
A first working module usually lands in three to four weeks. The rest gets built one module at a time, so the team uses the CRM while it grows instead of waiting months for a big launch.
Why not just use HubSpot or Pipedrive?
Often you should. A custom build makes sense when the team works around the CRM instead of in it: custom fields everywhere, a spreadsheet next to it, a licence bill that grows with every seat. Many teams keep HubSpot or Pipedrive for one job and build only the part it can't do.
Can't we build it ourselves with AI tools?
You can get a demo running quickly. The hard part comes after: sign-in, roles and permissions, data from several systems, and keeping it running once the whole team depends on it. That's the part Desses builds properly, with AI tools making the rest faster.
Who owns the code and the data?
You do. Code, data and documentation sit in your company's name, hosted on your own accounts, with no licence tied to Desses.
Can it connect to our accounting software?
Yes. Exact Online and Moneybird among others, plus email and calendar through Outlook. Anything with a working API can be connected, and each connection gets a plan for the day it stops responding.
What stack does Desses use?
Next.js and React for the interface, Convex or Postgres for the data, Clerk for sign-in with organisations and roles, and Vercel for hosting. If your team already runs something else, Desses works in that.
When does a custom CRM pay off, and when is HubSpot enough?
If HubSpot or Pipedrive covers your process with a few custom fields, keep it. Building pays off in three situations.
Your process is the product
Quotes, installations, approvals or onboarding follow steps no standard pipeline models without custom fields everywhere and a spreadsheet open next to it.
Your customers need to log in
Clients, partners or installers want their own orders, documents and status, on the same data your team works in.
The integrations are the job
Accounting, email and calendar have to stay in sync with sales. Today someone copies data between tabs every Friday.
Should we build a CRM, buy one, or do both?
Keep the tool for the job it does well, and build the part it can’t.
HubSpot or Pipedrive, as is
Custom fields on every object.
A spreadsheet open next to it.
Data copied between tabs every Friday.
A licence bill that grows with every seat.
The team works around the CRM, not in it.
A custom layer by Desses
Your process mapped in week one.
The screens your team opens fifty times a day.
Accounting, email and calendar in sync.
One module at a time, while the team uses it.
Code, data and docs stay in your company’s name.
The licence maths, seat by seat: Custom CRM vs HubSpot.
Is a custom CRM from Desses a fit for us?
You get a straight answer on the first call.
A good fit
Your sales process has steps no standard pipeline models.
Clients, partners or installers need their own login.
Accounting, email and calendar have to stay in sync.
You want the code and data in your company’s name.
Not a fit
Your process fits HubSpot with a few custom fields.
You need a Salesforce administrator.
A project under €7.000.
A WordPress plugin or a one-page site.
The full build, from quote wizard to milestone invoicing: the ChargeBlock case.
Oskar Mieta
Founder, Designer & Developer
If you want to start a project, explore a collaboration, or simply talk things through, this is the easiest place to begin.
Based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Working Worldwide.
What sales leads and CTOs ask before building a CRM
What does custom CRM development cost?
How long does it take to build a custom CRM?
Why not just use HubSpot or Pipedrive?
Can't we build it ourselves with AI tools?
Who owns the code and the data?
Can it connect to our accounting software?
What stack does Desses use?
When does a custom CRM pay off, and when is HubSpot enough?
Should we build a CRM, buy one, or do both?
Is a custom CRM from Desses a fit for us?
Oskar Mieta
Founder, Designer & Developer
If you want to start a project, explore a collaboration, or simply talk things through, this is the easiest place to begin.
Based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Working Worldwide.
What sales leads and CTOs ask before building a CRM
What does custom CRM development cost?
At Desses, a first module starts at $8,000 / €7.000, with a fixed price per module after the first call. Most teams continue on a monthly plan from $4,500 / €4.000 as the CRM grows. For reference, RaftLabs, a CRM development shop, publishes $40K to $80K for a CRM MVP (updated July 2026). The number moves with the count of roles, integrations and how clean your data is.
You see where the money goes before anything gets built, and you can drop a module instead of haggling over a total.
First working module at Desses: from $8,000 / €7.000, usually three to four weeks.
Ongoing: the Growth plan at $4,500 / €4.000 a month, or per module as a project.
Published market band: a CRM MVP at $40K to $80K in 10 to 16 weeks, a full platform at $80K to $120K in 16 to 24 weeks (RaftLabs, a CRM development shop, updated 12 Jul 2026).
The market figures are one shop’s published pricing, so treat them as a reference point and not an average.
How long does it take to build a custom CRM?
A first working module usually lands in three to four weeks. The rest gets built one module at a time, so the team uses the CRM while it grows instead of waiting months for a big launch.
Why not just use HubSpot or Pipedrive?
Often you should. A custom build makes sense when the team works around the CRM instead of in it: custom fields everywhere, a spreadsheet next to it, a licence bill that grows with every seat. Many teams keep HubSpot or Pipedrive for one job and build only the part it can't do.
Can't we build it ourselves with AI tools?
You can get a demo running quickly. The hard part comes after: sign-in, roles and permissions, data from several systems, and keeping it running once the whole team depends on it. That's the part Desses builds properly, with AI tools making the rest faster.
Who owns the code and the data?
You do. Code, data and documentation sit in your company's name, hosted on your own accounts, with no licence tied to Desses.
Can it connect to our accounting software?
Yes. Exact Online and Moneybird among others, plus email and calendar through Outlook. Anything with a working API can be connected, and each connection gets a plan for the day it stops responding.
What stack does Desses use?
Next.js and React for the interface, Convex or Postgres for the data, Clerk for sign-in with organisations and roles, and Vercel for hosting. If your team already runs something else, Desses works in that.
When does a custom CRM pay off, and when is HubSpot enough?
If HubSpot or Pipedrive covers your process with a few custom fields, keep it. Building pays off in three situations.
Your process is the product
Quotes, installations, approvals or onboarding follow steps no standard pipeline models without custom fields everywhere and a spreadsheet open next to it.
Your customers need to log in
Clients, partners or installers want their own orders, documents and status, on the same data your team works in.
The integrations are the job
Accounting, email and calendar have to stay in sync with sales. Today someone copies data between tabs every Friday.
Should we build a CRM, buy one, or do both?
Keep the tool for the job it does well, and build the part it can’t.
HubSpot or Pipedrive, as is
Custom fields on every object.
A spreadsheet open next to it.
Data copied between tabs every Friday.
A licence bill that grows with every seat.
The team works around the CRM, not in it.
A custom layer by Desses
Your process mapped in week one.
The screens your team opens fifty times a day.
Accounting, email and calendar in sync.
One module at a time, while the team uses it.
Code, data and docs stay in your company’s name.
The licence maths, seat by seat: Custom CRM vs HubSpot.
Is a custom CRM from Desses a fit for us?
You get a straight answer on the first call.
A good fit
Your sales process has steps no standard pipeline models.
Clients, partners or installers need their own login.
Accounting, email and calendar have to stay in sync.
You want the code and data in your company’s name.
Not a fit
Your process fits HubSpot with a few custom fields.
You need a Salesforce administrator.
A project under €7.000.
A WordPress plugin or a one-page site.
The full build, from quote wizard to milestone invoicing: the ChargeBlock case.
Oskar Mieta
Founder, Designer & Developer
If you want to start a project, explore a collaboration, or simply talk things through, this is the easiest place to begin.
Based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Working Worldwide.