Why does Sketch exist?

We are obsessed with creating exceptional software that solves problems

Not just any problems — your thorniest, most complex challenges that keep CTOs up at night and make product teams reach for the antacid.

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Our approach

You know the challenges we mean — expensive projects that stall in endless meetings, talented people who can't find their collaborative rhythm, and systems that burden users instead of empowering them.

If you've been burned by consultants who talk a good game but don't deliver, we get it. We built Sketch to be everything those experiences weren't.

trusted by

The biggest brands in the world

We know this sounds crazy...

Origin story

While some leaders accept "this is how we've always done it" as their management northstar, innovators recognize when the traditional approach needs to change. For our founder John Krewson, the lightbulb moment came in 2015 when he realized that everything he knew about leading successful software projects came not from corporate training or his MBA, but from his time in sketch comedy.

The most successful creative teams in entertainment had already solved what the tech world was struggling with — how to consistently deliver exceptional work under impossible deadlines while teams actually enjoyed the process.

That revelation became the foundation for everything we do.

 

A decade of delivering on time, every time

An Unlikely Approach

While most software teams were doubling down on traditional agile frameworks, we started with an unconventional insight: Saturday Night Live had been solving collaboration challenges for decades without ever needing a framework consultant.


Like many teams, we understood that short feedback loops, adaptive planning, and collaborative decision-making were essential. But we realized the principles could be extracted from their ceremonial baggage and applied through a different lens entirely.

The SNL method

From sketch to software

The Band-Aid incident

There's a legendary SNL moment from Season 2: Buck Henry, the guest host, was accidentally cut by John Belushi's samurai sword during a live sketch. Blood everywhere. Chaos brewing.

But instead of stopping the show, Chevy Chase quietly put a band-aid on his own forehead. One by one, the entire cast followed suit. The sketch continued. The audience was delighted.

What software teams can learn from SNL

Years later, when cast members were asked when they knew they'd become a real team, they all pointed to that exact moment.

It's this kind of instinctive collaboration that defines how we work — the ability to turn unexpected challenges into collective solutions. We help your teams find their band-aid moment, that instant when individual contributors become an unstoppable ensemble.

The Real Risk Isn't Failure — It's Building the Wrong Product

Our mission: make adaptation affordable

Most software projects fail not because the code doesn't work, but because the code solves the wrong problem. You've probably lived this — months of planning, detailed specifications, careful estimation, only to discover that what you built doesn't actually help your users or your business.

We've designed our entire approach around this insight.

By delivering working software every two weeks, we ensure you can course-correct based on real user feedback rather than theoretical requirements. By maintaining strategic optionality in our architecture, we keep multiple paths open until data shows us the right direction.

A lot of software development companies talk about moving fast and breaking things. It's more about learning fast and building the right things.

Because when mistakes are cheap, teams can be bold. When mistakes are expensive, teams become paralyzed.

Bold teams need bold values

Take initiative

Everyone on our team is willing to pick up the shovel and get to work. We don't wait for permission or detailed instructions — we see what needs to happen and we make it happen.

Think like owners

Every team member considers the bigger picture and business outcomes, not just their specialized area. This means solutions that actually serve your goals instead of just checking technical boxes.

Stay curious

We have the experience to back up our confidence, but we never let past success make us rigid. Technology changes, business needs evolve, and we adapt right alongside our clients.

Never compromise integrity

Not to win a deal, not to cover a mistake, not even to make a client happy in the short term. Trust is the foundation of every successful partnership.
What makes us different

Why choose Sketch?

We practice what we teach

From the beginning, we've been committed to "walking the walk" — we don't just coach teams on better collaboration practices, we use those exact methodologies to build exceptional software for our clients. Every technique we recommend has been battle-tested in our own development work.

Four pillars of our practice

Custom AI and software development

It's not enough for software to be technically interesting. We build it because it eliminates friction, automates tedium, or unlocks new possibilities for your business. Our AI integration goes beyond the buzzwords to create tools that genuinely enhance human capability.

Masters of their craft

The cast

Our team of dozens of skilled professionals, based in Webster Groves, Missouri (just outside St. Louis), combines individual expertise with collective creativity, like the best sketch comedy troupes.


Each member brings specialized skills, whether in AI-enabled development, cloud architecture, organizational coaching, or Atlassian implementation. More importantly, they understand how to work as a high-performing ensemble where everyone's contribution makes the whole stronger.

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Founder and CEO

John Krewson

John's unique background spans 25 years in software development and a decade in professional theater. This is an interesting bio detail, and it's also the foundation of our methodology. His experience performing on Saturday Night Live taught him that the best creative work happens when talented individuals trust each other enough to take risks together.

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General Manager

Calvin Horrell

Calvin bridges the gap between vision and execution. Starting as a developer and evolving into operations leadership, he ensures our teams have everything they need to perform at their best while maintaining the quality standards that have kept us trusted by Fortune 500 clients for a decade.

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Cloud Solutions

Ryan Jensen

With a decade of experience building ordering and balance platforms for a major prepaid card company, Ryan knows what enterprise-scale reliability looks like. His AWS expertise and DevOps leadership help clients avoid the pitfalls that turn cloud migrations into costly disasters.

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Consulting Solutions

James Nippert

From Business Analyst to Cybersecurity to Software Development leadership, James has seen how technology initiatives succeed and fail across multiple domains. His consulting work with enterprises and startups alike gives him a rare perspective on what actually works when the stakes are high.

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Business Development

Tyler Dougherty

Tyler's superpower is connecting the right people to solve challenging problems. His extensive network and genuine interest in helping others succeed means our client relationships often evolve into long-term partnerships that outlast specific projects.
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Marketing

Dan Gower

A former business analyst and product leader, Dan works to ensure Sketch’s current and future clients get connected with the right consultant or developer. Most recently, he's been focused on learning more about how to build custom AI tools. He also cooks steaks on the office grill.
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Partner Solutions

Elizabeth Wheeler

As an Atlassian-certified professional, Elizabeth has a knack for helping teams and leaders work smarter. Her product management background enables her to find solutions that deliver value quickly while ensuring that every partnership is built on a foundation of genuine collaboration and clear communication.

We always like to meet talented people

Join us

We might not have any open postings at the moment, but that shouldn't mean we can't talk. If you're a developer or anyone else who wants to join the team, please don't hesitate to introduce yourself.

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The future we're building

If you're tired of vendors who over-promise and under-deliver, you've found the right team. At Sketch, we build software to improve business outcomes.

We're here to help you navigate the AI revolution, deliver working software, and create the kind of team culture where people are genuinely excited to be there.

Let's build something great together.