The short version: we've done this before.
Donnish exists because most software consultancies charge enterprise rates for junior teams managed by people who've never shipped anything themselves. We thought there was room for something more honest.
Quinn van Heerden
Founder and Managing Director
I've spent 20 years in software delivery. I've written code, managed projects, led programmes, and run a consultancy. I took my last company from 17 people to 85, delivered over 150 projects, and hit the AFR Fast 100 list along the way.
The work spanned healthcare, government, fintech, and logistics across Australia, Africa and Southeast Asia. The thread through all of it: build the right team, give them clear scope, and get out of the way.
I started Donnish because I got tired of watching good projects fail for bad reasons. Bloated teams. Account managers who don't understand the fundamentals of how to deliver successfully sitting between the client and the people doing the work. There's a better way to do this.
I oversee every Donnish engagement. I review the work, I know the client, and I'm across the detail. You won't deal with a layer of account management to get to someone who can actually make a decision. If you need me, you can reach me.
THE TEAM
Part of the Donnish delivery team. Brisbane and Manila.
We're a blended team. Delivery leads, designers, product managers, and BA/QA leads are based in Australia. Senior developers and QA engineers work from the Philippines on Australian hours. It's not an offshore model with an Australian front door. It's one team, structured to get the best skills, cost, and timezone overlap for the work.
WHY THIS EXISTS
The problem we saw
Most software consultancies sell time, not outcomes. They assemble teams of individuals who've never worked together, charge by the hour, and leave you to manage the delivery yourself. The account manager smiles. The developers churn. The project runs over. Then they sell you more hours to fix it.
What we do instead
We sell a team that works together every day, led by someone who's accountable for making the project ship. Pricing is transparent. Reporting is honest. If we're behind, you know on Wednesday, not Friday. And if we're not the right fit, we'll say so before you sign anything.
TRACK RECORD
150+
projects delivered across two consultancies
20+
years in enterprise software
3
named clients with real case studies
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH QUINN
“Quinn is the consummate professional. Efficiency with laser-like precision. He sets the bar high, and then leads by example to enable high performance teams to deliver their best. His energy, wit and vast product and technology expertise, combined with constantly adaptive methods and structures make him a powerhouse player in the tech solutions space. His lasting impact is only fully realised when he inevitably moves on to something new, but the structures and relationships that he cultivated remain.”
Deon Erasmus
CEO
Breakpoint
“Quinn's strengths have underpinned his entire way of working. He is sublimely calm under pressure, has a solid systems engineering thinking and mindset, an ability to rapidly get the big picture as to what needs to be done, while his people and team relationship building and management skills and his ability to motivate and get the best out of people ensure he delivers time and again.”
Owen Meredith
Co-Founder
Glu.Global
Ready to talk about your project?
Tell us what you need. If we can help, we'll tell you how. If we can't, we'll say so.
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