Ikigai, a reason for being applied to software
In Japanese, “ikigai” describes what gives you a reason to get up in the morning, the point where what you do well meets what actually matters. We named the studio that because we didn’t want to build websites just to build websites.
We started Ikigai on a simple observation: most web engagements get expensive not because of the first page, but because of the hundred that follow: endless revisions, technical dependencies, maintenance retainers that never end.
The arrival of AI tools capable of writing, reviewing and documenting code changed the math. We can now build faster without sacrificing quality, as long as we stay disciplined about structure, and honest about what that actually enables.
The rest of the model follows naturally: if we can build fast, we can also hand off fast. So we hand off everything (the code, the accounts, the method) and leave our clients autonomous instead of dependent.
What guides every engagement
Ownership, no exceptions
The code, the domain, the hosting and the content are yours from the first payment. Always.
Transparency, including about limits
We document what’s included, and just as clearly, what isn’t.
Technical rigor
AI accelerates execution; it doesn’t replace structure, testing or judgment.
Measurable outcomes
A site or tool that doesn’t change your day-to-day hasn’t done its job.
Founded by
Alain Simard
President
Alain spent more than 35 years delivering large-scale projects, notably at Cascades, in project management and automation. At Ikigai he scopes the engagements and keeps that scope honest. He is also an NLP coach, which helps more than you would expect when a team needs to name what is actually in its way.
alain.simard@ikigaidev.caAlexandre Landry
Director of operations
Alexandre leads the development engagements, from initial scoping to the handoff session, after a decade in web development and automation for organizations such as Cascades and Ticketmaster. His approach: build as if the client will pick up the keyboard tomorrow, because that is exactly the plan.
alexandre.landry@ikigaidev.ca