We get asked this a lot — usually by people trying to “place” us in a box:

“So are you like Shopify? Like Monday? Like HubSpot?”

Short answer: No.
Long answer: We don’t want to be.

At Studio 98, we don’t build software to fit a category. We build software to solve real business problems — the kind of problems that don’t care how many integrations you have, how sleek your UI is, or how often you post on Product Hunt.

Because here’s what we’ve learned:
The current SaaS landscape is built for mass adoption — not meaningful results.

We’re not chasing that.

Designed for Depth, Not Just Demos

If you’ve ever used a tool that looks amazing in a demo but falls apart when you try to fit it to your actual business, you know the pain of surface-level SaaS.

That’s why we built:

• Rave Retailer for product-heavy retailers who need a platform that thinks like they do — from inventory to merchandising to customer experience. 
• Grand Centr.al for scaling companies that need an operational brain, not another task list. 
• And AI-backed consulting, development, and onboarding frameworks that actually consider how a business works, not just what it sells. 

None of it fits neatly into the standard categories. That’s intentional.
We’re not here to conform — we’re here to build software that creates real change.

Our Edge: Custom-Built for Common Problems

Most “custom” development shops build from scratch — expensive, time-consuming, and risky.

Most SaaS platforms solve for the average — fast to adopt, painful to scale.

We do something different.

We build extensible, opinionated software frameworks based on the 80% most businesses have in common — and architect them so the 20% that makes you unique can be layered on without breaking the system.

We know that:

• Most retailers need better product management — not a flashier homepage. 
• Most operators need a better way to run teams — not another project management board. 
• Most leaders need visibility into data — not just access to it. 

So that’s what we build. Over and over. Better every time.

What This Means for You

If you’re looking for off-the-shelf, we’re not your shop.

If you’re looking for software that forces you to change your process to match someone else’s template — good luck. It’s a common path. It just rarely leads where you want it to.

But if you want:

• A system that adapts to your business model — not the other way around 
• A partner who thinks in workflows, not widgets 
• And a platform strategy that prioritizes what works over what’s trendy 

Then you’re exactly who we built this for.

Let’s Build What Works

We didn’t create RaveRetailer.com or GrandCentr.al to win popularity contests.
We built them because our clients needed tools that actually supported how they operate — not how the market said they should.

→ Want to understand how our platform strategy might align with yours?
Reply to this email or book a leadership consultation. We’ll walk you through what we’re building, how we’re evolving, and why it might be the best-kept secret your business didn’t know it needed.

Because doing things differently only works if different actually works better.
We’ve got 20 years of proof that it does.