RubberDuck

How it works

Two journeys. One shared clock.

Every session starts with a maker who’s stuck and an engineer who’s solved it before. Here’s exactly what happens on both sides, start to finish — nothing skipped.

Side by side

What happens, in order.

Both journeys run in parallel. They meet in exactly one place — the call — same fifteen minutes, same meter, same server clock.

The maker journey

Stuck to shipped in nine steps.

  1. Register & verify

    Create an account, verify your email, and set your location and timezone if you want local matching.

  2. Buy tokens

    Top up via Stripe Checkout. 100 tokens = £1, and it lands in your wallet the moment payment clears.

  3. Submit your challenge

    Two hundred words max, tagged by category and specialty, with preferred call times and any attachments.

  4. Get matched

    We shortlist vetted engineers by specialty, locality and rating — or concierge-suggest a single confirmed match.

  5. Pick a slot & book

    Choose from the engineer's real calendar. Booking needs a minimum token balance; nothing is charged yet.

  6. Get confirmed

    Both of you get an in-app and email confirmation with the time and a join link, plus reminders at 24 hours and 15 minutes.

  7. Join the call

    A browser video room opens five minutes early. Nothing to install, on desktop or mobile.

  8. Watch the clock

    A live meter counts down your remaining time, with warnings at 5, 2 and 1 minute, and a final one at 30 seconds.

  9. Wrap up & rate

    See a summary of duration and tokens spent the moment the call ends, then rate the engineer.

The engineer journey

Apply to first payout in six.

  1. Apply & build your profile

    Experience, specialties, work examples, and your preferred rate band and availability.

  2. Get approved

    Admin reviews your application — sometimes with a short intro call — then you onboard to Stripe Connect for payouts.

  3. Accept a booking

    See the maker's challenge before you commit. Decline what isn't your specialty; it re-opens to matching.

  4. Join the call

    Same room, same clock, five minutes early — you never wait around wondering if it's time.

  5. Deliver the help

    You see the time remaining too, so you can pace the session instead of guessing at the clock.

  6. Get paid

    See your earnings the second the call ends; payout clears via Stripe Connect after the hold window.

Step 7 for the maker and step 4 for the engineer are the same fifteen minutes — billing starts only once you’re both connected, and never before.

Get started

Pick your side.

Whichever seat you're in, the next step takes about two minutes.