A Means company
Useful ideas, properly developed.
Working Theory creates focused commercial software for problems that deserve better answers. Products are designed to be capable, considered, and sustainable from the beginning.
Commercial software · est. within Means
M-02 · Operating company
Packward
See the whole pack. Change it with confidence.
Packward is a local-first Windows desktop instrument that reads a modded Minecraft server as one connected system, then helps its operator review, test, deploy, and verify changes against the files on disk.
What it keeps together
- One manifest for installed files, target sides, versions, and dependency links
- Compatibility findings tied to exact local and catalogue evidence
- AI-assisted proposals held behind approval and recovery boundaries
- Staged deployment with isolated testing and post-restart verification
How Working Theory works
Three commitments, made before any product starts. They are the difference between software that is sold and software that is worth buying.
- 01
Clear purpose
Every product should solve a recognisable problem and explain its value without theatre.
- 02
Considered execution
Software should feel coherent, dependable, and pleasant to use. Refinement is part of the function.
- 03
Sustainable by design
Commercial software should earn its price through continued usefulness, not artificial friction or forced dependency.
The commercial arm of Means
Working Theory is the commercial software company within Means. Revenue from its products supports continued development, long-term maintenance, and new independent software across the Means organisation.
Two companies, two models.
Cortex Software and Working Theory are siblings under Means. Neither model is the better one; they exist for different kinds of software and different promises to the people who use it.
Cortex Software
Open model
- Free and open source
- Community-oriented tools
- Transparent and extensible
- Built for broad access
Working Theory
Commercial model
- Commercial products
- Focused consumer software
- Refined product experiences
- Built for sustainable long-term operation
Software that earns its place.
Working Theory is early: one product in development, more ideas under test. When there is something worth your time, it will be announced here.