StackOS is a four-step framework, Audit, Architect, Build, Own for replacing rented SaaS with owned infrastructure. The methodology is free. The implementation comes in three tiers: a $29 self-serve PDF, a $2K–$3.5K live build session, or a fractional COO install for operators who want it embedded in a multi-month engagement.
Obsidian Axis Group runs on this exact stack. $74 per month, live, today. The same framework, the same components, the same patterns, measured at our actual usage. Your number will vary with traffic and team size, but the order of magnitude is right.
Audit · Architect · Build · Own.
01 / Audit
Map your current SaaS spend, line by line. For each tool: what it does, what you actually use it for, what it costs, what would replace it in the StackOS pattern. By the end of audit you have a number, what your operating infrastructure should cost, and a delta from where you are now.
02 / Architect
Design the replacement stack. Five accounts: edge compute, database, productivity, AI tooling, payments. Each one is small, replaceable, and lives in your accounts, not a vendor's. The architecture phase produces a one-page diagram and a list of accounts to set up.
03 / Build
Set up the five accounts. Wire the components together. Migrate the highest-leverage workflows off SaaS first. By the end of build, you have running systems, not theory, not a deck.
04 / Own
The thing you built is yours. Your data, your code, your accounts. No vendor can raise prices on you or shut you down. When the team grows, growth doesn't create new SaaS costs, it just uses more of what you already have.
What $75/month actually replaces.
| Function | Typical SaaS | SaaS cost | StackOS replacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRM | HubSpot, Salesforce | $200–$1,500/mo | Owned database + edge functions |
| Automation | Zapier, Make | $50–$500/mo | Workers + scheduled triggers |
| Forms / lead capture | Typeform, Jotform | $50–$200/mo | Worker route + database insert |
| Reporting | Looker, Mode, Metabase | $100–$1,000/mo | Owned database + lightweight viewer |
| Knowledge base | Notion, Confluence | $50–$300/mo | Productivity suite (kept) |
| Email automation | Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign | $50–$300/mo | Worker + Resend or similar |
| Scheduling | Calendly Pro | $15–$50/mo | Calendly free or self-hosted |
Total typical SaaS spend: $500–$3,000/month. StackOS replacement cost: ~$75/month at small-operator scale. The math compounds, every new team member doesn't add a per-seat charge.
Three ways to install it.
| Tier | Price | Effort | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Framework PDF | $29 one-time | You build it Saturday | Hands-on operators |
| Build session | $2K–$3.5K one-time | 3 hours live with us | Want it built once and right |
| Fractional COO embed | $3K–$7.5K/mo | Multi-month installation | Post-acquisition / LMM operators |
Stress-tested by operators. Not by consultants.
The StackOS framework was built and validated inside DefaultFail, the operator community where every system was proven by real business owners running real businesses before it became a consulting engagement.
OAG runs on it. The DefaultFail community runs on it. Several portfolio companies in active fractional-COO engagements run on it.
StackOS, answered.
What is StackOS?
StackOS is a four-step framework, Audit, Architect, Build, Own, for replacing rented SaaS with owned infrastructure. The methodology is free; we sell three implementation tiers around it.
What's the difference between StackOS Framework, StackOS Build, and the fractional COO embed?
StackOS Framework ($29 PDF) is the self-serve execution kit, you set it up Saturday morning. StackOS Build ($2K–$3.5K) is a single 3-hour live session where we build it custom for your business. The fractional COO embed ($3K–$7.5K/month) installs StackOS as part of a multi-month operating-discipline engagement.
What does the $75/month actually cover?
Your complete operating infrastructure: an edge compute layer, an owned database, a productivity suite, and AI tooling, all on usage-priced or flat-fee plans. The exact stack is documented in the $29 PDF, taught in StackOS Build, or installed for you in a fractional COO engagement.
What SaaS does StackOS typically replace?
CRM, automation tooling (Zapier-class), scheduling, reporting dashboards, form builders, knowledge bases, lead-capture tools, basic email automation. A typical small-operator SaaS stack is $500–$3,000/month. StackOS replaces it with infrastructure you own.
Is this a Cloudflare-only stack?
Cloudflare is the spine, Workers for compute, R2 for storage, D1 for relational data, KV for ephemeral state. The productivity suite and AI tools are vendor-flexible; we recommend specific options in the kit but the framework doesn't depend on them.
Can I migrate off StackOS later if I want to?
Yes. Every component is on standards, your data is in your accounts, exportable in standard formats. The whole point is that you own it. If you decide to move pieces back to vendor SaaS later, the data goes with you.
Do I need to be technical to run StackOS?
For the $29 PDF, basic comfort with copying API keys and running setup steps. For StackOS Build, no, we run the build with you. For the fractional COO embed, no, we install it and document everything for your existing team.
How long does a StackOS Build take?
Three hours, live, one session. You walk in renting your stack. You walk out owning it. Documented, working, yours.
What happens if a vendor in the stack raises prices or goes away?
Because the stack is composed of small interchangeable pieces, not one monolithic SaaS, swapping any single component is a quick task, not a migration project. The framework explicitly avoids vendor lock-in.
Why $75/month specifically?
That's roughly what Obsidian Axis Group itself runs on, measured at our actual usage. Your number will vary with traffic and team size, but the order of magnitude is right: tens of dollars per month, not hundreds or thousands.
Walk in renting. Walk out owning.
If you want to do it yourself, the $29 PDF gets you there Saturday. If you want it built once and built right, book a Build session. If you want it installed as part of a deeper operating-discipline engagement, that's the fractional COO track.