> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://madewithlove.com/blog/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# No as a Service
- URL: https://madewithlove.com/blog/no-as-a-service/
- Published: 2020-05-12T14:57:11.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-24T08:06:24.000Z
- Author: Steve Tauber
- Tags: Leadership, Remote, Team dynamics, CTO Coaching

Quiz time. Which of these actually means *no*:

1. We will try our best
2. Yes
3. Your proposal is intriguing
4. That sounds difficult

If you answered “All of the above” you are right. What?! Even *yes* might mean *no*? Yup! I was surprised too. The reason is because of the [different ways that cultures communicate](https://hbr.org/2015/12/getting-to-si-ja-oui-hai-and-da).

Madewithlove works across Europe and fortunately, things are pretty consistent here: **a no is a no**. So how do we say no?

From my perspective, we offer two main services as a company. The first is *Ghostwriting startups* and the second is *Gordon Ramsey’s startup nightmares*. Despite the type of client we are working with, we still aim to build a deep and trusting relationship. The reason for this is our primary job is to say *no* or as we jokingly say: we offer *No as a Service*.

Telling a client *no* is sometimes scary but necessary. We are experts in our domain and we need to help customers make good decisions about their business. This is why, although we bill like an agency, in our heart, we aren’t really one. We aren’t here to blindly build applications. We are here to level up their business and team. Saying *no* is an important aspect of this.

[CTO as a Service for SaaS Startups - Expert Leadership & Mentoring - madewithloveUnlock the power of CTO as a Service for your SaaS startup. Our CTOs in residence offer tailored leadership, mentoring for tech teams, and strategic guidance to help you scale with confidence.![](https://madewithlove.com/blog/content/images/icon/icon-192x192-1.png)madewithlove![](https://madewithlove.com/blog/content/images/thumbnail/header-1.webp)](https://madewithlove.com/cto-as-a-service)

### But this also applies internally.

It’s incredibly important that our team can say *no* to colleagues. If a feature won’t work or can’t be fit in, we rely on engineers to be transparent with PMs. We need engineers to feel empowered and block bad code from getting merged. PMs need to feel confident that their decision to stop a proposed refactor is heard. And there are countless other examples that are just as important. [Learning to say no](https://www.grammarly.com/blog/saying-no/) is an essential communication tool.

So be comfortable saying *no* to customers — and colleagues. After all, it is a service we offer.

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