About Us

We help teams get more out of the software they already have. Whether you’re trying to reduce risk, move faster, or finally tackle the technical debt that’s been lingering too long, we’re here to help.

Planet Argon was founded in Portland more than 20 years ago, and our core team still calls it home. Around them is a distributed group of engineers across North America, South America, and Europe. Together, we support product teams through every phase of software delivery. That includes firefighting, planning, cleanups, and long-term improvement.

We’re not a big agency. That’s intentional. We hire carefully and invest in people who are thoughtful, dependable, and genuinely enjoy collaborative, client-facing work. The result is a small, nimble team with strong technical judgment and a people-first mindset.

We believe software should be delivered with care. Agile is more than a process. It’s a posture. And we believe that a great partnership should leave your team better than it was the day before. More confident. More capable. Better prepared for what comes next.

If you’re looking for a steady partner who helps you move forward with clarity, you’re in the right place.


Fun fact: this was built by one of our first interns.

It traces our path from a tiny Portland apartment in 2002 to the team we are today.

Visit Our Timeline

We used to make a Year in Review every year.

Then Robby said, "Does anyone actually read these?"

So we stopped.

You can help us win this one. 📈 Click around. Make some noise.

Explore 2022's Year in Review

Few of our team members at Tropical Rails in Brazil
CEO, Robby Russell, speaking at SquiggleConf 2024

Our Core Values

Proactive

We actively seek opportunities to improve our client's products, our processes, and our abilities.

Curious

A natural curiosity for the undiscovered results in remarkable work for our clients – and stronger connections for our team. We ask questions, experiment, and learn.

Dependable

We are invested in our work. We manage expectations. We support our clients and teammates. We hold ourselves, our teammates, and our clients accountable.

Delightful

We choose to set a mindful, positive tone that allows everyone to flourish.

Versatile

We readily adapt to change and encourage innovation because our team and work are transparent and flexible.

Robby Russell speaking about technical debt at Rails World 2024
Ben holding the famous Planet Argon trophy cup

We're Proud Members of the Rails Foundation

On Rails Podcast

On Rails Podcast logo

The On Rails Podcast is a new project from the Rails Foundation, hosted by Planet Argon's CEO, Robby Russell. It's not just another dev podcast—it's a space for thoughtful conversations with the people who maintain and evolve real-world Rails applications. Each episode shares the lessons, challenges, and decisions behind keeping software resilient over time. If you care about sustainability, maintainability, and clarity in your Rails codebase, this podcast was made for you!

Join Our Team

We always have our eyes peeled for talented onshore and nearshore individuals to potentially join our team. Interested?

Culture & Open Positions

Inc. Best Workplaces Honoree 2023

Planet Argon is proud to have been honored as one of Inc.'s Best Workplaces for the third year running: 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Thanks to our delightful team and clients who all make Planet Argon a great place to work!

Maintainable Podcast Logo

Maintainable Software Podcast

Feel like you’re hitting a wall with your existing software projects? That’s why we created the Maintainable software podcast. In each episode, Robby speaks with seasoned practitioners who have worked through technical debt and legacy code challenges.

Listen to Maintainable Software Podcast

Podcast Sponsorship

Looking to connect with a dedicated audience of software practitioners, project managers, and technical leaders? Sponsor an episode of the Maintainable Software Podcast!

Sponsor an Episode

Clients

View the list of clients we’ve worked with over the years as their trusted Ruby on Rails development and design team.

Github - Development Community

Open Source Contributions

Contributing to the open-source web community is in our DNA. We encourage sharing our knowledge with others, so we can improve the way we work - together. See our collection of open-sourced internal projects and industry contributions.

View Our Open Source Contributions