Get something real in front of users before the runway argues with you
Founders come to us with a build in mind and a number in the bank. Our job is to make those two things agree. Sometimes that means writing code. Often it means proving the idea first with a lot less of it.
What we are actually good for at this stage
We are not a venture studio and we do not take equity. We are the team you hire when you need a working product, a real website, or an honest read on whether the thing you want to build is worth building.
The most expensive mistake at this stage is not a slow build. It is a fast build of the wrong thing, discovered four months later when the money is already spent.
So we start small on purpose. A short discovery, a prototype in front of real users, then a build you can actually afford to keep running.
From idea to something in front of users
A typical first engagement with a startup. Timelines vary with how many edge cases and integrations your workflow has, and we give you a tighter estimate after discovery.
A free consultation
About thirty minutes. You describe what you are building and who it is for, we tell you what we think it takes and whether we are the right team for it.
Discovery
Requirements, workflows, edge cases, and the integrations you will actually need. You leave with a written requirements document, a scope, and a real range. Discovery is a paid engagement, and it is the cheapest part of the project.
Put the risky assumption in front of people
Where the idea rests on an assumption nobody has tested, we build a prototype and run it past real users before you commit to the full build. A week of testing regularly changes what gets built.
Build in two-week cycles
Every two weeks you see working software, not a status update. You shape what comes next. Small changes of direction are normal and cost nothing extra. Large ones get an honest conversation about time and money.
Stabilization, then a decision
Every build comes with a thirty-day stabilization period. After that you decide whether to move into a retainer for ongoing work or take it in house. Either way the code and the documentation are yours.
Money, honestly
Clients pay upfront. That reserves our time and means nobody is billing you hourly for a phone call. It also means we tell you before the money is spent when we think a plan is too big for the budget behind it.
Start with discovery
It is a small paid engagement compared to a build, and it ends with a requirements document you own. If it tells you not to build, you have saved the rest.
Focused applications
An intake system, a directory, or a single-workflow tool typically lands between $5,000 and $12,000 and takes six to eight weeks.
Portals and dashboards
A member portal with several integrations usually runs $15,000 to $40,000 over three to four months. Larger platforms start higher and scale from there.
Then keep it alive
After the thirty-day stabilization period, ongoing care runs as a retainer sized to the application. Retainers start at $2,500 a month.
No firm quote before discovery
We will give you ranges all day. We will not give you a fixed number for a scope neither of us has seen yet, because scope surprises are expensive for both sides.
Questions people ask before they start
- We're pre-revenue. Can we still work with you?
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Often, yes, though it depends on what you need. We bill upfront rather than hourly, so the question is whether the work you want fits the money you have. Discovery is a small paid engagement and a sensible place to start, because it ends with a requirements document you own and a real range for the build.
If the honest answer is that your budget does not cover what you are describing, we will tell you that in the consultation rather than three months in.
- Can you work alongside our in-house engineers?
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Yes, and it is a common arrangement. Your team stays on the core product while we take the front end, the integrations, the accessibility work, or the marketing site. We work in your repositories, follow your review process, and stay in the same channels as everyone else.
- What if Discovery tells us we shouldn't build?
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Then we'll say so. The goal of Discovery is to find the right answer, not to sell you a build. If there's a tool that already does what you need, we'll name it. If the economics don't work for custom development at your scale, we'll tell you that too. A $3,500 Discovery engagement that saves you from a $50,000 build that wasn't the right fit is a good outcome. We'd rather that than the alternative.
- How long does a typical application take to build?
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A focused application, a simple intake system or directory, usually takes six to eight weeks from kickoff to launch. A mid-size application, a member portal with several integrations, typically runs three to four months. Larger or more complex builds stretch further. The wide range is honest: what drives it is how many edge cases your workflow has and how many integrations are involved. The requirements document from Discovery will give you a tighter estimate for your specific situation.
- What if we want to change direction mid-build?
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Small priority shifts happen sprint to sprint. Every two weeks you see what we've built, and you shape what comes next. If you decide a feature isn't worth building, we drop it. If something new is more urgent, we move it up. Big direction changes, where the core architecture or scope needs to change significantly, require a conversation about what that means for timeline and budget. We'll tell you clearly which category something falls into.
- Why Ruby on Rails as the default?
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We've shipped Rails applications that are still running a decade later. That history matters when you're making a long-term technology investment. Rails ships fast, scales reasonably for most of what our clients need, and stays maintainable as teams change over time. It's not the right tool for everything. When it isn't, we'll say so.
Want a read on whether your plan and your budget agree?
Bring the idea, the timeline you are working against, and the number you have. Half an hour is usually enough for us to tell you what we would build first and what we would test before building anything.
The consultation is free, and telling you to spend less is a normal outcome.