Why fixed scope and fixed price instead of a retainer?
Because MVPs slip on scope creep, not on engineering. Locking the scope and the price up front forces the hard tradeoff conversations to happen before code is written, when they are still cheap. If we discover the scope was wrong, and sometimes we do, we change it deliberately and re-price. The default isn’t "let’s just keep going."
What if we don’t know what to build yet?
That’s what the MVP Diagnostic exists for. It is the right starting point when the product idea is still forming, when there are two competing visions on the team, or when you need a board-credible plan before committing engineering spend. The diagnostic is also the natural lead-in to the Build Sprint if you decide to proceed.
Does the $40K Build Sprint produce a full MVP?
No, it produces a working vertical slice: authentication plus one or two core user flows, deployed, tested, and ready for real user feedback. That’s usually two to four weeks ahead of where a small in-house team would be. Sprints two through four typically take a full MVP across the line.
Why "boring, proven tech"?
Because the cost of clever, niche infrastructure is hidden, it surfaces six months in, when you need to hire, when something breaks, or when you need to migrate. Postgres, Docker, managed cloud services. Excitement belongs in the product, not the stack.
Can we use our existing engineering team alongside you?
Yes, and we prefer it when possible. Knowledge transfer is built into the engagement, your team is in the demos, on the calls, and in the codebase. The goal is that when we leave, your team owns and can extend what we built.
Who owns the code and IP when you build our MVP?
You do, outright, from day one. The code, the IP, the repositories, and the deployment are yours, handed over with no lock-in. We build on boring, proven tech any team can pick up, exactly so you are never dependent on us to keep it running.
How much does it cost to develop an MVP?
Agency quotes typically run $15,000 to $150,000 or more, and the range is that wide because "MVP" means anything from a landing page to a small product. Ours are fixed: $8,000 for the 10-day diagnostic that produces the architecture and roadmap, and $40,000 for the 3-week build sprint that ships a working vertical slice. If a quote you are comparing has no scope attached to the number, the number is not real yet.
