How it works
No surprises on the invoice.
The usual way contract work goes wrong is not the engineering. It is finding out what something costs once it is half built. This is the order we do things in, and what you get at each point.
- 0160 minutes, free
Scoping call
We work out what you are building, who it is for, and what a good first release looks like. If we are the wrong shop for it, we say so on this call.
- 02Within one week
Written proposal
Fixed scope, fixed price, named deliverables, and a date. What is explicitly not in the first release gets written down too, which is the part that saves everyone later.
- 03Typically 4–12 weeks
Build in milestones
You get something you can click at the end of every milestone, not a demo at the end of the project. Invoices track milestones, so progress and cost stay tied together.
- 04Ongoing, optional
Launch & handoff
Source, infrastructure, credentials, and documentation are yours on day one. Keep us on retainer for new work, or take it in-house. Both are normal endings.
What is included
The parts that are not code.
Most of what makes a contract go badly has nothing to do with engineering ability. These are the commitments that fix that.
One team, start to finish
The person who scoped it is the person who builds it. Nothing gets handed to a delivery team that was not in the room.
You own everything
Source, infrastructure, accounts, and documentation are in your name from day one, not transferred at the end if things go well.
Weekly written updates
What shipped, what is next, and anything that moved. Short enough to actually read, on the same day every week.
A named not-in-scope list
Every proposal says what the first release does not include. That list is the reason projects stay on the date they were given.
Common questions
Asked on nearly every first call.
- What does a project cost?
- Most first releases land between $15k and $60k, depending on how much of it is genuinely new. You get an exact number in the proposal before anything starts. We do not begin work on an estimate.
- How long until something is live?
- Four to twelve weeks for a first release. If your deadline is shorter than that, say so on the first call; sometimes the answer is a smaller release rather than a faster one.
- What if the scope changes mid-build?
- It usually does. Changes get priced as a written amendment before they are built, so the number you are tracking against never moves without you agreeing to it first.
- Who owns the code?
- You do, from the first commit. Repositories, hosting, and third-party accounts are created in your name, not ours, so there is nothing to transfer if we stop working together.
- Do you work with our existing team?
- Often. We can take a self-contained piece and stay out of the way, or work directly in your repositories and review process. Both are normal.
Have something you want built?
The first call is 60 minutes and free. Bring the problem rather than a spec. Working out what you actually need is part of the job.