10 Questions an Agency Will Ask About Your MVP Brief (and How to Answer Each)

The 10 questions at a glance

Here is each question, and what a strong answer does to your scope:

• 1. What must v1 prove? A strong answer filters out every feature that doesn't serve it.
• 2. Who uses the app on launch day? A strong answer caps the number of roles, screens and rules.
• 3. Can you walk me through the core flows? A strong answer turns vague features into steps the agency can price.
• 4. What is not in v1? A strong answer removes the biggest hidden costs.
• 5. How will we know a flow is done? A strong answer stops a debate at delivery.
• 6. Who makes decisions, and how fast? A strong answer protects the timeline.
• 7. What's the deadline, and why? A strong answer forces cuts while they're still cheap.
• 8. Which platforms on day one? A strong answer sets the build and store work.
• 9. Who manages content after launch? A strong answer decides if you need an admin panel.
• 10. What do you already have? A strong answer removes work already done.

1. "What does v1 need to prove?"

Why they ask: a fixed price only works if the agency knows where v1 stops. One clear goal gives them that limit.

• Weak answer: "We want to change how people find tradespeople."
• Strong answer: "Homeowners can post a small repair job and get a confirmed booking with a local plumber the same week."
• What it changes: every feature now has a test. Does it help prove this sentence? Reviews, loyalty points and chat usually fail the test and move to v2.

2. "Who uses the app on launch day?"

Why they ask: each user type brings its own sign up, screens, permissions and test cases. Three roles cost far more than one.

• Weak answer: "Customers, providers, admins, partners, and later companies."
• Strong answer: "Two roles. Homeowners post and pay. Plumbers accept jobs. We handle the admin side ourselves for now."
• What it changes: fewer roles means fewer screens and fewer rules about who can see what. Name the roles you need on launch day, not the ones you'll need in a year.

3. "Can you walk me through the core flows?"

Why they ask: a feature is one word. A flow is the steps a user takes. Agencies can price steps. A one word feature gets priced as its biggest possible version.

• Weak answer: "Payments. Profiles. Messaging."
• Strong answer: "Homeowner signs up, describes the job, adds a photo, picks a time slot, pays a deposit, gets a confirmation. Plumber gets a notification, accepts, sees the address."
• What it changes: the agency can count screens, links between screens and the services behind them. Three to five flows is a sensible size for a first version.

4. "What is not in v1?"

Why they ask: founders say what they want. They rarely say what they don't want. Anything not ruled out may still be expected at delivery, so the agency has to price it in.

• Weak answer: "Let's keep it simple." Simple isn't a list.
• Strong answer: "Not in v1: in app chat, ratings, multiple languages, discount codes, an admin dashboard. Plumbers and homeowners talk by phone after booking."
• What it changes: this answer does more for your price than any other. For a worked example on one type of product, see the 6 cuts that keep a booking app's price fixed.

5. "How will we know each flow is done?"

Why they ask: without an agreed finish line, "done" turns into a debate at delivery. An agency quoting a fixed price has to cover that risk.

• Weak answer: "When it works well and feels polished."
• Strong answer: "Booking is done when a homeowner can pay the deposit and both sides get a confirmation email. Accepting is done when the plumber taps accept and the homeowner's booking shows 'confirmed'."
• What it changes: each flow gets one testable sentence. Both sides sign off on the same thing, and nobody has to price in an argument at the end.

Questions about how the project will run

Got answers to the first five? That's enough to start a real conversation. Book a call. It's a free 30 minute call. The next five questions are about how the project will run.

6. "Who makes decisions, and how fast can they reply?"

Why they ask: a short build needs quick answers. If every design choice waits a week for a co-founder or investor to sign off, the timeline slips and the agency has to plan for it.

• Weak answer: "The founders decide together. We'll get back to you."
• Strong answer: "I decide on product and design. I check messages every working day. My co-founder only signs off on payments."
• What it changes: one named decision maker keeps the build moving. It also means feedback on each weekly update turns into action, not a meeting.

7. "What's the deadline, and what's driving it?"

Why they ask: the reason tells the agency what must be ready on that date and what can wait. An investor demo and a public launch need different things.

• Weak answer: "As soon as possible."
• Strong answer: "We pitch investors in six weeks. They need to see the booking flow live on a phone. Public launch can come after."
• What it changes: a real date forces cuts while they are cheap to make. Without one, the scope keeps growing before the quote is even written. If you are building for a raise, our investor and fundraising articles cover what to show.

8. "Which platforms do you need on day one?"

Why they ask: web, iOS and Android each bring their own testing and release steps. Store submission also depends on accounts and review on your side.

• Weak answer: "Everywhere."
• Strong answer: "iOS and Android for homeowners, because they book from their phone. A simple web page for plumbers to sign up. We already have an Apple developer account."
• What it changes: the agency knows which builds and store submissions to plan. Unsure which tools suit your platforms? The tech stack picker gives you a starting point. You can also just say "standard tools are fine" and let the agency suggest what it builds with every day.

9. "Who adds and updates content after launch?"

Why they ask: someone has to add listings, edit prices or remove a bad user. If the answer is "an admin panel", that can be a project of its own.

• Weak answer: "We'll need a full back office."
• Strong answer: "For the first months, we'll add plumbers ourselves straight in the database or from a spreadsheet. A back office can come in v2."
• What it changes: skipping a custom admin panel in v1 is one of the easiest ways to keep scope tight. "By email to us" or "we edit it ourselves" are valid answers for a first version.

10. "What do you already have?"

Why they ask: anything that exists is work the agency doesn't plan for. A prototype built with an AI tool also changes the job: harden it, or rebuild it.

• Weak answer: "Nothing yet, just the idea." Usually not true.
• Strong answer: "Logo and brand colors, a domain, a few screens in Figma, and a prototype we built with an AI tool that works for one flow."
• What it changes: existing assets cut setup time. An existing prototype needs a clear decision, covered in our AI prototype to production page.

How to use these questions before the call

You don't need to send ten polished answers. Write two or three lines for each, and be honest where you don't know yet. "Not sure, open to advice" is a fine answer to questions 8 and 10. It's a weak answer to questions 1, 4 and 5, because only you can answer those. Before you sign, check the other side too: our list of 12 questions to ask before choosing an MVP agency covers what you should ask them. And if you are still choosing how to pay for the build, read fixed price vs time and materials for an MVP.

What happens with your answers at BuildMVPFast

Your answers go straight into the way we work: Free Call, Fixed Quote, Build Sprint, You Ship. Our MVP development service is fixed at $3,460. We give you a fixed quote before we start. If your project is bigger, the price is still fixed before we write any code. You can see what we've shipped on our projects page. Want a rough number first? Try the MVP cost calculator. Here is what you get:

• Your app on web, iOS and Android
• Delivery in about 20 days
• Progress shown every week
• Design included
• 100% of the code is yours, on your GitHub
• 2 weeks of fixes after launch

Answer the 10, get your fixed price

Clear answers to these ten questions let an agency price your app without guessing. Start with what v1 must prove, write down your cuts and agree on what "done" means. Book a call. It's a free 30 minute call.

Which question matters most for the price?

"What is not in v1?" A written list of cuts takes the most uncertainty out of a quote. Next comes the definition of done for each flow.

What if I can't answer some of the questions yet?

Say so. Honest gaps are easier to price than vague answers. Questions about platforms and tools can be settled with the agency. What v1 must prove and what is cut are decisions only you can make.

Do I need designs before answering these questions?

No. Clear flows are enough to price a first version. If you have mockups, mention them under question 10.

Is this the same as an MVP brief?

The brief is the document you send. These questions are what the agency asks to check it. For the one page template and a filled example, see How to Write an MVP Brief an Agency Can Quote Fast.

Can the fixed price change after I answer?

The fixed quote is given before we start, based on the scope you describe. That is why your answer to question 4 matters so much.