4 Things That Push Your MVP to a Custom Quote

What the standard package covers

Our $3,460 MVP Launch Package covers a focused v1. Our MVP Development page gives a delivery time of 15 to 21 days. We agree the price before we write any code, and it doesn't change. Anything outside the list below is where custom quotes come from. A custom quote is still a fixed price, agreed before the build. We write down the exact flows first, then give you the number. Here is the list from our MVP Development page:

• Core product features scoped for the v1 launch
• iOS, Android and responsive web
• Modern stack (Next.js, React Native, Supabase)
• User authentication and onboarding
• Stripe payment integration
• Database and API setup
• Mobile-first UI design
• App Store and Google Play submission support
• Full code ownership transferred to you
• Post-launch handoff documentation
• 2 weeks of post-launch bug fixes

1. Marketplaces: why it moves you to a custom quote

A full marketplace is two products sharing one database. On top of that, money moves between strangers. You take a payment, keep a fee and pay out the rest. That is why marketplaces always get a custom quote. Here is what each side needs:

• Buyers need search, listings, checkout and messages.
• Sellers need onboarding, a dashboard and a way to get paid.
• You need an admin view to approve sellers and settle disputes.

Marketplaces: start one-sided

Many marketplace ideas can start as a tool for one side only. Each example below has one user type and no payouts, so it can usually be scoped as a standard v1. You launch now. When you add the second side, your supply is already there.

• Tutoring. Skip the marketplace where students find tutors. Build a scheduling and billing tool for tutors who bring their own students.
• Fitness. Skip the marketplace where trainers sell programs to members. Publish the programs yourself in an app and charge a subscription.
• Home services. Skip the marketplace where homeowners hire vetted pros. Give pros a tool to quote, schedule and invoice. Later, open the marketplace to the pros who already use your tool.

Marketplaces: if both sides must exist from day one

It stays a custom quote, but a smaller one:

• Run one side by hand. Onboard the first sellers yourself instead of building self-serve signup.
• Start in one category and one city. Fewer filters, fewer listing types, fewer rules.
• Pay out manually. Collect payment in the app and pay your first sellers by hand until volume justifies automation.
• Skip reviews and ratings in v1. Add them once there are enough transactions to review.

2. AI features: why it moves you to a custom quote

Model choice, prompts, cost per request and error handling vary a lot from one product to the next. A chatbot that answers from your own documents is a different build from an app that analyses photos. One price can't cover both.

AI features: how to cut it

Three ways to keep AI out of the way of your launch:

• Ask if AI is the core or an extra. If users would still pay without it, leave it for v2.
• Keep one AI feature, not five. Pick the single task that proves the product works.
• Do it by hand first. If you're testing whether people want AI meal plans, you can write the first plans yourself and deliver them in the app. You learn what users want before paying to automate it.

3. HIPAA or fintech compliance: why it moves you to a custom quote

Health and financial data come with extra security, audit and data rules. Those rules add work to every part of the app, from login to storage to logs.

HIPAA or fintech compliance: how to cut it

Not sure which of your features you need at launch? Book a call. We'll go through your list with you and mark what can wait for v2. Three ways to cut compliance work:

• Check if v1 needs the regulated data at all. A wellness or habit app that doesn't store medical records may not need the same setup as one that does. Confirm this with a compliance advisor before you scope.
• Let a payment provider hold the money. Taking card payments through Stripe is in the standard package. Holding customer funds or moving money between accounts is a different scope.
• Collect less. Every field you don't store is one less thing to protect.

4. Admin dashboards: why it moves you to a custom quote

A back office to manage users, content, orders and plans is a second app, built for you and your team. It has its own screens, permissions and edge cases.

Admin dashboards: how to cut it

Three ways to run v1 without a custom back office:

• Use the tools you already get. In v1, you can manage payments and refunds in the Stripe dashboard and edit records in the database directly.
• Handle admin tasks by hand. Approving a new user or changing a plan a few times a week doesn't need a custom screen.
• Build only the one screen you use daily. If a single admin task eats your time after launch, that's the one to build first in v2.

How a custom quote works

The process is the same as for the standard package, as described on our services page. There are no discovery fees. The price you agree to is the price you pay. You can see apps we've already shipped on our projects page. To see what individual features add to a scope, browse our feature cost guides.

• 1. Free call. You explain the idea. We ask what the first version must prove.
• 2. Fixed quote. We write the scope down, flow by flow, and give you a fixed price.
• 3. Build sprint. We build the app.
• 4. You ship. Launch, store submission support, code ownership and 2 weeks of bug fixes.

Check your scope in 5 questions

Answer these before the call:

• 1. How many types of users does v1 need? With one, it's usually simple to scope. With two or more, it's a custom quote, unless you start one-sided.
• 2. Does money pass between users? If yes, you're building a marketplace.
• 3. Do you need a back office from day one? If you can manage users and payments by hand for now, leave the admin dashboard for v2.
• 4. Is AI the core of the product, or a nice extra? If it's an extra, leave it for v2.
• 5. Do you handle health or financial data under specific rules? If yes, plan for a custom quote.

Find out what your v1 costs

Ready to find out what your v1 costs? Book a call.

What does the standard MVP package include?

A focused v1 with user accounts and onboarding, Stripe payments, database and API, mobile-first design, iOS, Android and responsive web, store submission support, full code ownership, handoff documentation and 2 weeks of bug fixes. Our MVP Development page gives a delivery time of 15 to 21 days.

Can a marketplace MVP fit the fixed package?

No, a full two-sided marketplace gets a custom quote. A one-sided first version, like a tool only for sellers or providers, can often be scoped as a standard v1. You add the second side later.

Can I add AI or an admin dashboard after launch?

Yes. Many founders launch without them, see how people use the app, then add the feature that matters most. You own the code, so the next build starts from what you already have.

Is a custom quote still a fixed price?

Yes. We agree the exact flows first, then give you a fixed price before the build starts. You know the price before we write any code.