How to hire a software development company without a sales call
Hiring an agency usually takes weeks of calls before you see a number. Here the order is reversed: the price, scope and plan come first, and every decision after that happens in writing, in your project panel.
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01
0 calls
Describe your project in the estimate form
Choose the project type, the features, the platforms, the integrations, your deadline and a budget band. Add links to mockups or specs if you have them. It takes a few minutes and needs no email.
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02
about 1 minute
See the estimate in about a minute
You get a price range, the total hours, the number of two week sprints, the stage plan with prices and the team. The first lines of the feature breakdown are visible right away. The full breakdown, assumptions, risks and sprint schedule open after you create an account. See how the numbers are built on the cost to develop an app page.
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03
$0 due
Unlock and accept the scope
Create an account with your work email and confirm it with a code. The full scope document opens, with a watermark until the first stage is paid. Add or remove features and the price updates. When it fits, click Accept scope. A mutual NDA and a master services agreement are in your panel to review and accept.
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04
10%, min $1,900
Pay the first stage only
Accepting a stage issues its invoice automatically. Discovery and scope comes first: 10 percent of the estimate, at least $1,900. In Discovery we confirm requirements, data and integrations, and fix the price of Design, Build sprints and Launch. Pricing details are on the software development pricing page.
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05
2 week sprints
Review a live build every two weeks
Each sprint starts with a written plan and ends with a build you can open and click through, plus a short report: what was done, what is next, what needs your decision. You comment on screens and features directly in the panel. Code goes into your repository from the first day.
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06
week 10
Launch with handover and ongoing care
At launch we release to production, hand over documentation and confirm every access is in your name. After that you can run the product yourself, or choose a software maintenance and support plan for monthly hours and response times.
What to check before you hire any software development company
A longer comparison is in hire developers vs agency, and tips on preparing your brief are in software requirements brief.
- 01 Can you see the price before you spend days on calls
- 02 Are design, QA and project management priced as separate lines
- 03 Do you pay in stages, or prepay the whole project
- 04 Who owns the code at each point, and where does it live
- 05 How are changes priced, and who approves them
- 06 Can you stop after any stage and keep the work
- 07 Is communication documented, so nothing depends on memory
Questions about the process
No. The form is enough for an estimate. If you have specs or designs, attach them. Discovery turns your input into a full scope either way.
Yes. Invite colleagues to the panel and give each a role, for example approver, reviewer or finance.
You can stop after any stage. You keep everything from paid stages, and you can resume later with a new stage.
Start with the estimate
Describe your project and see the price, scope and stage plan in about a minute.