What is the difference between an MVP and a prototype?
A prototype is built to demonstrate an idea and is usually thrown away — it fakes the parts that are hard and is not meant for real users. An MVP is a real product, scoped small but engineered properly, that your first users actually use in production. We build MVPs: the foundation under the version that proves your idea is the one you keep growing on, not code you have to replace the moment it works.
How long does it take to build an MVP?
It depends on scope, which is exactly why we scope hard first. Because the senior engineers who plan the work are the ones who build it, there is very little ramp between the first conversation and working software, and we put something real in front of users early rather than after months of setup. We will give you an honest timeline once we understand the one or two core things that have to work.
Will I have to rebuild the MVP later as we grow?
That is the failure mode we design against. Many MVPs get rebuilt because they were prototypes dressed as products — no real data model, no infrastructure, shortcuts everywhere. We build the foundation to hold up as usage grows, so you expand the MVP rather than replace it. We have taken a startup MVP and grown it into the real operating product the business runs on.
Do I need my own engineering team to work with you?
No. Many of the founders we build for have no engineers yet — that is often the point. A senior embedded team gets you shipping now and lets you learn what your product actually needs before you commit to expensive, hard-to-reverse hiring. When you are ready to bring it in-house, you own the code and the knowledge; when you would rather keep a long-term technical partner, we can be that too.
How is this different from staff augmentation?
Staff augmentation gives you contractors to work through a backlog you define and manage. For an early product that is a trap — you are paying to direct a build you do not yet have the engineering experience to direct. We own the outcome: we help decide what to build, build it as a real product, and stay accountable for whether it works. It is a senior team making the calls with you, not seats waiting for tickets.
Who owns the code and IP for the MVP?
You do, completely. Source code, documentation, and deployment knowledge are yours throughout the engagement, not held back until a final handoff. Whether you raise, hire an internal team, or keep us on as a long-term partner, you inherit a product you fully control and can maintain or extend.