Product development for startups and founders

The first version of a product has one job: to show whether people want it. That usually means one core flow done well, sign-up, and enough of an admin side to keep it running. Everything else, from referral schemes to advanced settings, can wait until real users tell you it matters.

When you send me an idea, the first thing I do is help you cut it down to that core flow. It is the cheapest decision you will make, and it is the one that most often saves a founder's budget.

It is tempting to pick the biggest package because the idea is big. A better rule is to pick the smallest one that lets you test your riskiest assumption. The code is yours, so moving up later builds on what exists rather than starting again.

You do not need a specification document. A short message covering these points is enough to get a written scope and a fixed price:

• Who the product is for and the problem it solves for them.
• The one thing a user must be able to do in version one.
• Android, iOS or both, and whether you need an admin side.
• Your budget range and when you want to launch.
• Any existing designs, competitors you admire or systems it must connect to.

Once the app is live, the decisions get harder: which feature to build next, when to hire, whether the architecture will hold if usage grows. I can keep building, or act as a part-time technical lead through CTO consulting while you hire your own team. Either way you own the source code and the store listings, so nothing ties you to me.