Question 1

How much does custom software cost?

Accepted Answer

Our packages start at $2,000 for a Digital Foundation (website) and range up to $25,000+ for enterprise-level platforms. We use value-based, fixed pricing tied to business outcomes — not hours or page counts. See our packages for full pricing breakdowns.

Question 2

What's included in each package?

Accepted Answer

Each package comes with a clearly defined set of deliverables scoped before we write a single line of code. The Digital Foundation includes a custom responsive website, lead capture forms, SEO setup, and full handoff with source code. Higher tiers add database architecture, dashboards, AI integrations, and more — see our packages for the full breakdown.

Question 3

How do retainer plans work?

Accepted Answer

Retainers are monthly agreements that keep your system running, secure, and evolving. Our three tiers start at $300/month for basic maintenance and hosting, $1,500/month for active development (10 hours), and $3,000+/month for a full Tech Partner arrangement with weekly strategy calls and 20 hours of feature work. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel with 30 days' notice.

Question 4

What are your payment terms?

Accepted Answer

For project-based work, we use milestone-based payments — typically 50% upfront and 50% on delivery, though larger projects may use three milestones. Retainers are billed monthly on a recurring basis. We accept bank transfer, Stripe, and major credit cards.

Question 5

Are there any hidden fees?

Accepted Answer

None. We use fixed, upfront pricing — everything is scoped before any work begins so you know exactly what you're paying. If the scope changes, we discuss and agree on any cost adjustments before proceeding. No surprise invoices, ever.

Question 6

How long does a typical project take?

Accepted Answer

Digital Foundations (websites) are delivered in 2–4 weeks. Operations Engines and custom dashboards typically take 4–8 weeks. Enterprise-scale platforms take 8–16 weeks. We agree on a strict timeline upfront — it's in the proposal before we start.

Question 7

How do we communicate during the project?

Accepted Answer

You get a dedicated Slack or Discord channel from day one. We send weekly written progress updates by default and are async-first to respect your time. For retainer clients on Active Growth or Tech Partner plans, we also schedule a regular strategy call each month.

Question 8

What's the development process?

Accepted Answer

Every engagement follows four phases: Discovery (scope, architecture, design specs), Design (wireframes, component design), Build (iterative development with client checkpoints), and Launch (QA, deployment, DNS, handoff). We loop you in at each stage so there are never surprises at delivery.

Question 9

What if I need changes after launch?

Accepted Answer

Post-launch changes are covered if you're on a retainer — that's exactly what they're designed for. If you're not on a retainer, we offer ad-hoc work at pre-agreed rates scoped before starting. We also include a short post-launch support window for bug fixes in every project.

Question 10

What tech stack do you use?

Accepted Answer

We build primarily with React, TypeScript, Node.js, Tailwind CSS, and deploy on Vercel or AWS. For databases, we use PostgreSQL or Turso (SQLite at the edge) depending on scale requirements. Every technology choice is made for performance, maintainability, and longevity — not because it's trending.

Question 11

Who owns the code and IP?

Accepted Answer

You do — 100%. Upon final payment, you receive the full source code, all documentation, and infrastructure configuration files. We build with zero vendor lock-in so you're free to take your tech anywhere, to any developer, at any time.

Question 12

Can I switch to another developer later?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. We write clean, well-documented code and provide a full handoff package — source code, architecture docs, environment setup instructions, and DNS/hosting details. Any competent developer should be able to pick it up without issue. We build systems you own, not systems that own you.

Question 13

How do you handle security?

Accepted Answer

Every system we build includes HTTPS by default, secure auth best practices (JWT, bcrypt, HttpOnly cookies), environment variable isolation, and secure headers. On retainer plans, we apply security patches and dependency updates on a regular cadence so your system stays protected over time.

Question 14

What's covered in the retainer?

Accepted Answer

The base "Keep the Lights On" retainer ($300/mo) covers cloud hosting, database management, automated daily backups, uptime monitoring, and critical bug fixes if the site goes down. Higher tiers add feature development hours, strategy calls, and priority support. See our packages for the full tier breakdown.

Question 15

What's your response time for issues?

Accepted Answer

For critical issues (site down, data loss, security breach), we target a 4-hour response time. For standard requests — bugs, questions, minor changes — our SLA is 24 business hours. Retainer clients always receive priority over ad-hoc requests.

Question 16

Do you offer after-hours support?

Accepted Answer

Priority after-hours support is available on the Active Growth ($1,500/mo) and Tech Partner ($3,000+/mo) retainer plans. Critical production incidents are handled outside business hours on these plans. Base maintenance clients receive next-business-day response for non-critical issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pricing

Process

Technical

Support

Ready to Build?