# MVP development

Choie takes founders from an idea to a live first version of their product on the web, iOS, or Android. Many start with a one-week coded prototype for a fixed $4,900, then a full build from $19,000 in four to six weeks, with one price and one date in writing before work starts.

Also called: Minimum viable product development, MVP build, First version of a product.

Bought through: Ship it (from $19,000, four to six weeks); Prove it (fixed $4,900, one week); Grow it (from $9,900 / month, month to month). Prices are in US dollars, with no tax added on top.

## Who it is for

Founders who have a product idea, a reason to believe people want it, and a date to hit, such as a raise, a pilot customer, or a launch.

- **First-time founders** who need one team to design and build the whole first version, without hiring one first.
- **Founders who were quoted very different prices** for the same idea and want one fixed price tied to a written scope.
- **Founders with a no-code or prototype version** who now need real software that real users can rely on.

It fits best when there is one primary user, one critical workflow, and a first release you would actually be willing to launch.

## The problems it solves

- **An MVP that keeps growing.** The word [MVP](https://www.choie.co/glossary/mvp) does not fix a scope, so features creep in until the first version takes a year. The written scope names what is in and what is deliberately left out.
- **Paying build rates to make decisions.** Deciding what to build while engineers wait is the most expensive way to decide. A prototype week settles the big questions first, which usually lowers the build quote.
- **A first version nobody can maintain.** Shortcuts taken to hit a demo turn into [technical debt](https://www.choie.co/glossary/technical-debt) once real users depend on them. Senior people decide the architecture and review every line.
- **Launching and hoping.** Launch is not the end of the job. We watch real people use the product and fix what gets in their way.

## What you get

- If you start there, a one-week coded prototype of the riskiest workflow, with a concise recommendation on what to build.
- A written scope for the first release: deliverables, one price, one date, and the payment split.
- A production MVP on the web, iOS, or Android, designed and built by the same people.
- A live link to use every Friday during the build.
- Launch, plus 30 days of free fixes for defects in our own work.
- The designs and the source code, yours once each deliverable is paid for.

## How it runs

An MVP at Choie usually takes two steps. You can skip the first if the product is already decided.

1. **Prove it, one week.** Day one picks the one critical workflow and the screens it needs, up to eight. Days two to four design and code it with real behavior. Day five is a walkthrough, one revision round, and a recommendation on what to build next.
2. **Ship it, four to six weeks.** The first two weeks decide the flows and what is cut. Weeks two to five design and build together, with a live link every Friday. The final week is launch.
3. **After launch.** Defects in our own work are fixed free for 30 days. Ongoing work runs month to month if you want it, and you can stop any month.

Your part is to make decisions each week and to send material, access, and answers in good time. That is the whole list.

## Price and timeline

| Step | Price | Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coded prototype (Prove it) | Fixed $4,900 | One week |
| First version (Ship it) | From $19,000 | Four to six weeks |
| Ongoing work (Grow it) | From $9,900 a month | Month to month |

All prices are in US dollars, with no tax added on top. If a build starts within 60 days of the prototype, the full $4,900 is credited against it. The build price is fixed in the written scope, and what moves it is the number of platforms, workflows, and integrations in the first release.

Hosting, payment processing, and app store accounts are billed by their providers. The [MVP cost guide](https://www.choie.co/guides/mvp-cost) explains every part of the number and what is usually left out of an MVP quote.

## When not to hire Choie for this

- **The question is whether anyone wants it at all.** Customer interviews or a simple landing page answer that faster and for less than software does.
- **The first release has to do everything.** Several platforms, many kinds of user, and complex integrations in one release are a program, not an MVP, and need a larger team.
- **No one can make the calls.** An MVP needs a founder or executive who can decide every week.
- **You are really looking for a technical co-founder.** A studio can build the first version and hand you the code, but it is not a substitute for someone inside the company who owns the technology for the long term.

## Common questions

### How much does an MVP cost with Choie?

A one-week coded prototype is a fixed $4,900, and a full first version starts at $19,000 for four to six weeks. Both are in US dollars with no tax added on top, and are fixed in writing before work starts.

### How long does it take to build an MVP?

Four to six weeks for the build, plus one week if you start with a coded prototype. The written scope sets the date, and it arrives within two days of the intro call.

### Is the prototype the same as the MVP?

No. The prototype is a one-week test of one workflow, used by a few people. The MVP is the live product that real users sign up for and use on their own. The prototype answers what to build, and the build ships it.

### Do I have to start with the prototype?

No. If the product is already decided, go straight to the build. The prototype is for when the riskiest decision is still open.

Guides: [How much does an MVP cost? A fixed-price answer](https://www.choie.co/guides/mvp-cost.md), [Who owns the code when you hire a studio?](https://www.choie.co/guides/who-owns-the-code.md).

Glossary: [Minimum viable product (MVP)](https://www.choie.co/glossary/mvp.md), [Prototype](https://www.choie.co/glossary/prototype.md), [Scope of work](https://www.choie.co/glossary/scope-of-work.md), [Fixed-price development](https://www.choie.co/glossary/fixed-price-development.md), [Technical debt](https://www.choie.co/glossary/technical-debt.md).

Other services: [Product design and UX](https://www.choie.co/services/product-design.md), [Web application development](https://www.choie.co/services/web-app-development.md), [iOS and Android app development](https://www.choie.co/services/mobile-app-development.md), [One-week coded prototype](https://www.choie.co/services/coded-prototype.md), [Design systems](https://www.choie.co/services/design-systems.md), [Launch sites and measurement](https://www.choie.co/services/launch-sites.md).

HTML: https://www.choie.co/services/mvp-development