Seattle Software Agency SeattleSoftware Agency

MVP Development for Startups

From idea to working product in weeks, not months — built with code you can actually scale, not a prototype you will throw away.

An MVP is not a half-built product — it is the smallest version of your product that delivers real value to real users. The goal is to validate your core hypothesis as quickly as possible: will people use this? Will they pay for it? Does it solve the problem you think it solves?

Too many MVPs fail for technical reasons, not market reasons. They are built on no-code platforms that cannot scale, by offshore teams that disappear after delivery, or with frameworks that make iteration painfully slow. We build MVPs with production-grade code from day one. The same TypeScript, React, and Node.js stack that powers your MVP will power your product at 10,000 users.

We have helped founders and product teams go from concept to launched product in 6-10 weeks. We focus ruthlessly on the core value proposition, cut scope aggressively, and deliver something real — not a clickable mockup, but a working application with real users.

What You Get

🎯

Scope Definition Workshop

A structured process to identify your core hypothesis, define the minimum feature set, and cut everything that does not directly validate your idea.

6-10 Week Delivery

Focused sprints with weekly demos. You see progress every week and can adjust priorities based on what you learn.

🏗️

Production-Grade Code

TypeScript, React, Node.js — the same stack that will serve you at scale. No rewrite needed when you find product-market fit.

🔐

Authentication Built In

User registration, login, password reset, and role-based access control — using Clerk, Auth0, or custom implementation depending on your needs.

💳

Payment Integration

Stripe integration for subscriptions, one-time payments, or usage-based billing — so you can start charging from day one.

📊

Analytics from Launch

PostHog or Mixpanel integration to track user behavior, feature adoption, and conversion funnels from the first user onward.

The MVP Process

Week 1 is a discovery sprint. We work with you to define the user personas, map the core user journey, identify the riskiest assumptions, and agree on a feature set that tests those assumptions. This is where most of the scope cutting happens — and it is the most valuable week of the project.

Weeks 2-3 focus on architecture and core functionality. We set up the codebase, deploy to a staging environment, implement authentication, and build the data model. By the end of week 3, the skeleton of your product is running and deployable.

Weeks 4-8 are iterative development. Each week we deliver working features, you review and provide feedback, and we adjust. The scope is not fixed — we adjust the feature set based on what we learn. The commitment is the timeline and budget, not a rigid specification written before we started building.

Why "Production-Grade" MVP Matters

The conventional wisdom is to build the quickest, dirtiest thing possible for your MVP. We disagree. A dirty MVP creates a false economy: you save two weeks on the initial build and then spend three months cleaning up technical debt before you can iterate.

Production-grade does not mean over-engineered. It means using a real tech stack (not a no-code tool you will outgrow), writing clean code with tests for critical paths, setting up CI/CD so deploys are one-click, and structuring the codebase so features can be added without rewriting what exists.

When you find product-market fit — and we hope you do — you want to be in a position to iterate fast. A production-grade MVP lets you do that. A no-code prototype or a spaghetti codebase does not.

What We Cut and What Comes After Launch

Every MVP engagement involves difficult scope decisions. Our framework: keep anything that directly tests your core hypothesis. Cut anything that is "nice to have" or only matters at scale. Defer anything that does not affect the user experience — like admin panels (you can use database queries for the first 100 users), complex onboarding flows, and multi-role permissions.

The MVP is not the end — it is the beginning of a learning loop. We help you set up the analytics and feedback mechanisms to learn from your first users. After launch, most clients enter a retainer engagement where we iterate on the product based on user feedback, typically 20-40 hours per month. Products that win are products that keep improving.

Technologies We Use

ReactNext.jsTypeScriptNode.jsPostgreSQLStripeVercel

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an MVP cost?
Most MVPs we build range from $20,000 to $50,000 depending on complexity. A simple SaaS with authentication, one core workflow, and payment integration is typically $20,000-$30,000. Applications with complex data models, real-time features, or integrations with external systems range $35,000-$50,000. We provide a detailed estimate after the discovery workshop.
Can I use a no-code tool instead?
For validating an idea before spending money on development, no-code tools like Bubble or Webflow can be appropriate. But they have hard limits on performance, customization, and scalability. If your product requires custom logic, handles sensitive data, or needs to scale beyond a few hundred users, a coded MVP is the better investment.
What if the MVP fails?
Failure — learning that your hypothesis was wrong — is a successful MVP outcome. You spent $20,000-$50,000 and 6-10 weeks to learn something instead of $200,000 and 12 months. We help you set up the analytics to learn as much as possible, even from failure. Many successful products pivoted based on what they learned from their first MVP.
Will the MVP code need to be rewritten later?
No. We build with the same stack and coding standards used for production applications. The codebase will need new features, refactoring as patterns emerge, and scaling optimizations — but a ground-up rewrite should never be necessary.
How involved do I need to be during the build?
We need about 3-5 hours per week of your time: a weekly demo and feedback session (1 hour), availability for questions via Slack (1-2 hours), and occasional design or prioritization decisions. You do not need to manage the project day-to-day — that is our job.

Have an Idea? Let Us Build It.

Book a free discovery session. We will help you define the smallest version of your product that proves the concept — and build it in weeks.

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