Incubator startups have 12 weeks. The MVP needs to be in users' hands, not still in development.
Incubator cohorts have accelerated timelines and investor demo days with hard dates. The software build needs to match the timeline — not extend past it. Fixed scope, fixed price, 8–12 week delivery.
Incubator startup that needs a working MVP before demo day — and doesn't have an internal technical co-founder to build it
Incubator startups face a different challenge than post-funding startups: the pressure is on a specific date (demo day), the budget is constrained (pre-revenue), and the evidence needed is real user traction rather than a polished pitch.
The common mistake: incubator teams spend the first 6 of 12 weeks debating architecture, evaluating tools, and building infrastructure. By week 8, the core functionality still isn't working. Demo day arrives with a UI demo that isn't real software.
Investors know the difference. A demo day presentation with "here are 50 users who have done X" is materially better than "here's what the app will do when it's built."
What incubator startups actually need from software:
Speed over polish. The MVP needs to do one thing well — not be a complete product. The feedback loop between the build and real user usage is the value of the MVP stage.
Real functionality. Not a Figma prototype dressed up in a live demo. Real users, real data, real workflows. The kind of thing that can withstand "can I use it now?" from an investor.
One person who can commit. Not a development agency with handoff documentation and a project manager. A developer who answers questions, makes scope decisions, and is accountable for delivery.
Demo-ready MVP delivered before the cohort demo day, with real users, real functionality, and the evidence of traction that investors expect
Scope discipline
The MVP scope is defined by what's needed for demo day — not what the product will eventually become. Every feature that isn't critical to the core value proposition is cut.
Working authentication
Clerk social login (Google, LinkedIn) so users can create accounts in 10 seconds. No custom auth.
Core workflow
The one workflow that is the product. Whatever the startup does — booking, matching, marketplace transaction, subscription management — that workflow, working, with real users.
Admin visibility
A simple admin panel so the founders can see what's happening in real time during the demo day presentation.
Deployment
Live on a production URL before demo day. Vercel, readable domain, no localhost demos.
One honest number to start.
Fixed-scope, fixed-price. The number below is the starting point — final scope is built from your brief.
Demo-ready MVP delivered before the cohort demo day, with real users, real functionality, and the evidence of traction that investors expect
Three steps, every time.
The same repeatable engagement on every project. No surprises, no mystery, no billable ambiguity.
Brief & discovery.
We send you questions, then get on a call. Output: a written scope with every step, feature, and integration listed.
Build & ship.
Fixed schedule, weekly reviews. No scope creep unless you change the scope — and if you do, we reprice it transparently.
Warranty & retainer.
30-day warranty on every launch. Most clients stay on a monthly retainer for ongoing features and maintenance.
Why Fixed-Price Matters Here
Incubator budgets are fixed. The build cost can't exceed what's allocated. Fixed scope, fixed price.
Related engagements.
Questions, answered.
Incubator builds are intentionally scope-constrained to protect the timeline. Changes that would push the demo day date are not accommodated. Small refinements within scope are handled as part of the build.
Post-demo day funding enables a more complete build. The incubator MVP is the seed — the funded build extends it. We're available for both stages.
Simple MVP: from $8k. Full-featured demo day product: from $18k. Fixed-price.
Tell Ryel about your project.
Describe what you’re building and what outcome you need. You’ll have a written, fixed-price scope within the week.