As a Fractional CTO, I see plenty of agencies sell full packages — great in the long run, but for idea‑stage founders it's often too early and too expensive. I'd rather put the market before the design system, with senior-level technical guidance.
If you need an ultra‑lean MVP, the goal is simple: build the minimum to learn the maximum with strategic technical decisions. The rest can wait.
Two ways to launch an MVP
There's the full‑package approach (landing + webapp + integrations + SEO + deploy). It works, but it often costs a lot and you end up paying for things you may not need to validate. The other is the ultra‑lean approach: a few days, focus on 2-3 key flows, no frills — just what you need to test in the market.
Pricing reality check
Many packages start around ~$5,999. If you already know what to validate, that can be more than needed at the beginning. A focused ultra‑lean block (20 hours @ $50/h = $1,000) lets you verify demand and messaging without burning budget.
Time: weeks vs. days
Promising 2-4 weeks sounds good. But what you usually need is a first version in a few days to see if anyone wants to use/pay. Early iterations beat late polish.
Cut the nice‑to‑haves
Baseline auth, 2-3 core flows, perhaps a simple admin view, and a clean data layer. Out of scope at the start: payments, notifications, complex roles, advanced SEO, mobile app, custom infra. We add them only if the idea sticks.
- Email + password auth
- 2-3 key workflows (post, submit, browse, messaging — depending on the project)
- Essential admin view (if needed)
- Functional data flow (Supabase / Airtable, etc.)
- Clean, professional UI
- Code ready to grow
What to intentionally postpone
Not because you can’t do it, but because you first need to see if the idea deserves more investment.
- Payments
- Notifications
- Complex roles
- Infrastructure
- Analytics, blockchain, ...
- Anything not agreed upfront
Minimum definition
Lock 2-3 needle‑moving features. Just what's needed to test.
Ultra‑lean build
20 focused hours. Delivery in about a week.
Test & decide
Put it in users’ hands. If signals are good, extend. If not, we saved time and budget.
Ready to build your MVP?
Let's discuss your startup's technical needs. I help founders get their products to market faster with strategic guidance and hands-on development.