Fixed MVP Pricing vs Hourly Development Costs
Fixed MVP Pricing vs Hourly Development Costs
Hourly billing kills MVP budgets. Scope creep, communication overhead, and unpredictable timelines drain resources before launch. Fixed pricing protects your investment while ensuring quality delivery.
Predictable Investment
MVP package: $5,982 total, paid weekly over 6 weeks. MVP+ package: $10,722 for advanced integrations. Custom pricing for unique requirements. No surprise bills. No scope disputes. Budget clarity from day one.
Weekly Payment Structure
MVP ($5,982 total): $997 per week for 6 weeks. Week 0 foundation free. Charged Friday after weekly delivery. MVP+ ($10,722 total): $1,787 per week for 6 weeks. Week 0 foundation free. Charged Friday after weekly delivery. Stripe handles automatic billing. Cancel anytime without penalty. Pause mid-development if needed.
Subscription-Based Foundation
MVP package is weekly subscription underneath, time-locked to 6 weeks. Continue past 6 weeks by keeping subscription active. Seamless transition to ongoing development without new onboarding. No separate contracts or pricing changes needed.
Flexible Scope Management
Core feature stays fixed - the main business functionality doesn't change. Integration complexity adjusts - standard vs advanced payment features, basic vs complex APIs. Week 0 clarifies technical requirements. Scope adjustments happen upfront, not mid-development. Additional features become post-launch enhancements. Scope changes during development: Timeline remains 6 weeks. New requirements mean removing other features or pausing/canceling project. Example: E-commerce MVP core stays "buy/sell products." Standard = Stripe checkout. Advanced = subscriptions + multi-vendor payouts.
Hourly Rate Reality Check
Senior developer: $150-200/hour. Project manager: $100/hour. Designer: $75-125/hour. DevOps specialist: $125-175/hour. 240 development hours at $150/hour = $36,000. Add project management, design, and infrastructure costs.
Hidden Hourly Costs
Status meetings and check-ins. Documentation and reporting time. Scope clarification discussions. Integration debugging between specialists. Billable hours accumulate for non-development activities.
Value-Based Benefits
One developer handles entire stack. No coordination overhead between specialists. Direct communication eliminates project management. Focused scope prevents feature creep. Fixed timeline maintains launch pressure.
Risk Elimination
No budget overruns during development. Clear deliverables defined upfront. Quality guaranteed through warranty period. Complete code ownership included. Pay for results, not time tracking.
Transparent Weekly Structure
Week 0: Free foundation setup. Weeks 1-6: Fixed weekly payments. Post-launch: Three-month warranty included. Payment aligns with delivery milestones.
Team Collaboration Included
Orchestra board supports unlimited team members at no extra cost. Designers, marketers, stakeholders collaborate directly without additional billing. No per-user fees or collaboration overhead costs.
Solo Operation Transparency
One-person business with full client access to prevent vendor lock-in. Emergency situations pause project until return. Continuous documentation ensures no single point of failure.
Value Justification Deep Dive
Traditional agency: $25,000-50,000 for 3-6 month timeline. High coordination overhead. Multiple specialists billing separately. Scope creep common. Freelance developer: $15,000-30,000 with uncertain quality. Communication challenges. No warranty or support. Risk of project abandonment. In-house hiring: $120,000+ annual salary plus benefits. 2-3 month hiring process. Single technology focus. No immediate productivity. Fixed MVP delivers enterprise-quality results at startup prices with guaranteed timeline and warranty protection.
Post-Launch Transition
Scaling during warranty: Performance issues within designed specifications covered under warranty. Major scaling beyond original requirements transitions to ongoing development. Feature additions: New features during warranty period move to ongoing subscription model. Clear separation between bug fixes and enhancements.
Success Guarantee Boundaries
Product functionality guaranteed through fixed pricing and warranty. User adoption, conversion rates, business metrics depend on client's marketing, positioning, and traffic quality. MVP delivered as specified. Business success requires effective use of working product.
Pricing
Fixed 6-week MVP development with weekly installments — continue or stop after launch.
Varstatt is run by Jurij Tokarski, product engineer since 2011
jurij@varstatt.com / X / LI / Book a call
Sole proprietorship headquarted in Rzeszów, Poland. VAT ID: PL8133854722.