Ten honest answers on how custom software actually gets built — timelines, methodology, scope changes, deliverables per phase, and what happens when the project goes sideways.
One to two weeks of stakeholder interviews, workflow mapping, system audits, and architecture design. Produces a written SOW, fixed-fee quote, and milestone-based timeline.
Figma mockups, component specs, and interaction flows for every screen in scope. Includes a written design system reference for fonts, colors, spacing, and component variants.
Two-week sprints with weekly demos and continuous deployment to staging. You see working software every sprint, not status reports. Founder writes the code and runs the demos.
Automated tests, manual QA against the SOW, accessibility checks, security review, and performance baseline. Bugs found here are fixed before launch at no charge.
Production deployment, DNS cutover, monitoring setup (Sentry, uptime checks), and source-code handoff with a written README. We're on standby during launch week.
30-day warranty covers SOW-spec bugs at no charge. Optional monthly retainer covers dependency updates, monitoring, security patches, and a defined feature-work allowance.
Custom software typically takes 6 to 24 weeks end-to-end. A focused MVP ships in 6 to 10 weeks, a production SaaS platform in 12 to 16 weeks, and a multi-module enterprise system in 18 to 24+ weeks. QUANT LAB USA gives a firm timeline at the end of discovery, with milestones tied to each two-week sprint and weekly demos.
Ask who writes the code (founder or subcontractor), what happens if the lead leaves, who owns the source code, what's covered after launch, how scope changes are priced, what's in the discovery deliverable, where data is hosted, what the worst project they shipped looked like, and to see three real references they'll let you call directly.
We use a fixed-scope, fixed-fee model per phase with two-week sprints, weekly demos, and continuous deployment to staging. Discovery produces a written SOW. Build phases ship working software every sprint. We don't run pure Agile theater — no story points, no daily standups for solo or small teams. Just shipping, demos, and direct communication.
Scope changes go through a brief written change request: what's changing, impact on timeline and budget, rationale. Small tweaks in the original spirit of the work are absorbed without paperwork. Larger additions get a fixed quote you approve before any work starts. We never silently expand scope and then bill you for it.
Discovery delivers a written SOW, architecture diagram, milestone timeline, and risk register. Design delivers Figma mockups and component specs. Build delivers working software in staging every sprint. Launch delivers production deployment, monitoring setup, source-code handoff, and a README. Post-launch delivers a 30-day warranty and optional retainer.
We do a 30-minute weekly demo every sprint where you see real working software, plus async daily updates via Slack or your project tracker. Ad-hoc calls happen as needed. We don't run daily standups for client meetings — your time is more valuable than a status meeting. You always know what shipped, what's next, and what's blocked.
Discovery at QUANT LAB USA takes one to two weeks and includes stakeholder interviews, workflow mapping, audit of existing systems, data model sketching, integration inventory, technical architecture diagram, milestone-based timeline, written risk register, and a fixed-fee SOW. Discovery is paid (typically $2,500–$5,000) and credited toward the build if you move forward.
Every PR runs through automated linting (ESLint, Prettier), type-checking (TypeScript strict), and a build verification before merge. Critical paths get unit and integration tests. Security-sensitive code gets a written threat model. We do code reviews on our own PRs against a written standard. Production deploys go through staging first, never directly from local.
Every project includes a 30-day post-launch warranty covering bug fixes against the SOW at no charge. After that, you choose: take the code in-house, hire your own engineer, or retain QUANT LAB USA on a monthly retainer ($1,500–$8,000) covering support, monitoring, dependency updates, and a defined feature-work allowance. You own the code either way.
Discovery surfaces risks upfront in a written register — integrations, data migrations, third-party dependencies, regulatory edges, scope ambiguity. Each risk gets an owner, mitigation, and contingency. High-risk items get spiked first so the project can't drift on hidden surprises. Fixed-fee pricing shifts execution risk to us, not you.
Tell us what you're building. We'll run a paid discovery and give you a fixed-fee quote with milestones, deliverables, and a firm timeline.