What is an MVP for?
An MVP lets you test your riskiest assumption with real users as quickly as possible. So we start with one question: why will a user use this product, and in which flow will we see it? The first version is built around that flow; everything else comes after the measurements.
Prototype, web MVP or mobile MVP?
If you have nothing to show yet, you can start with a clickable prototype: 1-2 weeks, no code, and enough to put in front of investors or first users. If real users need to sign up and use the product, a web MVP goes live in 3-6 weeks. If it has to be on iOS and Android from day one, allow 4-8 weeks plus store review.
| Stage | What it includes | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Clickable prototype | A flow to show investors or users before any code is written | 1-2 weeks |
| Web MVP | One core flow, sign-up and login, a basic admin panel, measurement | 3-6 weeks |
| Mobile MVP (iOS + Android) | Both platforms from one codebase; store release on top | 4-8 weeks |
The budget follows the scope and is settled in writing after the scoping call. If you want to compare, our published budget bands, rates by role and scope timelines are on the pages below (as of October 11, 2026).
Cost and timeline guide
Every budget band, our rates by role and the timeline for each scope tier, on one page.
Pricing
The four engagement models, payment terms and what the price covers.
A foundation you won’t have to rewrite
We build the MVP on a foundation that won’t need rewriting as the product grows. The speed comes from keeping the scope narrow: the first version is small, but sign-up, the admin panel and measurement are set up to carry the features that come later. That is how we took our own products from a first version to the user numbers they have today.
A typical 3-6 week MVP timeline
Whether a web MVP with one core flow takes 3 weeks or 6 depends mostly on scope. With a tight scope the steps below overlap and the work can be done in 3 weeks. You get a working version to open and try every week, and the open task list shows what is done and what is next.
- 01
Narrowing the scope
Week 1We write down the riskiest assumption and the single flow that will test it. The list of what stays out of the first version comes out of this week too.
- 02
Flows and wireframes
Weeks 1-2The screens of the core flow are drawn in low detail. No code is written until you approve them.
- 03
Building the core flow
Weeks 2-4The flow that gives people a reason to use the product starts working from start to finish. At the end of each week there is a version you can try.
- 04
Sign-up, admin panel and measurement
Weeks 3-5Login, a basic admin screen and measurement showing where users drop off are added.
- 05
Testing and launch
Weeks 5-6Our senior QA engineer runs the core flow across different devices and scenarios. The product goes live with its first users.
- 06
The first 30 days after launch
30 daysAny bugs that turn up are fixed free of charge. Measurement data starts to build up, and the decision to continue is made on that data.
What should go into the first version of an MVP?
The first version holds only the one flow the product exists for, plus the pieces needed to run it and measure it with real users. For every other feature on the list, ask: could a first user still try the product without this? If the answer is yes, it can wait until after the measurements.
In the first version
- The one flow the product exists for, from start to finish
- Sign-up and login
- A basic admin panel for seeing users and records
- Measurement showing the step where users give up
- One payment method, if the assumption you are testing is whether people will pay
After the measurements
- Several roles and fine-grained permissions
- Multiple languages, if the first market speaks one
- Personalisation and recommendations
- Detailed reports and export screens
- “Nice to have” screens that don’t serve the core flow
Agree on what success looks like before any code
Before development starts, we write down together the numbers the MVP will be judged on, and the measurement is set up around them. Skip this and, once the product is live, “did users like it?” can easily go unanswered, and the decision to continue comes down to gut feeling.
Activation
How many of the people who signed up completed the core flow for the first time? Sign-ups on their own say little.
Return visits
Do users come back after the first week? When a product meets a need, people return to it.
Willingness to pay
For a paid product, how many first users got as far as the payment step?
User conversations
Short calls with your first users explain why the numbers came out the way they did.
What to prepare before the scoping call
To narrow the scope, we mostly need two things: the problem the product solves and who your first users are. If those two are clear, the free 30-minute call is enough to start on what goes into the first version. If you are planning a mobile MVP, opening your Apple and Google developer accounts early saves time when the app goes to the stores.
- One sentence describing the problem the product solves
- Who your first 10-20 users are, and how you will reach them
- How those people solve the problem today (Excel, a WhatsApp group, a competing app)
- Your budget range, and a launch date if you have one to hit
- For a mobile MVP, Apple and Google developer accounts opened in your company’s name
Frequently asked questions
How long does an MVP take?
A web-based MVP with one core flow typically goes live in 3-6 weeks; shipping on iOS and Android at the same time takes 4-8 weeks, plus time for store review. If you want to see it before any code is written, a clickable prototype takes 1-2 weeks.
What happens after the MVP?
We look at the measurements together and assess what works. If you continue, the product grows on time & materials or under a new fixed scope. If you take the source-code transfer, available for an additional fee, your own team can also take the code over.
How is my idea kept confidential?
We can sign your NDA before discussing the details. Your data and your idea are yours; the software’s source code stays with Pepechura, and transferring it is available for an additional fee.
I’m not technical. How will I know the work is on track?
Your single point of contact is a product owner (PO), who follows up the technical questions on your behalf. Every week you open and try a working version yourself, and the open task list shows what is finished. You don’t need to read code to judge progress.
What if my idea changes during development?
That is normal in an MVP, because the idea sharpens once you see early versions. We send the time and budget impact of any scope change in writing within 24 hours, and the decision stays with you. Taking another feature off the list when a new one comes in usually keeps the timeline intact.
How much does an MVP cost?
It depends mostly on how complex the core flow is and which platforms you launch on. Projects start from US$1,000, and our rates are US$25-60 per person-hour, depending on the role. Fixed-scope projects get a single total price after the scoping call, once the scope is written down.