You have the idea. We build the product.
New software from a blank page to production — web, mobile, cloud, or AI. Every greenfield build we take on starts with a Validation, Design & Planning (VDP) engagement, because the cheapest mistake is the one you catch before the first line of code.
If you’ve said any of these out loud lately.
- We know this workflow better than any vendor. Nobody sells what we actually need.
- Our biggest customer wants a portal, and “we’re working on it” has run out of road.
- A spreadsheet is running a $20M business and everyone in the building knows it.
- We priced the off-the-shelf options. They’d change how we work more than they’d help.
- Someone on the board said “productize it.” Now we need a real plan and a real number.
Five moves. In this order.
Outcome-based milestones. No surprise invoices.
Every new product has a critical path: the two or three things that decide whether the rest is possible. We put those first. The alignment phase names them, the foundation phase clears them, and the milestones that follow are defined by outcomes you can check for yourself: a working screen, a passing test with real data, a process running end to end. Not hours, not activity.
When the product is well understood, we fix the price. When the unknowns are real (new hardware, a market nobody has served, a first version that will change as customers touch it) a dedicated team on time and materials with a monthly cap is the honest model, and we recommend it openly rather than hiding the uncertainty inside a fixed number. Either way you see progress and spend every week.
From the first week, the plan includes the handover. Your team is in the reviews, the documentation is written as we go, and the code lives in your repositories. A product you cannot run without us is not finished.
One priced first step. Then a real proposal.
VDP — Validation, Design & Planning
Required for every greenfield build. You leave with click-through mockups of the key screens, requirements, a technology recommendation, and a roadmap with the investment for the first release — whether or not you build with us.
- Facilitated workshops with your stakeholders
- User personas and journey mapping
- Visioning and a written problem statement
- Scoping, roadmap, and the estimate for the build
Before you call: What to ask a software partner before you sign · AI Use Case Canvas — find the highest-value first feature · What it costs · How we work
Done before. Numbers attached.
Car Wars: 1,300+ Downloads in Month One — a Mobile App Validated, Planned, and Shipped for a Trade-Show Deadline
Car Wars, a Call Box company whose cloud phone system serves automotive sales teams, needed a mobile app — texting, softphone, performance dashboard, push — in seven months, with no in-house mobile team. A Validation, Design & Planning (VDP) engagement first, then the build: 1,300+ downloads in the first month, a 99.7% bug-free rate, and a 5-star App Store rating.
Built From Zero to $14M+ in Funded Growth and Adoption by the World's Top Law Firms
A legal collaboration platform built from the ground up — adopted by Cooley, CMS, and Fortune 500 corporate legal teams, and backed by $14M+ in funding after launch.
A Non-Partisan Civic Polling Platform, Idea to Market in 6 Months
A non-partisan civic platform that gives elected officials a direct, statistically meaningful read on constituent sentiment — built and launched on web and mobile in six months, under budget and on time.
Partner, not vendor.
An expert team, Frogslayer’s strengths lie not just in development, but in their ability to consult strategically. Throughout, the team has kept the client’s best interests in mind, providing suggestions to elevate both the product and the business. Their dedication and support set them apart.
They delivered YourVote to market on-time and under-budget. I really couldn’t believe it.
Five steps, every time.
For new product development, “Engage” means the VDP first — then the project, on the engagement model we recommend after it.
- 01Discovery Call30–60 min
You tell us the problem in your words. We tell you straight whether — and where — we can help. No slides.
- 02Deep Dive60–90 min
The people closest to the problem, in one room (or one call). We get to the real constraint and the number that matters.
- 03Proposal & Paperworkdays, not weeks
Scope, price, and timeline in writing. A standard MSA and a short SOW — no 50-page lock-up.
- 04Prep & Kickoffweek 1
Access, environments, and a kickoff with everyone who touches the work. You know who’s on it and what ships first.
- 05Engageongoing
The work itself — visible every week, in your environment, with your people in the loop.
Straight answers.
How long does a new build take?
The VDP produces the answer — a scope, a cost, and a timeline you can hold us to. We build the most essential features first, so the first release ships as early as it responsibly can, and you get to steer from there. Anyone who quotes you a timeline before understanding the problem is guessing.
Do we own the code?
Entirely. The code, the designs, the documentation, the data — in your repositories and your accounts. No lock-in, no per-seat tax on your own product.
What technology do you build with?
The right tool for the platform and the team who’ll live with it: modern web and mobile frameworks, cloud infrastructure, and AI where it earns its place. We’re fluent across stacks and not tied to any vendor. The platform pages spell out what we build with for web, mobile, cloud, and AI systems.
What if the VDP says “don’t build it”?
That’s a good outcome, not a failed one. Some clients leave a VDP with clarity that the product isn’t right for the business yet — and a plan for when it is. They saved the cost of the build. The VDP’s value stands on its own.
We already have a prototype (or a vibe-coded MVP). Where does that start?
With a System Evaluation, not a VDP. If code exists, we read it first — architecture, security, what can survive into production — and give you a prioritized plan and a fixed proposal for the next step. See Project Rescue and Modernization.
How is a new build priced?
Fixed budget with controlled scope is our default. When the VDP produced a scope we both believe in, we fix the price. When the unknowns are real, a dedicated team on time and materials with a monthly cap is usually the honest answer. We recommend the model after the VDP, based on how well-defined the work is. You don’t pick from a menu.
What happens after launch?
The handover is part of the build, not an afterthought: your team trained, documentation current, code and infrastructure in your accounts. Most clients keep us on for Managed Hosting & Support so the product keeps earning after go-live, and some move to a dedicated team to keep building. Both are your call, not a condition.
Have the idea? Start with the plan.
A VDP is a fixed fee and you own everything it produces. Book a 30-minute intro and we’ll tell you whether it’s the right first step.