MVP development for startups: what it is, what it costs, and how to not waste the first version
A working definition of an MVP, the five decisions that make or break it, and how to tell a real scope from a padded one.
Read the guide →MVP development for startups
You have the moonshot idea. We ship the first version.
Moonshots is a small product studio for founders who can sell an idea but don't write code. We take your idea from a napkin sketch to a working product people can sign up for, use, and pay for — in weeks, not quarters.
4–8 weeksTypical time from kickoff to a live first version
One teamDesign, build, and launch — no handoffs between agencies
You own itYour code, your accounts, your customers. No lock-in.
What a moonshot studio actually does
Most founders don't need a 60-page specification or a 12-month engineering plan. They need a working version in front of real users while the idea is still fresh — and a clear answer to one question: will people pay for this?
Build
MVP build
We scope the smallest product that proves your idea and build it end to end: interface, backend, payments, launch. Designed for real users from day one, not a clickable prototype.
Rescue
Product rescue
Half-built product bleeding money? We audit what exists, cut what doesn't earn its keep, and get the core flow working so you can sell again.
Advise
Fractional product lead
For teams who already have developers: scope, prioritise, and review. You get someone who has shipped before in the room for the decisions that are expensive to reverse.
How a project runs
Three steps, no black boxes. You see working software every single week, and you can stop at any point without losing what's been built.
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Scope sprint
One week. We map the one job your product must do for its first users, agree what's in and what's deliberately out, and write down what "done" looks like in numbers. You leave with a fixed price and a launch date.
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Build in the open
Two to six weeks. You get a live link from week one and a short note every Friday: what shipped, what's next, what changed. Feedback on Monday goes into the build the same week.
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Launch and hand over
We put it on your domain, set up payments, analytics, and email, then walk you through running it. The code, accounts, and customer data are yours from the first day.
What you get at launch
A first version is more than a screen. These are the pieces we don't leave for "phase two", because they're what makes a product real to a customer.
- A live site on your own domain, fast on a phone
- Sign-up and login that works without support tickets
- Payments and invoices through your own business account
- A contact form whose messages land in your inbox
- Analytics that answer "where did these people come from?"
- Written documentation and a walkthrough recording
- Every account in your name, so you can hire anyone next
Read before you hire anyone
Three long, plain-English guides covering the questions founders ask us before the first call.
How much does it cost to build an app? A 2026 breakdown for founders
Real ranges for every stage, what drives the price up, and the four costs most founders forget to budget for.
Read the guide →How to build an app with no coding experience
Three honest routes — no-code, hired help, or a hybrid — with the trade-offs of each and the questions to ask before you pay.
Read the guide →Tell us the moonshot
Send a few sentences about what you want to build. You'll get a straight answer within two business days: whether it's a four-week build, a smaller first version, or not worth building yet.
Start a project