The Complete Guide to Custom Software Development Process
A transparent, predictable process from kickoff to launch. Typical timeline: 10-16 weeks. This guide walks through each phase — Discovery, Design, Development, Delivery — and what to expect at every step.
Table of Contents
Discovery
2 weeksRequirements, technical audit, scope definition
We map your current process, define must-haves vs nice-to-haves, audit existing systems (APIs, databases), and produce a fixed-scope proposal. No surprises later.
Design
2 weeksUX/UI, architecture, API specs
User flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity designs. Technical architecture (stack, integrations, data model). API specs if integrating with other systems. You sign off before we write code.
Development
8-12 weeksAgile sprints, weekly demos
2-week sprints. Weekly demos so you see progress. We use fixed-price quotes after Discovery — no scope creep. Changes go through change requests.
Delivery
1-2 weeksDeploy, train, document
Deploy to your environment (or ours). User training. Documentation. Handoff. Optional: ongoing maintenance and support.
Fixed Price vs Hourly
We use fixed-price quotes after Discovery. You get a clear scope and price before Development starts. No scope creep surprises. If you want changes mid-project, we handle them via change requests — transparent and agreed before work starts.
See our detailed process page and case studies. For timeline expectations, read our Custom Software Timeline guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we add features during Development?
Yes, via change requests. We estimate the impact (time, cost) and you decide. This keeps scope under control and avoids surprises.
Who owns the code?
You do. Full IP transfer at delivery. The codebase is yours. You can take it to another team or maintain it yourself.
What if we need to go faster?
We can add developers to shorten the timeline, but there's a limit — some work doesn't parallelize. We'll give you options during Discovery.