05 / 06 · App Development

Apps that actually ship.
Custom software, built to last.

We build the software around the work.

Book a callHow we work
Timeline
12–24 weeks
Team
4–6 people
Starts at
$80k
Sapling MobileTrustTreeRedi-ViewCome Sit and StayOlentangy PediatricsAtlas CosSplash LaundryMattison YoderMeyers LandscapeAlcove RestaurantSapling MobileTrustTreeRedi-ViewCome Sit and StayOlentangy PediatricsAtlas CosSplash LaundryMattison YoderMeyers LandscapeAlcove Restaurant
— Stack you inherit

Code you can read, own, run.

Not a black box you have to maintain a relationship with us to use.
Layer 01
Type-safe end to end
TypeScript on both sides of the wire. Zod for validation. The compiler catches what reviewers shouldn't have to.
Layer 02
Server Components by default
Next.js App Router, RSC where they help, Client Components where they earn it. Less JS shipped, faster pages.
Layer 03
Boring infra on purpose
Vercel + Postgres + Redis. CI on every PR, on-call playbook documented. No surprises at 2 a.m.
— How we work

Six steps from brief to launch.

Predictable on the outside, lots of judgment on the inside.
  1. 01
    Weeks 1–2

    Shaping

    Two weeks where we get embedded with your team — not enough to design the whole thing, just enough to understand the problem and propose three shapes for solving it. We come out the other side with a fixed scope and a timeline you can plan around.

    • Stakeholder + user interviews
    • Existing-system audit
    • Three shaped solutions
    • Fixed-scope proposal
  2. 02
    Weeks 3–6

    Design & prototype

    Information architecture, end-to-end flows, hi-fi prototypes for the critical paths. We test those prototypes with real users before any code gets written. Cheaper to find problems in Figma than in production.

    • Full IA + flows
    • Hi-fi designs (every state)
    • Prototype tested with 5+ users
    • Component library v1
  3. 03
    Weeks 5–18

    Build

    Two-week sprints with a real demo at the end of each. You see working software the same week we make it. The team is the team — same five or six people from kickoff to launch, no offshore handoffs.

    • Two-week sprint cadence
    • Working demo every two weeks
    • PR-based code review
    • Test coverage on critical paths
  4. 04
    Weeks 16–22

    Hardening & QA

    Performance work, accessibility audit, security review, end-to-end test suite. Real-data dress rehearsal in staging. We don't go live until the rehearsal is clean.

    • WCAG 2.2 AA audit + fixes
    • Load + performance testing
    • Security review
    • Staging dress rehearsal
  5. 05
    Weeks 22–24

    Launch & runbook

    Cutover plan, on-call rota for the first 30 days, written runbook for everything we built. Your team takes the wheel knowing exactly what's where and who to call when something goes sideways.

    • Documented runbook
    • 30 days of on-call
    • Knowledge transfer sessions
    • Source code + infra handoff
  6. 06
    Ongoing

    Iterate or hand off

    After launch we either continue as your engineering partner on a quarterly cadence, or hand off cleanly to your in-house team. We've done both — and we'll tell you honestly which is right for you.

    • Quarterly retainer (optional)
    • Hiring support if going in-house
    • Architecture office hours
    • Yearly tech-debt review
Step 01Weeks 1–2

Shaping

Two weeks where we get embedded with your team — not enough to design the whole thing, just enough to understand the problem and propose three shapes for solving it. We come out the other side with a fixed scope and a timeline you can plan around.

  • Stakeholder + user interviews
  • Existing-system audit
  • Three shaped solutions
  • Fixed-scope proposal

Frequently asked.

Everything teams ask before kicking off a App Development engagement.

Still have a question?

Email a partner directly — no SDRs, no chatbots, no marketing list. Just a straight answer from someone who does the work.

  • First reply within one business day
  • A partner answers — never an SDR
  • Happy to sign an NDA before we talk
Talk to a partner[email protected]
What stack do you build on?
Default is Next.js + TypeScript on the front, Node + Postgres on the back, deployed on Vercel and a managed Postgres provider. We use other stacks when there's a reason — but we won't pick a tool because it's trendy.
Do you do mobile (iOS / Android)?
We focus on responsive web apps and PWAs, which cover most use cases. For true native iOS / Android, we partner with a small set of specialists we trust and project-manage end-to-end.
Can you migrate us off our current platform?
Yes — we've done WordPress → Next.js, Salesforce → custom, Airtable + Zapier → real platform, and a half-dozen others. We always start with a data audit and a phased cutover plan.
Who owns the code?
You do, end to end. Source on your GitHub org, infra on your accounts, secrets in your vault. We don't hold anything hostage.
What happens after launch?
30 to 90 days of active on-call (depending on tier), then either a quarterly retainer or a clean hand-off. We've done both. We'll tell you honestly which fits your team.
Do you do compliance work (SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR)?
We can build to and document for those standards. We're not your auditor or your legal counsel — but we'll work alongside them and we won't make their lives miserable.
How do you handle scope changes?
Two-week sprints with a clear weekly demo. If scope shifts, we replan together — usually trading something out, not piling on. We've never had to file a change order.
— Service areas

App Development across Central Ohio.

Based in Powell — serving businesses across the Columbus metro and beyond. Find app development in your city.
Ground control to Houston:

Let's build
something out of
this world.

[email protected]
— Other practices

Five more ways we help.

No handoffs between practices. One studio.