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STARTUP ENGINEERING

MVP Development for Startups

From Idea to Investor-Ready Product in 8–12 Weeks — Without the Technical Debt Tax

Most MVP agencies ship fast and leave you a codebase you'll spend the next year refactoring. We build lean, architecturally sound MVPs that survive first-customer validation and scale into your Series A without a full rewrite.

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8–12 WEEKSProduction deployment from requirements sign-off
SCALE-READY ARCHITECTURENot just demo conditions — built for 10,000 users
100% CODE OWNERSHIPNo lock-in, no licensing fees, no vendor dependency
SENIOR ARCHITECTSDirect access from day one of the engagement
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CORE CAPABILITIES

What's Included in Every MVP Engagement

Lean Scope Definition

  • Structured product prioritization: core user journey mapped, nice-to-haves deferred
  • Story mapping and feature dependency analysis before sprint one
  • Written scope document signed before development starts
  • Clear launch criteria defined: what "done" means for your MVP

Production-Grade Foundation

  • Authentication, authorization, and user management built correctly from day one
  • Scalable database schema — avoid row migration nightmares at 10,000 records
  • Environment configuration: dev / staging / production isolation
  • Error handling, logging, and basic observability included in every build

Fast Iteration with Live Demos

  • 2-week sprints with a deployed, accessible demo at the end of each
  • Staging environment mirrors production — no "works on my machine" surprises
  • Feedback incorporated into the next sprint backlog within 48 hours
  • Direct access to the engineer building your product — no account manager relay

Investor & Demo Readiness

  • Performance optimization for demo conditions: fast load, clean UI, no obvious bugs
  • Basic analytics integration (Mixpanel, PostHog, or custom event tracking)
  • Infrastructure that can survive a Product Hunt launch or investor traffic spike
  • Pitch deck architecture diagram included in handover documentation

Handover & Post-Launch Support

  • Complete repository transfer to your GitHub organization
  • Infrastructure migrated to your cloud account (AWS, GCP, or Vercel)
  • Runbook: deployment process, environment variables, third-party configurations
  • Optional 30/60-day post-launch support retainer for bug fixes and minor additions
TECH STACK

Technologies We Use on MVP Engagements

FrontendTypeScript, React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS
BackendNode.js (primary), Python (if AI/data features needed)
DatabasePostgreSQL, Redis
AuthNextAuth, Auth0, Clerk, custom JWT
PaymentsStripe
InfrastructureVercel / AWS (depending on scale requirement), Docker
AnalyticsPostHog, Mixpanel, custom event tracking
CI/CDGitHub Actions
HOW WE WORK

The MVP Delivery Process

WEEK 1

Scope Definition Sprint

Product requirements workshop, user journey mapping, feature prioritization, and technical scope document. This sprint output defines exactly what we're building and how long it takes.

WEEKS 1–2

Architecture & Environment Setup

Repository setup, CI/CD pipeline, staging and production environments, and technical architecture finalized. Your infrastructure is in your account from day one.

WEEKS 2–10

Build Sprints

2-week sprint cycles with a working demo deployed to staging at the end of each. Backlog reviewed and reprioritized after every demo based on your feedback.

WEEKS 10–12

Launch & Handover

Final QA pass, performance review, production deployment, and full handover package. Optional: post-launch support retainer for the first 30–60 days.

WHY HARDENED SOFT

What Every MVP Engagement Includes

Your MVP deserves a senior architect, not a junior sprint team. We build for your first 10,000 users, not just your first 10. A demo every 2 weeks means you always know exactly where your product is. And 100% code ownership means no licensing fees, no vendor dependency, and a codebase you can hand to any engineer.
FAQ

Common Questions About MVP Development

How do you scope an MVP?

We run a structured scope definition sprint in week one. We map the core user journey, identify the minimum feature set to validate your hypothesis, and explicitly list what is deferred to post-MVP. Everything is written down and signed off before we build.

Can you build our MVP in under 8 weeks?

Rarely without compromising the foundation. We've seen MVPs built in 4 weeks come back for full rewrites at 6 months. Our 8–12 week timeline includes architecture that avoids that outcome.

What if we want to add features during development?

You can add anything to the backlog at any time. If it affects the agreed sprint scope, we log the change, estimate the impact, and get written approval before including it. Your timeline is protected.

Do you do design as well as development?

Yes. UX/UI design is included in our process — wireframes and interactive prototypes are produced in the design sprint before any frontend development begins.

What happens after we launch?

We offer optional post-launch support retainers. The codebase is fully documented and transferred, so you can onboard an internal engineer or future agency with full context.

Ready to start a project?

No sales scripts — just an honest technical conversation about your requirements, timeline, and budget.

📩 contact@hardenedsoft.com

EN — DESIGN & STRATEGY
Alex
UA — OPERATIONS
Bohdan
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