# MVP development for non-technical founders: a first version you can launch and test

> ODEL builds MVP apps and SaaS for non-technical founders: a written scope cut to the core, milestone builds on your phone, launch under your own accounts.

ODEL builds MVPs for non-technical founders: the smallest iPhone, Android or web product that real users can download, pay for and give feedback on. You work directly with the developer who builds it, not an account manager. The project starts with a discovery call and a written scope that names the one core workflow, what is cut and why, then a fixed quote or phased plan. Clickable screens come before code, working builds land on your phone at each milestone, and launch happens under your own Apple, Google and Stripe accounts, so you own the app, the code and the data from day one. ODEL ships its own small first versions the same way: ChairBook and BidCraft are focused tools for salons and contractors that gained Home Screen shortcuts and clearer paywalls in later updates, and Appalize Shots is a single-purpose screenshot editor.

## Who it is for

- Non-technical founders with a tested idea and a budget for a first version
- Founders who need a working product for investors, a pilot customer or a waitlist
- Small businesses testing a new digital product before a bigger build
- Founders burned by a previous developer who want milestone payments and visible progress

## When ODEL is not the right fit

- Ideas with no customer conversations yet: validate with a landing page, a waitlist or a manual service first
- Products that only need a form, a list and a login: Bubble, Glide or FlutterFlow can get you to first users cheaper
- Founders who need a long-term technical co-founder with equity
- MVPs in regulated fields that need a certified vendor (banking, insurance claims, protected health information)

## What you get

- Written scope: core workflow, cut list, success measure
- Fixed quote or phased plan with milestone payments
- Clickable screens tested on a phone
- iPhone, Android or web app with source in your repository
- Analytics events for the one or two numbers you will judge the MVP by
- Store or hosting setup under your accounts
- Launch and App Review handling
- A version-two list based on what users do

## How the project runs

1. **Discovery**: A short call about users, the core problem, the budget range and the deadline that matters.
2. **Scope and cut list**: A written scope with a fixed quote or phased plan. Payment is tied to milestones you can see on your phone, not to time spent.
3. **Screens**: Clickable screens to test with a few real users before code.
4. **Build in milestones**: Each milestone ends with a working build and a short note on what changed.
5. **Launch and measure**: Store or web launch under your accounts, then a review of real usage to decide what comes next.

## Technology

React Native and Expo, Swift and SwiftUI, Capacitor, Node.js, PostgreSQL or Supabase, Stripe, StoreKit and Google Play Billing, PostHog analytics

## Apps ODEL built and runs

- [ChairBook](https://www.odel.dev/app/chairbook.md): ChairBook is an appointment calendar app for independent hairdressers, barbers and beauty pros.
- [BidCraft](https://www.odel.dev/app/bidcraft.md): BidCraft is an iPhone app for contractors to create job estimates, invoices and PDF documents.
- [Appalize Shots](https://www.odel.dev/app/appalize-shots.md): Appalize Shots is a mobile app for designing App Store and Google Play screenshots on your device.
- [Focus Timer](https://www.odel.dev/app/focustimer.md): Focus Timer is a Pomodoro study and work timer for iPhone with breaks, tasks and progress tracking.
- [Appalize](https://www.odel.dev/project/appalize.md): Appalize is a web platform for App Store Optimization, keyword research and competitor tracking.

## Questions

### What is a realistic MVP budget in 2026?

It depends on platforms, the number of workflows, backend and payments, and who builds it. ODEL quotes after a discovery call. Market figures vary widely: Clutch's 2026 pricing guide (sample size not stated) shows 10,000 to 49,999 USD as the most common project range; a 2026 vendor blog puts a simple cross-platform MVP at 25,000 to 45,000 USD from Eastern Europe and 55,000 to 100,000 USD from a US agency (Idealogic, a vendor estimate). Reddit threads report quotes from a few thousand dollars to over 50,000 USD for similar ideas.

### How long does an MVP take?

Usually a few months, depending on scope and how fast decisions are made. A 2026 vendor benchmark of 30 builds found a median of 12 weeks from kickoff to first live release, fastest 5 and slowest 26 (Wavect, a vendor). Add Apple and Google account setup, and 14 days of closed testing on a new personal Google Play account.

### Agency, freelancer or a solo studio?

An agency gives you more people and a project manager at a higher price; a freelancer platform is cheaper but quality and protection vary; a solo studio sits between: one experienced builder who also ships their own products. Commenters on Reddit warn that an agency is not automatically safer. Whoever you hire, check live apps they built, get the code and accounts in your name, and pay by milestone.

### Should I pay upfront or give equity?

Neither is required with ODEL. Payment follows milestones in the written scope, each one tied to a build you can install. Founders on Reddit describe paying everything upfront as a costly mistake, and warn against giving equity to a hired agency.

### Who owns the app, the source code and the developer accounts?

You do. The app is published under your own Apple and Google developer accounts, the repository is yours, and the written agreement assigns the code and design to you; under US law, for example, a contractor owns the code by default unless there is a written assignment, so ask for that clause from anyone you hire. ODEL is added to your accounts as a team member and can be removed at any time.

### Who will I actually talk to during the project?

The developer who designs and builds your app. ODEL is a one-person studio run by Oguz Delioglu, so there is no account manager between you and the code: you get answers from the person writing it and test builds on your own phone at each milestone. The trade-off is capacity: ODEL takes on a small number of projects at a time.

## Sources

- https://clutch.co/directory/mobile-application-developers/pricing
- https://idealogic.io/blog/mobile-app-development-cost
- https://wavect.io/blog/mvp-timeline-benchmark-2026/
- https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14151465?hl=en
- https://reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/1r9agny/has_anyone_here_actually_hired_someone_to_build/
- https://redlib.reallyaweso.me/r/startups/comments/1l4xsrz/learn_from_my_38k_mistake_i_will_not_promote
- https://echai.ventures/startingup/finding-developers/how-do-i-make-sure-i-actually-own-the-code-my-freelancer-writes

Start a project: https://www.odel.dev/services#start (form) or info@odel.dev. ODEL quotes each project after a short discovery call; it does not publish fixed prices.

Page: https://www.odel.dev/services/mvp-development