App Development
A purpose-built web app for your small team — spec, prototype, build, launch.
A custom app build for small teams. We start with a free chat to confirm an app is the right answer, write a tight spec, prove the riskiest flow with a clickable prototype, then build a hardened production app with auth, data, integrations, tests, and monitoring. Web-first with mobile-friendly responsive design.
Typical results
What you get
How App Development actually runs
Every Sage Ideas engagement follows the same five-act story — free intro chat, scope, focused build, clean handoff, and optional Care. Click any stage to see what you do, what I do, and what you walk away with.
App Development — purpose-built web apps for small teams
A custom app build for small teams: clear spec, working prototype, hardened production, clean handoff. Web-first, with mobile-friendly responsive design.
How we run this
Phase-by-phase breakdown of the engagement. Every milestone produces a concrete artifact you can see, share, or hand off.
Free intro chat
A 20-minute call to decide whether an app is the right answer at all and which scope fits.
Spec & price
A short product spec capturing users, jobs, screens, data model, and milestone-based pricing.
Working prototype
A clickable prototype proves the core flow before we invest in the full build.
Production build
Real app build — auth, database, UI, integrations, tests, monitoring, observability.
QA & polish
Cross-device QA, accessibility, performance, and a security pass before launch.
Launch & handoff
Production cutover with a rollback plan, monitoring alerts, and a runbook your team can run.
What's included
- Free 20-minute intro chat
- Plain-English product spec with milestone-based pricing
- Clickable prototype of the riskiest flow
- Production app: auth, database, UI, integrations
- Cross-device QA + accessibility + perf + security passes
- Loom + written runbook + two weeks of bug-fix support
See what you'll get
Sample app spec template
A redacted product spec for a small-team web app — users, jobs, screens, data model, milestones.
Sample available on requestExtend the engagement
Optional add-ons priced separately. Bundle at checkout or scope into a follow-on engagement.
Mobile-shell app (PWA polish)
Installable PWA with offline support and push notifications.
Stripe / payment integration
One-time + subscription billing wired and tested.
Care for the app
Roll into Operate retainer ($2,500/mo) for ongoing pager + improvements.
Not included
- Native iOS / Android apps (web-first; we ship responsive web apps and PWAs)
- Long-term hosting bills (your AWS / Vercel / Render account, your costs)
- Open-ended scope expansion (changes go through written change-control)
Related case studies
Frequently asked
Why does the price start at $6,500?
Real apps need auth, data, tests, and monitoring on day one — not after launch. The starting price covers a tight scope with those baked in. Bigger apps quote higher; small internal tools may quote lower.
Web app or native app?
Web-first. Modern web apps install to home screens, work offline, and ship 10x faster than native. If you genuinely need native, I will say so on the intro call and refer out.
Can you take over an existing app?
Yes — start with Sage Audit ($750) so I understand the codebase, then we scope a continuation engagement honestly.
What if my idea is too small for $6,500?
Then it might be a Ship (marketing site), an Automate (one workflow), or a Build (broader engagement). The free intro chat is the fastest way to find out.
Ready to get started?
from $6,500 · 4–10 weeks