No Coding Before Alignment
We don't start writing code until we're completely aligned on what we're building and why. The Discovery and Planning phases exist specifically to prevent the 'that's not what I asked for' conversation later.
Our Process
How We Work
Transparent from start to finish. No surprises.
We've refined our process through years of project work — learning what creates successful outcomes and what derails them. Here's exactly how an engagement with ByteForever works.
Clear Milestones
Weekly Updates
Money-Back Guarantee
6
Clear Steps
2-Week
Sprint Cycles
100%
Code Ownership
Money-Back Guarantee
Why It Works
A Process Built on Hard Lessons
Most development processes fail for predictable reasons: unclear requirements, scope creep, communication gaps, and surprise costs. Our process is specifically designed to prevent these problems.
Continuous Visibility
You see progress every two weeks — working software, not just status reports. If something is going wrong, you'll know immediately, not at the end when it's too late to fix.
Risk on Us, Not You
Our Money-Back Guarantee on the first sprint means we share the risk. If we don't deliver what we promised, you don't pay. Simple as that.
Six Clear Steps
From discovery call to launch and beyond
01
Discovery Call
Understanding your project before any commitment
30-60 minutesFree • No Commitment
What Happens:
You'll talk directly with Gautam (our founder) or a senior engineer. We talk about your project. We ask questions. We share relevant experience. By the end of the call, you'll have a clear sense of whether we're a good fit.
cover:
- Your business goals and technical challenges
- Timeline and budget expectations
- Current systems and integrations
- Whether we are the right partner
learn:
- If we have relevant experience
- Rough idea of cost/timeline (not a quote)
- Our recommended approach
- Next steps (if any)
This call is free. No obligation. If we're not the right fit, we'll say so.
02
Proposal & Planning
A roadmap you can actually understand
3-5 daysDetailed Scope
What Happens:
After the discovery call, we create a detailed proposal. This isn't a generic template — it's a customized plan for your specific project.
included:
- Project scope and objectives
- Technical approach and architecture overview
- Detailed timeline with milestones
- Team composition
- Investment breakdown
- Risk assessment and mitigation
We tell you what we don't know. Every proposal includes what assumptions we're making.
03
Kickoff & Architecture
Getting the foundation right before building
1-2 weeksFoundation Phase
What Happens:
Once you approve the proposal, we start. Week 1 is about building the foundation — architecture, infrastructure, and the scaffolding everything else will sit on.
activities:
- Kick-off meeting with full team
- Detailed requirements validation
- Architecture design and documentation
- Development environment setup
- Communication channels established
- Project tools configured
deliverables:
- Architecture decision records
- Development environment ready
- Project board & milestones set
- Sprint 1 plan
- Communication schedule
04
Iterative Development
Building in cycles you can see and touch
2-week sprints (ongoing)Core Build Phase
What Happens:
Here's where it gets built. Every two weeks, you see working software. You can test it, provide feedback, adjust priorities. We iterate together.
sprint:
- Sprint planning (what we will build)
- Daily standups (async/sync)
- Development and code review
- Testing throughout
- Demo and review (every sprint)
- Retrospective (what can we improve?)
why Sprints:
- Short enough to adapt quickly
- Long enough to deliver real value
- Regular feedback loops
- No "big bang" surprises
Money-Back Guarantee: If the first sprint doesn't meet the success criteria we defined together, you don't pay for it.
05
Quality Assurance
Testing isn't a phase — it's how we work
Continuous + finalQuality Built-In
What Happens:
Testing isn't a phase at the end. It's continuous throughout development. Every feature is tested before it's marked as complete.
approach:
- Unit tests alongside code (90%+ coverage goal)
- Integration tests for APIs and workflows
- End-to-end tests for critical user flows
- Manual QA for edge cases
- Performance testing (load testing if needed)
- Security testing (OWASP guidelines)
receive:
- Test coverage reports
- Bug tracking access
- Quality metrics
- Performance benchmarks
06
Launch & Support
We don't disappear after go-live
Launch + ongoingGo Live & Beyond
What Happens:
We don't just hand over code and disappear. We support you through launch and ensure a smooth transition to operations.
launch:
- Production deployment
- Monitoring setup
- Load testing and optimization
- Bug fixes (included)
- Go-live support
- Hypercare period (2 weeks)
handover:
- Complete source code
- Technical documentation
- Deployment runbooks & CI/CD pipelines
- Architecture decision records
- Knowledge transfer sessions
- Recorded walk-throughs
ongoing:
- Monthly maintenance packages
- Priority bug fixes
- Feature enhancements
- Performance monitoring
- Security updates
Example Timelines
How Long Will It Take?
Every project is different, but here are three typical timeline examples to give you a sense of what to expect.
Simple MVP
6-8 weeks
Core features, single platform, straightforward integrations
Breakdown:
Discovery & Planning1 week
Kickoff & Architecture1 week
Development (2-3 sprints)4-6 weeks
Launch & Support1 week
Mid-Size Platform
3-5 months
Multiple features, API integrations, admin dashboard
Breakdown:
Discovery & Planning1-2 weeks
Kickoff & Architecture2 weeks
Development (6-10 sprints)12-20 weeks
Launch & Support2 weeks
Enterprise System
6-12 months
Complex architecture, multiple integrations, compliance requirements
Breakdown:
Discovery & Planning2-4 weeks
Kickoff & Architecture3-4 weeks
Development (12-24 sprints)24-48 weeks
Launch & Support2-4 weeks
Note: These are examples based on typical projects. Your actual timeline depends on scope, complexity, and integrations. We'll give you a realistic estimate in our proposal — not an optimistic one to win the deal.
Money-Back Guarantee
Our commitment to your success, with zero risk to you.
How It Works:
1
Before Sprint 1, we define success criteria together
2
We build and deliver Sprint 1
3
We review against the success criteria
4
If we miss the criteria, you don't pay for that sprint
No arguments. No fine print. No "but you changed the requirements" excuses.
Why We Do This:
We believe if we can't deliver what we promise, we shouldn't get paid for it. It's that simple. This guarantee exists because we've seen too many businesses burned by agencies that take money upfront and underdeliver. We're different.
What to Expect Working With Us
Communication
how We Communicate:
- Slack for day-to-day questions
- Weekly video calls for updates
- Email for formal decisions
channels:
- Dedicated Slack channel
- Direct access to engineers
- Founder available for escalation
response Time:
Same day for urgent, 24 hours for general
note:
Direct communication with engineers. No account managers.
Transparency
visibility:
- Real-time access to project board
- Code repository access from day one
- Meeting notes documented
what You See:
- Sprint progress (daily)
- Blockers and risks
- Budget burn rate
- Timeline updates
well Tell You:
- When we make a mistake
- When timeline needs to change
- When we discover new complexity
Decision Making
your Control:
- Prioritize sprint backlogs
- Approve architecture decisions
- Accept/reject deliverables
- Adjust scope anytime
our Guidance:
- Technical recommendations
- Trade-off analysis
- Risk assessments
- Best practice advice
Common Questions
Process Questions
It depends on scope. A simple MVP might be 6-8 weeks. A complex enterprise system could be 6-12 months. We'll give you a realistic estimate in our proposal — not an optimistic one to win the deal.
Scope changes happen — requirements evolve, markets shift, priorities change. We handle them transparently: document the change, assess impact on timeline/budget, get your approval before proceeding. No surprise bills.
Talk to us immediately. Most issues can be resolved through direct communication. If it's a quality issue, we'll fix it. If it's a fundamental mismatch, we have our Money-Back Guarantee for the first sprint.
Yes. We often take over projects from other teams or help modernize legacy systems. We'll assess the codebase quality during Discovery and give you an honest assessment.
Everything we build belongs to you. 100% code ownership from day one. It's in our contract. You own the repository, the code, and all associated IP.
We structure payments around sprint milestones. Typically: 25% upfront to start kickoff, then payment per completed sprint (usually bi-weekly). For larger projects, we can do milestone-based payments. No payment in full upfront — we earn your trust sprint by sprint. Remember: our Money-Back Guarantee covers the first sprint.
We offer ongoing support packages, but they're optional. We'll hand over complete documentation and can do knowledge transfer to your internal team. You're never locked in.
Ready to Start?
Book a discovery call. We'll learn about your project, share our relevant experience, and give you an honest assessment of whether we can help.
Book Your Discovery Callor email hello@byteforever.com