Process · How we run a project
From the first call
to the last line of code.
A Kaivon project has six phases. This page explains what happens in each — what we do, what you get, and what we need from you — so you know exactly what working with us looks like before you commit.
Discovery
30 min
Scope
1–2 wk
Design
2–4 wk
Build
4–12 wk
Launch
1 wk
Beyond
Ongoing
- 01
Discovery
30 min
- 02
Scope
1–2 wk
- 03
Design
2–4 wk
- 04
Build
4–12 wk
- 05
Launch
1 wk
- 06
Beyond
Ongoing
Shape of an engagement
Phases overlap. Momentum doesn't break.
Design continues into Build. QA runs alongside. The Thursday demo means there's never a silent stretch where you're wondering what's happening.
Typical 16-week engagement
Scope varies with project size.
01
Phase 01
Discovery
A first call to understand what you're building, who it's for, and whether Kaivon is the right studio for the job.
What we do
- Ask about your product, users, and constraints
- Share relevant past engagements
- Decide together if there's a fit — honestly
What you get
- A clear next step: a scoping sprint, a referral, or a friendly no
- Answers to your questions about how we work
What we need from you
- A rough description of what you're building or solving
- Your timeline and budget range, if known
02
Phase 02
Scoping sprint
A short, paid engagement to turn your idea into a real plan. You leave with a document, fixed scope, and a quote — whether or not you hire us for the build.
What we do
- Interview 3–5 of your users, stakeholders, or team
- Audit any existing product or codebase
- Sketch the smallest version worth shipping
- Write a Statement of Work with fixed scope, timeline, and price
What you get
- A written plan (10–20 page PDF) you can share internally
- A fixed scope, timeline, and price for the full build
- A decision point: proceed, revise, or walk away — no pressure
What we need from you
- A few hours across the sprint — kickoff, reviews, stakeholder intros
- Access to existing product, docs, and a few users
03
Phase 03
Design & prototype
A clickable prototype of the full flow, iterated weekly. By the end of this phase, you can put the product in a user's hands — it just isn't running on real data yet.
What we do
- Build a high-fidelity Figma design and clickable prototype
- Set up the design system and component library
- Iterate weekly — we show, you react, we revise
- Document rationale for non-obvious decisions
What you get
- A Figma file you can hand to any future team
- A shareable prototype for investors, users, or internal review
- A design system ready for implementation
What we need from you
- One 60-minute weekly review call
- Written feedback within 2 business days of each handoff
04
Phase 04
Build
Weekly releases to a staging environment, a shared Linear board you can see into, and a standing Thursday demo call. Nothing saves up for a big-bang launch.
What we do
- Ship to staging every week
- Run a Thursday demo with the whole team on
- QA every release before it goes out
- Keep the Linear board open — every ticket visible
What you get
- A working product, improving every week
- Full source code in a repo you own from day one
- A written changelog every Thursday
What we need from you
- Attendance on the Thursday call (or a watch-later recording)
- Quick answers on product decisions — under 24 hours
- Stakeholder reviews at mid-build and pre-launch
05
Phase 05
Launch
A monitored rollout. We deploy, watch the dashboards for 72 hours, and hand you a product that's live, observable, and documented.
What we do
- Production deploy with a rollback plan
- Configure analytics and error tracking
- Run accessibility and performance audit
- Monitor dashboards for 72 hours post-launch
What you get
- A live product on your own infrastructure
- A runbook for your ops team
- A 72-hour post-launch monitoring report
What we need from you
- Production credentials and domain access
- Approval on the final pre-launch checklist
06
Phase 06
Beyond
A light retainer so you're not alone with the codebase — or a clean handoff to your in-house team, whichever you prefer.
What we do
- Bug fixes, small features, incident response
- Quarterly product reviews
- Documented handoff to your in-house team, when you're ready
What you get
- A shipping partner who already knows your code
- Documented codebase handoff if you'd rather go in-house
- First-call-right on anything related to the product
What we need from you
- A retainer agreement (monthly, paused anytime)
- Or: four weeks' notice to wind down into a handoff
FAQ
The questions we get most.
How much does a project cost?
- Most engagements land between ₹15L and ₹60L (USD 18k–70k) depending on scope. The Scoping Sprint is a flat fee (₹1.5–2.5L) and is credited against the build if you proceed.
Who owns the code and designs?
- You do, from day one. The repo is yours, the Figma is yours, the runbooks are yours. We don't lock you in.
Can we pause a project mid-build?
- Yes. We work in weekly releases with natural stopping points. Give two weeks' notice and we'll wrap the current increment cleanly.
Will we work with the same people throughout?
- Yes. The team assigned to your project at Kickoff is the team that ships it. We don't shuffle people between projects mid-flight.
Do you sign NDAs?
- For the Discovery call, no — we don't need one to have a conversation. Before the Scoping Sprint, yes, we'll sign yours or use our standard mutual.
What if our idea isn't a fit?
- We'll say so on the Discovery call. If we can, we'll refer you to a studio or freelancer we trust. A bad fit is expensive for both of us.