How to write an app brief
The £49 call is 30 minutes. A short brief beforehand is how you leave with a package match instead of a pleasant chat.
A useful brief is one job, who does it, on which device, and whether money moves. A pitch deck is optional. A list of 40 features is a wish. We read the brief before the call so the 30 minutes are not a cold start.
You pay £49, pick a slot, and send this. We review it first. If it is a fit you get a fixed quote for Launch, Build, Scale or Custom. If it is not, we say so. The call is credited toward the package if we go ahead.
What should an app brief include?
Enough that a stranger could tell Launch from Scale. Write: the one job on day one; who does it (staff, customers, both); iOS, Android or web; whether anyone pays in the app; any named tools to connect (Stripe, a CRM, maps). Add three screens you know you need, not thirty you might. That is enough for us to map a package. What an MVP includes helps you cut.
How long should the brief be?
A few tight paragraphs beats a novel. If you cannot say it in a page, you do not have a first version yet — you have a company strategy. Bring the strategy if you want; put the first-version job at the top. We would rather a 200-word brief we can quote than a 20-page PDF with no platform.
Do I need designs, user research or a pitch deck?
No. Screenshots of a competitor you like are helpful. A Figma file is optional. We will not charge you extra because you arrived with sketches, and we will not punish you if you arrived with notes. What we cannot quote is “something like Uber, but for X, on every device, with AI.” That is Custom discovery, or a shorter job hiding inside it.
What questions will you ask on the call?
Who is the first user, what they do in five minutes, what happens to the data, who takes payment, which store you want first, and what you will do yourselves (copy, photos, Apple and Google accounts). We will also say what is not in the package: store accounts, Stripe’s fees, hosting meters, extra integrations. If payments matter, say so — Launch does not include a gateway; Build does, as the one included integration.
What if I do not know the package yet?
That is normal. Do not self-diagnose Scale because it sounds grown-up. Send the job and the platform. We will tell you if it is five screens or twelve, one OS or two. Cost sits in the app development cost guide; time in how long it takes. The brief is the input. The package is the output.
A brief you can copy
Steal this shape:
- Job. “Field reps book a demo at a dealer and the office sees it the same day.”
- Users. “Twenty reps on iPhone; two coordinators on desktop.”
- Platform first. “iOS now. Web admin on the same backend. Android later.”
- Money. “No in-app pay. Maybe later.” or “Stripe checkout on the booking.”
- Must-connect. “Google Calendar. Not Salesforce.”
- Done. “A rep can book, a coordinator can reassign, we can see this week’s list.”
- Out of scope on purpose. “No customer-facing store, no points, no chat.”
If you already have that, book the call and paste it into the brief form after you pay. If you do not, spend an hour on this page instead of another week polishing a deck. We would rather quote a sharp paragraph than admire a slide.
What happens after you send it?
We read it before the 30 minutes. On the call we will either map it onto a package or tell you it is Custom. You then approve a quote. A 25% deposit starts the build. You pick how to pay the rest: deposit and balance, in full, or milestones on Scale and Custom. Nothing is designed until that quote is accepted. If the brief changes after the call — new platform, new payments, new CRM — the quote changes too. That is the point of writing it down first.
Four packages. Zero surprise invoices.
Every package is a fixed price. A founding offer is on until 30 September — then prices go back to list. A £49 scoping call gets the ball rolling.
Launch
A single-purpose app that needs to exist fast. No payments, no custom backend.
- Up to 5 screens, one platform
- Content, forms and email capture
- 2-week delivery
Build
A proper product you can put in front of real users.
- Up to 12 screens, iOS, Android or web
- Custom backend, database and accounts
- 1 integration — payments, auth, maps
Scale
A cross-platform product ready to handle real growth.
- iOS + Android or full web app
- Up to 3 integrations, including payments
- Dedicated account manager
Custom
Ongoing products, complex integrations, or a dedicated crew.
- Multi-platform and enterprise work
- Phased roadmap or retainer
- SLA-backed support after launch
Founding prices end 30 September — list is £2,499 / £4,999 / £9,999. The £49 scoping call is credited toward your package if we go ahead. Launch does not include a payment gateway.