Block 1
Kickoff workshop
Product, goals, context. We clarify together what the app needs to do, for whom, and which decisions are due now. The foundation for everything that follows — and the point where most projects start building too early.
New App
The kickoff for your new app.
Before the first line of code gets written, the decisions get made that are the most expensive to fix later: architecture, process, team. The App Kickoff sets up your new app project the right way from day 1 — so the structural problems I otherwise find in the Diagnostic week never form in the first place.
The counterpart to the Diagnostic week
The 1-Week Diagnostic looks at an app that's already live and not performing the way it should. The App Kickoff comes before that: you're starting a new app — as a founder from scratch, or as a company launching a new product alongside an existing one — and you want to get it right from the start. I'm your sparring partner for product, technology, and organization. I advise, I structure, and I connect you with specialists from my network where needed — your team does the building.
„The start is quick to build, one feature here, one feature there ... but the bill for the missing plan always comes due later.“
Block 2
Scope & prioritization
Not everything at once. We decide together what gets built first — based on value for your users and on what shows impact quickly. More complex pieces get deliberately pushed back until the app has proven its value with customers. That way your budget flows first to where it has the biggest impact on the app's success.
Block 3 · optional
AI prototype
If no prototype exists yet, we make the product idea tangible quickly — an AI-generated prototype (e.g. with Lovable or Claude Code) you can use to test direction, flows, and reactions before investing in the real build. If you already have a prototype or MVP, we use that as the starting point. Not production code, but a fast reality check that sharpens the tech decisions that follow.
Block 4
Tech concept
Architecture, stack, tooling — fitting the phase, not over-engineered. Decisions that grow with you instead of slowing you down in six months.
Block 5
Process & organizational foundation
Dev, QA, and release process, and team organization from day 1. Most app problems aren't code problems, they're process and organization problems. Here we set things up so quality is built in from the start, instead of being retrofitted expensively later.
Block 6
Team & freelancers
We clarify which roles you need and in what order. Where speed matters, I bring in specialists from my network — as a complement to your team, not a replacement — so you can get started before the permanent hires are in place.
What you end up with
- A working prototype, if needed, that makes the product direction tangible
- A decided architecture and a stack that fits the phase
- A working dev, QA, and release process from day 1
- A clear team and role setup with next steps for building it out
- First specialists from the network ready to start, if needed
- A prioritized plan for the first phase — implementable internally
Not a glossy concept to file away, but a working foundation your team can actually start from.
The details
- Price
- €5,000, fixed price
- Duration
- 4–6 days, spread across several weeks
- Afterward
- Optional ongoing support as a retainer — monthly, scope adjustable.
- What I need
- Access to the people responsible for the product, and a willingness to really structure the starting phase instead of building right away.
Book an intro call
Prefer async? Write to me: steven.mohr@smartasapps.de