Timelines and phases — questions we get asked

How long does it take to build a marketplace?

Scope takes about a week; the build after it depends on three things: how many user types need their own app, how money moves, and what already exists. At the end of scope you get a date for the first working version, in writing. For reference, the first version of FindWorker, the home services marketplace we operate ourselves, was built in 16 weeks.

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Can we launch faster?

Usually, by launching one side first or by cutting features to the smallest thing that works. We will tell you which fits your marketplace. Skipping scope or adding people late tends to push the date out, not pull it in. The quickest route to launch is a short, written list of what is not in the first version.

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What happens in phase one?

The five questions answered, the build written down, and a named list of what we are not building. Fixed fee, about a week. The five questions are: marketplace or single vendor, your own riders and staff or third party, which payment rails and who holds the money, the budget range, and what already exists. You keep the written scope whether you continue with us or not.

What do we need to prepare before scope starts?

Only what you already know, and access to anything that exists. Bring what you know about your two sides, how you want money to move, and your budget range. If there is existing code, a design or a live product, we need to see it in its current state. Not having the answers yet is fine; working them out is what the scope week is for.

What does the first working version include?

The core of the platform running with real data: a customer can do the thing, a provider can fulfil it, and you can see it in the console. Everything else is a later phase. It is deliberately small, because it is the point where you decide whether to continue, and that decision is better made with real use in front of you than with a longer feature list.

What happens after the first working version?

Remaining scope comes in phases of the same shape, each priced before it begins, then maintenance. You choose what goes into the next phase based on what real users did with the first version. Nothing rolls into the next phase automatically; each one is a written scope and a price you agree to before any work on it starts.

Can you work to a fixed launch date?

Yes, if the scope fits the date. We work back from the date to what can be in the first working version, and put the rest on a named list for later phases. If the date cannot hold the scope you want, we say so in phase one, not two weeks before launch. Moving the date or cutting scope is then your choice.

What slows a marketplace build down most?

Decisions that arrive late, especially how money moves, who holds it, and what the refund policy is. Each one changes the build underneath the screens, so it is cheaper to settle them in scope than halfway through. Waiting on third parties, such as a payment provider's approval or an app store review, can also add time that nobody on the build controls.

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How do you tell us a date has slipped?

Before it slips, in writing, with the reason and the new date. Not on the day. Uzair runs phases and dates, so the message comes from the person who owns the plan rather than someone passing it on. You also see progress in the weekly written update, so a slip should never be the first sign that something is wrong.

Can we pause between phases?

Yes. Each phase is a decision, not an obligation. When a phase ends you have working software, the code and the documents for it, so there is nothing to lose by pausing. When you come back, the next phase is scoped and priced before it starts. A pause is a good time to put the first working version in front of real users.