The 4-week process#
This page is written for the case where you have already lost a software project. That is why every week states what happens, what I need from you and what you get — and what "handover" means precisely.
Before the start: the intro call#
20 minutes, free. You describe the process that costs you time. I tell you honestly whether a sprint is the right format for it — and if not, what fits better. The call ends with a clear yes or no; a no is information, not a lost sale.
Week 1: The scope is written down#
What happens: we write the scope into the scope sheet — every function as a testable statement ("Ms. Meyer opens the app on her iPhone, picks 'reschedule appointment', sees the new appointment in the list and receives a confirmation e-mail"). The same sheet contains the "not in this sprint" list. In parallel, architecture and the clickable UI prototype are built; repository and CI stand up from day one.
What I need from you: time for 1–2 interviews, your sample data (structured or not — we sort it together), and your signature under the scope sheet.
What you get: signed scope sheet, clickable UI prototype, repository access, the CI run green.
Week 2: The core process with real data#
What happens: the agreed core process is built end-to-end — with your real data, not placeholders. At the end of the week you test internally on your devices: iPhone, Android, browser, whatever your daily reality is.
What I need from you: testers from your daily operation. Two or three people who know the process, and an hour of their time.
What you get: a testable version of the core process and a list of what week 3 will tackle.
Week 3: Edge cases and the first live demo#
What happens: edge cases, error paths, permissions. Mid-week the first live demo — on real devices, with your data. You collect feedback, we prioritise it together: what goes into week 4, what goes onto the change-order list for later.
What I need from you: an hour for the demo and decisions on the feedback — what matters, what can wait.
What you get: a demo-ready state, a prioritised feedback backlog. The second payment milestone (40%) falls due after this demo.
Week 4: Feedback, documentation, handover#
What happens: the prioritised feedback is implemented. Documentation is written (README, dev docs, operations notes), deployment is completed — TLS, backups, monitoring. At the end of the week, the handover workshop (2 hours).
What you get:
- Repository — the source code, complete, including commit history.
- Documentation — architecture, operation, known limits.
- CI pipeline — builds and tests on every commit.
- Deployment — running, with backups and monitoring.
- Handover workshop — your team (or your IT) sees where everything lives and how to operate it.
Acceptance: written, with a five business day review period (§ 640 BGB). The quality bar: demo-ready on real devices, no known crash on the agreed test matrix, no placeholder text in the agreed flows.
The 30 days after#
For 30 days I fix defects in the agreed flows at no extra cost. What comes afterwards is your decision in your own time: build-out (€480/day) for further changes, maintenance & operations (€240/month) for running and updates — or your own operation with your team. The code is yours; nothing about it keeps you tied to me.
What separates this from the failed project#
Three mechanisms you probably missed last time:
- The scope is fixed in writing — with an exclusion list. No verbal promises that were "obviously clear" in week 8.
- The price is fixed before the start. If my estimate was wrong, that is my problem, not yours.
- You can stop after week 2 — with a usable intermediate result and around €2,400 instead of €4,800. A project that only surfaces in month four has no such safety valve.
If you have doubts about any of the three, ask precisely in the intro call — that is what it is for.