What You Get in 30-45 Days with an MVP Studio (Deliverables Checklist 2026)
When founders ask what €8k–€18k buys in 30–45 days, the answer isn't just code. This article breaks down the exact deliverables week by week—architecture decisions, working MVP, hardening, and knowledge transfer—so you know what to expect and what to ask for.
When founders ask, “What do I get for €8k-€18k in 30-45 days?”, the answer is not just “code.”
You get:
- Architecture decisions (explicit, documented)
- A working MVP (not a prototype)
- Hardening (tests, staging, monitoring)
- Knowledge transfer (you own it)
This article breaks down exactly what happens week-by-week.
For pricing context:
Week 1: Architecture & Planning (Not “Just Start Coding”)
Why this matters: Skipping architecture = technical debt from Day 1.
Deliverables:
- Data model design (tables, relationships, constraints)
- API contract definition (endpoints, request/response shapes)
- Tech stack selection (Next.js vs Django, reasoning documented)
- Deployment strategy (Vercel, Railway, AWS)
- Scope document (what’s in MVP, what’s Phase 2)
Time: 1 week (20-30% of total timeline).
Output: Architecture doc (5-10 pages) + schema diagram + API blueprint.
Example: B2B SaaS dashboard. Week 1 output:
- Schema: Users (id, email, role), Projects (id, name, owner_id), Tasks (id, title, project_id, assignee_id)
- API:
POST /auth/login,GET /projects,POST /tasks - Stack: Next.js + Supabase + Vercel
- Scope: MVP = 1 user role, 3 core features. Phase 2 = multi-tenant, advanced permissions.
Stack selection follows the principles in our MVP tech stack guide—optimized for shipping speed while keeping iteration cost low.
Week 2-4: Core MVP Build (Working Product, Not Demo)
What gets built:
Week 2: Foundation
- Auth (login, signup, password reset)
- User session handling (JWT, refresh tokens)
- Basic UI (landing page, dashboard shell)
- Database setup (migrations, seed data)
Week 3: Core Feature
- Main value-driving feature (e.g., task board, payment flow, search)
- Business logic (centralized rules, not scattered in UI)
- Basic error handling (try-catch, user-friendly messages)
Week 4: Secondary Features
- Admin panel (user management, basic reporting)
- Integrations (Stripe, email, analytics)
- Responsive UI (mobile-friendly)
Time: 3 weeks (60-70% of timeline).
Output: Functional MVP on staging environment.
Week 5-6: Hardening (Why Your MVP Won’t Break)
What hardening includes:
- Automated tests (core flows: signup, payment, key feature)
- Staging environment (deploy preview, test before prod)
- Error tracking (Sentry integration, Slack alerts)
- Logging (structured logs, request IDs for debugging)
- Database backups (automated daily, tested restore)
- Performance optimization (lazy loading, caching, query optimization)
Time: 1-2 weeks (15-20% of timeline).
Why this matters: Without hardening, every change is risky.
Related Insights
Post-Launch: What Happens After Week 6?
Week 7-8 (included in package):
- Bug fixes (critical issues only, not new features)
- Deployment support (help with DNS, SSL, production setup)
- Monitoring setup (Vercel Analytics, PostHog, or Plausible)
- Handoff session (2-hour walkthrough: code structure, deployment, how to add features)
Beyond Week 8 (optional retainer):
- Maintenance: €500-€1.5k/month (bug fixes, minor updates, monitoring)
- Feature development: €3k-€8k per feature (depends on complexity)
Deliverables Checklist (What You Own)
Code & Infrastructure
- Source code (GitHub repo, you own it)
- Deployment pipeline (CI/CD setup, one-click deploy)
- Staging environment (separate from production)
- Database backups (automated, tested restore)
Documentation
- Architecture doc (why decisions were made)
- API documentation (endpoints, request/response examples)
- README (how to run locally, deploy, add features)
- Data model diagram (schema, relationships)
Monitoring & Observability
- Error tracking (Sentry configured, alerts setup)
- Analytics (PostHog, Plausible, or Vercel Analytics)
- Logging (structured logs, query-able)
Knowledge Transfer
- Handoff session (2 hours: code walkthrough, Q&A)
- Video recordings (deploy process, common tasks)
- Support channel (Slack/Discord for 2 weeks post-launch)
What You DON’T Get (Setting Expectations)
Not included:
- Unlimited revisions (scope changes cost extra)
- Marketing/sales (MVPs don’t sell themselves)
- 24/7 support (business hours support only)
- Lifetime maintenance (post-launch support = 2 weeks, then optional retainer)
- Perfection (MVPs have acceptable debt, documented)
Why this matters: Clear expectations = no surprises.
Cost Breakdown: Where Your Money Goes
€15k MVP example (6 weeks):
- Week 1 (Architecture): €2.5k (20h @ €125/h)
- Week 2-4 (Build): €9k (72h @ €125/h)
- Week 5-6 (Hardening): €2.5k (20h @ €125/h)
- Post-launch (2 weeks): €1k (8h support)
Total: €15k = 120 hours development + 8h support.
Breakdown by activity:
- Planning/architecture: 20%
- Core development: 60%
- Hardening: 15%
- Support: 5%
For the full tier breakdown (Founder / Scale / Enterprise), see MVP pricing and packaging.
DIY vs Studio: Time Comparison
| Activity | DIY (Solo Founder) | Studio (Partner) |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | 2-4 weeks (trial/error) | 1 week (experience) |
| Core build | 6-12 weeks (learning) | 3 weeks (focused) |
| Hardening | 2-4 weeks (if done at all) | 1-2 weeks (standard) |
| Total | 10-20 weeks | 5-6 weeks |
Time saved: 5-14 weeks (founder can focus on sales/validation). If you’re weighing these trade-offs, the DIY vs partner scorecard helps you decide in 15 minutes.
How We Work at The Byte-sized
Week 1: Kickoff call (2h) → Architecture draft (3 days) → Review session (1h) → Finalize.
Week 2-6: Weekly demos (Friday 1h) → Show progress → Get feedback → Adjust scope if needed.
Week 7-8: Handoff session (2h) → Support channel (Slack 2 weeks) → Optional retainer.
Transparency: You see code daily (GitHub access), weekly demos (not black box). Our full approach to operational transparency in AI-assisted development explains what this looks like in practice.
Conclusion: You’re Buying Speed + Certainty, Not Just Code
In 30-45 days, you get:
- Working MVP (production-ready, not prototype)
- Architecture (decisions documented, technical debt controlled)
- Hardening (tests, staging, monitoring)
- Ownership (code, docs, knowledge transfer)
What you DON’T get: unlimited revisions, lifetime support, marketing magic.
Remember: €8k-€18k buys 5-6 weeks focused development + 2 weeks support. DIY takes 10-20 weeks (5-14 weeks slower).