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Website Projects
Discovery Sprint
A paid scoping sprint that turns a large app, portal or complex store into requirements, wireframes and a fixed build quote.
Custom apps, portals and complex stores go over budget when no one agrees what they must do before building starts. In this sprint your decision-maker answers two written questionnaires, then we write the requirements, sketch up to 10 key screens and list the technical approach and integrations. You finish with a fixed quote and timeline for the build, and the sprint price is credited if you go ahead.
- Requirements and user stories agreed through two written questionnaires
- Wireframes for up to ten key screens
- Fixed build quote, with the sprint price credited
$3,875
10–20 working days
What it is
Discovery Sprint is the paid first step for work too custom for a fixed package. That covers apps and portals beyond our fixed builds, internal tools, headless or Shopify Plus stores and multi-store setups. You get two written questionnaires, requirements, wireframes for up to 10 key screens, a technical approach and a fixed build quote.
Why businesses buy it
A free estimate for a custom app is often a guess, padded for risk or set low and raised later. Either way, you pay for the uncertainty. A short, paid discovery replaces the guess with decisions: who uses the app, what each role must do, which tools it connects to and what matters first. The fixed quote at the end is based on that shared picture. You keep every document, whether you build with us or not, and the sprint price is credited if you go ahead.
Problems this solves
Developers quote wildly different prices for the same vague idea
Two written questionnaires turn your idea into a requirements document with user roles and user stories. You end up with a written scope that a fixed quote can rest on.
Projects start before anyone agrees what the app must do
User stories set out what each type of user needs to do. You review the requirements and wireframes before the quote, so gaps surface early.
You cannot picture how the portal or tool will work
Wireframes for up to 10 key screens show the main layouts and journeys. They give your team something concrete to discuss before any visual design or code.
Budget and timeline are unclear before committing to a build
You receive a fixed quote and timeline for the build, explained in a written walkthrough. The technical approach and integrations list show what the price covers.
A good fit if
You are planning an app or portal larger than our fixed packages, an internal tool, a headless site, a Shopify Plus store or a multi-store setup.
The app will replace spreadsheets, email threads or tools that no longer fit.
You want a fixed price for the build rather than an open-ended estimate.
One decision-maker can answer both questionnaires and approve the scope.
Not the right fit if
You need a first web app with up to 6 core screens and 2 user roles. See Web App MVP Build.
You need a secure client area for files, status and requests. See Client Portal Build.
You already know the requirements and want high-fidelity screens. See UI/UX Design Sprint.
You only need your website connected to one tool. See Integration Pack.
You need a standard website rather than an app. See Corporate Website or WordPress Business Website.
You need a CRM set up rather than a custom tool. See CRM Starter Setup.
You need a standard store of up to 50 products on one platform. See Shopify Store Build or WooCommerce Store Build.
How it works
- At intake you share the documents, spreadsheets or tools the app will replace and a list of who will use it.
- The first written questionnaire covers goals, users, roles and the journeys the app must support.
- We draft the requirements, user stories and wireframes for up to 10 key screens.
- The second questionnaire reviews the drafts, settles open questions and agrees priorities, with follow-up questions by email.
- We write the technical approach, list the integrations and prepare a fixed quote and timeline for the build.
- You get the documents and a written quote walkthrough, with the sprint price credited if you go ahead.
What you provide within 72 hours
Your portal lists these the moment you order. Delivery starts the working day after everything is in and your access is checked.
- One decision-maker who answers both questionnaires and approves the scope.
- The documents, spreadsheets or tools the app will replace.
- A list of the people who will use the app.
- Viewer access by invite or a key you control to any system the app must connect to.
The 72-hour rule. Send everything on your checklist, including access, within 72 hours of ordering so your build starts on time.
Timeline
Start
Documents and user list reviewed, first questionnaire sent.
Week 1
First questionnaire on goals, users, roles and journeys answered.
Week 1
Requirements, user stories and wireframes drafted.
Week 2
Second questionnaire to review drafts and agree priorities answered.
Week 2
Technical approach, integrations list and fixed quote prepared.
Go-live
Documents and the written quote walkthrough delivered.
| Option | Delivery time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 10–20 working days | $3,875 |
What you receive at handover
- Two written requirement questionnaires, with follow-up questions by email
- A requirements document with user roles and user stories
- Wireframes for up to 10 key screens
- A technical approach and integrations list (integrations are listed, not built)
- A fixed quote and timeline for the build, with a written walkthrough
- A follow-up period for questions
Expected benefits and how to measure them
- Helps you decide whether to build with a clear scope, price and timeline in hand
- Can reduce surprises and change requests once the build starts
- Gives you documents you can use to brief any team
- Change requests during build
- Count scope changes raised after the build starts and compare with any past project.
- Quote spread
- If you collect other quotes, compare them against the same requirements document to see how closely they agree.
- Time to decision
- Note how long it takes to make a go or no-go decision after the written quote walkthrough.
Before you start: Write down the problem the app should solve and how it is handled today. Note any quotes or estimates you already have.
These are things to track, not promised results. Outcomes depend on your data, your team and your market.
Running costs
There are no running costs. The sprint is paid once and needs no tools from you. If you go ahead with the build, the quote lists any hosting, licenses or third-party services the app will need, so you see those costs before you commit.
Ask about running costsCustom requirements
Need more questionnaire rounds, more than 10 wireframe screens, or a clickable prototype as part of discovery? Add a note at checkout for a written Change Quote. Very large projects use the Custom AI enquiry form instead.
Request a custom versionKeep it running
There is nothing to keep running after discovery. The requirements, wireframes and quote are yours, and follow-up questions are answered during the support period. If you go ahead, the build follows the quote, with the sprint price credited against it.
How this compares
| Do it yourself | Hire a traditional agency | Upmark Labs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Spreadsheets and calls with no clear end | A discovery phase priced per day | Ours is one fixed price for a written scope, shown before you buy |
| Output | Notes that only you can follow | Documents tied to the agency's own build | Ours delivers requirements, wireframes and a technical approach you keep |
| Quote | Guesses from several freelancers | An estimate that can grow during the build | Ours ends with a fixed quote and timeline for the build |
| Commitment | None, but no clear plan either | Discovery often assumes you build with them | Ours credits the sprint price if you go ahead, and you can still walk away |
Questions about this product
Is the Discovery Sprint fee credited if we go ahead with the build?
Yes. If you order the build we quote at the end of the sprint, the sprint price is credited against it. If you decide not to build, or to build with another team, you still keep the requirements document, wireframes and technical approach. Nothing in the sprint locks you in to working with us.
Why pay for discovery instead of getting a free quote?
Because a reliable fixed price needs real requirements. Free quotes for custom apps are often guesses, padded for risk or set low and raised later. The sprint spends focused time with your decision-maker on roles, journeys, data and integrations, so the quote at the end is fixed and based on what you actually need.
What do the two discovery questionnaires cover?
The first questionnaire covers goals, users, roles and the journeys the app must support, plus the spreadsheets or tools it will replace. The second walks through draft wireframes and requirements, settles open questions and agrees priorities. Each is answered in writing, and we send follow-up questions by email, so nothing depends on finding a time to meet.
Does the Discovery Sprint include visual design?
No. Wireframes show layout and flow in a simple, unstyled form, not the final look. That keeps attention on what each screen must do. If you want high-fidelity designs and a clickable prototype, add a UI/UX Design Sprint after discovery and before the build starts. The wireframes give that sprint a strong starting point.
Who should answer the discovery questionnaires from our side?
One decision-maker must answer both questionnaires, because the quote depends on the decisions recorded there. It also helps to involve someone who does the work the app will support today, such as an operations lead. Before the first questionnaire, share the documents, spreadsheets or tools the app will replace, and a list of who will use it.
Do you build integrations during the Discovery Sprint?
No. Integrations are listed, not built. We review the systems the app must connect to, such as HubSpot, Zoho, Stripe, QuickBooks or Xero, and describe how each connection would work in the technical approach. Viewer access to those systems helps us check what is possible. Building them is part of the quoted build.
When do we receive the fixed build quote?
At the end of the sprint, with a written walkthrough of what the price covers. The delivery time for the whole sprint is shown in the price panel before you order. It starts once your decision-maker is named and your documents arrive, within 72 hours. Every day of delay beyond that moves delivery by 3 working days.
Which projects should start with a Discovery Sprint?
Any project too custom for a fixed-scope package. That includes custom apps, client portals and internal tools, headless websites or stores, Shopify Plus builds and multi-store setups. These have no fixed price in the store, so the sprint is the paid way in. It ends with a fixed quote, and the sprint price is credited if you go ahead.
Guides on this topic
All guides Know what your app will cost before you build it.
Order the Discovery Sprint and turn your custom app idea into agreed requirements, wireframes and a fixed build quote, with the sprint price credited if you go ahead.
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