METHODOLOGY · v3.2 · OCT 2025

We don't do magic. We do math.

Five steps, repeated until the thing is shipped and working. No theatrics, no surprise invoices, no Friday afternoon emails saying we need three more weeks.

01 / The five steps

Five steps, in order.

1 week

Discover

We listen, audit, and tell you the truth about what you're asking for.

A 90-minute kickoff. We read your existing docs, look at your current stack, talk to one or two of your teammates. Then we go away and write you a one-page document: what we'd build, what we wouldn't, and what we think you actually need (sometimes those are different things).

Deliverables

→Scope document (1 page)
→Tech recommendations
→Honest risk list
→Fixed price + timeline

Red flag

If we can't write a one-page scope after a week, the project isn't ready. We'll tell you and walk away.

1–2 weeks

Design

Flows, screens, and a click-through prototype before any production code is written.

Aanya leads. We work in Figma, share daily, and move fast. By the end you have a clickable prototype that looks like the real product. You'll catch the usability problems here when they're cheap to fix, not after we've shipped.

Deliverables

→Figma file (your access)
→Clickable prototype
→Component design system
→Approved screens for build

Red flag

We don't gate-keep designs behind reviews. You see everything, every day.

4–12 weeks

Build

Weekly Friday demos. You see it every week. Feedback loop stays tight.

We code in your GitHub org from day one. Sprints are weekly. Every Friday at 4pm IST you get a Loom walkthrough of what's new, plus a staging URL you can play with. If you have feedback, we incorporate it Monday morning.

Deliverables

→GitHub repo (yours)
→Weekly Loom demos
→Staging URL (always live)
→Slack channel (priority)

Red flag

If you go three Fridays without a useful demo, something is wrong. Ask us.

1 week

Launch

Deployment, monitoring, handover docs, credentials vault, the Figma file.

Production deploy on a date we agreed in week 1. We set up Sentry, PostHog, and uptime monitoring. We write a handover Notion doc that covers everything from environment variables to 'who do I email when X happens.'

Deliverables

→Production deployment
→Monitoring + alerting
→Notion handover doc
→Credentials vault (1Password)
→Loom walkthrough of the codebase

Red flag

We don't disappear after launch. The 30-day post-launch window is included on every Product Sprint.

Ongoing

Iterate

Retainers, sprints, or just a Slack ping when you need us. No contracts with teeth.

Most clients come back. Some keep us on retainer. Some hire us for one sprint a quarter. Some just Slack us when something breaks at 11pm. We're around. We don't lock you in.

Deliverables

→Priority Slack channel (forever)
→Monthly roadmap review (optional)
→Sprint scoping (anytime)

Red flag

We don't sell retainers without a scope. If you're paying us monthly, you should know exactly what for.

02 / What you walk away with

The actual inventory.

Production codebase

In your GitHub org. From day one. Branch protection set up.

Figma file

Full access. Component library. Auto-layout everywhere.

Notion handover doc

Architecture overview, deployment guide, runbook for common issues.

Loom walkthrough

A 20–30 minute screen recording of the codebase, narrated.

Monitoring dashboards

Sentry, PostHog, uptime checks — all in your accounts, not ours.

Credentials vault

Shared 1Password vault with every API key, every login. We delete our copies on request.

30 days of post-launch support

Bug fixes, small tweaks, questions. Included in every Product Sprint.

Our Slack channel

We don't archive it after you launch. Ping us in a year, we'll still be there.

03 / What we don't do

A short list of no.

No retainers without scope.

If you're paying us monthly, the work is defined. We don't sell fog.

No code you don't own.

Repo is in your GitHub org from commit zero. Always.

No hidden subcontractors.

Everyone working on your project is on Microsive's payroll. You'll meet them all.

No PowerPoints with stock photos.

Our proposals are markdown documents. They have numbers in them.

No 'we'll figure it out.' surprises.

Scope changes mid-project get a written estimate before we start them.

No NDAs before discovery calls.

If your idea can be killed by a 30-minute conversation, the idea is the problem, not the conversation.

04 / FAQ

Common questions.

How fast can you actually start?

Usually within 2 weeks of signing. Sometimes faster if there's a gap. We won't take a project we can't staff properly.

What happens if you go over budget?

We don't. The price is fixed at the end of week 1. If we underestimated, that's our problem, not yours. If you change scope, we send a written estimate before doing the work.

Can we work with your team and our team?

Yes. About a third of our projects involve embedded engineers from the client side. We have a working agreement template for it.

Do you sign NDAs?

Yes, but not before a first call. Send us a one-paragraph description of what you're building and we'll know if it's a fit before lawyers get involved.

What if it doesn't work out?

After week 1 (Discover), either side can walk. We charge for the discovery week and that's it. After that, we have weekly check-ins built into the contract.

Why so transparent?

Because every agency we ever worked with as freelancers was the opposite, and we hated it.