Based in Calgary. Serving founders worldwide.Calgary · Serving founders worldwide
App Development for Startups
Your idea becomes a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or custom platform you own, built with founders who aren't technical.
Before you commit money
Make the big technical decisions first
What to build first, what to skip, and what it should cost.
What should you settle before you build?
Get three early decisions right, and everything that follows costs less.
Founders who launch get these three right, early. The ones who get them wrong pay for it later, usually without knowing why.
These costs show up later.
All three get settled before you spend anything, with the two tools above.
“That lowered the risk. It allowed us to get started tomorrow. We didn't have to commit to a 12-month contract, all those big things that really scared us off from working with other teams.”
Shannon Phillips
Founder, Unbounded Thinking
What does a real budget look like instead of a six-figure quote?
Shannon Phillips, founder of Unbounded Thinking, was just starting out and needed a dev agency. He was quoted six figures and 12-month contracts.
He met us at a networking event where we asked what his monthly budget actually was. We built a plan around that number and automated the manual work in his business.
Today, his company is global.
If your company is Canadian, your project may qualify for government funding that covers part of the cost. Shannon qualified for multiple grants.
Start the conversationHow often will you see working software?
Every two weeks, not a surprise at the end. Most builds finish in under two months.
We work in short cycles with regular meetings where we show you what we've built. You see progress every week or two, not months later.
You catch things early when adjustments are quick, and the product evolves based on your input throughout. If your priorities shift, we adjust the plan and keep moving. No fees for changing your mind.
What are startup founders worried about?
You own the code. From day one.
Not at final payment. If you ever want to leave, you take everything with you, fully documented.
You pay for time and materials, planned around your actual budget.
No inflated fixed bids, no hidden fees. You see detailed time logs with every invoice, and any money you put down but don't use comes back to you.
We'll talk you out of features.
Most developers are order-takers. We act as strategic advisors and help you focus on the must-haves that get you to revenue, even when that means less work for us.
We walked away from a $30,000 build because a $100 a month tool did it. Read Vera's story.
Every build is matched to a developer with expertise in exactly what your project needs, and AL Del Degan, our CTO with 33 years building software, guides each one.
New Idea Machine is a Calgary custom software and AI automation agency serving small business owners worldwide.
Questions startup founders ask us
Do I need a technical cofounder before I start?
No. Most of our clients don't have one. What you need is someone technical in your corner who isn't selling you development hours by default. That can be a development partner who tells you what not to build, or a fractional CTO for a few hours a month.
How long does a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) take to build?
Often under two months, depending on scope. AI-assisted development shortens timelines by 50 to 75 percent compared to traditional teams, and building must-haves first means you launch and start earning sooner.
What if I'm not sure my idea is worth building yet?
Then don't build yet, and don't let anyone talk you into it. Validate first: a prototype, a $100-a-month off-the-shelf tool, or our live online bootcamp where you build a working prototype yourself.
We've talked founders out of five-figure builds because validation had to come first. It's cheaper to find out early.
How much does an MVP cost to build?
A mobile-first progressive web app MVP, an app that works on any phone without going through the app stores, starts at $20,000. The final number depends on how many types of users your app serves, what it needs to connect to, and how much custom logic sits behind the screens.
See the full ranges in the App Development Cost Guide.
Let's get your idea moving.
Book your complimentary meeting.
No pitch. No pressure. Just cost-saving advice.
We'll send you a mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) before the call. Your idea stays yours.
Which of these sounds like you?
Pick the one that fits best.
Not quite right? Pick a different option.
Tell us how to reach you
Your available times appear below once you're done. You'll be meeting with Rea directly.
Not quite right? Pick a different option.
Pick a time
45 minutes with Rea. No pitch. No pressure. Just cost-saving advice.
Calendar not showing? Open the booking page instead.