FAQ

Do you use AI?
Yes, selectively – and always under your terms. We use AI where it genuinely improves speed or quality, but you decide how much of it touches your project. Some clients want us to lean in for faster, more cost-effective delivery; others prefer we keep it minimal or off entirely. Both are fine, and we agree the approach with you before we start.
On security and confidentiality:

• Your data stays yours – client work runs on paid, business-tier AI services whose terms guarantee your data isn’t used to train models – never free consumer tools.
• Confidentiality holds – the NDAs and data agreements covering your project apply to any tooling we use, AI included.
• A human owns every deliverable – AI assists; our developers, designers, and software testers make the decisions and sign off on what ships.
  You can opt out. If you’d rather we not use AI on all or part of your work, tell us – we’ll scope it accordingly.

The result: you get the efficiency where you want it, without giving up control or confidentiality.

You won’t be surprised by it. We track every project’s budget continuously and flag it the moment spend trends toward the limit – well before it becomes a problem – so the conversation happens early, with options, not after the fact. What happens next depends on how the project is priced:

• Fixed-Price projects – the price we agreed is the price you pay. If work runs longer than we estimated for the scope we quoted, that’s on us, not you. Costs only change if you change or expand the scope, and we’ll always agree any change in writing before we proceed.
• Time & Materials projects – you get regular budget updates as work progresses, so there are no hidden overruns. As we approach the agreed budget, we pause and decide together: extend it, re-prioritise what’s left, or wrap up at the cap. Nothing beyond the budget gets billed without your sign-off first.

Either way, the principle is the same: you stay in control of what you spend, and we never bill you for more than you’ve agreed to.

Yes, absolutely. We don’t expect a clean slate – most real projects aren’t one.
We’ve taken over and continued legacy systems built by other teams, and we’re comfortable working within an existing codebase, stack, or set of tools rather than insisting on rebuilding from scratch. Our first step is always to understand what’s there: how it works, what’s solid, and what needs attention. From there we plan the safest way to continue or improve it without breaking what’s already running.

Yes. If you’ve built something with AI tools and it’s working, you’ve already got a real foundation to build on – and that’s where we come in. Our job is to take it from “it works” to solid, scalable, and ready to grow.
Apps built this way often move fast at the start and then hit a ceiling, where adding features, users, or reliability gets harder than it should. We assess what you’ve built, keep what’s working well, and strengthen the parts that need it — so you carry your momentum forward instead of starting over.

Open, direct, and on whatever cadence works for you. The biggest difference: you talk directly to the people building your product – no middleman, no layers.
In practice:

• Day-to-day happens over Slack and email – we’re in a shared channel with you, reachable as things come up, not only at scheduled check-ins.
• Calls run on whatever rhythm suits you: daily, weekly, monthly – as often or as little as you want.
• Your main point of contact is a project lead – usually a developer on your project – so the person you speak to actually understands the technical detail first-hand.
• You get full visibility – we track all work and tasks in Jira and keep project documentation in Notion, and you have access to both – so your project’s status is always there to see, not something you have to chase.

The principle: direct contact with the team, on a rhythm we agree together.

Quickly – our process is built to move. There’s no drawn-out sales cycle: an intro call to understand what you need, a clear estimate, a proposal, and a kickoff call to get going. We can usually have that first conversation within a few days of you reaching out.
Most projects begin with a Design & Discovery phase before development – it’s where we make sure we’re building the right thing, and it’s what prevents expensive wrong turns later. What it focuses on depends on where your project is:

• Starting from scratch – we map the problem, shape the concept, and define scope from the ground up.
• An existing product – we start by understanding what’s already built, then plan how to continue or extend it without disrupting what’s working.

Exact start dates depend on the project and current capacity, but if you’re working to a deadline, tell us early – we’ll be straight with you about timelines and we’re often able to flex to fit.

Yes. This is one of the most valuable things we do: taking a process you currently run manually – or with a patchwork of spreadsheets and tools – and turning it into software that saves time and removes the repetitive work.

We start with a short series of workshops to really understand how your process works today: the steps, the people involved, the pain points, and where time is being lost. From there we map out a software solution designed around how your business actually operates – not a generic, off-the-shelf fit.

Then we build it. You end up with a tool tailored to your workflow, with the manual effort automated away – and we stay on to support and improve it as your business grows.

We’ve done this across a range of industries, so whether it’s a single workflow or a broader internal system, we can help you figure out what’s worth automating and build it properly.

Absolutely. Turning an early idea into a clear, buildable product is exactly what our Design & Discovery phase is for. Since founding, we’ve delivered over 80 software projects, many of them for startups at this same stage.

Here’s how we’d help you shape it:

• Understand your users – we define your buyer personas, so you’re clear on who you’re building for and what problems you’re solving.
• Sharpen the idea – we work with you to find your unique selling point, grounded in what those users actually need.
• Scope what to build – we translate the idea into concrete features and a realistic build plan.
• Design it – wireframes, branding, and final designs, so you can see the product before a line of code is written.
• Build it – we develop the software based on the agreed designs.

So whether you’ve got a rough concept or a fully-formed vision, we can help you get it to something real.

We work across the whole lifecycle of a digital product – from first idea to live, maintained software. Depending on where you are, that means:

• Design & Discovery – shaping and scoping the right thing to build
• Proof of Concept – testing whether an idea is viable, fast
• MVP development – building the first real, usable version
• Custom software development – full product builds and ongoing development
• Support & maintenance – keeping it running and improving after launch

Not sure which you need? That’s what the first conversation is for – tell us where you are and we’ll point you to the right starting point.

It depends on what you’re building – and we’ll tell you for free. Every project is different, so rather than a one-size-fits-all price, we give you a tailored estimate based on what you actually need.

A few things shape the cost:

• Scope – how much the app does, and how complex that is
• Stage – whether you’re starting from an idea, building an MVP, or extending something that exists
• Pricing model – fixed price for well-defined scope, or Time & Materials when things are likely to evolve

The more you can tell us about your idea, the sharper our estimate will be – and the first estimate is always free, with no obligation. For a sense of how we structure pricing, take a look at our Pricing page.

A wide range – from a single feature or a small internal tool through to full products and longer-term builds.

Most of our work is with startups, small companies, and growing SMEs – that’s where we’re most at home, and where being a hands-on, no-middleman team makes the biggest difference. But size isn’t really the deciding factor: we scale our involvement to fit, whether that’s a focused piece of work over a few weeks or an ongoing partnership over the longer term.

If you’re not sure whether your project is the right size for us, the best thing to do is just ask – we’ll be straight with you about whether we’re a good fit.

Our core stack is React on the frontend and Java on the backend – a proven, well-supported combination that’s a strong fit for most modern web and software projects.

That said, we’re not dogmatic about tools. When a project calls for something different – Python, for instance – we’ll use the right technology for the job rather than forcing every project into one stack. We’re also comfortable working within existing and legacy systems, picking up an established codebase rather than insisting on a rebuild.

In short: a solid, reliable default stack, with the flexibility to adapt to what your project actually calls for.

It’s straightforward, and it starts with a conversation:

1. We talk – fill in the form or book a call with one of our founders, and we’ll talk through your idea and what you’re hoping to achieve.
2. You share requirements – the more detail you can give us, the sharper the estimate we can put together.
3. We estimate and propose – we come back with a clear estimate and a proposal for how we’d approach the project.
4. We visualise it – we map the idea out, whether that’s a rough wireframe just to get us on the same page or a fuller design with our designers involved. Seeing the product before it’s built saves time and money later.
5. We start – once the scope is clear and agreed, we kick off and move into development.

Want the detail? We’ve written up exactly how THEY.dev works with clients on our blog.

It depends on what you’re building – scope, complexity, and how clearly defined things are at the start all shape the timeline. A small, well-scoped tool and a full product with many moving parts are very different jobs, so rather than a one-size-fits-all answer, we give you a realistic estimate once we understand what you actually need.

What helps us answer that accurately:

• The Design & Discovery phase – scoping the work properly up front is what lets us give you a timeline you can rely on, rather than a guess.
• A clear scope – the better defined the requirements, the more precise the estimate.

And throughout the build, you’re not waiting in the dark for a single delivery date. We work in short cycles and release regularly, so you see the product taking shape as we go – and always know where things stand.

The honest version: we’ll give you a realistic timeframe once we’ve scoped your project, and we’d rather set an estimate we can meet than an optimistic one we can’t.

Iterative and transparent – you see progress as it happens, not just at the end.

• We work in short cycles, delivering in increments rather than disappearing for months and returning with a finished product. You see the app take shape and can steer it as it grows.
• You have visibility throughout – all work and tasks live in Jira, which you have access to, so you can see what’s being worked on at any time.
• We review regularly – on whatever cadence suits you, we show you what’s been built, gather your feedback, and fold it into the next cycle.
• Quality is built in, not bolted on – we write automated and manual tests as we go, so the app stays stable as it grows rather than accumulating problems.
• You’re never locked out – code, documentation, and project tools are yours and accessible throughout, not handed over only at the end.

The result: no black box. You always know where your project stands and you shape it as it develops.

Yes. We’ll set this up as part of your project – including Google Analytics (GA4) and complementary tools like Microsoft Clarity for heatmaps and session insights – so you can see how your application is being used from day one. Beyond the basics, we can implement custom event tracking tailored to your app, such as e-commerce or conversion events, so you’re measuring what actually matters to your business.

Wherever suits your needs. We work with all the major cloud providers – AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure – so we’re not tied to one platform.

During early development, we host the project on our own account to keep things moving without setup delays on your side. When you’re ready to go live, we help you set up your own cloud and any other accounts your app needs – Apple App Store, Google Play, Firebase, Google Maps, and so on – and move everything across.

From there, it’s your choice:

• You hold the accounts – the infrastructure is registered to you and fully under your control. No lock-in, no dependence on us to keep your product running.
• We manage it for you – typically as part of an ongoing support & maintenance arrangement, we can run and maintain the hosting on your behalf, so you don’t have to.

Either way, the application is yours – how hands-on you want to be is up to you.

Yes – at every stage of the project, not just at the end.

• Throughout development – we track all work in Jira, which you have access to. This is your live, ongoing record of what’s being built and why: detailed enough to follow, flexible enough to adapt as requirements change.
• In the code itself – from day one, every part of the project (frontend, backend, tests) has a README. Early on it helps our developers set up and work efficiently; later, it’s what lets your own team pick the project up.
• In the tests – where we build automated and manual tests, we write them to be readable. Their names, steps, and expected results double as a clear, plain-language description of how the application is meant to behave.
• On delivery – once you’re ready for production, we produce full application documentation, including:
  • Setup and configuration guide
  • Infrastructure overview and diagram
  • Third-party libraries and their licences
  • Optionally: test scenarios and user stories

And if you later build an in-house team or bring on a CTO, we support the handover – so the project transitions to you cleanly, not dumped with a folder of files.

We’re based in the UK and Poland, and yes – we work with clients internationally, most often across the UK and US.

Working remotely across time zones is standard for us. Our process is built for it: a shared Slack channel, regular calls on whatever schedule suits you, and full visibility of progress through Jira – so it makes little difference whether you’re down the road or in another country.

We work on UK business hours as standard, with plenty of overlap for our US clients, and we’ll always agree a communication rhythm that fits your time zone.

Yes, we work on a Fixed-Price basis. It’s a good option when you have a set budget and a clearly defined scope.

We scope the project carefully with you up front, agree a price, and deliver to it. Payment can be in full or split across agreed milestones as the work is delivered, so you’re paying against tangible progress. Because the price is fixed to a defined scope, any significant changes along the way are handled as agreed adjustments.

We also offer Time & Materials, which suits projects that are more exploratory or likely to evolve. Custom software is hard to estimate precisely up front, so for open-ended work T&M tends to be more flexible and cost-effective – you pay for actual time spent, with full visibility throughout. Fixed price works best when the scope is well defined from the start.

We’ll talk it through at the start and recommend whichever fits your project.

Yes – we build with GDPR in mind from the start. Data protection is something we design in rather than bolt on, so the technical foundations are there: secure handling of personal data, sensible data retention, and the mechanisms needed to support things like consent and data-subject requests.
The full picture is project-specific, though. GDPR compliance also depends on how you operate the application – what data you collect, why, and how you manage it day to day – so it’s something we get right together, based on your particular use case.
Where you need it, we can also help with the legal side- privacy policies, terms and conditions, and similar – through our legal partner.

You do – for the work we create specifically for you. Once the project is paid for in full, all copyright in the code and works we’ve built for you transfers to you. We don’t hold onto what you’ve paid us to make.
A couple of standard exceptions, the same as in our terms:

• Third-party and open-source components – libraries, frameworks, and similar building blocks aren’t ours to give away. They stay under their own licences – but those licences let you use the finished product freely, for exactly what it was built for.
• Our own pre-existing tools and know-how – anything we created before, or independently of, your project stays ours. Your product is fully yours; the general tools we used to build it aren’t transferred.

The bottom line: the product we build for you is yours to own, use, and develop further – with the usual licensing that applies to any modern software.

Yes – always. We sign an NDA before we get into the detail of your idea, as standard practice, for your protection and ours. You can use your own template or one of ours, whichever you prefer.
So your idea is treated as confidential from the very first conversation – that’s simply how we work, not something you have to ask for.

Not in place of payment, and not upfront. Building software takes real time and cost on our side, so we don’t take on projects for equity alone – especially at the idea stage, before there’s anything to value.

Once there’s a working product and real traction, though, we’re open to the conversation. At that point – typically alongside a retainer for ongoing development – a partial equity arrangement can make sense, because there’s something concrete to base it on.

So: not instead of pay, but potentially as part of a longer-term partnership once the numbers are real.

Yes. Once your application is live, we keep it running – staying on top of updates and fixing bugs so it stays stable and current. We don’t build something and walk away.

How it’s arranged depends on your situation:

• If you’re still actively developing with us – support is simply part of that ongoing work, handled during business hours as we go.
• If development is finished – we set up a dedicated support & maintenance plan: an agreed number of hours per month and response times, focused purely on keeping the app stable, current, and bug-free.

Either way, we tailor it to how critical the app is to your business and how quickly you need issues handled.

No lock-in, and no drama. Your product is yours from start to finish – so if you ever decide to move on, nothing holds you back. You leave with everything you need to continue elsewhere or in-house.

In practice that means:

• The code and IP are yours – on payment, full ownership of everything we’ve built for you transfers to you.
• You have the documentation – READMEs, setup guides, and infrastructure details are maintained throughout, so a new team can pick things up without starting from scratch.
• You hold your own accounts -your cloud, app store, and service accounts are registered to you, so nothing critical is tied to us.
• We support the handover – if you’re bringing development in-house or moving to another team, we help with the transition rather than leaving you to untangle it alone.

The notice period is typically one month, during which we’ll wrap up any work in progress and make sure the handover is clean. The aim is simple: leaving should be as straightforward as starting.

Yep, we regularly get recognized as leaders on Clutch and other websites, that award us with different badges.