How it works

From working app to
production-ready.

Many teams arrive with something that runs — but they’re unsure about security, scalability, or what it takes to launch properly. We start with a kickoff to understand those concerns, agree a production plan, and work through your trial with senior engineers who’ve shipped before. Build includes a 14-day trial; Maintain includes seven days.

The trial

Align first.
Then de-risk launch.

The trial isn’t a race to ship everything in seven days. It’s time to build trust, tackle the right production concerns, and show you how we work.

Day 0

Start your trial

Fourteen days on Build, seven on Maintain — via Stripe. No proposal or discovery deck before you’re in. Checkout and onboarding starts automatically.

Build: 14-day trial · Maintain: 7-day trial.

Day 1

Kickoff — your concerns first

A call or async session to understand what you’ve built and what’s making you nervous — security, scalability, deployment, app store readiness. We explain how we’ll de-risk each area and what a successful launch looks like for you.

Reassurance and clarity before we touch code.

Within 48h

Your production plan

A written plan in Slack: what we’ll address during the trial, in what order, what you’ll see along the way, and what sits outside the trial window. Not a waterfall spec — a sensible path to production.

Concrete next steps — not a fixed-price SOW.

During trial

Work through the plan

Async by default. We tackle the agreed priorities — hardening, infra, fixes, deployment — with progress shared in the channel: PRs, notes, walkthroughs when helpful. You see steady movement without being oversold on speed.

Calls when you need them; writing when you don’t.

Mid-trial

Check in on progress

A touchpoint to review what’s done, answer questions, and adjust if priorities shift. Especially useful if you arrived with a vibe-coded app and want confidence before going live.

Optional — we don’t force standing meetings.

End of trial

Decide with evidence

You’ve seen how we work and what we’ve moved forward. Continue your subscription, switch plans, or cancel in Stripe — no chase, no contract to unpick.

Repos and accounts move into your name once you subscribe.

The production plan

A roadmap for the trial —
not a statement of work.

After kickoff, you get a clear plan for the trial period: what we’ll address, how we’ll share progress, and what success looks like before you go live.

  • Not a fixed-price SOW
  • Not a 40-page spec
  • Not a promise to ship every feature in the trial
  • Not a waterfall quote that goes stale

Honest about scope and sequencing — especially when you need confidence that security and scalability are being handled properly.

Before you start

Bring what you have.

Vibe-coded prototype or polished MVP — the kickoff is where we understand where you are and what production-ready means for you:

  • A one-liner on what you’ve built and where you want to take it
  • Your repo, live URL, or demo — whatever exists today
  • What worries you most about going to production
  • Hard deadlines or launch targets, if you have them
Once you’re in

Build, maintain, or switch.

Past the trial, stay on Build while you’re actively developing. Move to Maintain when the product is live and needs upkeep. Same senior engineers — month to month.

Production-first delivery

Security, scalability, and deployability stay in focus — not just feature velocity for its own sake.

Async by default

Most work happens in writing, on your time. Calls are for decisions and reassurance, not status theatre.

Context keeps building

Slack stays the source of truth. AI-assisted context means less re-explaining as the product grows.

Pause or switch anytime

Month to month. Pause, switch between Build and Maintain, or cancel — no contract change required.

Why this is different

Subscription delivery,
not agency process.

Checkout to start. A real conversation about your concerns — not a sales funnel.

Typical agency
Bluebox
Before you pay
Discovery calls & proposals
Stripe checkout
Requirements
Upfront spec document
Built in conversation over time
First focus
Weeks of planning
Production concerns & de-risking
Ownership
Often at handover
Yours once subscribed
If it’s not working
Contract unwind
Cancel in Stripe
FAQ

Before you start
your trial.

How onboarding works, what the production plan covers, and what we don’t do.

How does the free trial work?

Both plans include a trial — 14 days on Build, 7 days on Maintain. Start via Stripe with no sales call first. After checkout we set up a private Slack channel and schedule a kickoff — usually a call — to talk through what you’ve built and what’s making you nervous about production: security, scalability, deployment, app store readiness, and the rest. Within a couple of days you’ll get a written production plan for the trial period. We work through it async, share progress in the channel, and you decide at the end whether to continue. Not for you? Cancel in Stripe.

What is the production plan — and what isn’t it?

It’s a concrete plan for your trial: what we’ll address, in what order, how we’ll share progress, and what success looks like before you go live. It is not a fixed-price SOW, a 40-page spec, or a promise to ship every feature before the trial ends. We focus on de-risking launch properly — especially if you arrived with a working prototype and want confidence it can run in production.

How does the AI-assisted workflow work?

Requirements and context build in conversation — mostly in Slack. An AI-assisted layer helps capture what you share, link decisions, and keep everyone aligned without you repeating yourself. That means work can start quickly with less upfront spec. Senior engineers still scope, review, and ship; AI accelerates context and delivery — it doesn’t replace proper engineering.

When do I get full access and ownership?

During the trial you see real progress — walkthroughs, staging builds, and clear updates on what’s been addressed. That’s how you judge the work. Once your trial converts and the first payment is made, repos, infrastructure, and accounts are set up in your name and stay with you. Going forward, everything we ship is yours — no hostage situation. If you cancel later, you keep full access to what we’ve built.

What if the trial isn’t right for me?

Cancel in Stripe — during the trial or after. No notice period, no penalty, no exit interview unless you want one. We’d rather you try the trial and decide honestly than feel locked in.

What’s the difference between Bluebox Build and Bluebox Maintain?

Two phases of the same relationship. Bluebox Build is for active development — new features, large bugs, refactors, and roadmap work with full-stack delivery. It includes a 14-day free trial. Bluebox Maintain is for live products in steady-state — cybersecurity, dependency updates, small fixes, copy tweaks, and keeping things healthy. It includes a 7-day free trial. Most clients start on Build and switch to Maintain once they launch. You can move between plans month to month.

Can I pause my subscription?

Yes — at the end of any billing month, with no notice period. We freeze the engagement, keep your code safe, and pick up where we left off when you’re ready. Most clients pause once a year, often around holidays.

Who actually builds the software?

Senior-led delivery — you work directly with engineers who scope, build, and ship, not a sales layer that hands off to someone else once you’re signed up. AI accelerates the workflow; the bar is still production-grade engineering you can maintain.

What stack do you work in?

Day to day: React, Next.js, TypeScript, Node, Postgres, and Google Cloud Platform — plus React Native and Expo on mobile. We’re happy in Rails, Django, Go, and Elixir when there’s a good reason.

How does pricing work?

Flat monthly subscription per plan — no introductory rates, no “what’s your budget” opener, no enterprise multipliers. The exact rate is shown at Stripe checkout and in your client dashboard (pulled live from Stripe). Once subscribed, that rate is what you pay unless we agree a change with you.

What if my project finishes?

Great — we’d rather ship and stop than drag things out. Pause, cancel, or shift to lighter maintenance. You keep the repos and credentials in your accounts; we’ll make sure docs and runbooks are in good shape before we go.

Do you sign NDAs?

Yes, before any specifics get discussed. We’re also happy to work under your MSA if you’d prefer that over ours.

What about custom work or fixed-scope projects?

The subscription and trial are the standard path for most teams. If you need something different — a discovery sprint, a fixed deliverable, or a larger custom engagement — get in touch and we’ll talk it through.

Get started

Got something to build?
Start your free trial.