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.