Archi-tech planning
We map the core user journey, cut the scope to what matters and plan the build, hosting and cost before any code.
MVP development for startups, built properly
Startups: an MVP you won't have to throw away. Fast, but built properly.
The idea lives in a pitch deck. The prototype is held together with no-code tools and the freelancer who built it stopped replying in March. We plan, build and launch first versions of web apps and platforms that get to market quickly and are solid enough to grow on. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for an MVP development partner who builds it properly the first time?
Most startups get stuck in one of two places. Either the MVP gets built fast on a pile of no-code tools that hit the ceiling the moment real users turn up. Or it gets built slowly by a freelancer chasing every feature idea, so it never actually ships. Both end the same way: a rebuild you can't afford right when you're meant to be growing.
Wollopit builds first versions that are quick to launch and built on proper code from day one. We help you cut the scope down to what proves the idea, build that properly with sign-ups, payments and an admin panel to run it, then keep improving it with you after launch. We host it on our own managed servers and stick around, so you're never left holding a codebase nobody understands.
01The problems
What we hear from startups
Does your startup have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most founders we talk to have a great idea and not enough time or money to build it twice. The trick is building the right small thing properly.
- The problemThe no-code prototype hit the ceilingIt worked for the first 50 users. Now it's slow, the automations break every week and the monthly bills keep climbing.How we fix itA proper codebase from the start, planned so the features you need next year slot in without a rebuild.
- The problemThe freelancer disappearedHalf-finished code, no documentation, no hosting logins and nobody who knows how it works.How we fix itA local team that sticks around, documents what it builds and hands you every login and line of code.
- The problemThe MVP never shipsEvery meeting adds another must-have feature. Six months in there's still nothing in front of customers.How we fix itWe cut the scope to what proves the idea, agree it in writing and ship that first. The wishlist waits for version two.
- The problemInvestors want to see it workingThe pitch is strong but the demo is a Figma file and a lot of hand waving.How we fix itA working product with real sign-ups and real data you can show in the room, plus a demo account that never breaks.
- The problemTaking money is complicatedSubscriptions, free trials, plan upgrades, GST and failed cards all handled by hand in a spreadsheet.How we fix itStripe billing built in: plans, trials, upgrades, coupons, retries and invoices that flow into Xero.
- The problemYou're running the business from the databaseRefunding a customer or changing someone's plan means asking a developer to poke around in the back end.How we fix itAn admin panel built for your team to manage users, accounts, payments and support without touching code.
- The problemHosting is a mysteryIt runs on a free tier somebody set up once. Nobody knows what happens if it goes down at 2am.How we fix itManaged hosting on our own servers with backups, monitoring and updates. When something breaks we already know.
- The problemNo idea what users actually doYou launched, people signed up and then it all went quiet. Nobody can tell which features get used.How we fix itBuilt-in product metrics: sign-ups, activation, churn and feature use on a dashboard you'll actually check.
- The problemOnboarding loses peopleUsers sign up, get confused on the second screen and never come back.How we fix itGuided onboarding, welcome emails and nudges that bring people back to finish setting up.
- The problemSecurity gets left for laterPasswords stored badly, no roles and a customer asking about your data handling before they'll sign.How we fix itProper logins, user roles, encrypted data and sensible security practice baked in from the first build.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for startups. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Clickable prototypes
Quick screens to test the idea with real users and investors before committing to the full build.
MVP web apps
Your core product built in proper code, quick on mobile and ready for real users from day one.
Sign-ups & logins
Email, Google and Microsoft sign-in, password resets, team invites and user roles.
Subscriptions & billing
Stripe plans, free trials, upgrades, coupons, failed-payment retries and GST-ready invoices.
Marketplaces & two-sided platforms
Buyers and sellers or clients and providers, with listings, bookings, payouts and reviews.
Admin panels
Manage users, accounts, refunds, content and support from one screen without a developer.
Onboarding & emails
Guided setup, welcome sequences, reminders and transactional emails and SMS that actually arrive.
Product metrics dashboards
Sign-ups, activation, retention, churn and revenue in one place for you and your investors.
Integrations & APIs
Connect to Xero, HubSpot, Slack, Twilio and the tools your customers already use.
Investor demo environments
A safe demo account with realistic data that resets itself, ready for every pitch.
Landing pages & waitlists
A fast launch website with a waitlist, early access codes and referral tracking.
Taking over a codebase
We review what a previous developer left behind, stabilise it and decide with you what to keep.
Managed hosting
Your product on our own servers with backups, monitoring, security updates and room to scale.
Iteration after launch
Regular improvements based on what users actually do, planned in small stages you can afford.
03The systems
The big ones
Your first version, built to last.
These are the pieces startups ask us about most. Most MVPs need all of them in some form and they work best planned together from the start.
Core product
The one thing your product does, done properly.
We start with the core journey that proves your idea and build it in real code you own. It's quick to launch but planned so version two doesn't mean starting again.
- Scope cut to what proves the idea
- Core user journey built first
- Fast on phones and desktops
- Proper database from day one
- Clean code with documentation
- Shown to you early and often
- Staged releases you can test
- Room to grow without a rebuild
Billing & subscriptions
Get paid from the first customer.
Plans, trials and upgrades run through Stripe without anyone touching a spreadsheet. Failed cards retry themselves and invoices land in Xero.
- Monthly and annual plans
- Free trials and early access pricing
- Upgrades, downgrades and proration
- Coupons and founder discounts
- Failed-payment retries and reminders
- GST-ready invoices and receipts
- Invoices synced to Xero
- Customer self-serve billing page
Admin panel
Run the business without calling a developer.
Your team gets a back office to manage users, accounts, payments and support. Refunds, plan changes and content edits take a minute instead of a ticket.
- Search any user or account
- Change plans and issue refunds
- Log in as a user to help them
- Edit content and settings
- Team roles and permissions
- Audit log of every change
- Support notes on each account
- Exports for reporting
Metrics & onboarding
Know what users do. Bring back the ones who drift.
A dashboard shows sign-ups, activation and churn so you can see what's working. Onboarding emails and nudges pull people back before they quietly disappear.
- Sign-up and activation funnel
- Retention and churn by month
- Feature use tracking
- Revenue and MRR at a glance
- Guided first-run setup
- Welcome and nudge emails
- SMS reminders via Twilio
- Investor-ready monthly snapshot
Hosting & iteration
Launched is the start, not the finish.
We host your product on our own managed servers and keep it secure, backed up and quick. Then we keep improving it with you in small stages based on what users actually do.
- Managed hosting on our servers
- Daily backups
- Uptime and error monitoring
- Security updates handled
- Separate test and live environments
- Room to scale as users grow
- Regular improvement rounds
- You call the people who built it
04How it changes
Before and after
A first version, wolloped.
Here's how getting a startup off the ground could change. Every idea is different, so we map yours first.
Before
- The idea lives in a doc and a pitch deck
- A no-code prototype held together with automations
- The freelancer who built it has gone quiet
- Every meeting adds another must-have feature
- Payments and refunds handled by hand
- It can't cope with the users you're chasing
After
- The core journey planned and agreed up front
- A focused MVP built in proper code you own
- A local team that sticks around after launch
- Version one ships and the wishlist waits its turn
- Stripe billing and an admin panel built in
- Hosted, monitored and ready to grow
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for startups.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for startups
Built around how your startup actually runs: archi-tech planning, clickable prototypes and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for startups
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Startup system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for startups
MVP web apps and sign-ups & logins: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Stripe, Xero and HubSpot so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your startup, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect your product to the tools startups rely on and the ones your customers already use. Happy with something? We build around it.
- Stripe
- Xero
- HubSpot
- Google Workspace
- Microsoft 365
- Slack
- Jira
- Zapier
- Twilio
- Calendly
- Intercom
- Mailchimp
- Postmark
- GitHub
- Figma
- Notion
- Google Analytics
- Bubble
- Webflow
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your startup: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We sit down with you and your co-founders to understand the idea, the customer and what you actually need to prove first.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: the core journey, what's in version one, what waits, hosting, timeline and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering shown to you early and often. The core journey comes first so you have something to test and demo quickly.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it as users arrive. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things startups ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Do we own the code?
Yes. You own your code and your data. You get every login and the documentation. If you ever want to take it in-house, it's yours to take.
How much does an MVP cost?
It depends on what your first version needs to do, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take to build an MVP?
We plan it in stages so you get the first win early. Usually that's the core journey in front of test users before billing and admin are finished. We'll give you a realistic timeline once the scope is agreed.
We built a prototype in a no-code tool. Do we have to throw it away?
Not straight away. If it's doing its job we can build around it and move pieces across as you grow. If it's holding you back, we'll show you what moving to proper code involves before anything changes.
We already use tools like HubSpot, Slack and Xero. Do we have to switch?
No. We build around what works and connect your product to the tools you and your customers already use.
Can you take over code a freelancer left behind?
Yes. We review it first and tell you honestly what's worth keeping. Then we stabilise it and keep building from there.
Can you help us get something ready for investors?
Yes. We can prioritise a working demo with realistic data and a demo account that resets itself, so the product holds up in the room.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated, backed up and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
Do we need a mobile app first?
Often not. A web app that works well on phones is usually the quickest way to prove the idea. If your product genuinely needs an app we'll plan for it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most startups we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a startup problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.