The 5 steps at a glance
| Step | What happens | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Project review | The team studies your idea or current app | A map of screens, integrations and risks |
| 2. Proposal | Scope, price and schedule are set | A written proposal in USD |
| 3. Development with TestFlight | The app is built in Swift, in short cycles | A new build on your iPhone at each cycle |
| 4. App Store submission | The store listing is prepared and the app goes to Apple | The app approved and live |
| 5. Maintenance | Bug fixes and iOS updates | An app that keeps working on new iOS versions |
Step 1: Project review
The project review answers one question: what does it take to build this app? You send a description, sketches, a prototype made with an AI tool or the code of an existing app. The team reads it and asks follow-up questions on a video call.
The review produces a map of the app. It lists each screen, each integration (payments, maps, a server, an existing system) and each risk. Risks are the items that could change the price, such as an API without documentation or a feature that Apple’s guidelines restrict.
Step 2: Proposal
The proposal turns the review into a price and a schedule. It splits the work into development stages, with what each stage delivers and what it costs. US clients receive it in USD.
As a market reference, a native iPhone MVP from a US-market studio usually costs $50,000 to $100,000, and a first version usually takes 3 to 4 months. The app development cost guide explains what moves those numbers. Your proposal has the real figures for your app.
No development starts until you accept the proposal.
Step 3: Development with TestFlight
The team builds the app in Swift and SwiftUI, in short cycles. At the end of each cycle, you install the new build on your iPhone or Mac through TestFlight, Apple’s app for test versions. You use the app as your customers will, and you send comments on what you see.
You can invite other people to test as well. TestFlight accepts up to 10,000 external testers per app, by email or public link.
Scope changes get a new estimate first. If you want to add or change a feature during development, the team estimates the change in price and schedule. Work on it starts only after you approve.
Step 4: App Store submission
The App Store submission is part of the project, not an extra. The team prepares the store listing: name, subtitle, description, keywords, screenshots, age rating and privacy details. Then it submits the app for Apple’s review.
The app goes out on your Apple Developer account, under your name or your company’s. If Apple rejects it, the team reads the message, fixes the code or the listing and answers the review until approval. The App Store publishing page covers each part of the submission.
Step 5: Maintenance
An app needs work after launch. Apple releases a new iOS every year, and devices and screen sizes change. Users also find bugs that testing missed.
Maintenance covers bug fixes, updates for each new iOS version and small improvements. It is priced after a review of your app, like the rest of the work. The app maintenance page explains what it includes.
Who you talk to during the project
Gustavo Henrique Karsten, the CTO, leads the architecture and code of every app. He has more than 20 years in software. Thiago Do Carmo, the CEO, is the US point of contact and lives on Cape Cod.
The team works remotely from Santa Catarina, Brazil, 1 to 2 hours ahead of US Eastern Time. You get answers in English, Portuguese or Spanish during your workday.
What you own at the end
- The app published on your Apple Developer account.
- The full Swift source code.
- Access to App Store Connect and TestFlight, with a walkthrough of each screen.
- A written record of what was built and why.
Start with a project review
Send a short description of your app, a prototype or a link to your code. The reply brings the next steps and the date of your project review.