Stage 3 of 6: Scope

Scope your MVP

The MVP builder: guided sections, a prioritised feature list, a budget and runway, and a brief a developer can price.

  1. Idea
  2. Validate
  3. Scope
  4. Build
  5. Launch
  6. Grow

The heart of Startup With Me

The Scope stage is where everything comes together. The MVP builder takes you section by section, from the problem to the launch plan: features ranked Must, Should, Could or Won’t, the main user journey and screens, success metrics, the build approach, and a budget with your monthly cash and runway worked out for you. You download it as a brief.

A written scope is what makes a build affordable and on time. It lets you compare quotes like for like, keeps the first version small, and is what a co-founder, investor or grant panel wants to read.

  • Pick the brief type for your reader first: a developer, an investor, or a validation plan for yourself.
  • Be ruthless with Must haves. If the product still tests your riskiest belief without a feature, it is not a Must.
  • Do the budget early. A scope your money cannot pay for is a wish list.
Start your MVP brief See worked examples
  1. Build brief10 sections · for a developer, studio or technical co-founder
  2. Pre-seed MVP plan11 sections · for angels, pre-seed funds and grant panels
  3. Validation plan7 sections · to test demand before you build
  4. One-page MVP canvas5 sections · for yourself, a co-founder or a mentor

How the builder works, step by step

  1. Step 1 of 5

    Choose: Pick who will read your brief

    A developer or studio, an investor or grant panel, or just you. Choose the brief type and the builder sets out the sections that reader looks for, in the order they read them.

    The right brief for the right reader

    You get

    • A build brief for a developer or studio
    • A pre-seed MVP plan for angels and grant panels
    • A validation plan or a one-page canvas
    • Or start from a worked example
    • No sign-up: it saves in your browser
  2. Step 2 of 5

    Write: Answer one section at a time

    Every question has a plain-English hint and an example answer. Notes from your Idea and Validate worksheets sit beside the sections they belong to.

    Never a blank page

    Help on every question

    • Hints that say what the reader looks for
    • An example answer for each question
    • Your earlier worksheet notes, alongside
    • Optional AI suggestions from your own answers
    • Guides on scoping, journeys and metrics
  3. Step 3 of 5

    Scope: Rank the features and set the budget

    Mark every feature Must, Should, Could or Won’t, list the main journey and screens, then enter build costs, funding and running costs. The builder works out your monthly cash, lowest point and runway.

    A first version your money can pay for

    Worked out for you

    • Features ranked Must, Should, Could, Won’t
    • A user story for every feature
    • The main journey and screens listed
    • Twelve months of cash in and out
    • Your lowest cash point and runway
  4. Step 4 of 5

    Check: See it the way a developer will

    The readiness check lists the gaps a developer or investor spots first, from unanswered sections to cash that dips below zero, each with a link to the fix.

    Fewer questions back from the developer

    The check covers

    • Most questions in each section answered
    • Competitors and roadmap milestones named
    • Cash that stays above zero
    • Assumptions behind the numbers written down
    • Then a free scoping call, if you want one
  5. Step 5 of 5

    Send: Download it and get it priced

    Print or save as PDF, download a Word document, or copy the text. Send it to us for a fixed-price quote, or to any developer or studio you choose.

    A brief a developer can price

    Downloads

    • PDF, through your browser’s print
    • Word document you can edit
    • Plain text (Markdown)
    • A backup file to keep working later
    • A fixed-price quote from us, if you want one

What the builder does for you

  • A brief for your reader

    A developer, an investor, a validation plan or a one-page canvas: choose the reader and the builder sets out the sections they look for.

  • Features ranked, not listed

    Every feature is a Must, Should, Could or Won’t, with a user story, so the first version stays small and the quote stays honest.

  • Budget and runway worked out

    Enter build costs, funding, early revenue and running costs once. Your monthly cash, lowest point and runway follow.

  • Help on every question

    Plain-English hints, a worked example for each answer and, where it is switched on, AI suggestions written from your own answers.

  • A readiness check

    Before you send it: the gaps a developer or investor spots first, each with a link straight to the fix.

  • Download it your way

    Print or save as PDF, a Word document to finish in your own style, plain text, or a backup file to keep working on any device.

Help at the Scope stage

Or we build it with you

Get a fixed-price quote Every service, stage by stage

Scope your MVP free. Build it with us.

Start your brief in the free MVP builder: no sign-up, and it saves on your own device as you go. When it is ready, we price it as a fixed scope and build it, with brand, company set-up and launch alongside.

Scope your MVP See our services