FAQ
Questions about building software with NerdHeadz
NerdHeadz is an AI-powered custom software development agency — founded 2022, a 30+ person team, 60+ products shipped. Below are direct, grounded answers about our services, pricing, timelines, process, technology, and how to get started. Every answer is on this page in full — no gates.
About NerdHeadz
Who we are, where we’re based, and how we work.
What is NerdHeadz?
Where is NerdHeadz based?
Sheridan, Wyoming, US — a registered LLC since 2022. The team is distributed across 16 countries (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, UAE, Singapore, and others), and we work with clients across the US, UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
When was NerdHeadz founded?
NerdHeadz was founded in 2022 and has been a registered LLC since. Since then we’ve shipped 60+ products across fintech, edtech, healthtech, e-commerce, real estate, logistics, and media.
How big is the team?
30+ in-house specialists — senior engineers, designers, PMs, QA, and ops. We don’t maintain a junior bench, and we turn down work that would force us to hire B-team to staff it.
What does “AI-first” actually mean at NerdHeadz?
Claude Code, AI agents, and modern frameworks are in our toolchain on every project. They don’t write the senior reviews, the compliance docs, or the architecture decisions — they compress the loops between them, so software ships about 3× faster than a same-sized team without the AI layer.
What is SelfWare?
SelfWare is a term coined by NerdHeadz for custom software built around a specific person, team, or workflow — not for a market. It replaces the spreadsheets, Notion docs, and Zapier chains you currently use with purpose-built software that does exactly what you need.
Do you work with startups or established companies?
Both. About 60% of shipped projects are funded startups (seed to Series B); the rest are operators inside larger companies who need a specific product shipped quickly. The scoping conversation works the same way either side.
Why do most of your projects come from referrals?
Because we ship and stay honest about trade-offs. Most of our work comes from people we’ve already shipped with, backed by Top Rated status and 100% job success on Upwork and a 5.0 average on Clutch.
Services & SelfWare
What we build — and the SelfWare category we coined.
What services does NerdHeadz offer?
Custom software development across web, mobile, and AI: custom web applications, mobile and cross-platform apps, AI development (LLM integrations, RAG, agents, chatbots), UX/UI and product design, prototyping, no-code migration, and post-launch maintenance.
What types of AI applications does NerdHeadz build?
Custom AI tools and platforms: LLM integrations, RAG systems, AI agents, chatbots, document and data extraction pipelines, computer vision, and intelligent workflow automation. We work with both startups shipping their first AI feature and B2B SaaS teams adding AI to mature products.
Does NerdHeadz build web applications or just websites?
Web applications — interactive platforms with authentication, databases, APIs, and custom business logic: SaaS products, marketplaces, dashboards, CRMs, internal tools, and customer portals. If you need a marketing or content-driven website, our web design work is the better fit.
What platforms do you build mobile apps for?
iOS and Android. We use React Native and Flutter for cross-platform builds (one codebase, both stores), FlutterFlow for fast MVPs, native Swift/Kotlin when the project needs platform-specific APIs, and PWAs for projects that don’t need to be in the app stores at all.
What’s the difference between web, mobile, PWA, and no-code apps?
Web apps live in the browser and serve users with logins (SaaS, dashboards, marketplaces). Native mobile apps are in the App Store / Play Store with access to device APIs. PWAs are web apps that install to the home screen, work offline, and skip the app stores. No-code apps (Bubble, FlutterFlow) are the fastest path to an MVP, but you trade ownership of the underlying code.
What is RAG and why does it matter for my application?
RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) connects large language models to your own data — documents, databases, knowledge bases — so AI responses are grounded in accurate, company-specific information rather than general knowledge. It’s how you get an AI assistant that answers from your content, not the open internet.
What is an AI agent and how is it different from a chatbot?
An AI agent autonomously performs multi-step tasks — researching, deciding, and acting on your behalf. Unlike chatbots that only respond to questions, agents can execute workflows, call APIs, and make decisions with minimal human input.
How are NerdHeadz chatbots different from template bots?
We build custom AI chatbots powered by large language models that understand context, handle complex queries, and answer from your specific data — far beyond the rigid decision-tree responses of template bots. They can be deployed on your site, app, Slack, WhatsApp, and Messenger with consistent context across channels.
Do you take on design-only projects (no development)?
Yes. We deliver Figma files, design systems, and interactive prototypes any competent engineering team can build from — in-house, your existing agency, or a future hire. We hand off in Figma Dev Mode with a written component spec.
What kinds of products do you design best?
Data-heavy interfaces are our strongest work — dashboards, ERP/CRM tools, custom data tables, internal admin platforms, and multi-state record workflows. We also design consumer apps and SaaS UIs, but our portfolio leans toward the operational software that runs real businesses.
What types of prototypes does NerdHeadz build?
Interactive clickable prototypes in Figma, functional prototypes using no-code tools like Bubble, and coded proof-of-concept prototypes for technical validation — depending on what you need to test. Many clients use them for investor pitches and demo days.
How is SelfWare different from hiring a developer?
SelfWare projects are scoped, estimated, and delivered as fixed-price engagements. You don’t need to manage a developer or understand code — we handle architecture, build, deployment, and handoff. You describe the problem; we ship the solution.
What kinds of business apps do you build?
CRMs, HRMS, ERPs, dashboards, marketplaces, MVPs, RAG platforms, AI-enabled tools, and workflow automation. Each is a custom build on modern infrastructure, not a configured template.
Can you integrate AI into our existing application?
Yes — that’s most of what we do. We add AI features to existing platforms (search, content generation, recommendations, automation) without breaking what already works. Common starting points: an AI assistant inside your SaaS app, AI search over your content, or an automation layer around existing workflows.
Can you redesign an existing application?
Yes — with a caveat. We start with a heuristic audit, an analytics review, and (if available) session recordings before designing anything. Most failed redesigns happen because the team treated the current interface as the problem when the real issue was inconsistent patterns or unplanned information architecture. We diagnose first, design second.
Do you design and develop end-to-end?
Yes. We handle the full process from wireframing and visual design through frontend, backend integration, and deployment — you get a complete, production-ready product rather than a design someone else has to build.
What’s the difference between product design and UI design?
Product design covers the full journey — strategy, user research, wireframing, prototyping, visual design, and usability testing. UI design is only the visual layer. Product design includes the thinking behind it.
Do you run design sprints?
Yes — 1–2 week design sprints to rapidly validate a product idea. A sprint includes problem framing, ideation, prototyping, and user testing, giving you actionable insight before any code is written.
Can you help validate my product idea before development?
Yes. We offer product discovery and validation — market analysis, user interviews, competitive audits, and clickable prototypes — so you can test assumptions with real users before committing to a build.
What deliverables do I get from a design engagement?
User personas, user-flow diagrams, wireframes, interactive Figma prototypes, a visual design system, and a detailed handoff document with specifications for the development team. You own all of it.
What does “pixel-perfect QA” mean in practice?
The same designer who built the Figma file reviews the live staging build — screen by screen, breakpoint by breakpoint — against the file. Drift is logged as QA tickets and fixed before launch. Designer review is a billable line item in every build, not a favor.
What’s a PWA and when does it make sense?
A progressive web app installs to the home screen, works offline, sends push notifications, and behaves like a native app — without app-store submission. PWAs fit when Apple’s 30% cut would break your unit economics, install friction is hurting acquisition, or you need to iterate weekly without an app-review queue. Spotify, Twitter, Starbucks, and Pinterest all run production PWAs.
Can a PWA do everything a native app does?
Close, on Android; mostly, on iOS. Camera, geolocation, offline storage, and push notifications all work in PWAs on iOS 16.4+. What PWAs still can’t do well on iOS: deep platform integration (HealthKit, CarPlay, HomeKit), AR (ARKit), and heavy on-device ML. If your app needs those, you need native; if not, a PWA likely fits.
Will I have to pay Apple 30% on every transaction?
Only if you sell digital goods through Apple’s in-app purchase system inside a native iOS app. The standard rate is 30%, dropping to 15% for subscriptions after year one and for small businesses under $1M/yr. Physical goods, services, and B2B sales are exempt. If the Apple cut would meaningfully change your unit economics, a PWA (Stripe or your processor at ~3%) is worth the conversation before going native.
Do you publish apps to the App Store and Google Play?
Yes — the full submission process: App Store Connect setup, screenshots and metadata, privacy nutrition labels, App Tracking Transparency, and Google Play’s data-safety section. First submissions are rarely approved simultaneously on both stores, so we budget a rejection-and-resubmit cycle into every timeline.
Do you build the backend too, or just the app?
Both. Most projects include the backend (Node.js or Python), the database (PostgreSQL or MongoDB), API design, authentication, push notifications, and cloud deployment. We don’t hand off half an app.
Can I use a prototype to raise funding?
Yes. Many clients use interactive prototypes for investor pitches and demo days. We build presentation-ready prototypes that demonstrate the core functionality and user experience.
Will the prototype code be reusable in the final product?
It depends on the approach. No-code prototypes built in Bubble can often evolve into the production app. Coded proof-of-concepts are built with clean architecture so the core logic transfers to the final build.
What’s included in your web design services?
Brand-aligned visual design, responsive layouts, interactive prototypes, design-system creation, and developer-ready Figma files — every design optimized for conversion and usability.
Can you redesign an existing website?
Yes. We run a UX audit, identify conversion bottlenecks, and deliver a modernized design that improves load speed, mobile responsiveness, and engagement.
Do you design mobile-first?
Yes. All web designs are mobile-first and fully responsive — every page works across phones, tablets, and desktops with layouts optimized for each screen size.
What types of RAG systems do you build?
Document Q&A systems, customer-support knowledge bases, internal search tools, content-generation engines, and AI assistants that reference proprietary data with high accuracy.
What types of AI agents do you build?
Sales-outreach agents, customer-onboarding agents, data-analysis agents, code-review agents, scheduling assistants, and multi-agent systems that coordinate complex business workflows.
Can a chatbot use my company’s knowledge base?
Yes. We integrate chatbots with your documentation, help center, product database, or any internal knowledge source using RAG, so responses are accurate and company-specific.
Where can a chatbot be deployed?
On your website and mobile app, plus Slack, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger — with consistent conversation context across channels.
Do you build workflow automation?
Yes — intelligent automation that replaces manual, repetitive processes, often combining AI with your existing tools and APIs. It’s a common SelfWare shape: software that absorbs the spreadsheet-and-Zapier glue your team runs today.
AI-First Development & Claude Code
How AI actually shows up in the work — honestly.
What is “vibe coding” / AI-assisted development?
It’s software development where engineers use production-grade AI coding tools — Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot — to write, review, and iterate on code conversationally. The AI handles boilerplate and repetitive patterns; senior engineers own architecture, business logic, and quality assurance.
Isn’t this just developers pasting from ChatGPT?
No. We use tools like Claude Code that operate directly in the codebase — not copy-paste from a chat window. Senior engineers set the architecture, define standards, and review every AI-generated line, so the result is production-quality software, not prototype-grade output.
How much faster is AI-assisted development?
Typically 3–5× faster than traditional timelines. An MVP that would take 12–16 weeks with conventional methods can be built in 4–8 weeks with our AI-assisted workflow, without sacrificing code quality or test coverage.
Will my code be buggy because an AI wrote it?
Every line is reviewed by an experienced engineer. The AI writes drafts at human-level quality; we test, refine, and ship. Most bugs come from ambiguous requirements, not the AI — which is why we spend upfront time on spec, not on “prompt engineering.”
Is AI-assisted software production-ready?
Yes. Every project goes through the same quality gates as traditionally developed software: code review, automated testing, security checks, and staging deployment before launch. AI accelerates the writing — humans ensure the quality.
Which AI coding tools do you use?
Our primary AI coding tool is Claude Code (Anthropic), supplemented by Cursor and GitHub Copilot. They’re agnostic to the stack — they accelerate development across Next.js, React, Node.js, Python, and the rest of our toolchain.
Why is this cheaper than a traditional agency?
AI accelerates the typing, boilerplate, and first-draft work — the parts that eat the most hours. What remains is engineering judgment, which is what you’re actually paying for. Fewer hours to the same output means a typical project comes in at roughly half what a traditional agency would charge.
How does AI show up in your design process — honestly?
Three places: Claude generates first-pass design-system code and accessibility checks; Manus generates moodboard assets and ideation directions (fast exploration, never final pixels); OpenAI handles image fills and copy variants. What AI doesn’t do: the actual UX decisions, the information architecture, or the QA loop. We tell you which parts AI accelerated.
Which AI models do you build products on?
We pick the right model per project. Most often Claude (Anthropic) and OpenAI GPT models, plus open-source LLMs via Groq. We’re not locked into any vendor — you own your model accounts and billing relationship.
What does AI NOT do in your process?
It doesn’t write the senior reviews, the compliance docs, or the architecture decisions, and it doesn’t make the UX decisions or run the QA loop. Engineers own architecture, data modeling, and the platform-specific judgment calls; AI compresses the loops between them.
Which parts of a build does AI actually accelerate?
The mechanical layer — boilerplate, scaffolding, test harnesses, type refinement, and first-draft code — gets accelerated roughly 3×. We’re explicit about which parts AI accelerated so you can judge what you’re paying for.
Process & Engagement Models
Sprints, milestones, embedded pods, and retainers.
What engagement models do you offer?
Four: fixed-scope MVPs, embedded pods inside your repo, discovery sprints, and ongoing retainers. Embedded pods are the most-requested — we work inside your repo, your access controls, and your compliance posture, and hand off to your team at the end.
How do you run a build?
In two-week sprints with working software at the end of each. You see progress in your repo, not just in status decks — and reviews happen at the end of every sprint rather than once at the end.
What happens in discovery?
Discovery turns a rough idea into a concrete scope. It typically runs 1–2 weeks and produces a spec stable enough to fix-price the build. For design work it’s a heuristic audit, analytics review, and (if available) session recordings before any pixels.
What if my project isn’t well-scoped enough for a fixed price?
Common — most projects aren’t at first. The first phase (Scope + Spec, 1–2 weeks) is designed to make scope concrete enough to fix-price. If after that the scope is still genuinely ambiguous, we move to time-and-materials and you see hourly logs.
Why won’t you fix-price the build before design is locked?
Because a fixed price needs stable scope, and stable scope comes from finalized designs — not rough mockups. The design phase produces a locked Figma file with every screen, every state, and the design system attached; only then do we quote the build at a fixed price. Same reason architects don’t price construction from a napkin.
Can you embed inside our existing team?
Yes — embedded pods are our most-requested engagement. We work inside your repo, match your conventions, and operate within your access controls and compliance posture. We sign DPAs for GDPR work as standard, and the handoff at the end is to your team, not a maintenance contract.
Can you work alongside our in-house engineers?
Yes. We embed alongside in-house engineers, match their conventions, and hand off cleanly. On many projects an internal developer learns our workflow and continues it after we leave.
How is the project managed?
A dedicated project manager runs the engagement, with standups that overlap your time zone and async reviews where it makes sense. Projects are structured into milestones with the budget monitored per phase.
How long does it take to build a custom AI application?
Most AI projects take 6–12 weeks end-to-end: 1–2 weeks discovery, 1–2 weeks prototyping, 3–8 weeks build, 1 week handoff. Simpler integrations — a single AI feature into an existing app — can ship in 3–4 weeks.
How long does it take to build a custom web application?
Simple applications: 4–8 weeks. Complex platforms with multiple user roles, integrations, and advanced features: 12–24 weeks. We ship in two-week sprints, so you see working software at the end of each.
How long does it take to build a mobile app?
A native MVP with React Native or Flutter: 8–16 weeks including app-store submission. Cross-platform production apps with multiple integrations: 12–20 weeks. PWAs: 4–10 weeks (no app-store review). FlutterFlow MVPs can ship in 3–6 weeks when the design is locked early.
How long does it take to build an app by path?
No-code MVPs: 3–6 weeks. PWAs: 4–10 weeks. Cross-platform native: 8–16 weeks plus app-store review. Fully native with parallel teams: 12–20 weeks plus review. We ship in 2-week sprints throughout.
How long does it take to build a RAG system?
A basic RAG implementation takes 4–8 weeks. More complex systems with multiple data sources, fine-tuned retrieval, and production-grade evaluation typically take 8–16 weeks.
How long does it take to build an AI agent?
A single-purpose AI agent MVP takes 4–8 weeks. Multi-agent systems with complex decision trees, tool integrations, and human-in-the-loop workflows typically take 8–16 weeks.
How long does it take to build a custom AI chatbot?
A basic AI chatbot takes 3–6 weeks. Chatbots with multi-channel deployment, knowledge-base integration, and advanced conversation flows typically take 6–12 weeks.
How long does a UX/UI design project take?
A focused product redesign or full new product design: 4–8 weeks. Design-system overhauls or multi-app design programs: 8–16 weeks. We work in two-week design sprints with reviews at the end of each.
How long does it take to build a prototype?
A clickable Figma prototype takes 1–2 weeks. A functional no-code prototype with real data takes 2–4 weeks. A coded proof-of-concept for complex technical features takes 3–6 weeks.
How fast can you ship an MVP?
Typically 4–8 weeks with our AI-assisted workflow, versus 12–16 weeks for the same MVP built conventionally. The AI-first toolchain compresses the build without skipping the quality gates.
How long does a website design project take?
A landing page or single-page site: 1–2 weeks. Multi-page websites with custom interactions: 3–6 weeks. Complex platforms with dashboards and user portals: 6–12 weeks.
Pricing & Estimates
What things cost and how we quote them.
How does NerdHeadz price projects?
Loaded, all-in numbers — not rate cards. After discovery you get a fixed-price quote tied to a concrete scope document, so there are no time-and-materials surprises on scope-locked work. You can also get a fast ballpark from our AI Estimate tool before any call.
How much does a custom AI project cost?
Most fall between $15,000 and $150,000+ depending on scope, data complexity, and integration depth. Smaller SelfWare AI tools run $3,000–$15,000 over 2–4 weeks. After discovery you get a fixed-price quote.
How much does custom web application development cost?
Most projects fall between $30,000 and $200,000+ depending on scope, integrations, and user-model complexity. Simpler builds (a focused internal tool, a v1 MVP with a small surface area) can come in at $15k–$30k.
How much does mobile app development cost?
Native cross-platform apps typically range $25k–$150k+; fully native Swift/Kotlin builds start at $50k+; PWAs range $15k–$75k (usually 30–50% cheaper than the native equivalent). After discovery you get a fixed-price quote.
How much does app development cost by path?
No-code apps: $5k–$25k. PWAs: $15k–$75k. Cross-platform native: $25k–$120k. Fully native iOS+Android with separate codebases: $50k–$250k+. After a scope call you get a fixed-price quote tied to a concrete scope document.
How much does a custom AI chatbot cost?
From $5,000 for focused bots up to $80,000+ for full conversational platforms, depending on complexity, integrations, and deployment channels. You get a detailed estimate after we understand your use case.
How much does a SelfWare project cost?
Most SelfWare projects cost between $5,000 and $30,000 depending on complexity, integrations, and data sources. The final price is fixed after a 30-minute scoping call, so there are no surprises mid-project.
How much does UX/UI design cost?
A focused product design engagement (one app, full design + design system + prototype) is typically $20k–$60k depending on screen count and complexity. Design-system overhauls run $30k–$120k. We quote fixed-price for the design phase after a short scoping call.
How much does prototyping cost?
Prototyping is free for projects we already see a clear shape for — a click-through prototype or focused proof-of-concept as a relationship-builder. Larger or production-fidelity prototypes with real backend logic run up to $30,000. A discovery call tells you which fits.
How much does ongoing maintenance cost?
Retainers start at $2,000/month for basic support and monitoring. Larger applications with active feature development typically range $5,000–$15,000/month depending on scope. Time-and-materials is available from $60/hour.
Do you charge for a code audit?
A technical audit of an existing app is typically a 1-week engagement at $3k–$8k depending on scope — and it’s credited toward the build if you proceed. You get a documented report of what we find and a prioritized bug/perf/security backlog.
What if the estimate is much lower than the actual cost?
We structure projects into milestones and monitor the budget per phase. If a cost increase is possible, we flag it as early as we can and align on the best path — adjusting the budget or refining scope — before any surprise lands.
Is the price fixed or time-and-materials?
Fixed-price once scope is locked through discovery — that’s the default. Where scope is genuinely ambiguous (or for ongoing post-launch work), we use time-and-materials with transparent hourly logs.
How does payment work — milestones?
Projects are structured into milestones with the budget monitored per phase. You pay against milestones rather than one lump sum, and if a cost change looks likely we raise it early so there are no surprises mid-project.
Technology & Stack
The stack we default to and why.
What is your default technology stack?
Next.js, TypeScript, React, and Node.js; PostgreSQL or MongoDB; Payload CMS where it fits; Cloudflare for edge and deployment. Python with FastAPI for data-intensive or ML-adjacent work, and React Native for mobile. You see the recommended stack in the scope doc before any code is written.
How do you choose the technology for my project?
We build bespoke solutions tailored to your needs — no-code, traditional code, or AI-powered — and pick per project based on the shape of the application, your long-term vision, scalability plans, and any future transitions. The chosen approach is in the scope doc before we start.
What stack do you use for AI features?
Claude (Anthropic) and OpenAI GPT models most often, plus open-source LLMs via Groq. For infrastructure: Python, TypeScript, FastAPI, Next.js, LangChain/LangGraph, and PostgreSQL with pgvector or Supabase for vector search.
What frameworks do you use for AI agents?
LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, and custom orchestration frameworks, chosen by the complexity and requirements of the agent system. Agents connect to CRMs, databases, email, Slack, and any API so they can take real actions in your stack.
What do you build mobile apps with?
React Native and Flutter for cross-platform, FlutterFlow for fast MVPs, and native Swift/Kotlin when a project needs platform-specific APIs. Most mobile projects also include a Node.js or Python backend, database, API layer, auth, and push notifications.
Do you use a CMS?
Payload CMS where a content layer fits — it gives clients an admin to edit content without touching code, on infrastructure you own. For sites that are content-first we wire it into the same Next.js app.
How do you keep RAG systems accurate?
Through chunking strategies, embedding optimization, re-ranking models, and evaluation frameworks that minimize hallucination — so the AI retrieves and generates answers grounded in your data. RAG systems can connect to PDFs, databases, CRMs, help centers, wikis, Notion, Google Drive, and Confluence.
Where is the software hosted?
On infrastructure you own, under your accounts and credentials — commonly Cloudflare, Vercel, or a major cloud, with Supabase or a managed database where it fits. We don’t run black-box hosting you can’t access.
Are we locked into a specific AI vendor?
No. We pick the model per project (Claude, OpenAI, open-source via Groq) and you own your model accounts and billing. We architect so the model can be swapped without rebuilding the product.
What data sources can a RAG system connect to?
PDFs, Word documents, databases, APIs, CRMs, help centers, wikis, Notion, Google Drive, Confluence, and most other structured or unstructured sources.
Working With Us
IP, NDAs, communication, and time zones.
Who owns the IP and the source code?
You do. The application — databases, designs, content, and all final deliverables — belongs to you, with code in your GitHub from the first commit. We retain no rights to client work and we don’t reuse client code across projects.
Do we own the AI prompts and models too?
Yes. All code, prompts, evaluation suites, and infrastructure-as-code are yours. Where we use third-party APIs like Claude or OpenAI, you own the account and billing relationship.
Do you sign NDAs before the first call?
Yes — a mutual NDA, single page, e-signable. Send a draft or ask us for ours; it’s usually back the same day. For GDPR work we sign DPAs as standard.
How do you handle different time zones?
We match clients’ time zones for maximum overlap. Project standups overlap your working hours; reviews can be async. Our PMs work to keep communication tight regardless of region.
How will we communicate during the project?
A dedicated Slack channel for real-time communication, plus a project manager who runs standups and reviews. You also have repository access throughout, so progress is visible in code, not just status updates.
Can I hire just one developer / QA / PM / designer from your team?
We primarily work as a project team, but we’ve started offering development resources for external projects. Tell us your needs, budget, and vision and we’ll determine the best way to collaborate.
Can you take over a project from another team or studio?
Yes — about a third of our work is takeover. We do a 1–2 week read of the codebase, write you an honest report, and you decide what to do with it, with or without us.
Do you handle GDPR and data protection?
Yes. We sign DPAs for GDPR work as standard and operate within your access controls and compliance posture when embedded in your repo.
What if we’re not the right fit?
You’ll get an email that says so, with one or two names of studios we’d send the brief to ourselves. We’d rather hand you off than waste your week.
Can you work with our existing codebase?
Yes. We pick up existing codebases — including legacy PHP, Rails, or Bubble apps that need rebuilding or extending. We audit the codebase first and tell you honestly whether to extend or rebuild.
Will junior developers work on my project?
No. We don’t maintain a junior bench — your project is staffed by senior engineers, designers, PMs, and QA. We turn down work that would force us to hire B-team to staff it.
Are you a remote / distributed team?
Yes. The 30+ team is distributed across 16 countries, which is what lets us overlap client time zones across the US, UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
Do you reuse our code on other clients’ projects?
No. We retain no rights to client work and don’t reuse client code across projects. Your code lives in your GitHub from the first commit and stays yours.
Industries & Use Cases
Where we ship and the products we build.
What industries does NerdHeadz ship in?
We’ve shipped 60+ products across fintech, edtech, healthtech, e-commerce, real estate, logistics, and media. We say yes where the regulatory model is mappable in a week and the product fits a pattern we’ve shipped — a marketplace, a SaaS, a mobile app, an internal tool. For everything else we recommend a specialist.
Do you build fintech and regulated products?
Yes, where the regulatory model is mappable within about a week. We map the compliance layer into scope upfront and quote the all-in price — including that layer — before the contract.
Do you build healthtech products?
Yes — healthtech is one of the domains in our 60+ shipped products. As with any regulated space, we map the compliance requirements into scope first and recommend a specialist if the regulatory model is too deep to map quickly.
Do you build SaaS platforms?
Yes — multi-tenant SaaS is one of our most common product shapes, from v1 MVPs to mature platforms adding AI. We handle auth, billing, dashboards, and the data model end-to-end.
Do you build e-commerce and marketplaces?
Yes. Marketplaces are a pattern we’ve shipped repeatedly — two-sided platforms with listings, payments, and matching. We build them as custom apps on modern infrastructure rather than configured templates.
Do you build internal tools and operational software?
Yes — it’s some of our strongest work. Dashboards, ERP/CRM tools, custom data tables, and admin platforms that teams use eight hours a day. This is also the heart of the SelfWare category: software built around a specific team or workflow.
Do you build edtech products?
Yes — edtech is among the 60+ products we’ve shipped. Learning platforms, course tools, and student-facing apps fit the SaaS and marketplace patterns we ship repeatedly.
Do you build logistics software?
Yes — logistics is one of the domains in our shipped portfolio. Tracking, dispatch, and operational dashboards are exactly the data-heavy internal software we design best.
Do you build proptech / real-estate software?
Yes — real estate is among our shipped industries. Listing platforms, marketplaces, and property-management tools map to patterns we’ve delivered before.
Post-Launch & Support
What happens after you go live.
Do you stay on after launch?
If you want us to. We offer post-launch maintenance at a lower time-and-materials rate, or a clean handoff with runbooks and documentation your team can read. Most clients keep us on for the first 3–6 months, then move to in-house or ad-hoc.
What if I find bugs after launch?
Bugs introduced during the build are fixed free of charge within the agreed support period, so your application runs smoothly after go-live.
What does maintenance and support include?
Bug fixes, performance monitoring, security patches, dependency updates, feature enhancements, and server management — on either a retainer or on-demand basis. We also retain roughly 60% of clients on a post-launch retainer.
Can you maintain an app another team built?
Yes. We perform a codebase audit, document the architecture, and take over maintenance — whether the app was built with React, Node.js, Bubble, or other technologies.
What’s your response time for support requests?
Critical bugs are addressed within 4–8 hours on business days; standard requests within 24–48 hours. You get a dedicated Slack channel for real-time communication with the support team.
Do you optimize performance after launch?
Yes. We monitor performance, identify bottlenecks, and optimize load times, database queries, and infrastructure costs as part of ongoing maintenance engagements.
Can you audit my existing app?
Yes. We evaluate performance, security, scalability, and functionality, then provide insights and a prioritized list of recommendations. A paid 1-week audit ($3k–$8k) is the common starting point and is credited toward a build if you proceed.
Do you provide documentation and runbooks at handoff?
Yes. A clean handoff includes runbooks and documentation your team can read and act on — so you can move to in-house or ad-hoc support without us in the loop. That handoff is to your team, not into a mandatory maintenance contract.
Will you help our team take over after launch?
Yes. On many projects an internal developer learns our workflow during the build and continues it afterward. Combined with documentation and repo access from day one, your team can own the product when we step back.
Proof & Results
Track record, ratings, and recognition.
How many projects has NerdHeadz delivered?
60+ products shipped since 2022, across fintech, edtech, healthtech, e-commerce, real estate, logistics, and media — built by a 30+ person in-house team.
What are your client ratings?
Clutch 5.0 (22 reviews), Trustpilot 4.4 (12 reviews), and GoodFirms 5.0 (10 reviews). On Upwork we’re Top Rated with 100% job success.
What’s the biggest product you’ve launched?
Our largest launch has surpassed $12M+. Across the portfolio we’ve shipped 60+ products spanning marketplaces, SaaS platforms, mobile apps, and internal tools.
Is the “3× faster” claim real?
It’s our working figure: an AI-first toolchain (Claude Code, agents, modern frameworks) compresses the scoping, build, and review loops about 3× versus a same-sized team without that layer — without compromising senior engineering review.
Can I see case studies or talk to references?
Yes. Our portfolio details shipped products and outcomes, and we can arrange reference conversations during the sales process. Much of our pipeline is referral, so we’re happy to connect you with people we’ve shipped with.
What’s your Upwork track record?
Top Rated with 100% job success on Upwork, alongside a 5.0 average on Clutch — a big reason most of our work comes from referrals and repeat clients.
Across how many industries have you shipped?
Seven and counting — fintech, edtech, healthtech, e-commerce, real estate, logistics, and media — totaling 60+ shipped products since 2022.
No-Code, Bubble & Migration
When no-code fits — and moving off it.
When does no-code (Bubble, FlutterFlow) make sense?
When you need the fastest possible path to a working MVP and are comfortable trading ownership of the underlying code for speed. No-code is great for validating an idea; the trade-off is platform lock-in and ceilings on performance and customization as you scale.
Do I own a no-code app you build?
Yes — you own the workspace (your Bubble or FlutterFlow account), and we transfer ownership at handoff. We don’t keep black-box copies. The difference from custom code is that the app runs on the platform’s infrastructure rather than code in your repo.
Will you migrate us off Bubble, Webflow, or another no-code platform?
Yes — it’s one of our most common engagement shapes. We rebuild the application on modern infrastructure (Next.js + your choice of database, or React Native for mobile) while preserving features, SEO, and data.
When should I migrate off no-code to custom code?
When the platform’s ceilings start costing you — performance limits, per-record pricing, features you can’t build, or hiring constraints because few engineers work in the no-code tool. We audit the existing app first and tell you honestly whether to extend or rebuild.
Can a no-code prototype become the real product?
Sometimes. A no-code prototype built in Bubble can often evolve into the production app; coded proof-of-concepts are built with clean architecture so core logic transfers. We’ll tell you on the discovery call which path your project should take.
Do you still build in Bubble?
Yes, when no-code is the right call for a fast MVP or a client already on Bubble. We also run the reverse — migrating Bubble apps to custom code when the platform’s ceilings start to bite.
Which no-code tools do you work with?
Primarily Bubble for web/no-code apps and FlutterFlow for mobile MVPs. We build clickable and functional prototypes in these tools and can either evolve them into production or rebuild on custom code later.
Getting Started
How to begin and what to bring.
How do we start working together?
Two ways: a 30-minute discovery call, or our AI Estimate tool for a fast ballpark first. Bring the product idea, the regulator (if any), and a rough budget — we’ll tell you on the call whether we’re the right fit, and if not, who is.
What if I don’t have a budget figured out yet?
Fine — most discovery calls happen before there’s a number. We’ll give you a range based on the scope, and you can take it to whoever signs the cheque.
What is the AI Estimate tool?
It’s our online tool that turns a description of your project into a ballpark scope and cost in minutes, before any call. Use it to sanity-check budget and timeline, then book a discovery call to firm it up.
How quickly can you start?
For embedded pods, usually 2–3 weeks from a signed scope. For discovery sprints, often the following Monday. Ask us for current availability when you reach out.
Can you build without a finished UI/UX design?
Yes. If you already have a design, we build from your existing Figma files or other assets. If you don’t, the design phase is part of the engagement — we produce a locked Figma file before quoting a fixed-price build.
What should I bring to the first call?
The product idea, the regulator or compliance context if there is one, and a rough budget. That’s enough for us to give you a scope range and tell you whether we’re the right team for it.
We have a half-built app from another team — can you start there?
Yes. The usual entry point is a 1–2 week codebase read (a paid technical audit, $3k–$8k) ending in an honest report and a prioritized backlog. You then decide whether we ship the fix-pack, take over maintenance, or hand it back — with or without us.
What happens after I get an AI estimate?
You book a 30-minute discovery call to firm up the ballpark into a real scope. Discovery produces a spec we can fix-price, and from there we schedule the build in two-week sprints.
Do you offer a discovery sprint to get going?
Yes. A discovery sprint is one of our four engagement models — a short, focused engagement that turns a rough idea into a concrete, fix-priceable scope. Discovery sprints often start as soon as the following Monday.
Didn’t find your answer?
Book a 30-minute discovery call, or get a fast ballpark from our AI Estimate tool.