Everything you need to know about working with KITLABS—from pricing and timelines to security and support. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Just ask.
GETTING STARTED
General Questions
What kind of companies do you work with?
We work with everyone from funded startups to Fortune 500s. Our sweet spot? Companies that see technology as a competitive advantage, not just a cost center. Whether you’re a 10-person team validating an idea or a 10,000-person enterprise modernizing legacy systems, we’ve been there.
Most of our clients are in healthcare, fintech, real estate, manufacturing, and SaaS—but honestly, if you’ve got an ambitious technical challenge, we’re interested.
What makes KITLabs different from other dev shops?
Three things: we’re AI-first (not AI-curious), we’ve been doing this since 2016 (so we’ve seen the hype cycles), and we actually ship products that make money—not just code that compiles.
We’re not interested in being your dev team forever. We’re here to solve hard problems, transfer knowledge, and move on. Most agencies want recurring revenue. We want you to succeed and tell others.
Do you only build AI products?
No, but AI is our specialty. We build plenty of “regular” web and mobile apps, API platforms, data pipelines—the usual stuff. The difference is we know when AI actually helps (fraud detection, recommendations, automation) versus when it’s just expensive window dressing.
If your project doesn’t need AI, we’ll tell you. If it does, we’ll explain exactly how it’ll make you money or save you time.
Are you based in the US? Do you have offshore teams?
Headquarters in Morris Plains, NJ. All project leadership and architecture decisions happen here. For implementation, we work with senior engineers globally—but everyone speaks fluent English, works in overlapping time zones, and has been with us for years.
You’ll always have a US-based point of contact who actually understands your business and can make decisions without “checking with the team.”
Can I meet the team before committing to a project?
Absolutely. In fact, we insist on it. You’ll talk to the actual people building your product—not just a sales team that disappears after the contract is signed.
During discovery, you’ll meet your technical lead, see examples of their work, and get a feel for how they think. If the chemistry isn’t right, we’d rather know now than six weeks into the project.
What if our project is confidential or under NDA?
Standard for us. We’ll sign your NDA before the first call if you want. Most of our work is confidential—healthcare, fintech, and government clients don’t mess around with IP protection.
We also have experience with SOC 2, HIPAA BAAs, and other compliance frameworks if your legal team needs specific language.
What kind of companies do you work with?
We work with everyone from funded startups to Fortune 500s. Our sweet spot? Companies that see technology as a competitive advantage, not just a cost center. Whether you’re a 10-person team validating an idea or a 10,000-person enterprise modernizing legacy systems, we’ve been there.
Most of our clients are in healthcare, fintech, real estate, manufacturing, and SaaS—but honestly, if you’ve got an ambitious technical challenge, we’re interested.
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WHAT WE DO
Services & Capabilities
Can you help us figure out what to build, or do we need a spec ready?
We actually prefer when you don’t have everything figured out. Most detailed specs written without engineering input turn into expensive change orders later anyway.
We start with discovery: what problem are you solving, who’s paying for it, what’s the simplest version that works. Then we prototype, validate assumptions, and build iteratively. Way better than spending three months writing a 100-page spec that’s wrong.
Do you work on existing codebases or only greenfield projects?
Both. About half our projects are rescues—taking over stalled builds, fixing technical debt, or modernizing legacy systems. We’re pretty good at reading other people’s code and figuring out what’s salvageable versus what needs to be rewritten.
Fair warning: if your codebase is genuinely unsalvageable, we’ll tell you. Sometimes the honest answer is “start over,” even though that’s not what anyone wants to hear.
Can you build mobile apps, or just web?
We build native iOS and Android apps, React Native cross-platform apps, and progressive web apps (PWAs). Which one makes sense depends on your use case, budget, and timeline.
Most of our clients don’t actually need native apps—PWAs work great and save 50% on development and maintenance. But if you need camera access, offline-first functionality, or Apple/Google features, we’ll build native.
Do you provide ongoing support after launch, or just build and leave?
We offer both. Some clients want us to stick around for monitoring, updates, and new features. Others want to take over with their own team. Both work fine—we’ll train your people and document everything either way.
Our post-launch support packages start around $3K/month for monitoring and critical fixes, up to retained engineering for ongoing development. Month-to-month, no long-term contracts.
Can you integrate with our existing tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, SAP, etc)?
Yes. Integration work is probably 30% of what we do—connecting new systems to old ones, building APIs between platforms, migrating data without downtime. We’ve worked with pretty much every enterprise system at this point.
The real question is usually not “can you?” but “should you?”—sometimes the integration costs more than just rebuilding the workflow. We’ll map out both options.
Do you handle design (UI/UX) or just development?
We do product design—UX research, wireframes, prototypes, visual design. Not branding or marketing design, but everything related to how the product works and feels.
If you already have designs, great. If not, we’ll handle it. If you have a designer you love, we’ll work with them. Whatever makes sense for your situation.
Still Have Questions
Book a 30-minute call with our team. No sales pitch—just straight answers about your project.
investment
Pricing & Engagement
How much does a typical project cost?
Most projects land between $50K and $500K depending on scope. An MVP for a startup might be $50-75K. A full platform with mobile apps, integrations, and AI features might be $200-300K. Enterprise modernization projects can run higher.
We don’t do $10K websites or $5K mobile apps—that’s not our business. But we also won’t sell you a $500K solution when a $75K one will work. The goal is to build what actually makes you money.
Do you work hourly, fixed-price, or retainer?
Usually fixed-price for defined projects (MVP, platform rebuild, specific feature sets). Hourly for ongoing work where scope is evolving. Retainers for clients who need continuous development capacity.
For new clients, we almost always start with a 2-4 week discovery phase (fixed price) before committing to the full project. Helps us understand the problem, validate feasibility, and give you a real estimate instead of a guess.
What's your hourly rate?
$150-200/hour depending on team composition and project complexity. Senior AI engineers and architects are on the higher end. Standard full-stack development is around $150.
That said, we rarely bill purely hourly. Most clients prefer fixed-price milestones so they know exactly what they’re getting for their investment.
Do your required payment upfront, or can we pay on delivery?
Standard terms: 50% to start, 50% on delivery. For larger projects, we break into milestones—you pay as features ship. We don’t do net-30 or net-60 for new clients, but after the first project we can discuss more flexible terms.
We’ve had good experiences with earn-out structures for startups (reduced upfront cost, equity participation). Happy to discuss creative arrangements if you’re capital-constrained but have real traction.
Can we hire you for just a few hours a week?
We have fractional CTO and technical advisor engagements starting at 10 hours/month. Good for early-stage companies that need architecture guidance, code reviews, or someone to sanity-check their technical decisions.
For actual development work, we usually need at least 20-30 hours/week to maintain momentum. Context-switching is expensive—both for you and us.
Do you offer equity-for-work deals?
Sometimes. We’ve done hybrid deals (reduced cash + equity) for companies with strong fundamentals, compelling vision, and founders we believe in. But we’re not a free dev shop—equity alone doesn’t pay our engineers.
If you’re truly capital-constrained, we’d rather see you raise a proper seed round or get to revenue first. Building a company on equity-only development rarely ends well.
HOW WE WORK
Process & Timelines
How long does a typical project take?
MVPs usually take 8-12 weeks from kickoff to launch. Full platforms with integrations, mobile apps, and custom AI might be 4-6 months. Enterprise projects can run 6-12 months depending on compliance, integrations, and stakeholder coordination.
We ship working software every 2 weeks, so you’ll see progress continuously—not just at the end.
What does your process look like? Do you use Agile/Scrum/Waterfall?
We’re Agile-ish. Two-week sprints, daily standups, demos every Friday. But we’re not religious about it—if something isn’t working, we change it. The goal is shipping software, not following a playbook.
You’ll have a dedicated Slack channel, weekly check-ins, and access to our project board (Jira, Linear, whatever you prefer). We don’t gatekeep communication—if you need something, just ask.
How involved do we need to be? Can you just handle everything?
Depends on the project. For well-defined builds, you might only need 5-10 hours/week for feedback and decisions. For products where you’re the domain expert, you’ll need to be more hands-on—especially early.
The projects that fail are usually the ones where clients disappear for weeks at a time. We need someone who can make decisions, answer questions, and test features. Doesn’t have to be you, but it has to be someone.
What happens if we need to pause or cancel the project?
Life happens—funding falls through, priorities change, CEOs get replaced. We get it. If you need to pause, we’ll wrap up the current sprint, document everything, and hand over what’s been built. You keep all the code and IP.
For cancellations, we’re fair: you pay for work completed to date, and we’ll help transition to another team if needed. No hard feelings, no lawyers (unless you force us into it).
Can we add features or change scope mid-project?
Of course. Good ideas come up during development—that’s normal. For small tweaks, we’ll just adjust. For meaningful changes, we’ll give you options: delay other features, extend timeline, or increase budget.
What doesn’t work: adding major features without adjusting timeline or budget, then getting mad when we can’t magically deliver everything for the original price. But you seem reasonable, so this probably won’t be an issue.
How do you handle testing and quality assurance?
Automated testing is built in—unit tests, integration tests, end-to-end tests where it matters. We also do manual QA before every release, and you’ll get staging environments to test features before they go live.
For healthcare, fintech, or other regulated industries, we can bring in third-party security audits and penetration testing. Costs extra but often required for compliance.
TECH STACK
Technology & Security
What technologies do you use? Can we choose the stack?
Our defaults: React/Next.js for web, React Native for mobile, Node.js or Python for backend, PostgreSQL for databases, AWS for infrastructure. For AI: TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn depending on the use case.
If you have a strong preference or existing infrastructure, we’ll adapt. But we’ll also push back if your choice doesn’t make sense—our job is to tell you what works, not just do what you ask.
Are you comfortable with HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and other compliance requirements?
Yes. About 40% of our work is in regulated industries—healthcare, fintech, government. We’ve built HIPAA-compliant platforms, PCI-DSS Level 1 payment systems, and FedRAMP applications.
We know the frameworks, we work with auditors, and we build security in from day one. Retrofitting compliance is 10x more expensive than doing it right from the start.
Who owns the code and IP when the project is done?
You do. 100%. The moment you pay the final invoice, all code, designs, documentation, and IP transfer to you. We don’t keep any ownership or licensing rights.
Obviously we retain the right to say “we built this” in our portfolio (with your permission), but the actual product is entirely yours.
How do you handle security? What about data breaches?
Security is table stakes: encryption at rest and in transit, proper authentication, regular dependency updates, secure coding practices, penetration testing for sensitive systems.
We also train your team on secure operations, set up monitoring and alerts, and have incident response plans ready. Breaches happen—what matters is how quickly you detect and respond.
Can you work with our existing cloud proivder (AWS, Azure, GCP)?
Yes. We’re strongest on AWS (most projects run there), but we’ve deployed on Azure and GCP too. If you have existing infrastructure or credits with a specific provider, we’ll work within that.
For startups with no preference, we usually recommend AWS—it’s what we know best, has the most comprehensive AI/ML services, and the broadest ecosystem.
What if we want to use open-source AI models instead of paying for OpenAI/Anthropic?
Smart question. We use both depending on the use case. For production systems with uptime requirements, hosted APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere) are often more reliable and cost-effective than self-hosting.
For high-volume use cases, custom models, or data privacy requirements, we’ll fine-tune and deploy open-source models (Llama, Mistral, etc). Initial setup costs more, but unit economics can be much better at scale.
AFTER LAUNCH
Support & Maintenance
What happens after the product launches?
You get 30 days of free bug fixes and tweaks post-launch. After that, you can either take over with your team (we’ll train them), hire us for ongoing support, or bring us back for specific features as needed.
Most clients keep us on retainer for 3-6 months post-launch while they build internal capacity. Some keep us indefinitely as their external engineering team. Both work fine.
How much does ongoing support/maintenance cost?
Basic monitoring and critical bug fixes start around $3K/month. More comprehensive support (minor features, optimizations, regular updates) runs $5-10K/month depending on system complexity.
For ongoing development capacity, retainers start at $15K/month for part-time engineering, up to $40-50K/month for a dedicated team. Month-to-month agreements—cancel anytime with 30 days notice.
Can we hire you back for new features later?
Always. Most of our clients come back for Phase 2, 3, 4. We know the codebase, we know the business, and we can hit the ground running without weeks of onboarding.
We keep project documentation and architecture notes for at least two years, so even if you go dark for a while, we can pick things back up quickly.
Do you train our internal team to maintain the system?
Absolutely. We’ll do knowledge transfer sessions, create documentation, record walkthroughs—whatever helps your team take ownership. Some clients hire us to interview and onboard their new engineers too.
Fair warning: if your system is complex (microservices, ML pipelines, etc), you’ll need senior people. We can help you find them or stick around until you do.
What if something breaks after you hand it off?
Call us. We’ll triage it and tell you if it’s something you can fix, something we broke, or something new that needs attention. If we legitimately screwed up, we’ll fix it for free. If it’s new scope or changes you made, we’ll quote hourly work or a small fixed-price engagement.
We’re responsive—usually same-day replies, often within hours. Your success is our success, so we’re motivated to help even when we’re not on retainer.
How often do you update dependencies and handle security patches?
For clients on support retainers: monthly dependency updates, immediate critical security patches. We monitor for vulnerabilities and apply fixes before they become problems.
If you’re self-maintaining, we’ll leave you with tooling (Dependabot, Snyk, etc) and documentation on how to handle updates. But realistically, this is one of the first things companies neglect when they take over—so consider a maintenance retainer.
Get Started
Ready to Get Started?
Book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll discuss your project, answer your questions, and give you honest advice—even if it means recommending someone else.