How I helped a founder launch in 6 weeks (and what you can learn from it)

The Story

January 2025. A founder calls me. He has seed funding, an idea, and 6 weeks to prove it works. His question: "Can you build this?"

6 weeks later: Live product, 50+ users, first payments coming in.

This is how we did it, and what other founders can learn from it.

The Situation

The founder: Sarah (28), healthtech startup The idea: AI-powered coaching app for PMDD patients Budget: €35k Deadline: 6 weeks (investor pitch) Goal: Validate if the concept works before requesting more funding

The problem: Traditional agencies said "3-4 months minimum". Sarah had 6 weeks.

Why This Works For Founders

1. Founders Have Urgency

Sarah had no time for:
• 3 months discovery phase
• Endless meetings
• Perfect design for day 1

She had time for:
• MVP that works
• Testing with real users
• Iterating based on feedback

This is exactly what founders need. Not perfect, but working.

2. MVP Thinking = Speed

We focused on:
• ✅ Core functionality (coaching content + AI chat)
• ✅ User accounts (so they can test)
• ✅ Payments (so they can validate)
• ❌ Premium features (later)
• ❌ Complex analytics (later)
• ❌ Perfect design (later)

80% features, 100% working. This is MVP thinking.

3. Iterative Work = Faster Learning

Week 1-2: Build core features Week 3: Test with 5 beta users Week 4: Process feedback Week 5: Iterate Week 6: Launch with first paying users

Every week we learned something new. Every week we improved.

Our Approach

Week 1: Discovery + Start Building

Day 1-2: Conversation about goals, features, and what's really important Day 3-4: Design sketches (Figma) Day 5-7: Start building (Next.js + Supabase)

Important: We didn't wait until everything was perfect. We started building.

Week 2-3: Core Features

What we built:
• User authentication (Supabase Auth)
• Content management (coaching modules)
• AI chat (OpenAI API)
• Basic dashboard

What we DIDN'T build:
• Complex analytics
• Premium features
• Perfect UI/UX

Focus: Working product, not perfect product.

Week 4: Beta Testing

5 beta users tested the product. We collected feedback:
• "AI chat works well"
• "Content is clear"
• "Dashboard is simple but effective"

Most important feedback: "I would pay for this if it works."

Week 5: Iterate

Based on feedback:
• AI responses improved
• Content structure adjusted
• Dashboard usability improved

No big changes. Small improvements that make the difference.

Week 6: Launch

Went live with:
• Working product
• 5 beta users already using it
• Payments integrated (Stripe)
• First paying users within 48 hours

Result: 50+ users in first week, first payments, successful investor pitch.

What Other Founders Can Learn

1. Speed > Perfection

For founders: You don't have time for perfect. You have time for working.

Focus on:
• Core features that add value
• Testing with real users
• Iterating based on feedback

Not on:
• Perfect design
• All features
• Complex systems

2. MVP = Minimum Viable Product

Viable = it works Minimum = only what's needed

Sarah's MVP:
• ✅ AI chat that works
• ✅ Content that adds value
• ✅ Payments that work
• ❌ Premium features (later)
• ❌ Complex analytics (later)

This is enough to validate.

3. Iterative = Faster Learning

Traditional approach:
• 3 months building
• Then testing
• Then rebuilding everything

Our approach:
• 2 weeks building
• Testing
• Iterating
• Testing
• Iterating

Every iteration teaches you something new.

4. Founders Have Different Needs

Traditional agencies think:
• "We need to make everything perfect"
• "We need to cover all edge cases"
• "We need to build complex systems"

Founders think:
• "I need to validate quickly"
• "I need to test with real users"
• "I need to prove it works"

This is why speed matters for founders.

The Numbers

Timeline: 6 weeks Budget: €35k Features: Core MVP Result:
• 50+ users in first week
• First payments within 48 hours
• Successful investor pitch
• Product-market fit proven

ROI: Within 2 months she had enough users to continue.

What If You Want This Too?

For founders with:
• Seed/angel funding
• 6-12 week deadline
• Product idea that needs testing

This is what we do:
• Week 1: Discovery + start building
• Week 2-4: Build core features
• Week 5: Beta testing
• Week 6: Launch

Budget: €15k-€50k (depending on scope) Timeline: 4-12 weeks Focus: Working product, not perfect product

The Most Important Lesson

For founders: Speed is more important than perfection.

For agencies: Founders have different needs than corporate clients.

For everyone: MVP thinking = faster learning, faster validation, faster growth.

Ready To Start?

If you're a founder with an idea and a deadline, schedule a call. We'll discuss:
• ✅ Whether your idea is suitable for rapid development
• ✅ What you really need (MVP thinking)
• ✅ How we can build it in 4-12 weeks
• ✅ Whether we're a good match

No obligations. Just an honest conversation about how we can help.

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*PS: This story is based on a real project. The founder has given permission to share this. Names have been changed for privacy.*