How a project with us works: four phases, one fixed price each
A project with CIRO EFFORT runs in four phases: understand, design, build, deliver. Each phase ends with an outcome you can see and check, and has its own fixed price that you know before it starts. The first clickable version is ready after two to three weeks; you typically go live after two to three months.
Across Germany for startups and mid-sized companies, with team members in Munich and Dortmund. Updated:
- each with its own fixed price and a verifiable outcome
- 4 phases
- to the first clickable version
- 2–3 weeks
- to go-live of the first use case
- 2–3 months
The four phases at a glance
The next phase only starts once the previous one is complete and approved, with its own fixed price:
- 01Week 1
Understand
Workshop with your team, processes and data. We find the use case that pays off first and check feasibility.
- 02Weeks 1–2
Design
Solution concept, clickable prototype, architecture and integrations. It ends with a binding quote and schedule.
- 03Weeks 2–9
Build
First clickable version with real data, then expansion in short cycles. A visible increment every week.
- 04Weeks 10–12
Deliver
Hardening, integration, supported launch. Then operations, measurement and ongoing development from one team.
What happens in each phase
For every phase it is clear in advance what you get and what we need from you:
| Phase | What we do | Your outcome | Your contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understand | Workshop, process mapping, review of data and systems | Prioritised use cases, feasibility, roadmap with effort estimates | Half a day of workshop, access to your subject-matter experts |
| Design | User journeys, clickable prototype, architecture, GDPR and AI Act classification | Solution concept and binding quote with fixed price and schedule | Feedback on the prototype, approval of the concept |
| Build | Development in weekly cycles, tests, integration with your systems | First clickable version, then weekly increments | One hour a week for demo and decisions |
| Deliver | Hardening, go-live, training, monitoring | Running software, documentation, access, code | Acceptance, rollout in your team |
Why a fixed price per phase rather than overall or time and materials?
Three common ways to bill a project. We use the third because it shares the risk fairly:
| Fixed price for the whole project | Time and materials | Fixed price per phase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Predictability | Looks high, but change requests are the norm | Low, the final price is open | High: the price of the next phase is fixed before it starts |
| Risk | Priced in through buffers you pay for | Entirely with you | Shared: if we need longer, you do not pay more |
| Flexibility | Changes get expensive | High, but without a cost cap | High: insights flow into the next phase |
| Exit | Only after the project ends | Any time, outcome open | After every phase, with an outcome that belongs to you |
We name concrete figures in the initial call once the scope is clear. Extensions are estimated in advance and only implemented after your approval; nobody bills you for hours you did not approve.
What day-to-day collaboration looks like
01
Weekly demo
Every week we show the current state in your environment, and you click through the product yourself.
02
Repository from day one
You have access to code, tickets and documentation from the start and can see every change.
03
Fixed contacts
The people from the initial call stay with your project until it is in operation, so you never brief a new team.
04
Decisions are yours
We prepare decisions with options and effort. You decide, and we record each decision in one sentence.
05
AI in every step
We produce research, concepts, code and tests with AI, which is where our pace comes from, and people check every result.
06
Measurable from launch
Before go-live we define how success is measured and set up GDPR-compliant tracking.
What we need from you
- One person who can decide, and one who knows the workflow in practice
- Half a day for the workshop in week one
- Access to sample data and the systems involved
- One hour a week for demo and feedback
After go-live
After go-live we can take over operations, maintenance and ongoing development on request, for a monthly retainer. Your contacts stay the same.
We measure how the software is used and propose the next stage based on that data. And if you want to take over operations yourself, we hand over code, documentation and access in full.
Process FAQ
Yes. Each phase has its own fixed price and ends with an outcome that belongs to you: after the first phase a roadmap with effort estimates, after the second a concept with a clickable prototype, after that running software. Before every phase you decide again whether and how to continue.
We plan for that. Small adjustments are absorbed within the phase. Larger changes are estimated in advance and only implemented after your approval, either as a swap for a planned feature or as an extension with its own price.
Half a day for the workshop at the start and then around one hour a week for demo and decisions, plus acceptance at the end of each phase. We take care of the rest.
Vercel for delivery and operation, Cloudflare for network and security, Google Cloud for data and AI services, Stripe for payments, Brevo for sending email. Each is a standard in its field, so you will always find other developers who know it. Where your requirements call for it, everything runs in the EU.
You talk directly with the founders for 45 minutes, free of charge and without obligation. We want to understand your situation, show options and say honestly whether and how we can help. Afterwards you know what a project with us would look like and what the first phase covers, and you decide at your own pace.
Continuously and accessible to you: code, tasks and documentation sit in a repository you can access from day one. Each decision is recorded in one sentence with date and reasoning. At handover you also receive operations documentation and all access credentials.
Let's talk about your project.
We take care of strategy, design, development and data. Your intro call is directly with the founders: 45 minutes, no obligation.
Or directly: 089 24 88 31 22
