Proposal process: From the first hello to a long-term partnership

As part of our proposal process, we conduct a handful of interactive workshops designed to dive into your idea. The whole process typically takes 1-2 weeks (depending on your availability and the details shared) and consists of:

• The intro call: Building the foundation (0,5-1 hour)

• Prospecting Workshop: Uncovering the details (1-1,5 hours)

• Proposal preparation by our Sudolabs team (a couple of days)

• Presentation and review of the proposal (1-1,5 hours)

At first glance, it might seem like our proposal process — filled with workshops and calls — is a tedious prelude to partnering with us. But trust us, it's much more than that! This initial journey is a golden opportunity to shape and solidify your thoughts and business ideas. It transforms them into a high-level roadmap that highlights your current standing and the paths forward.

And it doesn't stop there. At the end, we send you a proposal document that details everything — the estimated timeline, the recommended team size, and the pricing estimate — providing you with a valuable blueprint that can guide you, whether you choose to proceed with us or another agency.

We should emphasize that this isn't a one-sided conversation; instead, it's an iterative process in which together we come up with ideas for collaboration. The most exciting part? It doesn't cost you a dime, and you can step back at any point — all we ask is a simple heads-up (no ghosting, please 👻) So, should we dive into the details?

Step 1: The Introductory Call - Laying the Groundwork (0.5-1 hour)

Once you reach out to us either through our web contact form, [email protected], or by connecting with one of our Business Development colleagues, the initial step in the proposal process involves an introductory call.

The intro call usually lasts about an hour and it’s all about searching for clues to see if our Sudolabs team could be your missing piece. Typically, the conversation revolves around what you’re hoping for in this partnership:

• What business ideas/product features/issues do you have?

• Do you have a specific timeline in mind?

• Additionally, are there any particular deadlines you're aiming to meet?

• Are you starting from scratch, or do you already have prototypes, designs, or products?

• What is your budget range for this project?

• Do you intend to expand your existing internal team or seek a technology partner?

These details help us understand your current state and see if there’s a mutual fit. Every so often during the intro call, we realize that, for various reasons such as different tech stacks or different service needs, our compatibility might be limited. When that happens, we're happy to point you toward someone from our network who can better cater to your needs.

Step 2: Prospecting Workshop - Detailing Your Vision (1-1.5 hours)

If we both give each other virtual high-fives after the intro call and believe we might be the right fit for each other, we can move on to our next step, the Prospecting Workshop.

Prospecting Workshop Agenda (1-1,5 hours)

• Sudolabs general introduction (5 min)

• Your general introduction (5 min)

• Product needs categorization (5-10 min)

• Product needs mapping (30-45 min)

• Summary & next steps (5-10 min)

We’re curious about the story behind you & your product, how you came up with the idea, who’s behind it, what user’s pain points are you trying to solve or who are you trying to target.

After the initial introduction, we take a deeper dive and try to bring some extra organization in understanding your product - the product needs categorization & mapping.

Looking at it from a Product Design angle, it's pivotal to ascertain whether you have undergone market and user research in the past, if you have your idea already validated, if there are existing designs to build upon, or if we're starting from the ground up. We're keen to understand whether you already have a clear product scope & roadmap or if crafting one is a journey ahead of us.

Shifting to the Engineering perspective, we aim to grasp whether we are enhancing an existing solution/product in its scaling phase or starting to develop an entirely new product. We will also talk a little about the technology stack you currently use or would like to use.

Finally, it's time to bring everything we've discussed during this workshop into focus! It's pretty amazing that in a short 1.5-hour session, we can pinpoint the high-level steps that work best for you. Generally, everyone finds their place in one of three groups:

A) New product idea - You are exploring a new business/market/tech opportunity from scratch.

B) Specified & designed product idea - In the development of a validated and specified product with some already existing product artifacts

C) Improvement of an already existing product - The product is already in production and has user traction with potential for improvement.

In this prospecting call, we get a solid grip on what you want to achieve. This is so our team can develop a proposal that is in line with your needs.

Step 3: Proposal Preparation, Presentation & Review (2-3 days)

Now we have all we need to craft a proposal. Our product experts (defining the high-level scope of the work) and engineering managers (estimating engineering efforts) will evaluate all the information discussed during the workshop. Usually, we can send the proposal to you in a couple of days.

The proposal you'll get is usually in PDF form and outlines:

• Summary of how we understand your business needs & goals

• Suggested delivery approach (specific weeks)

• Offered a high-level project timeline

• Proposed pricing (rate/hour + monthly overview with specific capacity allocated)

• Product delivery team (people who will work on your product and their experience)

• Our successful products where we used a similar approach

No worries, we will walk you through the document on call so you can fully understand the details. Once presented, we eagerly welcome your feedback to fine-tune the proposal, ensuring full alignment. Remember, this is an iterative process, and we are open to embracing changes at any stage to craft a path that resonates with both of us perfectly.

Next steps - Scoping workshops - Nailing down the details

Once you give us the green light and you are ready to move on with us, we'll take the high-level proposal to the drawing board to flesh it out into a detailed roadmap. This will outline the specific features we envision and set a concrete timeline for the rollout. We value your input greatly during this scoping stage; your active participation will be a cornerstone of our planning process.

Thanks to our rich history of bringing over 50 products to fruition, we've perfected our scoping process to minimize changes down the line. Yet, we remain agile, open to recognizing overlooked elements and introducing supplementary components as necessary. We also streamline our initial vision if it becomes overly complex.

The scoping workshop is more than a preparatory step; it's a dynamic space where we fine-tune our understanding of the project's demands and possibilities. This crucial phase helps nail down a more accurate project timeline and a finalized price estimate, expertly balancing ambition with realism.

Final Step - Kick-off in 2 weeks 🚀

As soon as everything is aligned and approved, we’re ready to kickstart the delivery process. Quick and effective responses are our forte; we usually have a team on standby, ready to act within a two-week timeframe.

If you've got an idea you'd like to discuss or if scaling your business is on your mind, please send us an email at [email protected], or you can also book a call with our CEO, Jozef.