How long does it take to build a software product? The honest answer is that it depends less on the app itself and more on where your product already is on its own roadmap.

Start by assessing the current state: a prototype, MVP, PMF... ⭐ The initial phase of any software development is crucial, it sets the tone for the future scalability and efficiency of your app.

The timeline for your project will depend significantly on the starting point and the number of developmental stages required and how many maturity jumps still separate you from the next one.

Software plays a defining role in scaling startup operations, especially for SaaS companies moving fast after a funding round, but scaling isn't just growth: it's what eventually turns a young company into a scale-up, the kind of business that's already cleared its early validation and is now compounding, growing revenue or headcount by more than 20% a year for several years running.

Getting a realistic timeline on your next build is part of how you get there.

The first step is being honest about where your product actually sits right now, because that starting point decides how many maturity jumps are still ahead of you and how long each one will realistically take.

At Meltstudio.co, we understand the pivotal role that software plays in scaling start-up operations, especially for SaaS companies gearing up after a fresh round of seed funding. Our expertise lies in crafting tailored software solutions that align perfectly with your startup's growth trajectory, from initial prototypes to fully functional MVPs.

Here’s how we approach this critical phase:

Estimating those jumps comes down to two things: the deliverables each one requires, and how complex those deliverables actually are, not just how many of them there are. The way to do it is to estimate the time per ticket for each jump, multiply that by the number of tickets in that jump, and add the totals together. Say your project has three jumps left — backend setup, frontend development, and security — with five, ten, and three tickets respectively, at an estimated two, one, and three weeks per ticket. That works out to five tickets at two weeks, ten tickets at one week, and three tickets at three weeks, for a total of twenty-nine weeks.

The estimation process for the duration of your project involves maturity jumps, each jump, or milestone, corresponds to a set of deliverables (or tickets) and the duration of each phase is not just about the number of tasks but also their complexity.

Multiply the estimated time for each maturity jump by the number of tickets within that jump and sum these results to get the total time needed to complete a software project. This method structures a way to account for the number of tasks and their complexity based on each project stage.

​

For example, if your project has three maturity jumps—let's say, setting up the backend, developing the frontend, and implementing security features—and each phase has 5, 10, and 3 tickets respectively (estimated times 2, 1, and 3 weeks per ticket) the total time is:

(5 tickets x 2 weeks) + (10 tickets x 1 week) + (3 tickets x 3 weeks)

= 29 Weeks Project Time Estimate

Also add the Features and Maturity Jumps amount, the Sprint X-ray (How will you distribute the load according to your dev's role & seniority?), and the confirmed current Glassdoor Tech Stack Dev's Salary ranges in your region...

But is this value realistic?

That number is only as good as what goes into it. It should account for the total number of features and maturity jumps left, how the workload is actually distributed across your developers' roles and seniority, and current market salary ranges for the kind of talent you're hiring in your region. Skip any of those, and the estimate looks precise without being realistic.

For a more accurate estimate, call our CTO for a no-obligation consultation!

Book now and discover how Melt Studio can help your project.