How we work: engagement terms
The commercial shape of a Desert Launch project, written down before you ask. A signed proposal for your specific project always takes precedence over this page.
Quoting
- Every project starts with a free scope call. There is no charge and no obligation.
- You then receive a fixed price in USD, in writing, with a defined scope and a milestone plan. We do not bill by the hour.
- The quote is valid for 30 days. Nothing starts until you accept it in writing.
- If you tell us the budget you have, we will tell you honestly what fits inside it — including when the answer is nothing worth building.
Payment
- Projects are split into three or four milestones.
- 30% is paid upfront; the remainder is paid per delivered milestone.
- A milestone is delivered as working software you can open and use, not as a progress report. It is not accepted, and not invoiced, until you accept it.
- Prices are in USD and exclude any taxes or transfer fees applicable in your own country.
Changes to scope
Scope changes are normal; surprise invoices are not. If you ask for something outside the agreed scope, we tell you what it would cost and how it affects the date, in writing, and you decide before any work on it starts.
Small adjustments within the spirit of the agreed scope are simply done.
Ownership
- You own the source code and the intellectual property in the work, transferred on final payment.
- Hosting, domain, storage, analytics and app store developer accounts are created in your name from the start, not transferred later.
- We may describe the work publicly and show screenshots, unless you ask us not to. If you would rather the project stayed private, say so and it will not appear on this site.
- Third-party libraries keep their own open-source licences, which we list on handover.
Support after launch
- Twelve months of free support and maintenance: bug fixes, operating-system and app-store compatibility updates, and keeping the product running.
- In the first three months, small changes and updates are included as well.
- Support does not cover new features, redesigns, or problems caused by a third-party service you have changed without us.
- After the twelve months, an ongoing arrangement is optional. Nothing stops working if you do not take one.
Running costs
Hosting and third-party services are billed to your own accounts, directly, so you always see the real cost and never lose access to them. Typical costs are a small monthly bill for hosting or Firebase, plus the Apple Developer Program at 99 USD per year and Google Play's one-time 25 USD registration if you are publishing an app.
We estimate these in the quote so they are not a surprise after launch.
Confidentiality
We will sign your NDA before the scope call, or provide a simple mutual one. Either way we treat what you tell us as confidential.
We do not need access to your data or your accounts in order to quote — a description of the problem is enough.
If it is not working
Either side can end an engagement between milestones. You pay for accepted milestones only, and you receive everything produced up to that point: code, designs and accounts, all of which are already in your name.
We would rather you leave with your work than stay in a project neither side believes in.
Any of this you want to discuss?
These are the defaults, not an ultimatum. Ask on WhatsApp and you will get a straight answer.