Answers to common questions about how Apex36 works.

We run a tight build loop that keeps scope, cost, and risk visible. Most engagements start with a short discovery to align on the outcome, constraints, and success metrics. Then we ship in weekly iterations with demos, clear milestones, and written updates so your team always knows what’s next.

• Kickoff: goals, users, constraints, and success metrics
• Plan: milestone-based roadmap + risks + assumptions
• Build: weekly shipping cadence with demos and changelogs
• Harden: QA, performance, monitoring, and launch checklist
• Handoff: docs, repo access, runbooks, and knowledge transfer

Pricing depends on the scope, speed, and reliability you need. We can work as a fixed-scope milestone (when requirements are clear) or as a weekly retainer (when you want speed and flexibility). In both cases, you get a written plan and a transparent breakdown of what’s included.

• Typical drivers: #workflows, integrations, data complexity, and quality bar
• AI-specific drivers: evaluation, observability, safety/guardrails, and cost controls
• We’ll share a range after a short call and a written scope before we start

Timelines depend on complexity and how quickly we can validate requirements and access data. We’ll propose milestones early so you can make decisions with real checkpoints instead of waiting until the end to see progress.

• Discovery + plan: a few days to 1 week
• First shippable milestone: 1–3 weeks (depending on access + scope)
• Production hardening: ongoing (tests, monitoring, performance, security)

You get working software, not a slide deck. We deliver production-ready code, documentation, and operational basics so your team can run and extend what we ship. If you already have engineers, we prioritize clean handoff and long-term maintainability.

• Code in your repo (or a repo you control), with PR-based delivery
• Documentation: setup, architecture notes, and key decisions
• Runbooks: how to deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot
• Handoff session with your team (and follow-up support if needed)

We choose the stack based on your constraints (team skills, budget, compliance, time-to-market). For most modern web products, we default to a typed Next.js setup with a reliable database, solid CI/CD, and observability from day one.

• Frontend: Next.js + TypeScript + Tailwind
• Backend: Node/Next APIs or Python (FastAPI) depending on the product
• Data: Postgres/MongoDB, plus object storage (S3/GCS) as needed
• AI: pragmatic LLM/RAG architecture with evals and tracing (when applicable)

Yes — we can sign an NDA. We also design for least privilege, avoid leaking secrets into logs, and keep environments separated. If you have a security baseline (SOC2 controls, SSO, audit logs, etc.), we’ll align the delivery to it.

• Secrets management: env separation and no credentials in the repo
• Access: least privilege for services and team accounts
• Data handling: secure storage, retention expectations, and auditability where needed

You do. The code we ship is delivered into your repo or transferred to you at the end of the engagement. We aim to avoid vendor lock-in by documenting the system and using standard tooling your team can maintain.

• Repo access and ownership stays with you
• Documentation + runbooks included for maintainability
• We can support a full handoff to your internal team

Yes. After launch, we can stay involved for iteration, monitoring, and reliability improvements. Some teams prefer a small monthly retainer; others keep us on-call for specific releases or performance/security hardening.

• Bug fixes and reliability work after launch
• Performance tuning and cost optimization (especially for AI features)
• Feature iterations and roadmap support

We keep communication lightweight but consistent: a shared channel for async updates, a weekly demo, and a single source of truth for scope and decisions. You’ll always know what shipped and what’s next.

• Weekly demos
• Async updates (Slack/Email) with written changelogs
• Clear owners for decisions and approvals

We’re built for shipping. You get senior engineering attention, fast iteration, and production discipline (testing, monitoring, and handoff). If your goal is to get to a reliable launch without building a whole team first, a studio engagement is often the fastest path.

• Senior-led delivery and pragmatic architecture
• Milestone-based progress (not vague timelines)
• Focus on maintainability and handoff, not lock-in