Alternatives
Dev agencies build what you ask for.
I build what you actually need.
Agencies cost $50K–$500K, run 6–12 months, and bill you for every change order. Meanwhile, your AI prototype sits there, 80% done, while you wait for a project manager to schedule a kickoff call. There's a better way.
Work with a technical cofounder insteadWhy founders move on from agencies
They cost more than your runway
Small agency: $90–$160/hr. Mid-market: $120–$250/hr. Enterprise: $400–$900/hr. A typical project runs $50K–$500K. Most pre-revenue founders don't have that — and shouldn't spend it before proving product-market fit.
6-month timelines kill momentum
You built an AI prototype in a weekend. An agency will take 2 weeks just to write a proposal. Kickoff call. Discovery phase. Sprint planning. By the time they start coding, you've lost the urgency that made your project exciting.
They don't speak vibe coder
Your codebase was built with Cursor and Claude. It has patterns a senior engineer would recognize as AI-generated. Agencies will want to rewrite everything from scratch — not because it's broken, but because they didn't build it.
Change orders, scope creep, surprise invoices
Agencies profit from scope expansion. Every 'small change' becomes a change order. The fixed-price quote you signed? That was for exactly what's in the SOW. Everything else is extra.
Dev agency vs. on-demand technical cofounder
| Dev Agency | VibeCofounder | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | $20K–$50K minimum engagement | $0 — free intro call, then scoped pricing |
| Time to first commit | 2–4 weeks (proposals, SOWs, kickoffs) | Same week |
| Who writes the code | Junior devs you never meet | One senior engineer — the person you talked to |
| Understands AI-built code | Will want to rewrite everything | Works with what AI built, fixes what matters |
| Pricing model | Fixed-bid or T&M, change orders extra | Fixed scope, fixed price, no surprises |
| Commitment | 6–12 month contracts | Project-based. No ongoing retainer required |
| You review the work | Monthly status decks | Every PR. You stay in the codebase |
When an agency makes sense (and when it doesn't)
Hire an agency if...
- • You have $100K+ budget and 6+ months to wait
- • You need a 10-person team across 4 time zones
- • Your MVP is already validated and scaling
- • You have a dedicated internal PM to manage them
Work with a technical cofounder if...
- • You're pre-revenue or just launched
- • You built a prototype with AI and need to ship it
- • You want one senior engineer, not an org chart
- • You review your own PRs and want to stay in control
Stop waiting for a proposal. Start shipping.
Book a free intro call