In the spring of 2023, we received an unexpected email from Hong Kong.
It was from a co-founder of a tablet manufacturing company — someone who had found us online. He was exploring ways to pre-install an educational video app onto his tablets for kids aged 4–10. It was clear he was technically sharp, with solid knowledge of mobile development and cloud services. But as we soon found out, tech skills don’t always equal clarity on the product side.
We quickly set up an Explore meeting — something we always recommend before jumping into requirements. That conversation turned out to be a game changer.
During that call, we uncovered critical needs that hadn’t been mentioned in the initial spec. Things like:
Although the client knew his tech stack (Flutter + Google Cloud), he needed help matching tech decisions to business goals for the long product roadmap and short-term. This is where we added value — not by proposing more tech, but by helping him avoid overbuilding.
We learned this early: clients don’t always know what they really need until they talk it out.
That meeting earned us maybe 50% of his trust.
The other 50%? We had to earn it with a clear, affordable, and fast MVP plan.
We scoped a lean MVP that:
We didn’t just “build what he asked for” — we helped him prioritize what matters and avoid what doesn’t.
With the plan aligned, our team got to work. Each sprint had demos, feedback loops, and flexible scope. Within 2 months, the first version of the educational video app was ready — simple, reliable, and surprisingly engaging for the target audience.
The client was thrilled. And more importantly, now fully trusted us for the next phases.
If you’re a startup, hardware company, or early-stage founder with a small budget — don’t wait until everything is defined. Talk to the right partner early. You’ll save time, money, and avoid painful rework later.