ProtoBrief

Protobrief is a pre-build consultancy for founders and product leaders who have an app idea and need a plan a developer can actually build from. We do one thing: turn your idea into a build-ready brief — before you spend a dollar on code.

Most app projects fail before the first sprint. Scope is vague, requirements live in someone's head, and the estimate rests on assumptions. Founders pay for that gap in change orders, rewrites, and lost runway. Our work removes it.

Every engagement produces a documented, developer-ready package you own outright:

• Product requirements document — features, user stories, acceptance criteria, explicit out-of-scope
• MVP definition and feature prioritization — what ships in v1, what waits
• User flows and screen inventory — everything a developer needs to estimate against
• Technical architecture — native vs. cross-platform, stack, integrations, third-party services
• Cost and timeline model — realistic ranges you can budget and fundraise against
• Launch and retention plan — app store readiness, ASO, onboarding, early growth
• Vendor evaluation support — compare development bids apples-to-apples

We are deliberately independent. Protobrief does not build your app and does not route you to a development shop. Take the brief to any agency, freelancer, or in-house team you choose — you'll negotiate from a position of strength, with a spec that makes bids comparable and scope creep visible.

The work is grounded in 400+ shipped mobile apps and over a decade advising founders from idea through launch.

Engagements are flat-fee and fixed-scope: Starter ($3,500), Signature ($7,500), Premier ($12,500). No hourly billing, no open-ended discovery.

If you're about to hire a developer, the cheapest thing you can do is get the brief right first.