# First version builds for SaaS startups

Raze Drops builds first versions for SaaS startups: the smallest product that does the one thing a customer would pay for, with signup, billing and the core loop working. It ships as something you own, not a prototype that has to be thrown away.

Most first versions die of scope. The founder is right about the problem, and the build still takes nine months because everything that might be needed later was designed in at the start. This page describes how we scope and build a first version, and what it costs.

## What does a founder lose to an oversized first version?

Time, which is the only thing a startup cannot buy back, and the answer to the only question that matters: will anyone pay for this.

An oversized build also hides that answer. By the time it ships, the market has moved, the founder has spent the runway, and nobody can tell which part of the product was wrong.

## What does a first version build include?

It includes the core loop, signup, billing and the handful of screens a paying customer actually touches, and it deliberately leaves out the admin tooling and the settings nobody has asked for yet.

You get a working product you own, with the accounts and data in your name, so the second version is a continuation rather than a rewrite. It is an [AI software](/ai-software) build, and anything it has to talk to is handled as ordinary [integration](/integration) work.

## What does a first version cost and how fast does it ship?

It is priced per project, within the range on [the pricing page](/pricing) depending on the size of the core loop, with a monthly maintenance retainer if you want it watched after launch.

We present the proposal and the solution before any deal is signed, so scope is agreed rather than discovered. We build this way for ourselves too: Content OS was built and launched within a month and has run daily since September. Founders often read [business development for SaaS sales](/for/high-ticket-saas-companies) and [delivery systems for AI consultants](/for/ai-consultants) next.

| Part of the first version | Scoped the usual way | Scoped the way we build |
|---|---|---|
| Core loop | Designed for every future case | The one path a customer pays for |
| Signup and billing | Deferred until later | In the first release |
| Admin tooling | Built before launch | Added when there is something to administer |
| Integrations | All of them, on the roadmap | Only the ones the first customer needs |
| Ownership | Sits with the agency | Accounts and data in your name at handover |

Tell us the one thing your product must do and we will send a proposal with a fixed price. Start on [the contact page](/contact).