mindwerks

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about working with Mindwerks.

General

We offer end-to-end software development and business automation services including custom software development, web and e-commerce development, AI & machine learning, data analytics, business process automation, ERP & CRM systems, API development & integration, UI/UX design, cloud & DevOps, quality assurance, consulting & strategy, and ongoing maintenance & support.

We're based in Miami, Florida. We work with clients locally in South Florida and remotely across the United States. Our project management tools and communication processes are built for effective remote collaboration.

We work across a wide range of industries including healthcare, finance, real estate, e-commerce, logistics, education, and professional services. Our approach is to deeply understand your specific business processes and build software that fits — regardless of industry.

We focus on building software that solves real operational problems, not just checking feature boxes. Every project starts with understanding how your business actually works. We're a US-based team with direct communication — no offshore handoffs, no layers of project managers between you and the people writing the code.

Getting Started

It starts with a free consultation. You'll talk directly with our team about what you're trying to accomplish. From there, we'll define the scope, provide a proposal, and once approved, kick off with a discovery phase to map requirements before writing any code.

The more context, the better — but you don't need a detailed spec to get started. Tell us what problem you're trying to solve, who will use the software, any existing systems it needs to work with, and your rough timeline. We'll ask the right follow-up questions from there.

Not at all. Most of our clients are business leaders, operations managers, and founders — not engineers. We translate your business needs into technical solutions and communicate progress in plain language throughout the project.

Yes. We offer a free initial consultation where we discuss your project, assess feasibility, and give you an honest recommendation on the best path forward — whether that involves us or not.

That's completely normal and a great reason to start with our consulting and discovery services. We'll help you clarify requirements, evaluate options, and build a roadmap before committing to a full development engagement.

Process & Methodology

We follow an agile methodology organized around iterative sprints. A typical project flows through six phases: Discovery, Planning & Architecture, Design, Development & QA, Deployment, and Support & Iteration. You're involved at every stage with regular check-ins and demos.

We provide regular progress updates through sprint demos, weekly status reports, and a shared project management tool where you can see task progress in real time. You'll always have a direct line to the team working on your project.

Scope changes are a normal part of software development. When new requirements emerge, we evaluate the impact on timeline and budget, discuss options with you, and adjust the plan together. We use an agile approach specifically because it handles change well.

Quality is built into every sprint — not just tested at the end. We use code reviews, automated testing, continuous integration, and dedicated QA testing. Every feature is tested against acceptance criteria before it's marked complete.

You'll have a dedicated project manager who serves as your primary point of contact. They coordinate the development team, manage timelines, and ensure your priorities are reflected in every sprint.

Pricing & Timeline

Cost depends on complexity, scope, and timeline. Simple web applications may start in the low tens of thousands, while complex enterprise systems can be significantly more. We provide detailed estimates after the discovery phase so you know exactly what you're investing in and why.

We offer both fixed-price and time-and-materials pricing. Fixed-price works well for clearly defined projects with stable requirements. Time-and-materials is better for projects that will evolve, giving you flexibility to adjust priorities as you go.

Yes, we typically require a deposit before kicking off a project. Payment terms are milestone-based — you pay as we deliver, so you're never paying ahead for work that hasn't been completed.

An MVP or simple application can be built in 6-12 weeks. Mid-complexity projects typically take 3-6 months. Large enterprise systems may take 6-12+ months. We'll give you a realistic timeline during the planning phase based on your specific requirements.

The main factors are project complexity, number of features, integration requirements, design complexity, data migration needs, and how quickly decisions are made during the process. Third-party dependencies and compliance requirements can also affect timelines.

Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf

Off-the-shelf software is designed for the average business. Custom software is designed for your business. If your workflows, data requirements, or competitive advantage depend on doing things differently than everyone else, custom software gives you that edge without forcing compromises.

If an existing product covers 90%+ of what you need, buying is usually the right call. Custom makes sense when you're spending significant time on workarounds, when you need tight integration between multiple systems, or when the software is core to your competitive advantage.

It can be — especially if manual processes are eating up significant staff time or if you're paying for multiple SaaS tools that don't work well together. We often help small businesses start with targeted automation or an MVP and expand from there.

Absolutely. Most custom projects involve integrating with existing tools — CRMs, ERPs, payment systems, email platforms, accounting software, and more. We build APIs and integrations that connect your new software with your current tech stack.

Technology

Our core stack includes React, Next.js, Node.js, Python, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB on the application side, with AWS, Docker, and Vercel for infrastructure. We also work with Angular, Vue.js, and mobile frameworks. We choose the right tools for each project rather than forcing everything into one stack.

Yes. We adapt to your existing technology decisions when it makes sense. If you have an established codebase or infrastructure, we can work within it. If we think a different approach would serve you better, we'll explain why and let you decide.

Yes. We build web applications, progressive web apps (PWAs), and mobile applications. For mobile, we can build native iOS/Android apps or cross-platform apps depending on your requirements and budget.

We evaluate based on project requirements, scalability needs, team familiarity, long-term maintainability, and ecosystem maturity. We'll recommend a stack during the planning phase and explain the trade-offs so you can make an informed decision.

Security & Ownership

Yes. When we build custom software for you, you own the source code and all intellectual property. It's your software — we're just the team that builds it.

Security is built into our development process from day one. We follow OWASP best practices, implement proper authentication and authorization, encrypt data in transit and at rest, and conduct security testing before launch. We stay current with security vulnerabilities and patch proactively.

Yes. We're happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement before discussing your project details. Protecting your business information and intellectual property is standard practice for us.

We have experience building applications that meet regulatory requirements including HIPAA, GDPR, and SOC 2. We incorporate compliance requirements into the architecture from the start — not as an afterthought. Specific compliance needs are addressed during the discovery and planning phases.

Support & Maintenance

Yes. We offer flexible maintenance and support plans ranging from ad-hoc support to dedicated SLA-based agreements with guaranteed response times. Most clients choose ongoing support to keep their software updated, secure, and evolving.

Yes. Every project includes documentation for your team and training sessions to ensure your staff can use and manage the software confidently. We don't just hand over the code and walk away.

That's expected and encouraged. Software should evolve with your business. We can add new features, modify existing ones, and iterate on the product as part of an ongoing support engagement or as separate feature projects.

Critical bugs are addressed immediately — typically within hours for clients on support plans. Non-critical issues are triaged, prioritized, and resolved in the next maintenance cycle. All bug fixes for issues introduced during development are covered at no additional cost during the warranty period.

Business Automation

Almost any repetitive, rule-based process can be automated — data entry, report generation, invoice processing, order routing, email sequences, lead nurturing, inventory management, approval workflows, and customer communications. If your team is doing the same steps over and over, it's probably a candidate.

Good candidates are processes that are repetitive, rule-based, time-consuming, error-prone when done manually, and involve transferring data between systems. We conduct a process audit to identify the highest-impact automation opportunities in your operations.

ROI varies by process, but most businesses see measurable time savings within the first month. Common outcomes include 50-80% reduction in manual processing time, fewer data entry errors, faster customer response times, and the ability to scale operations without proportionally scaling headcount.

Yes. We frequently integrate automations with legacy systems using APIs, database connectors, file-based integrations, and middleware. Even older systems that weren't designed for integration can usually be connected with the right approach.

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