Custom Software Development Process

Timelines depend on the project's scope and complexity. A discovery call takes 30–60 minutes, a business and technical audit typically takes 1–3 weeks, and prototyping and scope validation usually take another 1–2 weeks. Development commonly takes 3–6 months, while deployment depends on the systems involved. Your actual schedule is defined during project planning.

Custom software discovery investigates your business requirements, workflows, existing systems and technical constraints before development begins.

You receive a written discovery report, an initial Business Requirements Document (BRD), recommended build, buy or fix options, and relevant technical findings. Where sufficient information is available, I also provide a preliminary development estimate with its underlying assumptions.

The discovery findings form the foundation for prototype validation and final scope approval.

No. I first investigate your requirements, validate the proposed solution and define the scope before asking you to approve the development budget.

The scope and cost of discovery and prototyping depend on your project and are discussed upfront. Once the requirements and scope are approved, I provide a guaranteed build price in writing. You can then decide whether to proceed with development.

Yes. I review the existing codebase, architecture, integrations, dependencies and technical debt to understand what works and what needs attention.

You receive documented findings and a recommendation on whether to repair, refactor, modernize or rebuild the system. The goal is to preserve useful functionality and avoid unnecessary development costs.

Yes. I can visit your business to observe operations, interview stakeholders and examine how your existing systems support daily workflows.

Onsite discovery is particularly convenient throughout Chicagoland, but I also travel to clients outside the region when the project calls for it. Remote discovery is available as well.

No. For web applications, SaaS products and interface-driven business systems, my team creates clickable prototypes of key screens and user journeys.

For internal software, we validate workflows with the client, stakeholders and employees who will use the system.

For AI integrations, back-end systems and project rescues, I use appropriate technical validation, such as architecture plans, workflow designs, proofs of concept or code assessments.

I create an initial Business Requirements Document (BRD) during discovery. We then review the prototype or technical design against those requirements and incorporate feedback.

The finalized BRD and supporting specifications define the approved features, workflows, integrations, exclusions and acceptance criteria. Together with the architecture and execution plan, these documents establish what my engineering team must deliver and form the basis for the guaranteed build price.

I identify the product's target users, core problem and essential workflows. Then I prioritize features based on business value, technical feasibility, dependencies and development effort.

The MVP scope defines what belongs in the first release, what can wait and which assumptions need validation. These decisions are documented in the BRD and reviewed through prototyping before the build scope is approved.

I define and validate the requirements before development, then document the approved features, integrations, exclusions, milestones and acceptance criteria.

Once you approve the fixed scope, I guarantee the agreed build price in writing. If I underestimated the work included in that scope, you do not pay extra.

If you request something outside the approved scope, I assess its impact on cost and timeline. Additional work requires your written approval before it begins.

You work directly with me, Dmitriy Fridlyand, Neologic's founder and Principal Strategist. I personally handle diagnosis, technical direction and key project decisions, and remain your single point of accountability.

My global team of 30+ senior engineers handles development, integrations, testing and deployment. You have one accountable technical lead backed by an experienced engineering team.

My engineering team tests the completed functionality, workflows, integrations and relevant edge cases against the approved requirements.

You review delivered features against the agreed acceptance criteria during development. Before launch, we also verify critical functionality and integrations in the production environment.

The testing approach is defined according to the system's architecture, complexity and operational requirements.

You receive ownership of the custom source code and intellectual property rights as agreed in your contract, along with the materials needed to operate and maintain the software.

The handoff includes source code repositories, technical documentation, relevant cloud and hosting account access, credentials, deployment procedures, and applicable backup and recovery information.

Pre-existing components and third-party software remain subject to their respective licensing terms.

We engineer custom software to operate reliably with minimal manual maintenance. DevOps practices and managed cloud services such as AWS help automate routine operations, including backups, health monitoring, infrastructure recovery, scaling and eligible system updates.

I remain responsible for technical oversight, including security patches and necessary software maintenance, with my engineering team handling the implementation. These responsibilities and response arrangements are agreed as part of the project's operational handoff or support terms.

You do not need an ongoing development contract simply to keep using your software. When your business requirements change, we offer two ways to continue:

• On-demand development: We assess, scope and price individual changes, integrations, new features or modernization work.
• Continuous phased development: We follow an agreed roadmap, delivering improvements and new functionality in planned phases.

Your software is designed to operate independently, with engineering support available when needed.