Heartwood

One of six fixed-price Starters from Heartwood.

See all six

Starter · Before you build

Idea Check: a written go / no-go on your idea in one week

You have a big idea, or someone’s asking you to bet on theirs.

We read it like engineers, not fans, and tell you plainly whether it holds. One week, one written verdict.

Price:$2,500Length:About one week
What you walk away with

A written verdict.

Start my Idea Check

Is this the right Starter for you?

Check any that fit. If two are true, you’re in the right place, and your answers come with you to the form below.

Not you? See all six Starters, or tell us what’s going on

What’s true now

You have an idea, yours or someone else’s, and you don’t know if it holds up. Is it any good? Who else is doing it? Could it be tighter? You’re being asked to put real money, or your job, behind it without knowing.

What’s true after

You back it without second-guessing yourself, or you walk away with your money and your year still in your pocket.

Before you pour years into it, let’s find out if this is the corner of the world you’re meant to set right.

Your timeline, start to finish

  1. 01We read the idea like engineers, not fans.
  2. 02We look at anything that already exists: code, decks, a contractor’s work.
  3. 03We size what it would really take.
  4. 04We tell you plainly.
What you walk away with

A written verdict.

Feasibility, real scope, real cost, and a go / no-go with the reasons behind it. If the answer is no, the Starter was worth more than a yes.

  • You stop having to take someone else’s word for whether it can be built.
  • You know the real cost before you commit a budget to it.
  • You have something in writing to show a board, a spouse, or an investor.
Length
About one week
Price
$2,500

Questions you’re probably asking

How much does it cost to find out whether an app idea is worth building?

An Idea Check is a fixed $2,500. Nothing moves that price: one price, one week. You get a written verdict: feasibility, real scope, real cost, and a go / no-go with the reasons behind it.

How long does it take?

About one week from start to written verdict.

What if the answer is no?

Then you have saved yourself the build. We say so plainly and tell you why. If the answer is no, the Starter was worth more than a yes.

Do I need to understand the technology to get value from this?

No. Most people who buy this are deciding on someone else’s idea, a family member’s or a co-founder’s, and need an engineer they can trust to read it for them. The verdict is written to be understood without a technical background.

You finished a Starter. What now?

When you’re ready, it grows into a Partnership. It takes one of two shapes.

  • Most Idea Checks lead here

    Custom Build

    We build it with you.

    From $20,000

    If the answer is yes, the verdict is already the first page of the plan. A Custom Build picks it up with the scope, cost and sequence we just wrote down, no second discovery.

    Learn about Custom Build
  • Embedded Team

    We join your team.

    From $6,500/month

    Learn about Embedded Team

Start here

Start your Idea Check.

$2,500 · about one week · fixed price, agreed before we start

You’ll walk away with

  • A written go / no-go, with the reasons behind it.
  • The real cost, before you commit a budget.
  • Something in writing for your board, your spouse, or your investors.

Your answers above

You haven’t checked any of the 6. That’s fine — they’re optional. Go back to the list

We reply within one business day. Then a 30-minute call. If it fits, you get a fixed-price agreement.

or email us at hello@heartwood.agency