CodeYard · Software development and AI adoption
Two ways to build your software.
One stays with you.
The other delivers, and ends.
At CodeYard we work in two ways: within CodeYard Studio as a long-term embedded product team (an extension of your own product team), or as a classic fixed-price project. Both work — just not for the same situation. This page helps you decide which one fits you.
Let's start with a 30-minute conversation
- 30 minutes · Google Meet
- By the end you'll know which model fits you
- Not a sales pitch — no obligation
Clients we've worked with for years
The context
The pace of software development no longer depends on writing code.
In the past two years AI has radically reshaped what it means to build software. Writing the code is no longer the bottleneck — the question is what is worth writing, and what isn't.
AI generates the code. But the work that decides whether a product survives the market — what to build, what to turn down, what will break when it scales — remains a senior engineering and product decision. And those decisions don't need a long planning phase; they need fast iteration with real market feedback.
The old "plan it, build it, hand it over" mindset has had its day. That's why we work with more and more clients within CodeYard Studio — and why we keep the fixed-price project for the situations where it really is the right answer.
Which one is yours?
Two situations, two answers.
Choose the sentence that fits you better — and jump straight to the relevant section. If neither fits completely, that's an answer too: we'll untangle it in the conversation.
"You have a live product that keeps evolving"
CodeYard Studio
The embedded product team model
Driven by a roadmap, with joint prioritisation, on a fixed monthly budget. Testing, operations, AI adoption and consulting built in.
"You know exactly what you want to build"
Fixed-price project
One-off, well-defined delivery
One-off, well-defined delivery. Design, development, go-live, handover — we've been doing it for more than twelve years.
If you already know which one is yours, don't scroll for nothing — go straight to the conversation.
Side by side
Which model fits you?
| Aspect | Fixed-price project | CodeYard Studio |
|---|---|---|
| What do you get? | A specific, delivered product | A team that's yours — with continuous product development |
| Scope of work | Fixed in advance | Shaped together with you |
| Getting started | After detailed planning | Faster, once we agree on a direction |
| Handling change | Through a new quote | Built in, part of the sprint |
| Support and operations | Available under a separate contract | Included in the monthly fee |
| Consulting, AI adoption | Separate quote | Included in the monthly fee |
| Financial predictability | One-off fixed amount | Fixed monthly amount, easy to plan |
| Commitment | The length of the project | Typically 6–12 months, often years |
| The right choice if… | You know exactly what you want | You have a live product that keeps evolving |
The main model
CodeYard Studio
Embedded product team
A team that becomes yours.
What does it mean?
In exchange for a fixed monthly budget, we work on your product along a shared direction — a roadmap. Not as a supplier, but as an extension of your own product team. In an agile rhythm, with joint prioritisation, built into your existing workflows.
There's no months-long planning phase before the start: there's a direction, and we move towards it sprint by sprint. The scope isn't set in stone; it moves together with you and the market. If something doesn't work, we do something else tomorrow. If something takes off, we put the resources where they create the most value.
Our yardstick isn't billed hours or shipped features — it's the time from an idea to a customer actually using your product, and seeing that it works.
What do you get each month?
The monthly fee covers a single, complete package. You're not buying hours or renting developers — you get all the expertise your product needs, as one cohesive team.
Development
iOS, Android, web, backend, AI integration
Testing and quality assurance
Manual and automated, AI-assisted
AI adoption and automation
Workflows, integrations, AI features in the product
Product strategy and consulting
Thinking through the roadmap and priorities together
Operations and support
Your product doesn't die after go-live
Continuous product development
Driven by real usage, not assumptions
Years, not months.
A live product can't be delivered once and done — the Studio model gives that mindset a framework.
- 10+
- years with Xeropan, across 5 major versions
- 5+
- years working with BlockBen
- Years
- in the TheVR ecosystem, continuously
Why does this work for both of us?
The budget is fixed — no financial surprises for you, and we can plan our capacity. The work itself stays flexible — and that's key. We know development, and we know exactly where 20% of the effort can create 80% of the value.
Our interests are aligned: we do well when your product genuinely succeeds — because then you stay with us for the long term. Not when we bill as many hours as possible.
30 minutes, no obligation. On Google Meet.
The 3 packages — S, M, L
The same content — the difference is the development volume.
- S
~1 person's capacity
Early-stage product, validation phase, focused progress
Pace
One development track
- TypicalM
~2 people's capacity
Live product, active growth
Pace
Active product development, fast iterations
- L
~5-person team
Scaling product or a larger portfolio
Pace
Several parallel development tracks
Pricing depends on your needs and the size you choose; we usually work it out in a conversation.
Not sure which size is yours? Let's talk it through in 30 minutes — we'll look at your product and decide together.
The other way
Fixed-price project
The classic model — the right choice when you know exactly what you want to build.
One-off, well-defined delivery at a fixed price. Design, development, testing, go-live, handover. We work this way too, when that's what's needed — we've been doing it for more than twelve years.
When is this for you?
You know exactly what you want
The work can be clearly defined up front.
A one-off project
E.g. migrating a legacy system, a well-understood MVP, delivering a specific feature.
No major market learning expected
The market is proven; it just needs to be built.
You have project management
Someone who can handle and prioritise changes.
Worth knowing
The fixed-price model has its own characteristics that are worth thinking through up front — not drawbacks, just the limits of the model.
- 01
The work covered by the price is fixed in advance.
If the direction changes along the way, that means a new quote and a new round of discussion. In active product development this quickly leads to friction.
- 02
Support is agreed separately.
After handover, bug fixes, new requests and consulting are available under a separate contract — a common, well-functioning option with us, it just needs to be arranged separately.
- 03
The product's life continues after handover.
New requests, market feedback, minor bugs — every live product has them. A fixed-price project doesn't provide a framework for this, but a separate support contract does.
- 04
The estimate is a risk for both of us.
Your risk is whether you can say exactly what you need up front. Ours is whether we estimated the work correctly. In reality both are moving targets — and that is reflected in the price.
A concrete scope? Let's start with a 30-minute conversation.
Over time
How are cost and delivery spread out?
Twelve months, two rhythms. A fixed-price project has an intensive development period — planning, four months of active development, internal demos, handover — then support continues under a separate contract, and new requests come in as hourly development.
With CodeYard Studio you get a predictable monthly rate, and full support — development, operations, consulting — is included every month. In return: an MVP at the end of month 3 and a new live release every quarter — at the end of each quarter we reassess the strategic direction together, so the roadmap moves with you instead of being set in stone up front.
Fixed price
Intensive development, one handover, then support
- v1 handover
- Active development
- Handover
- Support + hourly work
- Support only
CodeYard Studio
Continuous product development, quarterly releases
- MVP
- v1
- v2
- v3
- Build
- Release point
- Measure, iterate
Hover over a month (tap it on mobile) — the details of both models for that month appear below.
Fixed price · Month 1
Planning and kickoff
- Finalising the specification and architecture
- Setting up the team and environments
- First internal demo: initial skeleton
CodeYard Studio · Month 1
Shared roadmap, foundations
- Finalising the roadmap together with you
- Design system, dev environment
- Advice on the MVP scope
Fixed price · Month 2
Active development
- Building the core features
- Second internal demo
- Basic testing frameworks
CodeYard Studio · Month 2
Building the MVP
- Developing the MVP features
- Testing infrastructure
- Weekly joint prioritisation
Fixed price · Month 3
Active development
- Completing the features
- Third internal demo
- QA testing begins
CodeYard Studio · Month 3
MVP go-live + Q2 strategy
- Final tests, go-live
- Monitoring and training
- Setting the Q2 strategic direction with you
MVP · First live version — core features put into real use.
Fixed price · Month 4
Final development
- Stabilising, polishing
- Fourth internal demo
- Launch preparation
CodeYard Studio · Month 4
Measure and iterate
- Analysing real usage
- Quick fixes based on feedback
- Refining the roadmap together
Fixed price · Month 5
Go-live and handover
- Go-live (deployment, monitoring)
- Source code handover
- Team training, warranty begins
v1 handover · The delivered product goes live. The warranty begins; support continues under a separate contract.
CodeYard Studio · Month 5
Continuous product development
- Preparing new features based on feedback
- User research, measurement
- Advice on business decisions
Fixed price · Month 6
Separate support contract
- Operational support
- Bug fixes according to the SLA
CodeYard Studio · Month 6
v1 release + Q3 strategy
- New features go live
- Measurement, internal retro
- Setting the Q3 strategic direction with you
v1 · Second live version — new features prioritised on real feedback.
Fixed price · Month 7
Support + hourly development
- Operational support continues
- New request on an hourly basis — separate quote
- Minor feature extension
CodeYard Studio · Month 7
Measuring and scoping the new direction
- Analysing real usage of v1
- Scoping the agreed new direction
- Ongoing support + consulting
Fixed price · Month 8
Separate support contract
- Operational support
- Monitoring, minor bug fixes
CodeYard Studio · Month 8
Building new features
- Developing new features from the prioritised roadmap
- Continuous testing
- Weekly joint prioritisation
Fixed price · Month 9
Separate support contract
- Operational support
- Monitoring, minor bug fixes
CodeYard Studio · Month 9
v2 release + Q4 strategy
- New features go live
- Internal demo and retro
- Setting the Q4 strategic direction with you
v2 · A larger quarterly release — a growing product built on real needs.
Fixed price · Month 10
Support + hourly development
- Operational support continues
- New client request on an hourly basis
- Separate contractual framework
CodeYard Studio · Month 10
Stabilising and consulting
- Analysing real usage of v2
- Stabilising, fine-tuning
- Business strategy review
Fixed price · Month 11
Separate support contract
- Operational support
- Monitoring, minor bug fixes
CodeYard Studio · Month 11
Building new features
- Developing new features according to the roadmap
- Refining user flows
- Ongoing support + consulting
Fixed price · Month 12
Support + hourly development
- Year-end operational support
- New requests on an hourly basis
- Planning the next cycle
CodeYard Studio · Month 12
v3 release + annual strategy
- Big year-end update goes live
- Annual strategy review with you
- Shaping next year's roadmap
v3 · Year-end major release — a big update, and a joint rethink of the annual roadmap.
Track record
We didn't start the Studio model yesterday.
Our biggest projects have been partnerships lasting years — we just didn't call them that back then. Xeropan has been with us for 10+ years, across 5 major versions. We've been delivering for the TheVR ecosystem for years. Our relationship with BlockBen goes back 5+ years. At Rádió 1, the complete rebuild of the app and its ongoing maintenance are in our hands too.
These didn't become long partnerships because fixed-price projects overran — but because our clients understood that a live product can't be delivered once and done.
10+ years · 5 major versions
Their ecosystem, for years
5+ years
App rebuild + maintenance
Enterprise
Enterprise
- 10+
- years with Xeropan (5 major versions)
- 5+
- years with BlockBen
- 6
- long-term partners on this model
„The CodeYard team is a committed, innovative and reliable partner that has supported Xeropan's continuous growth and strengthened its market position for years with tailored technology solutions.”
„One of the most reliable teams I've ever worked with, whether on a project basis or continuous delivery! Beautiful interfaces, mobile clients polished and animated to perfection. A great team, I can only recommend them!”
What does yours look like? Let's talk it through in 30 minutes — we'll work with you the same way, if the model fits.
The conversation
What happens when you book a call?
It's not a sales call. The goal is for you to see your situation more clearly at the end — even if you don't end up working with us.
Step 01: You pick a time
Open the Google Calendar booking link and choose a 30-minute slot that suits you. The invitation appears in your own calendar straight away.
Step 02: We send a few orientation questions
After booking, a few short questions about your situation arrive by email — about 5 minutes to fill in. That's enough so we don't spend 15 of the 30 minutes getting oriented.
Step 03: 30 minutes on Google Meet
We talk about your product and your situation. By the end you'll know which model fits you — and if the answer is different from what you expected, we'll tell you honestly.
The next step
Not sure which one is yours?
In a 30-minute conversation we learn more about your situation than a landing page could ever tell you. By the end you'll know which model fits you — even if you don't work with us.
It appears in your calendar straight away.
If you prefer writing: business@codeyard.eu
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
If you can't find what you're looking for, write to us — or bring it to the conversation.
01What is CodeYard Studio?
A long-term partnership model in which we become your embedded product team: for a fixed monthly fee, a cohesive team works on your product — a mix of developers, a designer, a tester, a PM and a product strategist, composed to match your needs. You're not renting bodies or buying hours, you get a working team.
02How is this different from a "dedicated team" or staff augmentation?
Staff augmentation puts bodies in seats — and you manage them. In the Studio model you get a cohesive unit with its own project management and architectural responsibility, focused on outcomes. We take responsibility for your product moving forward well — not just for the developers showing up at stand-up.
03What if I need less work in a month than my package covers?
We carry part of the unused capacity over to the next month. The exact rules are set out in the contract — but the goal is that you never feel you have to "use it up".
04What if I need more than my package covers?
There are two routes: either we move up to the next size (M → L), or we add extra capacity for that month by separate agreement. There's no glass ceiling.
05What is the minimum commitment?
Typically 6–12 months, because that's how long the Studio model needs to show its advantages. For shorter engagements a fixed-price project is usually the better choice.
06How long does a fixed-price estimate take at CodeYard?
Usually 1–2 weeks, depending on how well defined the scope is. In a 30-minute conversation we clarify what's needed for the estimate — if the basic information is there, it goes faster.
07What if the scope grows during a fixed-price project?
That's common. We usually do one of two things: either a separate quote for the extension (and the project continues on the existing scope), or, if new requests keep coming steadily, we suggest switching to the Studio model. We always decide this together — you won't be the one whose project gets more expensive along the way.
08How do we switch from fixed price to the Studio model?
We regularly have this conversation with our existing fixed-price clients when their project goes live and becomes a living product. The switch is a contract amendment — nothing has to start over.
09Can you work with my existing development team?
Yes. The Studio model is also a good way to extend your existing team's capacity — with development, testing, AI adoption or consulting.
10Where are the limits of the Studio model?
If you really know exactly what you want, and no learning or change is expected, a fixed-price project is cheaper and simpler. The Studio model pays off when we're talking about a living product.
