Atomic & Your Money

Turning the right amount of capital into a strong first release.

Philosophy

Many companies do software estimation by asking: “How much will this project cost if it does X, Y, and Z?” But focusing on features isn’t strategic.

A good budget helps us decide what’s most valuable. Atomic asks: What budget will let us create a product with a good chance to succeed?

This keeps the focus where it belongs: on your goals. We start with enough capital for a strong first release, then squeeze as much value from that capital as possible.

Atomic does a great job with transparency around time and money. Their project management style is very communicative so we always knew exactly where we stood in terms of what had been done and what our remaining budget was.

Andrew Burroughs, Healthy Minds Innovations

The Cost of Quality Software

Real data on real Atomic projects.

Custom software is a big investment. Atomic’s projects usually run 3-18+ months, with a budget of $50k to over $1 million. We’re a good fit for complex products that can create a lot of value.

Here’s a representative sample of products we’ve built over the last 5 years.

Explore Product Types

Click on a label below to see costs from that type of product.

This is what we've seen finished products cost, but everything has a first phase. To find what yours would cost, give us a call. We'll meet to learn about your situation and needs, then help you put together a budget model.

Setting Your Budget

Undercapitalized projects are an enormous risk—one Atomic can help you avoid taking. Read more about our estimation and budgeting practices on our blog.

While budgeting always involves estimating, that's not our only consideration. We draw from a lot of sources.

Spending Your Budget

Prepare for the unexpected.

Every software project has surprises. How you deal with them depends on your business relationship with your software partner:

Time & Materials

Why budget at all? Just have your team start working, and see where you end up. (Not recommended.)

Fixed-Budget, Scope-Controlled

Carefully adjust the scope, in either breadth or depth, incorporating new knowledge and ideas.

Fixed Price

You can ignore the surprises and learning, since you're locked into your original, detailed plan. Or you can renegotiate your job with a series of change orders.

Atomic always uses Fixed-Budget, Scope-Controlled (FBSC) engagements. They let us ask, week after week: “How can we get the most value out of the remaining budget?”

Read an in-depth comparison of Fixed Price, Time & Materials, and FBSC.

Can custom software take your business to the next level?