Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I start a project with Design Key?

Book a free 30-minute discovery call through our contact page. We will ask about your goals, scope, and timeline, then respond within 2 business days with a written proposal. If we are a good fit, we typically start within 1-2 weeks of proposal acceptance.

Q: Do you sign NDAs before the first call?

Yes. We sign mutual non-disclosure agreements before any discovery call where you plan to share proprietary ideas, code, or customer data. Request an NDA through the contact form and we will send a signed copy within one business day.

Q: Where is Design Key located?

Design Key is based in Tampa, Florida. We work remotely with clients across the United States and have deep experience with Florida-based founders in InsurTech, PropTech, and vertical SaaS. Our team is distributed, but core business hours align with US Eastern Time.

Q: What makes Design Key different from other software agencies?

Three things: we are senior-only (no junior developers billed to clients), we are AI-native (every engineer uses Claude, Cursor, and OpenAI daily), and we publish our pricing instead of hiding it behind discovery calls. That combination lets us ship in weeks instead of quarters and keeps surprises off your invoice.

Q: What services does Design Key offer?

We offer custom software development, SaaS platform development, mobile app development (iOS, Android, React Native), UX/UI design, AI and LLM integration, API development and integration, cloud architecture on AWS and GCP, low-code and no-code builds, and technical consulting. See our services page for a full list.

Q: Do you focus on any specific industries?

Our three primary verticals are Florida InsurTech, PropTech, and vertical SaaS for founders. We have shipped projects in fintech, healthtech, education, dating, events, beauty, and real estate. We turn down projects outside our focus when we can refer them to a better fit.

Q: Can you join an existing project or codebase?

Yes. We regularly do code rescue, legacy modernization, and feature acceleration on existing projects. We start with a written technical audit — usually 3-5 business days — that documents current state, risks, and a proposed path forward before we touch any code.

Q: Do you build mobile apps?

Yes. We build native iOS and Android apps and cross-platform apps using React Native or Flutter, depending on the use case. For MVPs or apps that share heavy logic with a web app, we recommend React Native. For apps that need deep platform integration (hardware, widgets, advanced gestures), we build native.

Q: What is the Quarterly AI Audit?

The Quarterly AI Audit is a $4,500 productized engagement where we review your tech stack, data, and team workflows for AI integration opportunities. Deliverables include a prioritized roadmap, a build-or-buy analysis for each opportunity, and a live demo of one quick-win automation. Clients typically save 10-20 hours per week per team after acting on the recommendations.

Q: What does your development process look like?

Our process has six phases: discovery and planning, UX/UI design, development in weekly sprints, QA testing, deployment, and a 30-day hypercare period. You get direct access to the engineers building your product via Slack and weekly video demos. We use GitHub or GitLab, Linear for project management, and Figma for design.

Question 1

How do I start a project with Design Key?

Question 2

Do you sign NDAs before the first call?

Question 3

Where is Design Key located?

Question 4

What makes Design Key different from other software agencies?

Question 5

What services does Design Key offer?

Question 6

Do you focus on any specific industries?

Question 7

Can you join an existing project or codebase?

Question 8

Do you build mobile apps?

Question 9

What is the Quarterly AI Audit?

Question 10

What does your development process look like?

Question 11

How involved does my team need to be?

Question 12

How often will I see progress?

Question 13

What happens after launch?

Question 14

How long does a typical project take?

Question 15

Can you hit a specific launch date?

Question 16

What if I need something shipped faster than your typical timelines?

Question 17

How do you price your work?

Question 18

What do your productized offerings cost?

Question 19

Do you require a deposit?

Question 20

What forms of payment do you accept?

Question 21

What is included in a retainer?

Question 22

What technologies do you specialize in?

Question 23

What AI providers do you work with?

Question 24

Can you integrate with our existing systems?

Question 25

Do you provide hosting and maintenance?

Question 26

Do you support low-code and no-code platforms?

Question 27

Do you offer a referral program?

Question 28

Do you white-label for other agencies?

Question 29

Are you hiring?

Question 30

Who owns the code you write for us?

Question 31

How do you handle client data and confidentiality?

Question 32

Do you have a cancellation policy?

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting started

Services

Process

Timelines

Pricing

Technology

Partnership and referrals

Legal and trust

Still Have Questions?

Let's have a conversation!

How does it work?