The MVP cost lesson I learned the hard way: it’s mostly “scope math”

Most 'MVP cost' advice is useless because it skips the uncomfortable part.
The price is rarely about code, it’s about decisions you did not make yet.

I kept watching smart, non-technical founders get stuck in the same loop:

They have a clear problem.

They ask for quotes.

They get a wide range, sometimes $10k, sometimes $30k+, plus 'it depends'.....

Then they spend weeks arguing about features instead of talking to users.

What changed for me was realizing this: an MVP isn’t a smaller app, it’s a smaller bet.

So I started forcing the conversation into a fixed box: $5,000, fixed scope, built to launch in weeks, not months (I’m calling it Tessellate Labs). The 'product' isn’t the code, it’s the constraint.

The practical takeaway that helped me (and might help you) is a tiny scope checklist I now run before any build:

Core loop in one sentence: user does X, gets Y, comes back because Z
Roles: how many distinct user types (1–2 is MVP-friendly)
Must-have screens: limit to 5–7 (seriously)
Payments: none, simple payment link, or full subscriptions (each step up adds real work)
Admin: what needs to be managed manually on day 1
Integrations: cap at 0–1 initially
Cut list: write 3 things you will not build yet

Honest trade-off: fixed price only works if you’re willing to say ''no' a lot.. Some ideas need flexibility, but flexibility is also how MVPs quietly turn into a 6-month project.

The ask (one question)
When you think about MVP cost, what’s the hardest decision for you to lock down: features, timeline, or what “done” means?

I’ll drop the link in the comments if anyone wants it.

What’s included in a $5k MVP (and what’s not)