Answer eleven quick questions for an honest engineering range. Requirements maturity and mechanical scope move the number most — refine it further if you want a tighter band.
1Stage 1 of 3 · Quick estimate
🔒Your idea stays confidential — answers are never used for training, NDA available before any call.
What are you building?
Where are you starting from? Requirements maturity is the #1 cost driver — bigger than any technology choice.
Electronics complexity Best guess is fine — this and mechanical scope move the number most.
Mechanical & motion
Display & interface
Power architecture
Firmware scope
Connectivity
Companion software
Target markets Each region is its own radio approval — compliance scope is derived, not asked.
Production ambition Decides whether DFM, tooling, and factory test fixtures exist at all.
2Stage 2 of 3 · Narrow the range
Narrow this range with the same questions a kickoff call would ask
These are the questions a kickoff call would ask. Each answer updates the estimate live and pre-briefs the engineer who'd write your Sprint report.
Private: stored only for your report prep and seen by your assigned engineer. NDA before any call.
Sensors on board Select all that apply.
Actuation
Operating environment
Battery-life target on one charge/cell
Size constraint
App platforms
Cloud scope
Markets at launch Select all — certifications are priced per region.
Vertical compliance Select all that apply.
Target unit cost (COGS)
Launch deadline
What already exists Credits applied, subject to audit.
Budget allocated Doesn't change the math — helps us phase it honestly.
Primary users Shapes UX rigor, support load, and onboarding cost.
Must-have integrations Each one adds API, auth, and test surface.
Your product, in 1–3 sentences The most useful field on this page.
Closest existing product Even a rough analogue helps — "like X but for Y".
Biggest technical worry?
3Stage 3 of 3 · Full project brief
Generate your project brief
Answer 6 more questions and we’ll turn it into a written brief you can share with co-founders, investors, or any firm.
What triggered this project right now? The event or pain that put this on your desk.
How do users solve this today (workaround)? Spreadsheets, manual checks, a competitor's product…
Define "done" — what does success look like 12 months after launch? One metric is better than three.
What should this product NOT do? Out-of-scope is as valuable as scope.
Riskiest assumption — what would kill this if wrong? Tech, market, regulatory, supply chain…
Unfair advantage vs the next-best alternative? Why you'll win, not just ship.
Existing stack / tech preferences Optional — anything we must keep or avoid.
Private and NDA-covered before any call. The brief is yours to take to any firm.
DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATEIOT DEVICE
$15k – $24k
Estimated timeline: 7 – 11 months to production-ready
Complexity
MODERATE+
Confidence
±25%
Critical path
—
The range grew because the scope got real — this is the number other firms reveal in month three, not before you commit.
Engineering (NRE) figures only. Not included — the lines everyone forgets: mold tooling (at cost, $8–30k typ.) · certification lab fees (scoped above, at cost) · cellular data plans · cloud opex (~$100–300/mo at 5k devices) · app-store & platform accounts · sustaining engineering (~15–20%/yr post-launch). Unit cost (COGS) and tooling quotes are produced in the Feasibility Sprint.
RECOMMENDED · FREE · 2 MIN
Narrow this range — cut the spread by up to 40%
Answer 12 quick scoping questions — sensors, environment, certifications, COGS target — and your range and timeline update live. The same questions a kickoff call would ask.
Cuts the range by up to 40%
Pre-briefs the engineer who'd write your Sprint report
Private — NDA before any call
3Stage 3 of 3 · Full project briefAnswer 6 more (3 min) — we’ll draft your project briefA structured discovery brief you can share with co-founders, investors, or any other firm.⌄
What triggered this project right now? The event or pain that put this on your desk.
How do users solve this today (workaround)? Spreadsheets, manual checks, a competitor's product…
Define "done" — what does success look like 12 months after launch? One metric is better than three.
What should this product NOT do? Out-of-scope is as valuable as scope.
Riskiest assumption — what would kill this if wrong? Tech, market, regulatory, supply chain…
Unfair advantage vs the next-best alternative? Why you'll win, not just ship.
Existing stack / tech preferences Optional — anything we must keep or avoid.
Private and NDA-covered before any call. The brief is yours to take to any firm.
✓ Brief ready. Your assigned engineer reviews it before the kickoff call.
Your range and timeline above are free and uncapped. The detailed phase split is shown below.
Assumptions baked into this number
EE design, firmware, enclosure/DFM, certification (FCC/CE per markets selected) and pilot run all in scope
Standard 2.4 GHz radios only — assumes no custom RF / antenna design
Off-the-shelf cells; no custom battery pack qualification (UN 38.3 lab fees at cost)
One mechanical revision between EVT and DVT; tooling quoted at cost separately
Explicitly excluded
Medical / IEC 62304 / FDA 510(k) programs
ATEX / Ex / automotive PPAP qualification
Mold tooling, certification lab fees, carrier data plans, cloud opex
Sustaining engineering post-launch (~15–20%/yr)
Pricing questions, answered.
Which engagement model should I choose?
Choose discovery and validation when feasibility, requirements or cost are still uncertain. Choose a milestone program when the product is defined and you need accountable end-to-end delivery. Choose an embedded team when you have an ongoing roadmap.
What does a full hardware product program cost?
Milestones are priced at USD 10,000 to 20,000 each, billed against delivery gates. A complete connected device typically spans several milestones covering electronics, firmware, mechanical design, prototyping, validation and production handoff.
What is included in the quoted price?
Engineering time, project management, design reviews and documentation. Third-party costs — tooling, components, PCB fabrication, certification testing and travel — are quoted separately and passed through at cost.
How accurate is the estimator?
It gives an engineering (NRE) range based on the scope you describe. Mould tooling, certification lab fees and cloud running costs are excluded. A discovery sprint turns the range into a fixed proposal.
Not sure which model fits?
Tell us where the product is today. We’ll recommend the smallest commitment that gets you the evidence you need next.
