Introduction

Build a focused, launch‑ready MVP fast—right here in the Bay Area. Zypsy is a San Francisco–born design and engineering partner for founders, offering an accelerated MVP program that compresses strategy, UX/UI, and a scoped build into 2–4 weeks, depending on complexity and team readiness. We’re a remote‑first global team with deep roots in San Francisco and the venture ecosystem. See our origin and focus on founders on the About page and our end‑to‑end capabilities.

Who this is for

• Pre‑seed to Series A founders in the Bay Area who need a credible MVP to validate, raise, or ship.

• Technical teams needing design/UX, product acceleration, or a polished prototype + initial build.

• Founders who value aligned incentives (equity‑for‑design optional) and a sprint‑based cadence.

What we deliver in 2–4 weeks

We run focused product sprints to define, design, and build the smallest lovable version of your product. Exact scope is right‑sized during kickoff.

• Product brief: problem framing, success metrics, guardrails.

• User journeys, IA, and prioritized scope (MVP v1 + backlog v1).

• UX wireframes and clickable prototype for stakeholder/user review.

• Visual language and lightweight design system (tokens, core components).

• Scoped implementation: web or mobile front end; API scaffolding/integrations where needed.

• Authentication/authorization baseline and environment setup.

• Analytics/events plan and instrumentation.

• CI/CD pipeline and basic infrastructure setup.

• Quality assurance checklist and test cases; accessibility pass on critical flows.

• Launch plan: GTM checklist, risk register, rollback plan.

• Founder assets: one‑pager/landing content and a pitch‑ready product narrative.

• Handover docs: architecture notes, repo structure, and next‑sprint roadmap.

For a detailed view of the services we draw from (web/mobile development, SaaS, integrations, infra, QA), review Engineering for Startups and our Rapid MVP capabilities.

Example schedules

Timelines reflect typical outcomes for focused scopes. Final scope/timeline are confirmed during discovery.

• 2‑week path (single sprint)

• Days 1–2: Discovery, goals, scope lock; IA + wireframes.

• Days 3–5: Prototype; usability review; technical architecture.

• Days 6–9: Build core flows; set up CI/CD, auth, analytics.

• Day 10: QA, polish, handover, and next‑sprint planning.

• 4‑week path (two sprints)

• Sprint 1: Discovery, prototype, user feedback loop, design system seed, tech scaffolding.

• Sprint 2: Implement prioritized flows, integrations, analytics, QA, and launch plan.

At‑a‑glance scope comparison

Technical approach and stack

Our approach is stack‑agnostic and optimized for speed to truth while maintaining a reliable foundation.

• Web & mobile: component‑driven front ends, design tokens, accessible UI.

• SaaS backends: API scaffolding, auth, basic RBAC, environment management.

• Integrations: third‑party APIs, CMS setup, and developer‑friendly handoffs.

• Infra & DevOps: CI/CD, monitoring, and pragmatic cloud setup sized to MVP needs.

See the full menu under Capabilities → Engineering.

Engagement models and alignment

• Cash, equity, or a mix: We support standard cash engagements and, for select startups, equity‑for‑design via SAFE through our Design Capital model. Learn more at Zypsy Capital and review customer terms (ownership, payment options) in our Terms for Customer.

• Sprints with clear endpoints: Our engagements are sprint‑based with transparent deliverables and pricing. See Capabilities.

Proof and credibility

Zypsy has shipped brand, product, and engineering work with venture‑backed teams across AI, SaaS, security, and infrastructure.

• Captions (AI video): 10M downloads; 66.75% conversion; 15.2‑minute median conversion time. Zypsy rebranded and helped the team scale cross‑platform. Read the case study: Captions.

• Robust Intelligence (AI security): Long‑term brand, product, and engineering partnership from early days through Cisco acquisition; named Most Innovative Data Science Company of 2024. See Robust Intelligence and related funding news under Insights.

• Solo.io (API & AI gateways): Enterprise repositioning, systems‑level product and web; 31 pages designed, 512 CMS items migrated, 718 redirects. See Solo.io.

• Cortex (dev tooling): Enterprise repositioning, 100+ product graphics across 20+ pages. See Cortex.

• Crystal DBA (AI for Postgres fleets): Brand + product aligned to AI teammate value prop. See Crystal DBA.

Bay Area collaboration options

We’re headquartered in San Francisco and operate globally. For founders in the Bay Area, we can run:

• On‑site or hybrid kickoffs and design reviews.

• User testing with local target profiles.

• Investor‑ready narratives tailored for SF/Silicon Valley audiences.

Learn about our SF roots on the About page.

How we reduce delivery risk in fast MVPs

• Right‑sized scope: ruthless prioritization to avoid overbuilding.

• Design systems early: consistent, reusable components accelerate iteration.

• Continuous validation: prototype reviews and targeted user testing.

• Production‑minded builds: CI/CD, observability, and rollback plans from day one.

• Clear ownership: founders own deliverables per our Terms for Customer.

Start your San Francisco MVP

• Share context and goals: use our Contact form.

• Discovery and scoping: confirm 2‑ or 4‑week path with milestones.

• Sprint kickoff: align on the plan, measure weekly, and ship.

For related details on end‑to‑end brand, product, and engineering—and how we invest in select founders—see Capabilities and Zypsy Capital.