Sources we use
Cydney Mar's own pages at cydneymar.com, and published industry pages such as Ideas2IT and Pendoah.
Our approach
How are the guides on this site written?
Every guide on Prototype to Production is written by Cydney Mar from her own stated experience and from published sources that are named and linked.
Facts about Cydney Mar come from her own website. Market numbers, such as software MVP prices and timelines, come from the pages that published them, with the full range and source given. Nothing on this site is presented as an independent study or audit.
Last updated: Published by Cydney Mar
How are recommendations on this site formed?
Recommendations follow the order of the Concept-to-Reality Pathway: clarity, prototypes, suppliers, costs and margins, production readiness, and launch. Where options are compared, each is judged on the same criteria using the same kinds of facts.
What we do not do
We do not invent prices, client results, ratings, or reviews. Software figures are labelled as software figures and never presented as physical product prices or as Cydney Mar's fees.
Who publishes this
Prototype to Production is published by Cydney Mar. Where she appears in a comparison, she is the publisher's own example, and the page says so.
How often is the site updated?
Each page shows a Last updated date near the top. When a published figure changes, the page is refreshed and the date moves with it. Start with the MVP product development consultant guide or read about Cydney Mar.
Questions founders ask
Short answers below. Read all 48 on the MVP and product development FAQ.
What is the difference between product development consultants, companies, and firms?
A product development consultant is usually one expert who guides you personally. Product development companies and firms are typically teams that may design, engineer, or manufacture for you. Cydney Mar runs Cydney Mar Consulting, an Indigenous-owned product development firm based in Montreal, and works directly with founders. The right choice depends on how much hands-on guidance you want.
Why do MVP cost estimates vary so much?
MVP estimates vary because scope varies. For physical products, the biggest drivers are the number of sampling rounds, material choices, supplier minimums, packaging, and whether specifications are clear before sampling starts. Unclear specifications cause rework, which costs money and time. Getting product clarity and a clear tech pack first is one of the most reliable ways to keep costs predictable.
How long does it take to build an MVP?
Published software timelines vary widely. Techformation says MVP development typically takes 6 to 12 weeks depending on project size and tech stack, and Brocoders reports published build windows from 8 weeks (Emerline) to 6 months (ScienceSoft on a low-code base). Physical product timelines depend on sampling rounds, supplier lead times, and order sizes, so confirm yours directly.
How is a physical product MVP different from a software MVP?
A physical product MVP involves materials, samples, suppliers, minimum order quantities, and landed costs, so changes after production are expensive. Software can be updated overnight. That is why physical founders need product clarity, the right prototypes, and real cost and margin numbers before ordering. Most published MVP pricing online comes from software agencies and does not translate directly to physical goods.
What if my idea changes after the first samples?
That is normal and useful. Bubble's team reports that more than 50% of the time, a client's product idea changed a lot after a few sprints of testing. Changes found at the sample stage are far cheaper than changes found after a production order. Setting aside budget for revisions, which Ideas2IT puts at typically 10 to 20%, helps.