questions, answered

Frequently asked questions.

Straight answers about hiring WLCM — cost, process, timelines, AI, and who you’ll actually work with.

What is WLCM?

WLCM — pronounced “Welcome” — is a senior software design and engineering studio founded in 2010. Venture-backed and growth-stage companies hire us to design, build, and maintain the products their users love, as if we were in-house. We’re based in San Francisco with our engineering team in Lviv, and we’ve shipped over 150 apps together.

How much does it cost to build an app?

It depends entirely on scope, and anyone who quotes you a price before understanding your product is guessing. Our free guide, How to Get Software Built, includes tactical examples for setting an app development budget — and on a short call we’ll give you a straight answer for your specific idea. Our custom AI agents start at $50K with a four-week launch.

How long does it take to build an app?

A custom AI agent launches in about four weeks. A full product varies with scope: we work in iterative sprints, each delivered as a usable demo, so you see working software early and continuously rather than waiting months for a reveal.

Who will actually work on my project?

Us. Unlike many firms, we don’t sub-contract your project out — you work arm-in-arm with the WLCM team, including our founder, Lindsey Witmer Collins, through the entire development lifecycle. We’re 25 veteran specialists: designers, project managers, QA specialists, and engineers who have built together for sixteen years.

Do you only work with funded startups?

Mostly, yes — we take a handful of select projects each year, typically venture-backed startups and growth-stage or established companies. Being selective is how we sweat every detail, every time, for every client.

Do you build AI products?

Yes. We build custom AI tooling and GPTs from scratch, design and ship custom AI agents, and add targeted intelligence to existing products. We’re AI-accelerated in our own work too — but we’re not vibe-coding; senior judgment sits behind every decision.

Where is WLCM located?

Our home base is San Francisco (2021 Fillmore Street), and our engineering team works from Lviv, Ukraine. We work with clients across the United States and beyond — see our San Francisco page.

Can you take over or upgrade an existing app?

Yes. Some clients come to us with nothing but an idea; others need upgrades, rescues, or long-term maintenance of products they already run. We guarantee code quality, so the apps we touch can evolve, pivot, and scale fluidly.

What platforms and technologies do you use?

iOS and Android (usually cross-platform with React Native), and web software front to back. We select the tech stack per project — recent builds run on React Native, TypeScript, Angular, Nest.js, MongoDB, and Stripe, with DevOps best practices and automated QA throughout.

How do you keep clients in the loop?

You’re invited into our project management and communication platforms for a real-time view of progress. We deploy sprints as usable demos, and our QA team writes detailed release notes for every completed task — you never wonder where your project stands.

Do you offer CTO-as-a-service?

Yes. Need a CTO to sit in on a due-diligence call, help you navigate a security questionnaire, or road-map your product’s future? We do that — it’s part of being a lifetime technical partner.

How do we get started?

Book a short initial call. We’ll listen, ask questions, and tell you honestly whether we’re the right team for your project — tell us about it.

we look forward to it

Tell us about your project.