Web Development for Montreal Startups: Building Your MVP on a Budget

Minimum Viable Product doesn't mean cheap or broken: What MVP means: - Core value proposition only - Enough to test your hypothesis - Good enough to charge money - Foundation you can build on What MVP doesn't mean: - Buggy, unprofessional software - Missing essential features - Poor user experience - Technical debt disaster For Montreal startups: - Focus on one problem solved well - Polish what you ship - Plan for iteration - Don't over-engineer for scale you don't have Airbnb's first MVP was a simple website with photos of their apartment. It wasn't feature-complete, but it worked.

Your funding situation affects development strategy: Bootstrapping: - Limited budget ($10,000-$50,000) - Need to launch quickly - Revenue-focused from day one - Strategic about every feature Strategy: - No-code/low-code when possible - Template-based initially - Freelancers over agencies - Sweat equity (if technical founder) Fundraised: - More capital ($100,000-$500,000+) - Can invest in foundation - Time to build properly - Still need to ship fast Strategy: - Custom development - Professional agencies - Better architecture upfront - Plan for scale Montreal's funding landscape: - Pre-seed: $50,000-$250,000 (Angel, PME MTL) - Seed: $500,000-$2M (VC firms like Real Ventures) - Series A: $2M-$10M+

Choose technologies that let you move fast: For web applications: - Next.js + Vercel: Fast, scalable, free tier - Ruby on Rails: Rapid development, mature ecosystem - Firebase: Quick backend, authentication included - Supabase: Open-source Firebase alternative For no-code MVPs: - Webflow: Beautiful websites without code - Bubble: Web applications without code - Airtable: Database and interface - Zapier: Connect tools and automate Montreal startup ecosystem: - Strong Node.js/React community - Active Python community (AI/ML startups) - Less Ruby on Rails than previously - Growing Go/Rust for backend Don't choose technology because it's trendy. Choose based on: - Team expertise - Time to market - Cost - Community support in Montreal

Options for Montreal startups: Technical co-founder: - Best case: 50/50 equity split - Someone fully invested - Hard to find, harder to choose - Montreal has talent (universities, tech companies) Freelancers: - $75-$150/hour in Montreal - Good for defined projects - Risk of availability issues - Check portfolios carefully Agencies: - $100-$175/hour blended - Professional process - More expensive but lower risk - Some offer startup packages Dev shops: - Fixed-price MVP packages - $30,000-$80,000 typical - 3-4 months delivery - Quality varies widely Offshore teams: - Cheapest option - Communication challenges - Time zone coordination - Quality control difficult - Consider Montreal nearshore (Latin America) as compromise Montreal resources: - FounderFuel: Accelerator program - NEXT Canada: AI-focused - University co-op programs (McGill, Concordia) - Startup weekends for finding co-founders

What MVPs actually cost in Montreal: Minimal MVP ($10,000-$25,000): - No-code tools or template-based - Core features only - Bootstrap design - Freelancer or self-built - 1-2 months Solid MVP ($25,000-$60,000): - Custom development - Essential features well-executed - Professional design - Agency or senior freelancer - 3-4 months Comprehensive MVP ($60,000-$150,000): - Full custom development - Multiple user types - Payments, authentication - Mobile responsive - Professional agency - 4-6 months Ongoing costs: - Hosting: $50-$500/month - Tools: $100-$500/month (email, analytics, etc.) - Maintenance: 15-20% of development cost annually - Iteration budget: $2,000-$10,000/month Funding sources: - Personal savings - Friends and family - Angels (Montreal has active angel community) - PME MTL: Up to $150K for Montreal startups - BDC: Loans for Canadian startups - Government grants (IRAP, etc.)

Take advantage of local support: Incubators and accelerators: - FounderFuel: 4-month program, $50K investment - NEXT Canada: For AI startups - Centech: Montreal tech incubator - District 3: Concordia's innovation hub Funding: - PME MTL: Loans and support for Montreal entrepreneurs - Investissement Québec: Provincial support - Real Ventures: Montreal-based VC (seed stage) - iNovia: Another Montreal VC Networking: - Startup Fest: Annual conference - Montreal Startup community on Slack - Founders meetups - FoundersBeta events Talent: - McGill, Concordia, UdeM, Polytechnique grads - Co-op programs for part-time help - Intern programs (cheaper, motivated talent) Office space: - WeWork: Flexible coworking - Crew Collective: Beautiful space in Old Montreal - Station Ho.st: Startup-focused - Various other coworking spaces Montreal is cheaper than Toronto/Vancouver while maintaining quality. Take advantage of local resources.