Studio Builds
You bring the idea. I'll build the app.
Whether it's an idea, a prototype that stalled or a spec you've already written, I build the real thing, take it through the App Store and Google Play, and hand you all of it: the code, the accounts and the keys, in your name.
From $900 · A fixed price · Half on delivery
I'm John. I've been a software engineer for over a decade, and every Studio Build is mine from the first call to the handover.
01 · Where you're starting from
Wherever it is, that's fine.
Most people come to me in one of three places, and each one has a straightforward way in.
01 · Just the idea
You know what it should do.
That's enough to start. We talk it through, and you turn it into a written spec in your own time, with the Studio asking you the right questions as you go.
02 · A prototype that stalled
Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Cursor.
Send me what you have. Most of these are React and Supabase underneath, which is most of the way to a real app, and I'll tell you honestly how much of it carries over.
03 · A written spec
It's all written down already.
Then that's the fastest possible start. I read it, we talk through anything that's unclear, and you get one fixed price for building it.
02 · What you get
A real app, live in both stores, and all of it yours.
- The app
- iPhone and Android from one codebase, built on Expo and React Native, the same stack I teach.
- Everything behind it
- Sign-in with email, Google and Apple, a database where each user's data is walled off from everyone else's, a backend where the app needs one, and nightly backups.
- Both stores
- The listings written and submitted for you, and any rejection I can fix, fixed and resubmitted at no charge.
- Thirty days of cover
- Anything in the agreed scope that doesn't work as it should is fixed free for thirty days after you accept the app.
- All of it in your name
- The code, the accounts and the keys. Your store accounts are yours from day one, and everything else moves across at handover.
03 · A worked example
What an app really costs, with a real example.
This is a real app I built for a client, taken apart so you can see exactly how its price came together.
04 · In their words
What it's like to work with me.
From people who've built alongside me, in their own words.
I've worked with and alongside many developers, but John's spirit of collaboration and eagerness to deliver high-quality stands high above anyone in my experience.
Nicholas Upton Flora I was consistently impressed by John's deep knowledge of security, app architecture, and development best practices. I learned a tremendous amount from him, and his insights often come to mind during our ongoing development.
Matthew Weiner, MD Pound of Cure We had the pleasure of working with John on magicwork. His dedication, passion for results, and ability to iterate swiftly make him an exceptional asset to any team fortunate enough to work with him.
Khrystyna Svarychevska magicwork John's methodology has brought real precision, structure, and technical confidence to Thoughtbait. As we build business-critical apps, Kealy Studio's approach has helped us create a clearer, more scalable development process.
05 · Agencies, by comparison
Less than an agency charges, and no strings after.
Two things usually make custom apps expensive: the build, and everything that comes after it.
The build
No learning curve to pay for.
An agency quote prices in a new stack, a new architecture and a new set of mistakes. Every Studio Build ships on the same production stack I've sharpened project after project, Expo, React Native and Supabase, with AI doing the heavy lifting and me directing every line of it. That's why builds land in days or weeks rather than months, and why the price is a fraction of an agency's.
After the handover
No maintenance bills you can't say no to.
Plenty of agencies hand you an app and then the bills, because they're the only ones who know how it works. A Studio Build lands in the same free Studio you'd use to build it yourself, so looking after it on your own is a genuine option without becoming a software engineer first. If you'd rather keep me on hand, a full membership does that, and if there's more to build, you can hand it back to me.
06 · The process
From a first message to both stores.
Five steps, and you always know which one you're on and what it costs.
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01
Tell me about it
Two quick questions in the form below, then pick a time for a call. A few sentences is plenty.
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02
A free call
Half an hour, no pitch. I want to understand what you're building and who it's for, and you can ask me anything before you commit to a thing.
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03
Hold your place, write the spec
If we're a fit, a $150 deposit holds your place for 60 days. You write the spec in your own time, with the Studio asking the questions, and I send you one fixed price. The deposit comes off it in full.
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04
I build it
Half when you accept the quote, less the $150. You get the app on your own phone along the way, and review it against a checklist we agree up front.
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05
Both stores, then it's yours
I take it through App Store and Google Play review. Once both accept it, the rest is paid and everything moves into your name, inside the same Studio you can use to keep it going.
07 · Questions
Before you ask.
Anything else, bring it to the call. That's what it's for.
How long does a build take?
Days or weeks, not months. A small app can be ready in a couple of weeks; the example build above was quoted at three to seven weeks. The quote gives you a schedule, and it runs from the point I have what I need from you, such as access to your store accounts.
What's a written spec, and do I need one before we talk?
It's a plain description of what your app does, screen by screen and rule by rule, sometimes called a PRD, or product requirements document. You don't need one to get in touch. If we're a fit, you write it after the call, and the Studio's planning tool walks you through it with questions, so it's mostly a matter of answering them.
What if Apple or Google reject the app?
If it's something I can fix, I fix it and resubmit at no charge; that's part of the job. If a store objects to the product itself rather than the build, I'll tell you plainly and hand everything over regardless.
What if I find a bug after handover?
Anything in the agreed scope that doesn't work as it should, I fix for free for thirty days after you accept the app. After that you can look after it yourself in the Studio, keep me on hand with a full membership, or hand it back to me for more work.
Can I change things once we've started?
Details inside the agreed scope get worked through as we go. Anything that adds a new capability is quoted separately, and I'll always say which is which, so nothing becomes extra work, or an extra charge, without you knowing.
Is the deposit refundable?
No. It holds a place in my schedule for 60 days while you write the spec, and it comes off the price in full if you go ahead. If no spec arrives in that time the hold lapses, and you're always welcome to come back with a new one.
What will I pay for besides the build?
The stores charge for being in them: Apple is $99 a year and Google Play $25 once. Everything else runs on free tiers while your app is small, and those bills are in your name, not mine.
Do I need to be technical?
Not at all. You need to know what the app is for and who it's for. The rest is my job, and if you ever want to look after it yourself, the Studio is built for exactly that.
08 · Get a quote
Tell me about your app.
Two quick questions, no essay required, then pick a time and we'll talk it through properly. If you'd rather plan it out first, the Studio's planning tool helps you write the spec: create a free Studio account.
Step 1 of 3
Where's your app right now?