Insights · ai
Fixed-cost software projects: how we stop them going wrong
Archit Agarwal · 1 July 2026
Every CTO has a fixed-price horror story. Scope games, change-order ambushes, the death march at month five. The model gets the blame; the process deserves it.
Discovery is the contract
We will not quote a fixed price without a discovery sprint — one to two paid weeks producing the spec, the architecture and the delivery plan. That document is what makes the number honest. It is yours regardless of whether you build with us.
Weekly demos or it did not happen
Progress is working software shown every Friday, not a percentage in a status report. Drift caught in week three costs a conversation; drift caught in month three costs the project.
Where AI changes the economics
Estimate variance is the enemy of fixed pricing — it is why vendors pad quotes. AI-augmented delivery compresses the routine work and makes throughput more predictable, which is why our fixed quotes are tighter than the industry habit of doubling the guess. [PLACEHOLDER: internal delivery data]
Key takeaways
- A paid discovery sprint is what makes a fixed price honest
- Weekly demos surface drift while it is still cheap to correct
- AI tooling reduces estimate variance — the enemy of fixed pricing
Archit Agarwal
Founder & CEO
In tech since 2013. Built and scaled platforms to 15M+ mobile users before founding Inventurs to make AI-augmented teams and GCCs accessible to mid-market companies.