STAGE 01 — FIRE · THE PAID DISCOVERY
Every Toledo Apps engagement begins with a paid Delphi discovery — the work mapped, the fit pressure-tested, and a written scope with a fixed-band quote returned before any build is bought.
No free scoping calls that produce nothing. The fee is published, the output is a document you keep either way, and half the fee credits toward the kickoff Project Retainer within 30 days, capped at that Project Retainer; unused credit lapses with no roll-forward.
APP DISCOVERY $3,500–$5,000PRODUCT STRATEGY $7,500–$15,000
02 — THE CATALOG
Which Delphi you start with depends on whether the software supports an existing operation or becomes the business itself. Both end the same way: a written scope and a number you can hold us to.
DELPHI APP DISCOVERY MOST COMMON
Best when the software supports an existing workflow. Two short workshops to map the work, then the build scoped on paper before you commit to it.
DELPHI PRODUCT STRATEGY SAAS & MVP
Best when the application is the business. Customer interviews and validation before architecture — the product pressure-tested before the first sprint is bought.
CREDIT RULE — 50% OF THE DISCOVERY FEE CREDITS TOWARD YOUR KICKOFF PROJECT RETAINER WITHIN 30 DAYS, CAPPED AT THAT PROJECT RETAINER. UNUSED CREDIT LAPSES WITH NO ROLL-FORWARD.
03 — THE RETURN
A discovery is not a meeting — it is a document. Whichever door you enter, you leave holding the same artifacts, whether or not you build with us.
ISSUED IN WRITING — SIGNED BY THE PRINCIPAL
Written scope, architecture direction, risk register, and a fixed-band quote — drafted by the person who would do the building. If you walk away, the document is still yours: any competent shop could build from it.
50% CREDIT30 DAYS · PROJECT RETAINER CAP · UNUSED CREDIT LAPSES
See how pricing works04 — SAMPLE MEMO
This fictional, redacted excerpt shows the shape and decision density of an App Discovery memo. It is a format sample only — not customer work, a testimonial, or evidence of a completed engagement.
DELPHI APP DISCOVERY · FORMAT SAMPLE
01 · OPERATING PROBLEM
Requests arrive through email and a shared sheet. Ownership is unclear, handoffs disappear, and status reporting is rebuilt manually.
02 · V1 BOUNDARY
One intake queue, role-based assignment, explicit handoffs, searchable history, and CSV export. Billing and customer login stay out of V1.
03 · DECISION GATES
Approve the permission matrix, validate one representative import, and define the audit events before implementation begins.
04 · INDICATIVE ROUTE
Likely Arcadia Tool territory: $15K–$25K after a $3.5K–$5K App Discovery. The signed memo, not this sample, sets scope and price.
05 — THE SHORTCUT
The intake below is optional. If you'd rather send three sentences or book a twenty-minute call, do that instead — both land with the principal, and both get a reply within one business day.
EMAIL THE PRINCIPAL
Outline the operation, the pain, and the timeline. Read by Nicholas, not a queue — the reply comes from the person who would design and build the system.
BOOK A 20-MIN INTRO CALL
Email two windows that work and we'll send a confirmation with a video link. No deck, no sales motion — twenty minutes on the work itself.
06 — THE INTAKE
A few facts route you into the correct discovery without an introductory meeting. Submissions go straight to hello@toledotechnologies.com — read by the principal, answered within one business day.
INTAKE 01 — DELPHI APP DISCOVERY
For software that serves the business you already run. We need the workflow, the users, the integrations, and the current pain. Only email is required in this first step; the remaining fields are optional context.
BAND $3,500–$5,0001–2 WEEKS
INTAKE 02 — DELPHI PRODUCT STRATEGY
For software that will be the business. We need the customer, the thesis, the commercial model, and the launch constraints. Only email is required in this first step; the remaining fields are optional context.
BAND $7,500–$15,0002–4 WEEKS
CREDIT RULE — 50% OF THE DISCOVERY FEE CREDITS TOWARD YOUR KICKOFF PROJECT RETAINER WITHIN 30 DAYS, CAPPED AT THAT PROJECT RETAINER. UNUSED CREDIT LAPSES WITH NO ROLL-FORWARD. REPLIES WITHIN ONE BUSINESS DAY.