“It’s just like Uber, but for dog walkers.”
Three words that made my project manager’s eye twitch last week. Because here’s what this client didn’t mention in that opening call: real-time GPS tracking, background checks, payment processing, photo uploads, push notifications, rating systems, and a “simple” admin dashboard to manage it all.
Welcome to scope creep — where your $15K MVP becomes a $40K reality check. I’ve watched this happen to three clients just this month, and the pattern is always the same.
The “It’s Just Like” Trap
Every founder does this. They reference a big, complex app and add “but simpler.” What they don’t realize is that even Uber’s “simple” core — matching drivers to riders — required solving payment processing, real-time location tracking, two-way communication, and fraud prevention just to work.
Here’s what I tell clients now: that “simple” app you’re referencing? It probably took 18 months and $2M to build properly. Your MVP isn’t going to have all those features, but you still need to account for the infrastructure that makes it actually usable.
We’ve started using AI to help clients map out these hidden requirements early. Feed it your app idea and competitor examples, and it’ll surface the features you haven’t thought about yet. Better to know now than discover them at week 8 of development.
The Authentication Awakening
“Users just need to log in and upload photos.”
Sounds simple enough. Until you realize that means building user registration, email verification, password reset flows, secure file storage, image compression, and backup systems. Oh, and it needs to work on both iOS and Android.
I’ve seen this exact scenario add $8K to a project when the client assumed “login” was a weekend task. Now we break down every feature into its actual components during the scoping call. Authentication isn’t just a login form — it’s an entire user management system.
The Integration Reality Check
“We want to integrate with Stripe for payments and SendGrid for emails.”
Great! Those are solid choices. What they don’t mention is that they also need payment failure handling, webhook processing, tax calculations for different states, email template management, unsubscribe flows, and compliance with PCI standards.
Third-party integrations look simple on the surface, but they’re icebergs. The API call is 10% of the work — handling errors, edge cases, and user experience around those integrations is the other 90%.
This is where AI has become a game-changer for us. We can quickly prototype integration flows and test edge cases before we quote the project. It’s caught potential issues that would have added weeks to development.
How to Avoid the Shock
Here’s what actually works: detailed user stories before any code gets written.
Don’t say “users can upload photos.” Say “users can take a photo with their camera, crop it, add it to their profile, see a confirmation message, and delete it later if they change their mind.”
The difference between those two descriptions is about $3K in development time.
We’ve built this process into every project at Simple Solutions. Before we quote anything, we spend time mapping out the actual user flows. It takes an extra week upfront, but it saves months of “oh, we also need…” conversations.
Look, scope creep isn’t going away. But it doesn’t have to blindside you. If you’re planning an app and want to know what you’re actually signing up for, let’s have that conversation before you get surprised by a bill that doubled.
