InterLAB's references by project type: a landing page — 2–4 weeks, a business website — 1–2 months, a catalog or online store — 2–3 months, a product MVP — 6–12 weeks, a turnkey product — 2–4 months, complex multi-module systems — 4–8 months. The exact timeline is determined by the scope and by how quickly decisions are made on the client's side. A promise of "a full product in a week" is almost always a marker of a template or cut corners.
Contents
What a timeline is made of: the stages
A project's timeline isn't one number — it's a sum of stages, and progress is visible at each. The standard sequence:
Brief and estimate
At InterLAB, the estimate comes after the brief and a review of the task.
Design and prototype
For an MVP, the clickable prototype comes before development; the timeline is set once scope is agreed.
Development in sprints
Two-week sprints with a live demo at the end of each.
Stabilization and launch
Then stabilization, testing and launch.
The practical meaning of staging for the client: you don't wait for the finale to see whether the project is heading the right way. The first working demo appears within weeks, and the course can be corrected along the way — fundamentally cheaper than finding everything out at acceptance.
References by project type
Ranges from InterLAB's practice — given a fixed scope and timely client decisions:
Landing page
- Timeline
- 2–4 weeks
- What's included
- Structure, design, build, analytics, launch on your domain
Business website (4–7 pages)
- Timeline
- 1–2 months
- What's included
- Structure design, visuals, content, SEO base
Catalog / online store
- Timeline
- 2–3 months
- What's included
- Product cards, filters, cart, payments, admin panel
Product MVP
- Timeline
- 6–12 weeks
- What's included
- Core scenario, backend, admin, analytics, release (prototype before development starts)
Turnkey product
- Timeline
- 2–4 months
- What's included
- Roles, portals, integrations, production rollout
Complex systems
- Timeline
- 4–8 months
- What's included
- Many modules, deep integrations, data migration, staged rollout
What stretches a project
In our experience, timelines slip most often not because of "slow programmers" but because of these five factors:
- Waiting on the client's side: content, access, answers. A silent week is a week added to the timeline.
- Integrations with external systems: third-party APIs, banks and approvals run on their own calendar that neither side controls.
- Scope changes mid-flight: every "while we're at it" is an honest re-estimate, not a "we'll squeeze it in".
- App-store review for native apps: Apple's and Google's review takes days to weeks and can send the app back.
- Data migration from old systems: reconciling real data always takes longer than the demo spreadsheet suggests.
A silent week is a week added to the timeline.
What speeds things up
The mirror list — what compresses the timeline without cutting quality:
- Materials ready at the start: texts, logo, price list, system access — stages don't idle.
- One decision-maker: approval "by the whole department" doubles every iteration.
- A fixed scope, with wishes collected into a phase-two backlog instead of cutting into the current sprint.
- A staged launch: the core first, the rest after — the product works and delivers value while being completed.
- Ready components for standard tasks: authentication, payments and notifications aren't reinvented.
Why "turnkey in a week" is a red flag
Promises like "a full website in 3 days" or "an app in a week" are mathematically possible in only two ways: it's a template with a swapped logo — or a project without design, testing and analytics. Both become visible later: the first when you need to change something, the second on the first real users.
Short timelines by themselves aren't a scam — what matters is what exactly is promised.
Honest short timelines
- A clickable mockup in 2–3 days is an honest, useful thing (we make one for free before any talk of money).
- A landing page in a couple of weeks is reality.
The red flag is the combination
- Complex product
- Unrealistic timeline
- Zero questions about your scope
How we keep deadlines
Four mechanics that turn a reference into a commitment:
Fixed scope
- How it works
- The scope is fixed at the brief together with the "not included" list — the timeline's main bodyguard
Sprints with demos
- How it works
- Work runs in two-week sprints with demos, so a slip shows in two weeks, not in a quarter
Buffer
- How it works
- A buffer is planned for integrations and external dependencies in advance
Honesty about slips
- How it works
- If the timeline does slip — we say so immediately and come with options (narrow the stage, move items to the next one, add hands), instead of staying silent until the deadline
