What to Expect When Building Custom Database Software

Most people have never hired a developer before. The whole process feels like a black box - you explain what you need, money changes hands, and then… what actually happens?

Let me walk you through exactly how a custom database project works, from our first conversation to the day you launch. No jargon, no surprises.

The Free Consultation (Week 0)

What happens: We talk for 30 minutes about your current situation. You show me your Excel setup (or whatever you’re using now). I ask questions about your workflow, pain points, and what you wish the system could do.

What I’m doing: Figuring out if custom software actually makes sense for you. Sometimes the answer is no - maybe Excel is fine, or an off-the-shelf tool would work better. If that’s the case, I’ll tell you.

What you should do: Be honest about your problems. Don’t downplay issues or try to make your workflow sound more organized than it is. The messy reality is what I need to see.

Timeline: 30 minutes, scheduled whenever works for you.

The Proposal (Week 1)

What happens: I send you a detailed proposal with:

• Exactly what I’ll build
• Fixed price (not an estimate - a price)
• Timeline with milestones
• What’s included in support
• What happens if you’re unhappy

What I’m doing: Translating our conversation into concrete deliverables. This takes a few days because I’m thinking through the database design, user flows, and potential complications.

What you should do: Read it carefully. Ask questions. Show it to your team. Take your time deciding.

Timeline: You’ll have the proposal within 3-5 business days. Take as long as you need to decide.

Requirements Gathering (Week 1-2)

What happens: Once you commit, we schedule 2-3 detailed sessions where I learn everything about how you work. I’ll ask questions like:

• Walk me through a typical workflow from start to finish
• What happens when X situation occurs?
• Who needs to see this information?
• What reports do you run regularly?

What I’m doing: Building a complete picture of your needs so I can design the right database structure and user interface.

What you should do: Involve the people who actually use the system daily. They know the edge cases and workarounds that you might not think to mention.

Timeline: 1-2 weeks, depending on complexity and your availability.

Design & Prototyping (Week 3-4)

What happens: I create wireframes or mockups showing what the system will look like. You see the layout, navigation, and key features before I write production code.

What I’m doing: Making sure we’re aligned on what’s being built. It’s much easier to change a mockup than to rewrite finished code.

What you should do: Give honest feedback. If something doesn’t make sense or won’t work for your workflow, say so now. This is the time to course-correct.

Timeline: 1-2 weeks. You’ll see initial designs within the first week, then we iterate based on your feedback.

Development (Week 5-10)

What happens: I build the actual system. You’ll see regular progress updates - usually weekly check-ins where I show you what’s working so far.

What I’m doing: Writing code, setting up the database, building the user interface, and testing as I go.

What you should do: Stay engaged. Review the work-in-progress. If something doesn’t match what you expected, speak up early. Small corrections now prevent big problems later.

Timeline: 4-6 weeks for most projects. More complex systems might take 8-10 weeks.

Data Migration (Week 9-11)

What happens: I move your existing data from Excel (or wherever it lives) into the new system. This often happens in parallel with late-stage development.

What I’m doing: Writing scripts to import your data, cleaning up inconsistencies, and verifying everything transferred correctly.

What you should do: Provide clean exports of your current data. If your spreadsheets are messy, that’s okay - but the cleaner they are, the faster this goes.

Timeline: 1-2 weeks, depending on data volume and complexity.

Testing & Refinement (Week 11-12)

What happens: You and your team actually use the system with real data. You’ll find things that need adjustment - buttons in the wrong place, reports that need different filters, workflows that don’t quite match reality.

What I’m doing: Fixing bugs, making adjustments, and refining based on your real-world use.

What you should do: Use it like you’ll use it after launch. Try to break it. Click everything. Enter weird data. The more you test now, the smoother launch will be.

Timeline: 1-2 weeks of intensive testing and refinement.

Training & Documentation (Week 12-13)

What happens: I train your team on how to use the system. This is hands-on - we go through common tasks together, and I answer questions as they come up.

What I’m doing: Making sure everyone knows how to use what was built. I also provide written documentation they can reference later.

What you should do: Have your whole team participate. Even if someone wasn’t involved in design, they need to understand how to use the final product.

Timeline: 1-2 training sessions, plus written documentation delivered at launch.

Launch (Week 13)

What happens: The system goes live. You start using it for real work instead of the old spreadsheets.

What I’m doing: Monitoring closely for any issues. Being available to answer questions and fix problems quickly.

What you should do: Have a plan for the transition. Maybe you run both systems in parallel for a week. Maybe you pick a slow day to cut over. Either way, don’t schedule launch for your busiest time of year.

Timeline: One day for the technical launch, but expect a transition period of 1-2 weeks as your team adjusts.

Post-Launch Support (Week 14-22)

What happens: You use the system in the real world. Small issues come up - things we didn’t anticipate during testing, questions about how to do something, minor bugs.

What I’m doing: Available to fix issues and answer questions. This is included free for 60 days after launch.

What you should do: Document any problems or questions as they come up. Don’t wait until the end of the support period to mention issues.

Timeline: 60 days of included support after launch.

Ongoing Maintenance (Month 3+)

What happens: The system is stable and your team is comfortable using it. My ongoing maintenance covers hosting, security updates, and technical support.

What I’m doing: Keeping the server running, applying security patches, and being available if something breaks.

What you should do: Report any issues promptly. If you want new features or changes, those are billed separately from maintenance.

Timeline: Ongoing, month-to-month. Cancel anytime with notice.

What Can Go Wrong (And How We Handle It)

“The requirements changed after we started.” Small changes are normal and expected. Major changes might require a scope adjustment. We’ll discuss it before proceeding.

“I don’t like what was built.” That’s why we have regular check-ins and a testing phase. Problems caught early are easy to fix. Problems caught at launch are harder, but still fixable.

“It’s taking longer than expected.” I build timeline buffers into my estimates. If something unexpected happens, I’ll let you know immediately with a revised timeline.

“I’m not happy with the final product.” This almost never happens if we’ve communicated well throughout. If it does, we work together to make it right. Your success is my success.

The Real Timeline

Minimum project: 8-10 weeks from kickoff to launch

Typical project: 12-16 weeks from kickoff to launch

Complex project: 16-20 weeks from kickoff to launch

These timelines assume reasonable availability on your end for feedback and testing. If you’re only available once every two weeks, everything takes longer.

What Makes Projects Go Smoothly

The best projects have:

• Clear point of contact - One person who can make decisions and gather feedback from the team
• Realistic timeline expectations - Custom software takes time to build properly
• Active participation - You stay engaged and provide feedback throughout
• Honest communication - You tell me when something isn’t working instead of hoping it’ll get better

What Makes Projects Difficult

Projects struggle when:

• Requirements keep changing in major ways
• The point of contact disappears for weeks at a time
• Feedback is vague (“I don’t like it” without explaining what’s wrong)
• Testing is rushed because you want to launch immediately

Questions You Might Have

Can we launch faster? Sometimes, but usually at the cost of features. We can discuss a phased approach - launch with core functionality, add features later.

What if I need changes after the 60 days of support? That’s what ongoing maintenance and hourly development are for. Small changes are usually quick. Larger features we’ll scope out and quote.

What if you get hit by a bus? You own the code and have full access to the server. Another developer could take over, though they’d need time to learn the codebase.

Can I see the code as you build it? Yes, if you want. Most clients don’t care to, but it’s your project.