What fixed actually means
The quote lists inclusions, exclusions, a calendar, and a payment split (40 percent start, 40 percent staging, 20 percent launch). If we under-estimated, that is our problem. If you add a marketplace in week four, that is a new line.
When hourly is honest
A retainer ($240/month, 40 hours) is for a product that is already live and changing weekly. A greenfield MVP with a known first user is a package.
Fragen
What if we do not know the scope?
We run a 90-minute call and write it. If it still will not sit still, we quote a paid discovery, not a fake fixed bid.