The start sprint: from question to working prototype or build plan in one week

One week to take a big decision well

You have a process that costs money, a system that needs replacing or an idea you want to test. The start sprint is how you find out in one week, with something tangible in hand: a working prototype on your data or a build plan you can decide on. Always with the business case included.

For organisations with a concrete process, product or system, and an owner who can decide. Want to get to know what AI can do first? Then a training is a better first step.

1 week

from question to decision

From €8,000

fixed fee, known up front

6 days

to working prototype at Kwakkel BV

What you have at the end of the week

The outcome depends on the entry you come in through.

Outcome: working prototype

Build something new →

By the end of the week there is a prototype that works on your data. At Kwakkel BV it was ready after six days.

Outcome: architecture and migration plan

Replace what no longer fits →

Which integrations are needed, how the data moves over, what can be done in phases. A build plan you can decide on.

Outcome: hosting design and risk assessment

Run it on your own terms →

Which model, which hardware or European cloud, what it costs and what the AI Act asks of you. Tested on your situation.

What the week looks like

Intake and scope

Day 1

We sit down with the owner of the problem and the people who work with it. What it has to do, what data there is, what the first version is that already delivers value.

Build or design

Days 2 and 3

For something new we build the prototype. For replacement or self-hosting we design the architecture and test the critical parts.

Connect to your real environment

Day 4

Real data, real systems, real users. This is where it shows whether it works outside the demo.

Demo, business case and go/no-go

Day 5

We show what is there and put the business case on one page next to it: what it costs, what it returns, when it pays back. Then you decide.

Price

From €8,000, fixed fee, known up front

If the build goes ahead, the start sprint is the first phase of the project. If it does not, you keep the prototype, the plan and the business case. A custom build after that starts from €15,000; what it will be exactly is on paper at the end of the week.

The AI Heroes standard

Included in every build

01

Business case first

Before we build, you know what it costs, what it returns and when it pays back.
02

Compliance from the drawing board

AI Act classification, logging, human oversight and European hosting are part of the design.
03

Your people can work with it

We train the team that will use the system on that system. That also meets Article 4 of the EU AI Act.
04

Not tied to one AI vendor

You can switch AI models without rebuilding. Everything comes with documentation.

Frequently asked questions

What if it cannot be done in a week? ▾

Then you know that at the end of the week, and you know why. You keep the prototype or the plan, the business case and honest advice on what can be done. That is exactly what the start sprint is for: a small fee to take a big decision well.

Do we need to free up people? ▾

Yes, a little. We need the owner of the problem on day 1 and day 5, and a few hours from someone who knows the data and systems. We do the rest.

What happens after the sprint? ▾

If the build goes ahead, the start sprint is the first phase and we keep building in sprints until it is finished and working. If it does not, you keep everything that was made. No obligations.

Can we start without a start sprint? ▾

If you already know exactly what you want to build and have the business case, yes. In practice the week almost always yields insights that make the build shorter and cheaper, so we recommend it.

Does this work for software without AI? ▾

Yes. A web shop, a customer portal, an internal system: we build software, with AI where it adds value and without it where it does not. INQ22 is an example: a custom web shop that simply runs live.

How is this different from a workshop or a readiness scan? ▾

A workshop teaches your team what AI can do. A scan says where the opportunities are. The start sprint builds one, on your data, and tells you what it costs. If you do not have a concrete process or system yet, a training or scan is a better first step; you will find those under How we work.