Montreal · contracting work is subcontracted and white-labelledSee how it works
clevrstart

Info / Business model

One contract, one quote, two invoices

ClevrStart turns a spec handoff into a quote, builds the work phase by phase, and invoices it in two parts. Your name stays on the delivery.

Knowledge base

Who we are

ClevrStart — Départ Futé in French — is a software company based in Montreal, Quebec. It is led by Luke Sidney, a software engineer with six years in full-stack web development, four years working with AI systems, and three years in project management.

We work with consulting agencies, software agencies and individual consultants who have won the client and now need the thing built. We also ship infrastructure as a service directly to entrepreneurs and individuals.

The service, end to end

We cover the whole path, not a slice of it:

  1. Estimation. You hand over a spec, a brief or a call recording. We assess whether it can be built as described.
  2. Quote. The work is broken into phases. Each phase is estimated in hours and priced at an hourly rate.
  3. Build. Scaffolding, implementation, delivery — phase by phase, against the quote.
  4. Invoicing. Two invoices, described below.

One contract. One service. One quote.

How the money works

The model is deliberately simple, and it is the same for everyone:

  • A quote per project, priced per phase, in hours at an hourly rate.
  • A 50% deposit invoice starts the work.
  • A balance invoice is issued once the work is delivered.

If a phase runs past the hours estimated, or you ask for a revision, the quote is updated — and because the balance is the remainder of the quote, the balance invoice updates with it. One quote, two invoices, no surprise third one.

We build, you deliver to your client

For agencies and consultants, the point of this arrangement is that it is invisible to your client. The software ships under your name. The delivery is yours. We are the build capacity behind it, under one contract with you.

Why no prices are published

Every page on this site says "quoted after evaluation" instead of a number. That is not evasion. A number published before anyone has looked at the work is either padded to be safe or wrong, and both cost you. The evaluation is free, the quote it produces is free, and the meter starts the day you accept it.

Questions5 answered

Questions about the model

01What exactly do I get for the deposit?
The deposit is not a fee, it is the first half of the quoted work. It reserves the schedule and starts the first phase. The remaining balance is invoiced when the work is delivered.
02What happens if the project takes longer than estimated?
The quote is updated with the additional hours for that phase, and the balance invoice reflects the updated total. You see the change on the quote before it is invoiced.
03What counts as a revision?
Any change to what was agreed for a phase. Revisions are not refused — they are re-quoted, added to the same quote, and settled in the same balance invoice.
04Do you work directly with end clients?
Yes, for entrepreneurs and individuals who need infrastructure built. For agencies and consultants, we stay behind your name and you keep the client relationship.
05Is the evaluation free?
Yes. The call, the evaluation and the quote it produces are all free, and so is every follow-up while you decide. Billing starts when you accept the quote.