# The custom software development process | Miyagami > The custom software development process: discovery, design, build, test, release and maintenance. What each stage delivers and who is involved. Source: https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-the-custom-software-development-process [Home](https://www.miyagami.com/)/ [Resources](https://www.miyagami.com/resources)/ [Articles](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles)/ [Practice](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/practice)/ What is the custom software development process # What is the custom software development process **[Bo Wesdorp](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bo-wesdorp-496a36167/)** Co-founder and CTO, Miyagami [Practice](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/practice)3 min read 3 November 2026 The custom software development process is the sequence of stages that takes an idea to running software built for one organisation: discovery, design, build, testing, release and maintenance. Each stage produces something concrete, and good teams loop back to earlier stages as they learn. The names vary, but the work is the same. ## What happens in discovery The team clarifies the problem, the users and the constraints. Output is a short, written scope: who the product serves, what must work first, what is out of scope and what could go wrong. This is the cheapest stage to find mistakes, so it pays to spend real time here. ## What happens in design Designers and engineers shape the user flows, screens and the technical approach. Typical outputs are a clickable prototype, a data model and a list of main architecture decisions. Testing the prototype with a few users before any code is written avoids expensive rework. ## What happens in build Engineers implement the product in small increments, with code review and automated tests. Work is usually organised in short cycles so that stakeholders see running software often. See [agile vs waterfall](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/agile-vs-waterfall) for how teams organise this. Coding agents now accelerate much of this stage, with senior engineers reviewing the output. ## What happens in testing Testing runs throughout the build rather than at the end. It includes [unit tests](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-unit-testing) for small pieces, [regression tests](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-regression-testing) to protect existing behaviour, and acceptance checks with real users. Security and performance checks come before launch. ## What happens at release and after Release means deploying to production in a controlled way, with monitoring and a rollback plan. After launch the work continues: fixing bugs, supporting users, updating dependencies and adding features. Budget for maintenance from the start, since it often matches the original build effort over a few years. ## How long does the process take A focused first version usually takes a few months with a small senior team. Scope is the main driver. For a SaaS example with architecture decisions, see [how to build a SaaS app](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/how-to-build-a-saas-app). ## Who is involved at each stage Discovery involves a product owner, a senior engineer and the people who will use the software. Design adds a designer. Build is led by engineers, with a lead who reviews architecture decisions. Testing involves engineers and QA, plus real users for acceptance. After release, support and maintenance fall to the same team, which keeps knowledge fresh. A small senior team covering several of these roles usually moves faster than a large team with hand-offs between each stage. ## What goes wrong most often Projects fail most often at the start and the end. At the start, teams skip discovery and build a product nobody asked for. At the end, teams treat release as the finish and leave no budget for maintenance. In between, scope grows without anyone deciding to grow it. A written scope, a visible backlog and a regular review with the people paying for the work keep all three under control. ## What should you ask a development partner about their process Ask who writes the scope, how often you see working software, how changes are handled and what you receive at the end, including code, documentation and access. Ask for a sample plan from a past project. ## What this means when you hire through Miyagami Every engineer is tested by an AI-native tech lead who works with AI every day. For founders without a team, the Founders programme covers Discover €10,000, Design €10,000 and Deliver €40,000, a fixed €60,000 for twelve weeks. Engineers join your team full-time from €5,600 a month, with a shortlist within 3 working days and no recruitment fee. We replace at our cost if the fit is wrong, and we don't do part-time. See [how we vet](https://www.miyagami.com/how-we-vet) and [pricing](https://www.miyagami.com/pricing). ## Short answers How many stages are in software development? Commonly six: discovery, design, build, testing, release and maintenance. What is a discovery phase? A short, focused stage that defines the problem, users and scope before design and build. How much does custom software cost? It depends on scope and team size. Senior engineers from Miyagami start from €5,600 a month. Does maintenance cost extra? Yes. Plan for ongoing fixes, updates and features after launch. We test for this Every engineer we place goes through two assessments: one without AI tools, one with. Both scorecards are published. [How we vet](https://www.miyagami.com/how-we-vet) Related - [What are the differences between the main SDLC models?](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/differences-between-main-sdlc-models) - [How to build a SaaS app](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/how-to-build-a-saas-app) - [What is regression testing](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-regression-testing) - [What is unit testing in software development](https://www.miyagami.com/resources/articles/what-is-unit-testing) Hiring for this? Senior AI-native engineers, a shortlist in three working days and a hire within five. [Get a shortlist](https://www.miyagami.com/shortlist) Let's talk ## Get a shortlist within three days You share the roles and the stack in a short form or a thirty-minute call. Within three working days you get named senior engineers to review, each with both scorecards, and you can hire within five. [Get a shortlist](https://www.miyagami.com/shortlist) Reviewed on **Clutch** 42 reviews [ISO 27001 Certified](https://trust.miyagami.com/) Book thirty minutes with Dale The calendar is provided by HubSpot, which sets its own cookies. Load it here, or book on HubSpot's page. [Open booking page](https://sales.miyagami.com/meetings/dwesdorp)