New product
Launching a SaaS or MVP
You're preparing an MVP or SaaS and want to frame before investing heavily. Idea, market, sometimes budget or agency in sight, but no clear map yet: stack, first-release scope, risks, what to validate before months of dev.
I work in phased mandates with the CEO, CTO, or founders: feasibility, go/no-go, architecture, rapid prototypes (Lovable, Claude, Cursor: you prototype, I guide). I can also steer your devs or agency: define phases, structure the backlog, prioritize what you need for an MVP that works without derailing. Not an embedded CTO: direction, sequence, and product-tech coherence, not day-to-day ticket management.
Fractional engagement, not full-time: typically half-days to frame and stay aligned, full days when needed for intensive prototype or architecture work, sometimes two days a week if I code key building blocks. Rhythm is set on the call, phase by phase.
Frame your MVP Book a callLinkedInhello@lucrousseau.com
The trap
Build too early, validate too late
Without framing, v1 drifts: scope swells, default stack, agency or devs coding while what and why still move. Fixing after three months of build costs far more than a few weeks of feasibility.
AI and tools like Lovable, Claude, or Cursor let you prototype fast: the stake is no longer waiting months to see if the idea holds, but validating before you commit heavily on time, team, and money.
Validate with the CEO or CTO before the big build
Close work with leadership and tech: you can prototype yourself with the right tools; I frame the sequence so experiments support decisions, not a future debt pile.
Fast prototypes, guided
- CEO, CTO, or founders: we define which hypotheses to test before build
- Lovable, Claude, Cursor, or similar: you explore, I guide scope, criteria, and next step
- Clickable flows and POCs in days to test and validate, not months of fuzzy specs
Less risk before time, team, and budget
- A framed, validated idea: investing in dev resources is much less risky
- I steer the sequence so experiments don't scatter in every direction
- Written phases, prioritized backlog, and steering devs or agency when build starts
How we work
Fractional, phased, with a plan
Not an embedded CTO or an agency that starts build without a map: phased, fractional mandate. Feasibility often on half-days; a full day for intensive prototype or architecture; two days a week possible on a focused build phase. Calendar set on the call.
I code, steer devs or agency
Solo founder: prototypes and key blocks on demand. With devs or agency: I define phases, own the backlog, and prioritize the MVP, without micro-managing day-to-day tickets.
Feasibility before the big build
Documented go/no-go, realistic stack, sharp v1 scope. You avoid funding months of build on fuzzy or never-validated assumptions with real users.
Phases, backlog, and MVP priorities
Written delivery phases, structured backlog, must-have vs later: a plan for a working MVP your devs or agency can execute without scope spinning out of control.
Fast prototypes, CEO or CTO
Lovable, Claude, Cursor: you prototype yourself; I structure hypotheses, scope, and criteria. Validation before big spend, without unmanageable technical debt.
Sequence and clear guardrails
Hypotheses, success criteria, throwaway vs prod: I hold the frame so fast experiments stay scoped and don't leave unmanageable debt behind you.
The path
Four typical steps in an MVP or SaaS mandate
Feasibility and product direction
Hypotheses, constraints, technical options, ballpark, go/no-go. Deliverable: documented decision, not a vague deck.
Architecture and v1 scope
Boundaries, APIs, stack (Laravel, React/Next, headless if relevant). Realistic MVP: sharp v1, first phases and backlog sketched before the big build.
Prototypes and prerequisites
With the CEO or CTO: clickable flows, POCs via Lovable, Claude, Cursor, or targeted build. You prototype, I guide; acceptance criteria and validation before big budget. Agency or team gets a brief ready to build, not fuzzy specs.
Handover and optional follow-up
Documentation, prioritized backlog, pass-off or ongoing steering of your devs or agency by phase. Fractional follow-up to keep a coherent MVP during build, without a permanent role.
Compare
Build straight with agency/devs vs product-system framing first
This comparison is about launching a SaaS or MVP (feasibility, stack, prototypes). Different from Post-funding: before your first full-time developer, for startups preparing a first tech hire rather than framing a product to launch. AI-centric offer: see AI in your product.
| Dimension | Agency brief or first devs immediately | Phased mandate (feasibility → architecture → handover) |
|---|---|---|
| Scope risk | High; costly mid-flight changes. | v1 scope and hypotheses tested before big commit. |
| Stack | Often agency default or dev preference. | Choice tied to product and operations, documented. |
| Validation | After months of build. | Early CEO/CTO prototypes (Lovable, Cursor, etc.), validation before big budget. |
| Phases and backlog | Implicit or rewritten every sprint. | Written phases, prioritized backlog, steering devs or agency. |
| External role | Execution without single product thread. | Same person from direction through build, not team manager. |
How I build
Technical foundations
MVP and SaaS framed before big spend: realistic stack, sharp scope, and clean handover to your devs or agency.
Objections
Common questions
Better still: I define phases, structure the backlog, prioritize MVP must-haves, and steer the agency on direction, prerequisites, and coherence. They execute; I don't replace the team.
Often a few weeks of framing for more predictable months of build. On high-leverage topics I can ship a POC; I don't take every ticket for you.
It depends on the phase. Half-days for feasibility, CEO/CTO workshops, and light follow-up. A full day now and then for a prototype or architecture sprint. Two days a week only if I need to code foundations or critical POCs. No 40-hour role: we calibrate on the call.
Yes, and it's often a lever. I work with the CEO, CTO, or founders: you explore with Lovable, Claude, Cursor, or similar; I guide so it serves product and technical validation, not spaghetti to ship as-is to prod. Once the idea is framed and validated, investing in team and budget is much less risky.
Both. I code prototypes and key blocks when needed. I steer your devs or agency: phases, backlog, prioritization for an MVP that holds, product-tech reviews and trade-offs, without taking every ticket for you.
No. Your agency or devs keep operational pace. I clarify system, v1 scope, and sequence; I don't manage people or day-to-day tickets.
Two to four weeks of feasibility often avoid months of rework. The first slice can be exactly that framing, with a written deliverable before the big build spend.
You arrive with plan, stack, and validation proof, less embarrassing technical due diligence. I can help sharpen the first tech or product hire profile (see Post-funding: before your first full-time developer).
Documented handover to your devs or agency; optional fractional follow-up if you want coherence without a permanent role. Other phased mandates: WordPress rebuild, editorial platform, or all situations.
The agreed rhythm structures deep work, not whether you can reach me.
Ongoing, I make time to reply on Slack or your preferred channel. If an emergency lands outside scheduled days, I stay reachable and step in under a shared urgency frame we define up front (scope, priority, response time), not a vague 24/7 on-call promise.
Next step
SaaS idea without a clear map? One call to see if a phased mandate (feasibility → architecture → prerequisites) avoids premature build.
LinkedInhello@lucrousseau.comNext step
Let's talk about your context
A 30-minute call to see if fractional support (product, technical, or both) fits your situation in Quebec.
- EmailReply within 24–48 hourshello@lucrousseau.com
- LinkedInBackground or messageView profile
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