The £75,000 App That Was never Built

“I felt like a Queen… till the money ran out in 30 days".

Alison’s story is why every project must start with due diligence. Even when working with us!

“Tell me how much it cost.”

Alison Kelly (name changed) asked as she sat down for coffee. She was grim but determined.

TGV team replied: “We need to know what we are building before we can quote a price.”

Alison insisted, “It’s just an App! You must have a price range. Just give it to me!”

TGV team advised, “That’s not how it works. Once we have the requirements, then we can share a quote.”

Alison was getting agitated by this point.

She replied angrily, “Everyone else does it. Why not you?”

The TGV team understood that there is more to this meeting.

So, we requested, “Let’s take a step back and start from the beginning. Why don’t you tell us what is going on and then we can tell you how we can solve for it?”

This is Alison’s journey…

The £75,000 App That Was never Built

Years ago, Alison had the idea for a fashion app – a personal shopper - for women.

It was ahead way of its time. She didn’t understand “tech” so reached out to a close friend for help.

He happened to be the CEO of one of the biggest app development companies in Dundee. Alison was assured that £25,000 was more than enough to build an app.

Excited by this turn of events, she resigned from her job, and set out to invest in her new app.

The build process began and she was informed that the team building the app wasn’t in Dundee but one based in India.

She quickly released that the actual cost of building the app was around 1/10th of what it was costing her to building it. She felt betrayed.

But, this was just the start.

At every stage of the development, there were requirements that wasn’t covered by the initial contract. So, every new requirement like Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) or Database integration, etc. - were additional fees or licensing cost.

In short, she ran out of her savings within a month. The app was little more than a mock-up.

Alison whispered, “I was shattered. My life savings, my dream – all gone in just 30 days.”

She took out a loan to cover the remaining liabilities from this build exercise. Out of options, she took up a job.

Alison said, “I was embarrassed. How could I be so gullible? I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was. Where did I go wrong? There was no one to help. No one to talk to.”

She received VIP-level service from the company - from negotiation to signing the contract.

Once the initial payment was confirmed, the development team set up a 5-day brainstorming session in the most expensive hotel in Dundee. A boardroom with overflow tables of food and drinks, working lunches, and a pint to end the long days.

She was overjoyed.

Everything was right in the world.

Alison said, “I felt like a Queen. Like there was nothing that I couldn’t do!”

Till it wasn’t.

But, quickly similar issues kept popping up. Every new requirement led to massive fees or licensing cost. There were delays upon delays.

This time around the app was way better than the first one, but it still fell way short of a Minimum Visible Product (MVP).

As Alison was focused on the app launch, she hired an efficiency consultant to untangle her business blocks. They reviewed her progress and told her what to do in a report out.

She also got in touch with a business coach to keep her motivated and on track. Their objective was to make things easy for her.

With these ongoing expensive along with the escalating cost of app development, the funds ran out in 5 months.

Alison told us, “I was lost. I didn’t everything right. Everything I was adviced to do. But still failed.”

Alison reflected, “It took me years to build up the confident and save enough to try again."

This time, she was smarter and better prepared with more funding. £50,000 no less. She signed up with a Bangalore-based company to handle the build while she focused on launching the app.

Alison said, “I asked all the right questions.”

Contracts were signed and the development team started their work. No hotels or endless buffets this time around.

Just tollgates and timelines.

The Problem Statement

Two builds.
£75,000 spent.
Still no product.
This wasn’t a one-off.
This is how most app projects fail.
A price before clarity.
A build before definition.
Costs that keep creeping up.
By the time the problem is visible — the money is already gone.

Alison didn’t need another developer. She needed to understand what she was building.

TGV Advantage

The team set up a 60-minute due diligence that changed everything for Alison.

We mapped the business, not just the app.

What needed to be built and why
What didn’t or could be defered
What was the cost for every feature, accessibility tests, and/or cybersecurity compliance.
Launch plan and scaling options.

For the first time, the app made sense as a system, not a stand alone.

She left with with:

• Clear project scope

• Identified risks & blind spots

• Key reference documents

• Funding readiness insights

• Priority action list

• Feasibility checks

• Defined next steps

The Impact

Alison walked away with a clear plan of action. She contacted us after 6 months, prepared to start an app development and launch. We developed the app, supported the media outreach for the launch and helped her scale globally. All the while ensuring information and cybersecurity for her, other business associates, and clients.

A simple 60-minute due diligence could have saved £75,000 and years of wasted opportunity.

The Cost of Poor Quality

If something isn’t working, it’s already costing you.

You don’t need another build.
You need clarity on what should be built — and why.

Start your due diligence session with us.

The £75,000 App That Was never Built

The £75,000 App That Was never Built

Years ago, Alison had the idea for a fashion app – a personal shopper - for women.

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If something isn’t working, it’s already costing you.