It works in the demo. We make it work for real.
Jake and Ben are a two-person product studio in Geelong & the Surf Coast. We fix vibe-coded apps, build new ones for iOS, Android and the web, and help you launch and market them. You own the code and every account.
The last 10%
- Only the right people get in
- Payments never go missing
- Customer data kept private
- Backups that actually restore
- We hear about bugs first
- Holds up on a busy day
- You own the code and every account
The first 90% took a weekend.
Pokiemate · Our product · iOS and Android
Apps, dealt properly.
Pokiemate is our own mobile app, start to finish: venues, live streams, coins and a weekly giveaway. We built the app and the store listing and campaigns around it.
pokiemate.com.au ↗
Built to take the load.
Our product · gridvert.com
GridVert
Streamers sell ad space on their own broadcast.
- We check: logins
- We check: payments
- We check: backups
- We check: error alerts
Client · 2doors.co
2 Doors
A recruitment site that feels human, not corporate.
Client · theunhiddenco.shop
The Unhidden Co.
A headless Shopify store on Hydrogen, built for drops and restocks.
Build it. Launch it. Keep it running.
BUILD
LAUNCH
KEEP
Want the whole job? We do the full spec: build, launch and keep it running.
Show us your build
- Free 20-minute call
- written plan and quote before any work starts
- we build
With the two people who'd build it. No sales deck. No mobile number needed. You own the code and every account.
Rather email? hello@initialstudios.com.au · 0421 770 215
Who we are
Founder
Benjamin Tehan
Geelong & the Surf Coast
Two people, one studio. We build apps and sites, and help launch and market them. We do client work for 2 Doors and The Unhidden Co., and run our own products, GridVert and Pokiemate.
From the blog
Read this before you call
The Last 10%: what changes between a demo that works and a product people pay for. Plain English, no jargon.
The Last 10% · 7 min read
It Works When You Demo It
You built something over a few weekends and it demos beautifully, because you are the only person who has ever used it. Here's the difference between a thing that works when you drive it and a thing a stranger can rely on, and why your prototype is worth more than you think.
Read it →The Last 10% · 8 min read
Your MVP Didn't Fail. It Stalled.
Most half-built products don't collapse in a dramatic way. The updates just get vaguer, the demo link stops changing, and one day you realise nothing has moved for two months. Here's where builds actually stop, how to tell salvageable from sunk, and what to ask before you spend another dollar.
Read it →The Last 10% · 8 min read
What 'Production Ready' Actually Means
Everyone in software says it and almost nobody defines it, which is how projects get signed off in a state no customer should ever meet. Here's the plain-English checklist, in the order that matters, plus which items are genuine launch blockers and which can wait a fortnight.
Read it →
Questions
Is the first call free?
Yes. It's a free 20-minute call with the two people who'd build it. You tell us what you've got, we tell you what we'd do about it.
Do you build phone apps?
Yes, for iOS and Android. Pokiemate is ours, and it's on both.
Who owns the code and the accounts?
You do, from day one. Code, domains, hosting and analytics all sit in your name.
What happens if something breaks after launch?
You message us and we fix it. Most clients keep us on to look after it, so nobody's left chasing a bug on their own.
Do you do marketing too?
Yes. We do the marketing structure and campaigns as well as the build, as we did for Pokiemate.
Where are you?
Geelong & the Surf Coast, working with clients across Australia.