We invest our time and skills, you invest your belief and execution. No upfront payment, shared upside.

1. Who we are and what this is

At Zero Cost is a product studio that builds MVPs and early-stage products for founders without charging upfront development fees. Instead, we work on an equity or revenue-share model, depending on the project.

This document is not a full legal contract but a clear explanation of:

• How our partnership model works
• What you can expect from us
• What we expect from you
• How equity or revenue share is handled

A more formal agreement may be signed later if needed, but these are the base terms that apply to every project.

2. What we do (and don't do)

We do:

• Design and build your MVP (web, mobile, or both)
• Provide technical architecture and implementation
• Help you scope what should be in v1 vs later versions
• Ship a working product you can show to users, investors, or customers

We do not automatically include:

• Full-time ongoing ops, maintenance, or 24/7 support
• Paid marketing, ads, or sales operations
• Guaranteed fundraising or investor introductions
• Complex enterprise-level integrations unless agreed in scope

3. Equity or revenue share model

Because you do not pay upfront development fees, we are compensated through equity, revenue share, or a hybrid.

The exact model and percentage will be discussed and agreed in writing before development begins, based on:

• Project complexity and time required
• How early the idea is (pure idea vs. some traction)
• Your commitment and involvement as a founder

4. Ownership of code and intellectual property

You own:

• All product-specific code we write for your MVP
• Your brand, idea, designs, and business logic
• All data, user accounts, and content generated by your product

We may retain:

• Our internal libraries, starter kits, or reusable components
• Generic modules that are not unique to your business (for example, basic auth boilerplate, UI systems, generic utilities)

You have full rights to continue building on top of the delivered code with any other developer or team, even if our partnership ends—subject to any agreed revenue share or equity terms.

5. What we expect from you as a founder

To make this partnership work, we need you to treat this like a serious startup, not a side experiment that you might abandon in two weeks.

We expect you to:

• Be reachable and responsive for decisions, feedback, and clarifications
• Provide clear inputs on the problem, user, and market
• Show up for scheduled calls and reviews
• Actively test the product and give timely feedback
• Handle non-tech responsibilities: marketing, sales, fundraising, operations, legal, etc.

If you repeatedly disappear, go silent, or delay decisions, the project timeline will slip and we may choose to pause or terminate the partnership.

6. Scope, timelines, and changes

Scope:

• We will agree on a clear MVP scope before starting
• The MVP is focused on core features only, not every idea or feature you have in mind
• Scope is documented and shared so both sides are aligned

Timeline:

• Typical MVP timeline: 4–8 weeks, depending on complexity
• Timeline assumes you respond quickly to feedback and approvals

Changes and new features:

• Small, reasonable tweaks are fine
• Major new features or pivots may be treated as a new phase or separate scope
• We will always discuss impact on timeline before agreeing to big changes

7. Costs, fees, and expenses

Development fees:

• You do not pay us any upfront development or design fees for the agreed MVP
• Our compensation is via equity, revenue share, or a hybrid model

External costs (paid by you):

• Hosting, domains, and infrastructure (for example, servers, Firebase, AWS, etc.)
• Third-party tools, APIs, or paid services your product needs
• Any marketing, ads, or promotional spend

We will always try to use affordable or free-tier tools where possible in early stages, but some costs are unavoidable to run your product.

8. Revenue share and payment terms

If we work on a revenue-share model (instead of or in addition to equity), you agree to share a defined percentage of net revenue generated by the product.

8.1 Revenue Definition

Unless otherwise agreed, revenue means total money received from customers for the product, minus:

• Payment gateway fees
• Refunds and chargebacks
• Applicable taxes (GST, VAT, etc.)

8.2 Revenue Share Payments

If under revenue share model:

• Payments are due within 15 days of month-end
• You must provide accurate revenue reports
• Late payments may incur interest charges
• Failure to pay may result in termination of services and legal action

8.3 Additional Services

Services outside the agreed MVP scope (additional features, ongoing maintenance, etc.) may be charged separately at our standard rates or negotiated under revised partnership terms.

9. Warranties and Disclaimers

9.1 Limited Warranty

At Zero Cost warrants that services will be performed with reasonable care and skill using industry-standard practices.

9.2 Disclaimer of Warranties

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED, SERVICES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Warranties of merchantability or fitness for particular purpose
• Guarantees of commercial success or profitability
• Warranties of uninterrupted or error-free operation
• Warranties of compatibility with all platforms or devices
• Warranties of security against all threats

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW:

• At Zero Cost's total liability is limited to the equivalent market value of services provided
• We are not liable for indirect, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages
• We are not liable for lost profits, revenue, data, or business opportunities
• We are not liable for damages caused by third-party services or integrations
• We are not liable for your business decisions or market performance

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitation of liability, so these limitations may not apply to you.

11. Termination

11.1 By Either Party

Either party may terminate the agreement with 30 days written notice if:

• The other party materially breaches these Terms
• The project becomes commercially non-viable
• Collaboration breaks down despite good faith efforts

11.2 Immediate Termination

We may terminate immediately if you:

• Engage in prohibited uses
• Fail to meet payment obligations (revenue share model)
• Become unresponsive for 30+ days
• Violate intellectual property rights

11.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• You retain ownership of all completed work
• Partnership obligations cease (except vested equity)
• Outstanding payments become due immediately
• Confidentiality obligations survive termination

12. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These terms are governed by applicable Indian laws unless specified otherwise in a separate written agreement.

We prefer to resolve any disputes through good faith discussion and, if needed, mediation or arbitration before considering legal action.

13. Final understanding

By choosing to work with At Zero Cost, you understand that:

• We are betting our time and energy on your idea
• You are betting your commitment and execution
• Neither side is guaranteed success, but both sides should act in good faith

If at any point you feel these terms are unfair or unclear, please discuss them with us before we start building.