What a discovery spike is
A discovery spike is a short, fixed-scope piece of technical work that answers one risky question before a build is quoted. Can the data be extracted? Does the integration work? Will the old system keep up? You get a written answer and, if the answer is yes, a firm price for the build.
Questions a spike answers
| Question | What we do |
|---|---|
| Can we get the data out? | Read the old system's database or exports, and extract a real sample. |
| Does the other system have a usable API? | Call it with real requests and check what comes back, and how fast. |
| Will the lookup or service we depend on work? | Wire up a working test against the real service. |
| Is the old data clean enough to move? | Count it, find the duplicates and gaps, and say what needs fixing first. |
Why we work this way
A fixed price is only honest if the unknowns have been looked at. Quoting a migration without seeing the data means either padding the price or arguing about it later. A spike takes that risk off the table first.
If the spike says no, you have spent a little to find out, and you have a written record of why. If it says yes, the build is priced on facts.
What you get at the end
- A written answer to the question, with what we tried and what we found.
- Any working code or extracted data from the spike, which is yours.
- A fixed price for the first phase of the build, if the answer is yes.
- The things we would do differently because of what the spike found.
Questions about discovery spikes
Does every project need a spike?
No. Only projects with a real unknown, usually old data, a missing API or a third-party integration. If there is no risky part, we go straight to a scope and a price.
How long does a spike take?
It depends on the question, but spikes are kept short and their scope is fixed in writing before we start. Most answer one question.
Do we have to go ahead with the build afterwards?
No. The written answer is yours whatever you decide, and so is any code or data the spike produced.
Tell us what worries you about the project
On a free call, tell us which part of the project you are least sure about. We'll tell you whether it needs a spike, or whether we can price it straight away.