Lily Russo, Los Angeles. Founder of Ossur Labs, maker of Be in the Field.
You have the app idea. I’ll make it real.
One working session to get your idea clear and a plan you can act on. $300, no equity, no pitch.
Bring the messy version. We'll find a practical next step.
One process, however much of it you need.
Some founders want a session and a plan. Some want me building next to them. Some need a team. It’s the same five stages either way; we stop wherever makes sense.
- 01
Shape the idea
Understand the vision, research the problem, name the user, and pick a starting point.
- 02
Make it tangible
Build a prototype, or guide you while you build one with AI.
- 03
Test and learn
Put it in front of people and decide what deserves more.
- 04
Move toward V1
Define the scope, coordinate the work, bring in specialists as needed.
- 05
Continue or hand off
Agree on more support, or set you up to keep going on your own.
A small team can do a lot now.
The way we build software is changing. You can get further on your own than you could a year ago. You don't have to wait months for an MVP; you can put something in front of people this week, learn, and go again.
What hasn't changed: you still have to know what to build, get it to people, and grow it. And at some point you want an expert to look at it, or you'd rather not learn the tools, or you did the first draft and now you want someone else to carry it.
That's the model I work in. You, me, and the right people at the right time.
Amber is who I bring in today. Grey is next.
You leave with a plan. Then one of three things happens.
Build it yourself.
You're making it with AI. You leave with a written plan, the questions to ask, and me a message away when a fix breaks two other things.
Build it with me.
A First Version Week: one working session, four days of building, a walkthrough, and a plan for what comes next. $1,500.
Bring in the right people.
When the work needs a designer or an engineer, I know who, when, and roughly what it should cost, and I stay on as your product partner.
Pricing
$300Working session, 60 minutes. One working session to get your idea clear and a plan you can act on.
$1,500First Version Week. One working session, four days of building, a walkthrough, and a plan for what comes next.
Ongoing work is scoped per project. Wondering what this costs elsewhere? I wrote it up.
Hi, I’m Lily.
I spent eight years building software in B2B financial services before starting Ossur Labs and building products of my own, including Be in the Field.
I stay close to the vision and the decisions, helping you work out what we can do ourselves and where another person’s expertise will make a difference.
- Everyone is creative.Some people just haven't been handed the tools yet. I build the tools.
- Human beings, not human doings.Intention first, then the work. And life is supposed to be fun.
- Tinker. Make it better.A fast, imperfect first version beats a perfect plan.
A few things you might be wondering.
Can you help if I'm building it myself with AI?
Yes, and it's most of what I do. You keep building in Lovable, Bolt, Claude, whatever you're using. I help with the decisions, the questions to ask, what to tell it, and an honest read of what it gave you.
Do I need a clear plan before we talk?
No. Bring the messy version. The first session exists to turn a fuzzy idea into a first step you can actually take.
When do designers or engineers get involved?
When the work needs them and not before. Some projects need a designer in week one; most don't need an engineer until there's something real to build on. I'll tell you when, and I coordinate that work around your goals.
How does pricing work?
A working session is $300. A First Version Week is $1,500. Ongoing work is scoped per project. There's no retainer to start and nothing is billed that we haven't agreed on first.
Will you steal my idea?
No. Ideas are rarely the hard part; building, selling and sticking with it are. The idea stays yours and so does everything we make from it.
Do I need an NDA?
Not for a working session. I don't share what you tell me, and I'll sign a simple mutual NDA before any build if you want one.
Do I own the code?
Yes. Anything built for you lives in your accounts, under your name, and you can take it anywhere.
Let’s see what your idea could become.
One hour. You talk, I ask the questions nobody’s asked yet, and you leave with a written next step.
About Lily Russo
Who is Lily Russo?
Lily Russo is a product builder and founder based in Los Angeles. She is the founder of Ossur Labs, a product studio that works with founders as a product partner from idea to first version, and the maker of Be in the Field, an iPhone app of daily tracks in your own voice. After eight years building software in B2B financial services, she left to go after the work she loves.
What is Ossur Labs?
Ossur Labs is a product studio founded by Lily Russo. Lily works with founders as a product partner, from shaping the idea to the first version, and brings in independent designers and engineers when a project needs them. It also funds her own products, including Be in the Field.
What is Be in the Field?
Be in the Field is a free iPhone app made by Lily Russo and published by Ossur Labs. It plays daily tracks in your own voice, a mixtape for the life you want. It is available on the App Store and at beinthefield.com.