Serverless web apps for teams that are tired of running servers
You want fast, reliable web applications, not another cluster to maintain. BYBOWU designs and ships serverless web applications that auto-scale, stay cost efficient, and are practical for your team to run day to day.
We are a Phoenix, AZ based web and app development agency working with startups and established companies across the US and worldwide. Serverless is one of the focused variants in our broader web development services, used when it clearly improves speed, reliability, and operating cost.
The problems we usually get called to fix
Most teams do not start with serverless. They arrive at it after fighting problems like:
- Unpredictable traffic during launches, campaigns, or seasonal peaks that overwhelms existing servers.
- Growing DevOps overhead just to keep APIs, admin tools, and internal dashboards online.
- Slow delivery cycles because every new feature requires capacity planning or risky infrastructure changes.
- Reliability issues when multiple services, queues, and cron jobs interact in ways that are hard to debug.
- Security and compliance concerns around access control, secrets, and auditability in the cloud.
Our job is to remove these bottlenecks so your team can focus on product, customers, and revenue instead of plumbing.
How our serverless development process works
You get a senior-led process that connects architecture choices to business outcomes, not just to cloud buzzwords.
1. Discovery, architecture, and business case
We start with how your business works, not with a diagram full of icons.
- Clarify goals, SLAs, compliance needs, and integration points.
- Map key user journeys, events, and data flows across systems.
- Compare serverless with containers or VMs using a simple cost and risk model.
- Choose providers and services: AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Vercel for Next.js, plus managed databases and messaging.
- Define infrastructure as code and CI/CD tooling (CDK, Terraform, Bicep, GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, and similar).
You leave this phase with a recommended architecture, a realistic roadmap, and a clear yes/no view on whether serverless is worth it for your use case.
2. Event-driven and API design
Next we design how the system behaves under real-world conditions.
- Event-driven flows: use services like EventBridge or Service Bus to decouple components so one failure does not take everything down.
- Serverless APIs: REST APIs via API Gateway or GraphQL endpoints for your web app, mobile app, or partners.
- Queues and streams: SQS, SNS, Azure queues, or similar tools to handle background jobs, notifications, and spikes in traffic.
- Data layer: fit-for-purpose choices such as DynamoDB or Cosmos DB for high-scale workloads and managed relational databases for transactional data.
- Edge and frontend: Next.js frontends on Vercel or similar platforms, with edge functions and CDN caching where they make sense.
3. Implementation, performance, and cost control
When we build, we optimize for performance and cost from day one, not as a later "tuning" project.
- Efficient functions: lightweight handlers, clean separation of concerns, and trimmed dependencies to reduce cold starts.
- Right sizing: memory and CPU settings tuned for low latency at a sensible cost point.
- Caching: use of API caching, edge caching, and shared caches for hot paths.
- Cost visibility: budgets and alerts in place, plus architectures that avoid noisy, chatty function calls.
4. Security, reliability, and observability
Security and reliability are part of the core design, not a later hardening pass.
- Access control and secrets: least-privilege roles and managed secrets stores.
- Network protection: API protection, rate limiting, and isolation where it is needed.
- Resilience patterns: retries, idempotency keys, and dead-letter queues to handle failures gracefully.
- Monitoring: structured logs, metrics, and alerts that make issues obvious instead of mysterious.
5. Testing, launch, and handover
Before you see traffic, we try to break the system in a controlled way.
- Automated tests for core workflows and edge cases.
- Load tests that match realistic and "worst day" scenarios.
- Staged rollouts to reduce launch risk.
- Documentation and runbooks so your team can operate and change the system without depending on us for every small update.
What you can order
- Serverless MVP for a new web app — Design and build a production-ready MVP backend and Next.js frontend using serverless functions, ideal for validating a new SaaS or internal tool.
- Serverless API for mobile or SPA — A secure, documented serverless API layer for your mobile app or single-page app, including authentication, key flows, and observability.
- Serverless ecommerce or booking backend — High-availability backend for carts, checkout, or booking/appointment systems that can handle traffic spikes without manual scaling.
- Serverless migration roadmap and pilot — Assessment of an existing app, a phased migration plan, and implementation of one or two high-impact services as a proof of value.
- Event and automation layer — Serverless functions and queues for webhooks, scheduled jobs, notifications, and integrations between your existing systems.
What you actually get as deliverables
We keep outcomes and ownership clear. Depending on scope, you can expect:
- Serverless architecture documentation tailored to your use case and SLAs.
- Infrastructure-as-code repositories for functions, APIs, databases, queues, and edge configuration.
- Production-ready serverless APIs and workflows powering your web app, admin portal, or integrations.
- Next.js or similar frontend deployed on a serverless-friendly platform, integrated with your backend and analytics.
- Cost and performance baseline plus concrete suggestions for the next set of optimizations.
- Operations playbook that explains deployments, monitoring, incident response, and security practices.
Proof it works in the real world
Marketplace that stays fast under load
For an online marketplace similar to BEZET, we designed a modern web architecture that keeps browsing and checkout responsive during promotions, without constant manual scaling.
Matching platform with heavy traffic spikes
On a housing and roommate style platform like Roome, we structured APIs and background jobs so search and messaging stay stable even when traffic jumps during peak move-in seasons.
B2B ecommerce and dropshipping flows
For wholesale and dropshipping workflows similar to MonoDrop, we used event-driven patterns to sync inventory and orders across multiple systems without creating a maintenance burden.
Why choose BYBOWU for serverless development
- Architecture choices explained in plain language — We walk you through trade-offs and costs instead of hiding behind cloud jargon.
- Product thinking, not just functions — Serverless is integrated with your UX, analytics, and marketing stack so it actually supports growth.
- Risk-aware delivery — We favor incremental rollout, strong testing, and migration patterns that avoid big-bang rewrites.
- Global collaboration from a stable base — A Phoenix-headquartered team used to working with distributed stakeholders in North America and beyond.
- Long-term partnership options — If you want, we can stay on for support and improvements through our support and maintenance services.
How engagement typically works
Even if you are not in our time zone, we keep collaboration straightforward and transparent.
- Initial consult (30–45 minutes) — You share goals, constraints, and current architecture. We discuss whether serverless is a sensible fit and outline options.
- Scope and estimate — You receive a high-level architecture suggestion, phases, and a budget range so you can align internally.
- Architecture and implementation — We work in iterations with regular check-ins and demos so you always see what is shipping next.
- Launch and stabilization — We help you ship, monitor real traffic, and adjust based on actual usage and metrics.
- Ongoing support (optional) — Continued development, tuning, and small improvements as your product grows.
Questions founders usually ask
What kind of budget makes sense for a serverless project?
For a focused MVP backend and frontend using serverless, clients typically budget in the same range as a custom web application. More complex systems with multiple integrations, regions, or strict compliance add scope. We are happy to discuss ranges once we know your use case, and we can also suggest phased approaches if you want to start smaller.
How long does it take to launch something usable?
A narrow, well-defined MVP can often go live in a few weeks. Richer products with complex workflows or several integrations may take a few months. During scoping, we propose milestone-based timelines so you can see what ships in each phase.
Will using serverless lock us into one cloud provider forever?
Some level of lock-in exists with any managed service. We reduce the risk by keeping business logic clear and portable, avoiding unnecessary proprietary features, and documenting realistic exit paths. If multi-cloud or future migration is a concern, we design with that in mind.
Is serverless always cheaper?
Not always. Serverless usually wins for spiky or unpredictable workloads and for teams that want to avoid a large DevOps function. For very steady, high-throughput workloads, other options can be more cost efficient. We model this with you during discovery before you commit to a direction.
Can you help migrate an existing monolith or legacy app?
Yes. Instead of rewriting everything at once, we usually recommend a gradual approach. We identify a small set of endpoints or jobs that will benefit most, move those to serverless, and expand from there once performance and reliability are proven.
How does this fit with our other web and mobile projects?
Serverless works well behind React, Vue, or other modern web apps and behind iOS or Android apps via secure APIs. We also integrate with your CMS, ecommerce platform, or existing backend so marketing, sales, and operations see one coherent system, not a collection of disconnected tools.
Next step: talk through your use case
If you are weighing serverless for a new product, a rebuild, or a migration, a short conversation will clarify where it makes sense and where it does not. We keep it practical, focused on your traffic patterns, budget, and team.
Start a serverless project or email us at [email protected] with a few lines about your app and goals. We will reply with concrete options, timelines, and next steps.
