Repeat Onboarding Without Resetting the Reader's Profile
A demo flag marked the signed session, preserved the stored profile and cleared only after successful completion, with the new cookie in the reply.
Reviewed by Dmytro Nasyrov on October 27, 2026.
For a demo, we needed an existing reader to see onboarding after every sign-in. Resetting that person's stored profile would have made the demo visible by changing real product state. Instead, we put a temporary onboarding mark in the signed session.
This was a testing and demonstration mode, separate from the normal first-time onboarding flow. Its challenge was to make routing, profile reads and completion agree about the current session without erasing the reader's profession or saved onboarding record.
A session mark set at sign-in
With the runtime switch enabled, the login route seals the successful session with onboardingPending: true. With the switch off, it seals the normal session. The implementation accepts the enabled values documented for the flag and tests disabled variants separately.
The server-side guard sees that mark before rendering protected chat pages. A deep link to a Library item is sent through welcome with its original path and query retained as the next destination. The application root needs no artificial return path because Ask is already the normal destination.
successful sign-in + demo flag
-> signed session includes onboardingPending
protected page + mark
-> welcome, carrying the intended destination
successful Continue or Skip
-> same session, mark removedThe welcome page itself, the sign-in page and the public API and health paths are allowed through. Without those exceptions, the gate could redirect its own completion path or interfere with the operations that need to clear the mark. A path-prefix approximation is weaker than an explicit route test here.
The profile read needed the same story
A client gate that asks whether the reader has onboarded would otherwise see the stored completion date and immediately skip the demo's welcome flow. The GraphQL wrapper therefore returns a shallow copy of the profile with onboardedAt set to null while the session mark is present. It does not write that null to the identities service. The saved profession and depth remain the starting values for the profile step. Once the mark is gone, the wrapper returns the real profile state again. This is a temporary session view, not a new truth about the reader's account.
Whichever resolver source the chat route uses, the wrapper is applied around it. Tests cover mocked and backend-backed paths. A demonstration flag that works only against fixtures would be an unreliable guide to the deployed request boundary.
Completion must succeed before the mark disappears
The wrapper awaits the underlying Continue or Skip mutation, then clears the mark. If saving throws, clearing is not reached. The reader remains in the unfinished session flow instead of receiving a successful-looking local exit after a failed server operation.
Clearing reseals the session cookie without the mark. The session-handle regression inspects the opened cookie and checks that the token pair remains as it was. A boolean changed only in client memory would not tell the next server request that welcome had completed.
| Case | Expected session behavior |
|---|---|
| Demo flag disabled | No mark added at sign-in |
| Marked session opens a deep link | Welcome retains path and query |
| Profile already onboarded in storage | Session view still shows onboarding as pending |
| Completion save fails | Mark remains |
| Completion save succeeds | Cookie is resealed without the mark |
| Session was already unmarked | Clearing is a no-op |
A request still has to carry its cookie back
The route's response owns the updated cookie. Mutating a session handle inside a resolver is not enough unless the final response includes the handle's cookie change. The test therefore checks the response and reopens its sealed value, rather than accepting an internal function call as proof of persistence.
This remains a per-session workflow. The article does not promise that a previously issued cookie in another tab is instantly rewritten by a response delivered to this request. Concurrent browser activity and later sign-ins still follow the application's normal cookie and session rules.
Repeating the presentation flow still requires a signed-in reader. The flag does not grant access, refresh an expired session or reopen the optional learning check's historical results by itself; those belong to their own contracts.
Test with an already-onboarded profile
The decisive regression pairs an already-onboarded stored profile with a marked session. If a fixture makes both the stored profile and the session appear new, the test cannot tell whether the temporary wrapper actually works. A second fixture checks that the stored object has not been reset.
The inspected code and tests are evidence of that implementation boundary; we have not rerun the medical product's suite for this article. The operational switch belongs to testing and demos. Its success condition is a repeated flow with the existing account intact, followed by a cookie that no longer asks the reader to repeat it.
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How long have you been in business?
Pharos Production has been in business since 2013, with over 13 years of experience in custom software development. During this time, we have delivered over 110 applications for 200+ clients across 28 industries, including FinTech, healthcare, crypto and e-commerce. We are rated 5/5 on Clutch based on 107 verified reviews (2026).
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What services do you provide?
Pharos Production provides six core service categories: AI Development (LLM applications, AI agents, machine learning and computer vision), Blockchain and Web3 (smart contracts, DeFi, tokenization on Ethereum, Solana, TON and other chains), FinTech Development (payment platforms, digital banking, KYC and AML integration), Software Development (mobile apps, web platforms, database design, UI/UX), Security and QA (code audits, penetration testing, smart contract audits, manual and automated testing) and Consulting (architecture design, MVP validation, startup consulting).
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Where is Pharos Production located?
Pharos Production is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (5348 Vegas Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89108), with an engineering office in Kyiv, Ukraine (44-B Eugene Konovalets Str. Suite 201, Kyiv 01133). We work with clients worldwide and provide remote collaboration across all time zones. Visit our contact page for directions and scheduling options.
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How big is your team?
Pharos Production has a team of 90+ engineers, including software developers, blockchain specialists, QA engineers, DevOps experts, UI/UX designers, project managers and solution architects. Our founder, Dr. Dmytro Nasyrov, holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and leads the technical direction of all projects.
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What types of customers do you serve?
We serve a wide range of clients, from startups and product companies to mid-sized enterprises and large institutions. Our clients include crypto exchanges, FinTech providers (like Pleenk), healthcare organizations, sportsbook operators (like Pro Gambling), e-commerce platforms and SaaS companies. Pharos Production has worked with 200+ clients across 28 industries since 2013, adapting engagement models to match each client's stage, whether it is MVP validation for a startup or enterprise-scale development for an established business.
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How is a custom software development company different from an agency?
A custom software development company like Pharos Production assigns one dedicated engineering team that owns your product across multiple release cycles, instead of handing it off once a contract ends. Agencies more often rotate staff between clients and optimize for fast delivery over long-term product ownership.
Pharos Production keeps the same team on your codebase through 2-week sprints, so there is no re-onboarding cost each time you request a new feature.
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How much does custom software development cost?
Custom software development costs vary based on project scope and complexity. At Pharos Production, typical project ranges are: MVP development ($10,000-$25,000), suitable for startups validating a product idea; full-fledged production ($25,000-$50,000), for established businesses scaling a proven concept; and full-cycle development ($50,000-$80,000+), for complex enterprise-grade systems. These ranges include architecture design, development, QA testing and deployment. Hourly rates range from $50 to $99 depending on role and seniority. Final pricing depends on technology stack, number of integrations and engagement model (staff augmentation, dedicated team or project outsourcing).
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How long does it take to develop a custom software application?
Development timelines depend on scope and complexity. At Pharos Production, a typical MVP takes 2-4 months, a production-ready application takes 4-8 months and a complex enterprise system can take 8-12+ months. We use an agile methodology with 2-week sprints, delivering working increments after each sprint. Every sprint includes a retrospective, progress report and planning session for the next iteration. This approach ensures transparency and allows businesses to launch faster by prioritizing high-impact features first. Get a timeline estimate for your project.
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What industries does Pharos Production serve?
Pharos Production serves 28 industries: FinTech, MiCA Compliance, Banking, Insurance, Crypto, Healthcare, Fitness, E-Commerce, Food & Restaurant, On-Demand, Manufacturing, Automotive, Energy, Oil & Gas, Supply Chain, Construction, Real Estate, Gaming, Streaming, Media, Telecom, Education, Aviation, Travel, Logistics, Marketing, Agriculture and Recommender Systems. Our deepest expertise is in FinTech, blockchain and healthcare, where we have delivered compliance-ready platforms (HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR) and high-load systems handling thousands of concurrent users. For the latest industry insights, read our guides on FinTech trends in 2026 and the Web3 technology stack.
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Why hire a software development company instead of building in-house?
Hiring a software development company offers faster time-to-market, lower upfront costs and access to specialized expertise without long-term employment commitments. According to Deloitte's 2024 Global Outsourcing Survey, 57% of companies outsource software development to access skills they cannot hire internally.
Factor In-house team Software development company Time to assemble 3-6 months (recruiting + onboarding) 1-2 weeks Upfront cost High (salaries, benefits, equipment) Lower (project-based pricing) Specialized expertise Limited to who you can hire locally Access to 90+ engineers across blockchain, AI, FinTech Scalability Slow (each new hire takes months) Fast (scale up or down per sprint) Long-term commitment Full-time employment contracts Flexible engagement models Risk High if key engineers leave Company ensures continuity and knowledge transfer For businesses that need blockchain, AI or high-load architecture expertise, outsourcing to a specialized firm like Pharos Production reduces risk and accelerates delivery.
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What projects does Pharos Production not take on?
Pharos Production focuses on mid-to-large custom software projects with budgets starting at $10,000. We do not take on template-based websites, WordPress theme customization or short-term contracts under one month. We also do not provide non-technical staffing (marketing, sales or design-only roles). Our strongest fit is blockchain, FinTech and healthcare projects where security, compliance and high-load architecture are critical. For smaller projects or MVPs under $10,000, we recommend exploring freelance platforms or no-code tools as a more cost-effective starting point.
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Why does Pharos Production use agile methodology?
We use agile with 2-week sprints because it reduces the risk of building features that miss the mark. Each sprint ends with a working demo, a retrospective and a plan for the next iteration.
This means clients see progress every 14 days and can adjust priorities based on real results, not assumptions. We chose this approach after years of experience showing that rigid, fixed-scope contracts lead to scope creep, missed deadlines and products that do not match market needs by launch day.
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When should you NOT hire a custom software development company?
Custom development is not the right choice in every situation. You should not hire a custom software company if: your problem is fully solved by an existing SaaS product (e.g. Shopify for e-commerce, Salesforce for CRM); your budget is under $10,000 and timeline is under 4 weeks; you need a simple landing page or marketing website (WordPress or Webflow is faster and cheaper); or you are still validating the idea and have not spoken to potential users yet.
In these cases, off-the-shelf tools or no-code platforms offer better ROI. Custom development makes sense when you need unique workflows, regulatory compliance, high-load architecture or competitive differentiation that packaged software cannot provide.
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What kind of projects has Pharos Production delivered?
Here are three anonymized examples from our recent delivery history:
FinTech startup - payment platform (MVP)
Scope: mobile app + backend API with bank-grade encryption. Team: 4 engineers, 1 QA. Timeline: 10 weeks. Budget: $38,000. Result: launched on schedule, processed $2M+ in transactions within the first quarter.Healthcare provider - patient portal (Full product)
Scope: HIPAA-aligned web platform with EHR integration, appointment scheduling and telemedicine. Team: 6 engineers, 1 DevOps, 2 QA. Timeline: 6 months. Budget: $120,000. Result: 15,000+ active patients, zero compliance violations in two annual audits.Crypto exchange - trading engine (Complex)
Scope: high-load matching engine handling 50,000+ orders per second, multi-chain wallet infrastructure on Ethereum and Solana. Team: 8 engineers, 2 QA, 1 security auditor. Timeline: 11 months. Budget: $340,000. Result: 99.97% uptime, passed three independent security audits.See more projects: NoMoreBets, Pulse, Sagas, Gambit Stream and Pleenk. For the full portfolio, visit our case studies. Learn more about the technology behind these projects in our guide to stablecoins and crypto infrastructure.
Stas Rysin is the Lead Frontend Developer at Pharos Production. His work covers the design system, reader interfaces and administration workflows of a professional learning platform for aesthetic medicine.
