Arkenea Inc

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Swift Fitness, LLC. We own an on-demand mobile app called MYOS®, which allows users to request well-reviewed personal trainers directly to their location. We’ve recently gone live and are continuing to grow.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Arkenea?

Because we lacked a background in software development, we needed resources to develop our app for iOS, including the coding, design, and backend as well as marketing support to promote the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we had weekly calls with their CEO to discuss the objectives and identifying what functions would and wouldn’t work. We provided wireframes and descriptions of each screen, which they used to design the user interface and color scheme. They then built the app, which allowed users to browse a network of local personal trainers, connect with them, and request meeting points. The app also featured an analytics tracker to record workout times, a leaderboard between users, and a reward function.

In addition to app development, they also provided counsel for our marketing efforts to ensure a strong product/market fit. With their guidance, we organically built an online community of local fitness enthusiasts, whom we leveraged to gain early adopters. They advised us on app store optimization (ASO) tactics and Facebook ads to help increase our visibility.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a group of six people, including designers, programmers, and a business analyst, who served as our main point of contact. We also often conferred with the CEO.

How did you come to work with Arkenea?

We researched developers online and compiled a list of different companies. After multiple interviews, we met their CEO and got along well. In particular, we appreciated their technical and business experience.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work lasted from July 2016–October 2017 and continue to support us from a technical standpoint.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve recently launched the app, so we currently don’t have any hard metrics. However, our online efforts helped grow our community to over 700 members across Fort Lauderdale. As a result, we had a place to advertise our app and gained 50 early adopters who signed up to use our services with zero dollars spent on marketing. Users praise the app’s colors and design as well as its user-friendly features. In particular, people like the leaderboard and smooth functions.

How did Arkenea perform from a project management standpoint?

They held us accountable and motivated us to stay on track to meet our goals. We used Basecamp to approve designs, exchange files, and complete updates. In terms of communication, we spoke weekly via phone and continue to text and email their CEO to this day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Besides what I’ve mentioned above, I valued their CEO’s advice. Having worked extensively within the industry, he gave us tons of insight and was responsive to our questions and concerns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers should remain open-minded and listen to them even if their advice seems unconventional because they’re experts in their field. I’ve learned that successfully growing an app requires so much more than just building and launching it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We [have] an iPad app focused on the sport of lacrosse.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the owner and operator. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Arkenea?

It was the first app I developed and didn’t have any connection to developers nor do I have the software skills required to be able to develop a mobile application. I had a clear picture in my mind’s eye of what I wanted, and I set out storyboards that then helped drive the flow of the app.

Arkenea was able to take the very detailed, but basic storyboards and turn it into a fully functional app that’s now live in the App Store.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

This was strictly an iPad app to start. It’s possible we may put it on other platforms. I’m still waiting to see what the performance is like on the first edition.

What was your process for selecting Arkenea with which to work?

I called several firms and conducted a lot of research. I ended up using an online resource called App Tank, where you do a basic overview of what you’re trying to accomplish, and then different companies provide initial bids based on what you’re trying to do.

I got about six bids on the project that I had posted. That’s how Arkenea came to me. They were one of the bidders. They had a combination of good pricing and broad expertise that I thought was particularly valuable.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

[It was about] $10,000 to $50,000.

When was the work completed?

We put Version 1.0 in the App Store last August of 2014. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

User feedback has been great. This app is targeted toward a very specific audience. It’s a very narrow group of people who would be interested in using the app, mostly college lacrosse coaches. They are a very picky group of people. They are a very proud and smart group that doesn’t like to be told they need help.

We are very happy to have extremely positive feedback from our tough audience. It speaks well to both the original idea and the quality of the mobile app that Arkenea produced. I think there has only been one crash associated with the app the entire time it has been live. The performance of the app is above average. I’ve been really pleased.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

The process of getting them up to speed on what I wanted to do was not long or difficult. They have a team of about six working in different capacities. The principals of the company were engaged with the process from start to finish. They walked through the process to completion. They understood my idea and seemed to get their arms around the concept very quickly. I’m really satisfied.

One of the trepidations I had about working with a team based in India was the great distance from there to the West Cost of the U.S. I had heard that Indian companies were extremely technically capable, but that the UI [user interface] and the overall appearance of the work that they produce could be a bit unpredictable.

I was really pleased with Arkenea. They not only have very good technical expertise, but they were able to put together a graphics package and an overall look and feel for the app that I really liked as soon as they showed me the prototype.

Is there anything unique about Arkenea that really makes them stand out, compared to other developers?

I don’t have the frame of experience to compare different development shops. I will say with the experience that I’ve had from the principals to the people doing the code has been top-notch. They’re on the other side of the world, but I never really felt far away.

They’re very engaged with excellent communication from start to finish. If I had a concern or was unsure of how to pursue something, which is obviously the case with a first-time app developer, they were quick to respond and did an excellent job of walking me through the process and helping me avoid issues. That was very helpful.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Honestly, nothing comes to mind. They have been a tremendous partner from start to finish.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

Our company is MindSparx. We are a mobile app products company with a suite of lifestyle apps. Although I and most of my team have a background in app development, at this time, we are not building our own apps; hence, our relationship with Arkenea.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Arkenea?

We had an idea for an app that would help parents choose names for their children. We brought in Arkenea to build the app for us, and provide technical support at a price point we could afford.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Arkenea with which to work?

I got in touch with them about a year and a half before our current work began. I had discussed a couple projects in the past with Arkenea that didn’t really take off, but it allowed me to get comfortable with them. MindSparx is located in Mumbai, so we’re only about 68 miles from each other. I visited their office a couple of times, and became really comfortable with their team.

Please describe the scope of their work.

iOS and Android design and development, as well as support. The app was completed in September of 2013, but we still work with them closely on updates and support. Our relationship now is mostly on a case-by-case basis, basically I call them whenever I feel like we need to improve the app. 

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure or time estimate for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

The initial work lasted somewhere between six and eight weeks. Of that, probably four to five weeks were development, and then one week of testing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

After it was released it became the number one lifestyle app on the iTunes App Store in India. The relationship is ongoing, but we’re happy with the work so far.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Not with me right now. But, we’ve learned a lot since the initial launch back in September of 2013, and Arkenea has been very open to our feedback.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

They have a software called Basecamp that they use for project management, which I enjoyed working with. In addition they assigned us a project manager who was a one-point contact to communicate between us, the developers, and the graphic designers. Their willingness and ability to communicate definitely stood out to me.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

They could have been more personally involved in terms of advising us or having more input from their developers.

BACKGROUND

I have published self-help materials for more than 20 years. Our small firm has an annual turnover of about $1 million. I am the owner of the company in the U.K.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We really needed a mobile app developer to partner with. We weren't looking for just a vendor. We wanted to start a business partnership with profit sharing. It was important to find a company that was reliable and could handle multiple projects.

SOLUTION

A friend recommended Arkenea, so I decided to contact them directly. I spoke with their CEO [Karthik Krishnaraj] and actually flew to India to meet him. I felt very comfortable with their team, so we decided to partner.

We have worked together for several months and they own part of our applications. They have acted like a true partner and given us great work. The work is ongoing and will likely last several years. All of our collective goals are long term.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

I am 100 percent satisfied in all areas. I am very happy with my decision to work with them. They are keen to please my company and always fix all problems right away. I would give them a full five for every metric.