Code XY

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive for a platform that makes searching for high-quality secondhand fashion easier.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Accure Technologies?

We lacked a technical lead on our team, so we wanted to fill that gap with someone who had the strategic knowledge to lead a progressive web app (PWA) development project from brief to development and execution. We wanted this person to come in and oversee our operations while also helping us push our app development project to completion.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Accure Technologies works with us as our technical lead to help us with our development efforts. Laiq (CEO & Founder) works as a part of our development team and acts as a liaison between us, our founders, and the development team. He isn’t necessarily a scrum master but has the acumen to help us make operational decisions for the app.

Initially, Accure Technologies came in to help us plan the project with our development team. Then, our development team was in charge of executing the actual development project. Throughout the process, Laiq was involved in the conversations and helped our development team navigate through the complexities so that we could see the app come to life.

Recently, we delivered the beta version of the app, so we’re now moving to the MVP. As for the technology stack, we’re using React Native and 8Base, a low-code development as a service platform. We decided to use 8Base for our PWA because it made sense from a scalability standpoint. Moreover, we use other standard technologies, such as AWS and Node.js.

One of our app’s biggest features is its integration with Shopify. With this feature, we can display information such as product details on our app. Once a certain item is sold on Shopify, its information is then automatically removed from the storefront. Our app is an e-commerce platform, so it also has a discover page for products. Additionally, our market opens on a weekly basis. Therefore, the app also has the capability to turn it on and off.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Laiq.

How did you come to work with Accure Technologies?

I met Laiq through Y Combinator, a startup accelerator company. This company had a co-founder matching program, and they matched me with Laiq. When I interviewed him, I figured out that he would be a good fit for my team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around March 2021, and our engagement is ongoing. We plan to continue working with Accure Technologies unless anything changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thus far, we’ve received what we needed from Accure Technologies. Although we haven’t launched the app yet, one of our biggest success metrics will be our retention rate. Although this result also requires marketing, getting customers back every week is very important for us.

Additionally, another important KPI related to our app will be the growth rates across customers and users. In other words, we’ll track the number of buyers and sellers using our app every week.

From an app performance standpoint, our success indicators will be to ensure that the Shopify integration works fluidly, the app has low loading times, and the overall product works extremely well. Thus far, Accure Technologies has met our expectations.

How did Accure Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

Accure Technologies has performed well and delivered within budget. Laiq has also acted as a true thought partner, always coming to the meetings on time and being timely overall. Occasionally, some challenges have come up. Communication is an important quality for us, and Accure Technologies has done a pretty good job of communicating those challenges. We communicate with them via Zoom and WhatsApp. Additionally, Laiq uses GitHub and Jira to monitor the development team’s work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Accure Technologies has a strong acumen of how a project needs to be delivered on behalf of a client. Still, they hold accountability for the development team to ensure that they deliver what they signed up for.

Moreover, Laiq has done a great job of helping us navigate the conversations with our development team and get them aligned on our vision, which has been great. His communication and effective alignment with our development team have been impressive. He provides us with his point of view on different ways we can iterate and improve certain areas of our technology side. On top of that, he’s a great person overall.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be great if Accure Technologies was more proactive in coming up with ideas for the future because they tend to focus on where we are today. Still, that’s something I wouldn’t hold against them. Additionally, the app is yet to be launched, so in the next weeks, we’ll start to see if there are gaps that need to be addressed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very transparent with what you’re looking for and don’t hold anything back. Accure Technologies does a great job of listening and translating ideas into opportunities. Additionally, trust is important, so be willing to let the reins go for certain aspects and don’t try to micromanage them. It’s also very important to be nice and treat your partnership as a relationship instead of a transaction. Laiq is a people person.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I have a website called All College Essays. It provides application requirements for around 1,100 colleges.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Accure Technologies?

Accure Technologies has created a database from scratch for me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Accure Technologies updates and maintains my database. Moreover, they’ve been helping me modernize the platform for 2022. I haven’t raised prices in a long time, and I need help with a lot of things. Given that, they’ve personalized many things for me. They also ensure my apps on the App Store and Play Store are up to date.

In terms of features of functionality, my website lets end users learn how to get into a specific college or university. For instance, if a person wants to go to Harvard, my database can give them all the requirements they’ll need. This year, Accure Technologies developed a feature where users can create five lists for five people. It’s something that the database couldn’t do previously. 

What is the team composition?

I work with one person from Accure Technologies. 

How did you come to work with Accure Technologies?

Years ago, I worked with somebody who got too big. That person referred me to Accure Technologies. We stayed with each other since then. I chose them because they speak fluent English; the other developers I met couldn’t do that, and it became a problem for me since I couldn’t speak other languages. Moreover, Accure Technologies knew how to communicate with me about what I needed, not just the project's technical parts. 

How much have you invested with them?

This specific project costs around $7,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve worked with Accure Technologies for years, but this project started in August 2022. Our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My clients are happy.

How did Accure Technologies perform from a project management standpoint?

For project management, I typically just reach out to Accure Technologies. We have meetings where I tell them what I need them to do. They take note, and then I follow up with an email. After they finish the task, we do another meeting where we test everything out together. If necessary, they go back and fix any issues. We communicate through WhatsApp, Zoom, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have good business sense and give me plenty of advice to help me grow my business. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When my contact person moved back to Pakistan, it became hard to communicate with him since he lost electricity a lot. To be fair, this had nothing to do with him but with where he was living. Now that he’s in Canada, I no longer have this issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Accure Technologies is great at listening, but you should ensure they see your side of things properly. For instance, we do screen sharing so that they can help me more than if we’re only using emails. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Import and Trading Products Company, position of CEO of the company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Accure Technologies, and what were your goals?

We have been working with them for years on development and support for our Magneto 2 based ecommerce sites

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I compared with competing companies, both in terms of price and especially in terms of service and they were better

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They were better in price and service compared with other developers in the field.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

5

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Upgrading the system, building customized solutions and more..

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The company's response was given in emails and calls, when there was a question they immediately contacted us and vice versa, a job that was described as taking about 3 weeks took less than two weeks and we received a comprehensive and professional response

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The developers' ability to offer solutions that will lower costs, be faster and smarter.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

If only there were more companies like them