Dark Army Studios

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP at Townary, LLC. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Dark Army Studios?

The logistics of our website couldn’t be handled by a simple web developer. About 4–5 firms both overseas and local had worked on the site. However, not a single one of them could provide adequate infrastructure to the site. As a result, we had to find a firm that understood our vision and where we were going to take the company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Dark Army and their owner sat down with me for a week. They listened to what we were building and provided insights into the issues we were going to face in the future. The team also provided monetization insights for the business.

At present, they only provide website development services. They’ve also been reaching out to prospective clients that we can target in the future. In a sense, they’ve been working on our marketing efforts but not on social networking. Rather, they’re only lining up contacts for the business. 

What is the team composition?

We work with four people on this project. 

How did you come to work with Dark Army Studios?

I originally met Dark Army via Freelancer, and then we branched off and hired them directly without using any third-party website. To elaborate, we gave them a temporary assignment on Freelancer, bringing them in to test their capabilities. We were satisfied with their knowledge and commitment to the project, so we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $35,000–$45,000 into the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched the site yet, but we have several companies lining up for our beta launch. For context, we’ve postponed the launch because we want to ensure we’re fully ready when we start. 

How did Dark Army Studios perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of budget, Dark Army delivered everything we’ve asked and more. They’ve assigned developers at their own cost to ensure they meet our deadline. In other words, they’ve been extremely helpful in ensuring the project is completed on time without charging an arm and leg for additional developers. As a result, we’ve saved quite a bit of money. 

We’re currently using GitHub for project management, but we’re building our own internal infrastructure to manage projects. In terms of communication, I have direct access to their owner, so I can just send them a text message to set up quick meetings. From there, we jump on Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Dark Army team is dedicated. They sink their teeth into the project, and they don’t stop until they’ve delivered their promises. For comparison, the other firms we’ve worked with lack communication. Those firms also take a long time to deliver. 

Overall, Dark Army works with us as if they’ve been with our team since the beginning. They’ve been on point with developing the software we need while adding more value to it. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re going to work with Dark Army, be open about the project; don’t treat it like a trade secret. If you do that, you’ll be surprised by what comes out of the engagement.