DianApps

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Innovations Manager for Firefly Reliability. We provide services industrial lubricant reliability from high velocity flushing, filtration, oil sensors, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired DianApps to develop a hybrid app to enable our customers to submit oil samples and view trending results from the analysis. Our goal was to provide a user friendly experience utilizing barcode scanning lookups instead of manually typing fields. We also wanted to view our results using trending graphs and detailed views.

SOLUTION

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

We reached out to several companies, the main deciding factor was price.

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

We had a series of discovery meetings to discuss our goals and objectives. They provided wireframes and screen story mockups. From there we went through several sprints for each user story of the app. The app was developed using Flutter and Django and stored on Amazon AWS. The scope of the project changed several times through the project. DianApps accommodated these changes and provided a finished hybrid app for web, ios, and android.

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

A project manager was assigned as the main point of contact. During sprint deliveries other team members were brought in for meetings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our app is early in it's go live stage but customer feedback has been positive. Since our app is focused around customer retention rather than new sales and services a measurable outcome is difficult to measure right now.

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

Communication mainly took place using Basecamp. Sprint discussions, change requests, and deliverables were done under our project for Basecamp. Direct communication was done using WhatsApp for time sensitive discussions.

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

Communication with the development team was very easy. The did a good job informing me of their progress during each development step and provided timely response to any feedback I had.

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

During the development of some user stories a better understanding of our requirements could have been done. A few times I thought we were on the same page but the deliverable did not meet our requirements and work would have to be redone or rebid.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a veterinarian for Apiam Animal Health Limited, a large production animal veterinary service in Australia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DianApps?

We wanted to design an app for the swine industry worldwide. We started developing it with another company, so DianApps had to acquire all the initial background setup and redo it. It was a lot of work from their end.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with DianApps for three and a half years on this project. They’ve delivered various iterations of the app based on changes we make. We describe the requirements and what we want, and they do all the design.

For example, if we want a collection of vaccinations, they design how it works. The team has all the technology, and they work with us to have an idea of the information they need to collect. DianApps takes care of the entire flow, including all the visual aspects. They do all the web pages, which are a massive component of the application — we can’t operate the app without any of those, and they’ve been 100% involved with them.

We just come to them with the idea of an endpoint and assist in the way. We work very closely with them to get it to that endpoint.

The app is called Data Pig. It’s used in the pig industry to collect health-related data from a veterinary perspective, including medical treatments, vaccinations, and other information such as deaths and how pigs are moved around the farm. Basically, it gathers the core health requirements for pig farming.

Additionally, the app is available for iOS and Android and ties in with three web page platforms for users. Consumers use the mobile application combined with a website, so it’s set up as both complete platforms.

DianApps has specialized the app for each different farming organization and each veterinarian working on the farm. Veterinarians, farm users, owners, and managers can access the web page, and the information is a directive for how the farmworker can collect the data on the mobile app. It goes back to the web pages and presents this data to the vets and higher-level positions on the farm.

What is the team composition?

Over three years, we’ve worked with around 15 people. In the weekly meetings, we deal with a few people face to face, but they have a vast team of people doing specific project elements on the backend. We have one main point of contact that has been with us the whole project.

How did you come to work with DianApps?

The person who hired them isn’t involved in the company anymore, so I don’t know how we initially provided the contract. DianApps started on one project, and the company has contracted them to do various other projects since then.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began around January 2019, and we’re still working with them. They monitor the systems and are involved daily — they’re always there to troubleshoot any changes or issues.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had a positive response. We have various platforms, web pages, and the actual app. Veterinarians use the pages, and everyone has been really happy. The visuals definitely draw people in, and users like how everything is presented and how it flows. It’s easy to navigate, collect the data, and access it on the web page.

In terms of experience, they’ve been phenomenal at building the app, getting the ideas out there, and troubleshooting. We’ve worked through everything with DianApps, so we’ve developed a close relationship with them. We admire how hard they work and how they’ve understood the type of app we need since pig farming is an unusual space. Nothing has been too hard for them — if they haven’t done something before, they figure it out and get it done.

In particular, working with our main contact has been great. At times, people are hesitant to use international companies that might have language barriers. Still, they’ve been phenomenal at understanding everything even though we don’t speak technically, and they don’t know the vet world.

The timeline has been long because our full-time business isn’t app development. I work on the farm 80% of the time, so we haven’t had endless hours to do it. However, DianApps is attentive, and they always want to advance the project and keep in contact. Working with them has been excellent, so our company has started more projects with them.

How did DianApps perform from a project management standpoint?

Like any product, there have been hiccups along the way. However, the team is very attentive to getting things fixed at the end of the day. We communicate readily over WhatsApp; we just send them a screenshot, and they get into it. Usually, they troubleshoot issues within a few hours. Sometimes there have been misunderstandings about how something was supposed to be designed, but many of those have been an issue on our end. When developing an application, we can’t make assumptions — everything needs to be spelled out literally to be done adequately.

Moreover, DianApps understands our time limitations. We have a structure to display what we want, and they add it into their own system. We don’t have to log into other communication systems; we rather use something easy as WhatsApp to save time on our end.

Additionally, we communicate over Basecamp, and they use Jira on the project to ensure that comments are addressed. We’ve also used Google Sheets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve asked them to do something that doesn’t exist yet, so they don’t have a reference idea of what it should look like. However, their ability to adapt the communication between us is impressive. They communicate seamlessly by dumbing down tech language, ensuring there isn’t miscommunication between speaking Indian and English. Also, they’re adaptable in how they apply particular building capabilities to display health information so they meet veterinary standards.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of the main issues are with the actual hardware, so it isn’t a specific problem with them. As I pointed out, another issue is the communication barrier and the tech and colloquial language. Also, we’ve guided them into how we want certain things to look, but they could take a bit of initiative and offer solutions before we come to them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get to know them individually and build a close relationship with your product developer. They’ll be your go-to, so if you can work well with them, you’ll be able to achieve your goal.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of the startup Gynios which is a platform to organize and share shopping ideas from any store and seamlessly earn cashback.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired DianApps to develop and deliver the end-to-end tech solution. As we are getting started in our solution design and development journey, our goals were to develop the solution while iterating along the way to ensure that the solution can be pivot as we learn more about customer needs.

SOLUTION

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

We had searched for development agencies and shortlisted a handful to speak further. We had the experience of working with one and quickly realized that it wasn't working. Thereafter, when we selected DianApps, the deciding factors were the ease of working with the leadership team, their confidence in delivering the solution, and clarity of approach and initial pricing.

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

We had several meetings to run over the scope and feasibility. We had already prepared the UI/UX designs, and we spent most of the initial session identifying the feasibility and timeline of delivery. The scope of the project entailed the development of a custom web app, a chrome extension, and an admin panel. We used flutter for the development of the web app and JavaScript for the chrome extension with a backend of the application built on AWS.

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

The core team consisted of a product manager, a front-end development, a back-end developer, and a QA. This core team was further supported by other members of the DianApps team and the Account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall feedback from early customers is positive on the experience of using the platform. However, it is still early days, and more users need to use the platform to understand the customer experience feedback.

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

We had daily calls to run through progress and upcoming tasks. Also, we clarified questions about design and requirements in these calls. Any need for decisions and input was also followed up separately and promptly.

In the initial period, when the requirements were most flued, we also engaged in scoping sessions to identify incremental scope. Most of the communication was managed on basecamp but we also had ready access to the DianApps team through WhatsApp. Delivery was managed in 2-week sprints and delays in spirit delivery or specific features were communicated upfront and promptly.

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

The involvement of the DianApps leadership team throughout the project and the ownership taken by the whole team to deliver the solution were new and refreshing.

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

Working with a startup, especially at an incredibly early stage, is different from other types of projects that are more mature and well defined. Thus, it would be great if DianApps could consider how they will change their approach when working at the pre-seed MVP stage and play a more proactive role in shaping the scope and design of the MVP.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of MyShift, a mobile- and web-based application built around staffing for gig work. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DianApps?

We wanted to build a cross-platform mobile- and web-based app, but didn't have any internal abilities to execute the project. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DianApps is developing an application that can be used on iOS and Android and via the web. We've provided a screenshot of the basic design we wanted along with functions and user stories we needed them to integrate into the app. We need payment, scheduling, and locational functionalities — we also need to integrate the API for payroll and end users. There are B2B and B2C sides of the app, but DianApps is integrating both sides into a functional app in Flutter using Python that can work across multiple platforms. They've already completed the project's web design and development portion; they also designed our company website. 

The web and mobile app connect businesses to gig workers on an on-demand basis. Businesses post shifts they need to be filled for workers to sign up for; workers get paid via the app. Essentially, it shares many functions with major ride-share apps. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 10–20 teammates from DianApps, including Shandhir (Project Coordinator), 4–8 developers, and a team of web designers and developers. 

How did you come to work with DianApps?

We were referred to DianApps by another company. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested a little over $100,000 with DianApps. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with DianApps began in October 2021 and is slated to end in March 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app hasn't launched yet, so I don't have any specific metrics. However, we're thrilled with the quality of the products DianApps delivers, their delivery schedule, and responsiveness. Their pricing is very competitive compared to similar companies in the market. 

How did DianApps perform from a project management standpoint?

DianApps uses Basecamp to track the project and is responsive to our messages. Their communication is excellent. We text, web chat, and call to discuss the project, utilizing several platforms, including Google Meet, iMessage, and WhatsApp. DianApps has met every delivery date they've set. They've rectified bugs in the test versions of the app very quickly, usually within 3–5 business days. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

DianApps' doesn't overcommit to a project — they're honest about what they can deliver within a specific timeline. Whatever they promise is precisely what they'll deliver by the set deadline. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have much experience in the industry, so I don't know exactly what DianApps could improve. However, I think they could improve their exposure in the marketplace. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd advise future customers to be honest and realistic with the DianApps team about their projects. Also, it's crucial to weigh their feedback heavily because it's always for a good reason — they have great insights on how to approach tasks. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior principal development specialist at Agile Cockpit, and we’re based in the Netherlands with locations in India as well. We’re a product-based company, and we currently have two products in the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DianApps?

We wanted to develop a mobile app, and we didn’t have the expertise in-house with respect to mobile development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired one developer from DianApps to build our in-house Android and iOS app. We explained the project’s requirements and expectations to them. They then focused on the development process and the UI/UX design was done on our end.

Our app was an employee engagement platform application that connected employees in our group. The platform also enabled employees to post their photos and videos and connect socially with other users.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one developer as it was a small engagement.

How did you come to work with DianApps?

We searched through various channels and looked at multiple options in the market and found that DianApps could be the one that could serve us the best. I saw their portfolio and they had done similar projects in the past. They were aligned with our processes, and I felt comfortable with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent approximately $6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2021–January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their developer wasn’t very experienced, but the quality of their deliverables was very good. She was able to execute all the features we were looking for. In addition, when we found a few critical bugs during the QA process we did on our side, they helped us fix those issues even after our contract already ended. 

On top of that, they understood the requirements thoroughly and they explained to us the whole process and how they would execute it. Overall, I was very satisfied with their services.

How did DianApps perform from a project management standpoint?

DianApps delivered the project on time, and they had incredible communication skills. We used Jira for project management, and we tracked their progress there.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with the way they executed the project. Everything was clear, and the contract’s terms were fair. They were ready to help us with each and every part of the project, and we didn’t find it difficult to connect with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The developer could’ve improved when it came to explaining ideas or problems. Otherwise, everything was good from a development point of view.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They were a professional team, and when another opportunity arises in the future, we’d like to work with them on another project. I’d recommend them to anyone for any type of project. DianApps would be able to handle small and large projects because they have a good team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a CRM executive at a fast fashion company working mainly as a youth-oriented thrifting platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed Dianapps’s services to develop a functional yet aesthetic e-commerce application to facilitate a better user experience. Earlier, we used to sell through social media only & hence needed to expand. We didn't have any experience with mobile app development, therefore we needed a competent app development business with a lot of experience who could also be affordable.

SOLUTION

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

We got to know about Dianapps through word of mouth. One of our regular clients had used their services earlier & recommended them to us, also during the process of negotiation became quite evident that they were very experienced in what they were doing & hence suggested ways to make our UX/UI better. We were also very impressed with how clearly they had understood our purpose.

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

They had a huge task to build everything from scratch and then list more than 1000 products in our catalogue; they also had to work with us to constantly update information on the platform and develop a working rating/feedback system. By defining the proper data architecture, and ensuring scalability, reliability and security for the application.

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

The team working with us had 7-10 members, but our primary POC was the project head. We had to give specific instructions to other developers as & when needed. We had weekly meetings where we would have brainstorming sessions and we would give our ideas and vision for the final output.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our application was non-existent before Dianapps came into the picture, and now the same app gives us around 83% of our business. It has more than 5k downloads, and bugs have never been an issue due to the fast pace of service rendered by the Dianapps team. In any case of the bugs, they are instantly fixed by the Dianapps team.

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

The project management is excellent, and we are delighted with the job done. We generally use Jira and communicate via Gmeet; the system is efficient & straightforward to understand. They were always happy to implement our requests and very keen on sharing their own suggestions for the app.

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

Though all their work with us is pretty impressive, the most amazing part would be their genuineness. They don’t do something just to get done with it. Instead, they provide valuable feedback & suggestions to make the application better. They have given me suggestions which saved me a lot of money, time & work.

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

We believe nothing can be 100% perfect & the system of work at Dianapps is already very efficient. However, if specific lag points come in the way, they can be considered human errors and are bound to happen in any work at hand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Newbe Global. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DianApps?

We needed a firm to build a mobile application for us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DianApps developed a cross-platform social networking mobile application targeted at the post-pandemic world. The app had been almost completed before the COVID-19 pandemic, but we pivoted our target market because of the changes in international travel. DianApps mapped the user experience on the existing platform and redesigned the look and feel. They also added new features to the app, including live audio streaming. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with 10–15 teammates from DianApps during the project, and I initially worked with a senior design analyst.

How did you come to work with DianApps?

I’d been working with DianApps on this app in its previous iteration, so I continued to work with them when I needed to pivot the target market. Initially, I’d been introduced to DianApps via a third party and hired them because they’d had a good portfolio. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested over $25,000 with DianApps. 

What is the status of this engagement?

My partnership with DianApps began in December 2019, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first iteration of the app launched in 2018, and the new iteration of the app is going to launch very soon. Generally, we measure their success through the quality of their development, the time it takes to get to market, and if they can meet deadlines. Overall, DianApps always meets or exceeds our standard success metrics. 

How did DianApps perform from a project management standpoint?

I can connect with DianApps’ team lead at any time via Zoom or phone despite the time differences. They provide me with a detailed review of our previous discussions and what they’re working on when we connect. DianApps stays up to date with the project and quickly addresses changes and issues with the development. Every part of the project is documented and agreed upon before moving on to the next stage. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

DianApps values our relationship and really understands our project — they invest themselves in the project to develop a quality product. They have a genuine desire and interest in my company and our products. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for DianApps to improve — I’m fortunate to be working with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise future customers to be clear about their intentions and product and articulate them well. Additionally, it’s important to develop a relationship with the DianApps team because project builds are a team project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and co-founder of an aviation solutions company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DianApps?

We contracted DianApps to help us finish building our app and desktop platform. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DianApps worked on helping us build an app. They also promised to help us create our own development team. The main product was a payment processing and communication tool for business aviation.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one of their founders regularly at the onset. Meanwhile, our team was comprised of 6–12 people. 

How did you come to work with DianApps?

DianApps was referred to us by our previous developer that had gone out of business. The team then reached out to us to see if they could finish the app. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested over $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership lasted from October 2020–October 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

During our relationship, we informed DianApps that we’d eventually transition the development resources into our in-house team. At the same time, we told them we’d continue the partnership and use them as support as we grew our own team — they agreed to it. Then, when our contract neared completion, we asked them for the support they’d promised. However, they wouldn’t do it and said that they needed another contract for a minimum of six months with at least five employees. That was double the amount of what we were paying before. Our team tried to negotiate since we didn’t want to lose them as a partner. Unfortunately, we couldn’t come to an agreement. 

Moreover, they wanted us to contribute around $75,000 to DianApps. If we didn’t, they wouldn’t let us take the resources to our in-house team as they promised. They said we weren’t allowed to have those resources unless we paid DianApps the additional amount. Because we wouldn’t agree with that, they started threatening us. DianApps said they’d come after us legally for funds that they thought they were owed. From our perspective, we didn’t owe them anything; in fact, they owed us money. Inevitably, we had to part ways.

Meanwhile, our development team members — the ones they wouldn’t transition to us — said they were being threatened as employees. The resources said people had come to their homes, asking them to hand over the assets that our company had paid for, including their laptops. If they didn’t, DianApps would take legal action against them. 

That’s where things stand; we’re currently being harassed by DianApps. They’ve called our investors to have a private meeting with them, saying that they’ll take us to court. In reality, we’ve paid them everything on time. 

How did DianApps address the challenges that arose?

DianApps addressed the problems unprofessionally. They weren’t willing to compromise on anything. For instance, we weren’t ready to enter into another contract with them, but we would if they gave us a fair price for the resources. However, they wanted to charge us $5,000 per resource. They previously told us everybody’s salaries, so we knew that what they were asking for was four times the cost of the resources. Even so, we told them we’d sign the contract if they lowered the price to $4,000 per person, which was still much higher than we expected. Ultimately, they didn’t want to negotiate. 

On top of that, they also stole our code. Our contract specifically stated that anything that DianApps created during the project would be owned by our company. However, when our contract ended, they commanded one resource to go into the code base and delete all of it. 

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

We had to create our own development team from scratch. At that time, we were working with a team of eight and had to outsource new developers. We were also near the end of a project for a huge partner, but we were essentially stranded because we couldn’t complete it. That was unfavorable for us. Luckily, some contractors helped us finish the project.

In the end, we were okay. However, the hardships and emotional frustrations were there. We had arguments on Zoom on a regular basis even when we were making time for them to work things out. Beyond that, their actions and threats to meet with our investors put our business in jeopardy. To be honest, they shouldn’t even be doing business in the US because they could be arrested for the things they’d done in India. 

Overall, the financial impact of this engagement was detrimental to our business; it was also emotionally harmful to us. 

How was project management handled?

For a short time, the project was managed by one of their founders, who was also busy doing other business roles. Then, they brought in another project manager to work with us for a while. That manager left for some reason, and they had to assign another one. That said, I didn’t have any major issues in project management while the contract was in effect. Some things could have been improved — they were a young company and didn’t have all the right processes in place — but we weren’t necessarily dissatisfied with their management style.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

DianApps did a great job of bringing us into the engagement. They made us feel like we were their priority and that they were interested in getting our business. Looking back, it seemed that they were motivated to work with us; they did whatever they needed to do and said what needed to be said for us to sign the contract. Then, all of their sincerity left once we were engaged with them. 

In what specific areas can they improve?

They should improve their ethics and integrity. If they want to work in the US and bring in American companies as clients, they need to understand that they must abide by business rules and laws — they broke a lot of them.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Don’t be fooled by the personalities of DianApps’ founders. They’ll be kind, friendly, and welcoming, but all of that will eventually disappear. Unless you’re interested in getting into a legal battle over products and services, I advise using another team that has a better reputation in the US. 

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on 04/02/2020.

Trina Duke

Founder, NOZL

IT Services

1-10 Employees

Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas, United States (25046)

$50,000 to $199,999

Sep 2019 - Ongoing

Project summary

DianApps took over a twice-paused mobile app project for an aviation fuel startup. Their role expanded to developing web apps, including an admin dashboard and a scheduler panel.

Feedback summary

The mobile app launched two months after the client started working with DianApps, much to the client’s satisfaction. The team continues to provide development on web apps and systems. Their enthusiasm, diligence, and constant communication make them a valuable partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of NOZL. We’re a fuel processing platform for business aviation. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DianApps?

We first needed help getting a mobile app off the ground after two partnerships with previous developers fell apart. The partnership has grown since then.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DianApps first completed our app. We had design and a little bit of coding completed, but we didn’t have everything we needed to move forward. DianApps came in, edited it, revamped everything, and got the app to a place where it was functioning properly. They also built two platforms for other users that work with desktop browsers. This included an admin dashboard for us access information and a dashboard for fixed-base operators (FBOs), who are gas station attendants at airfields. DianApps now provides marketing services and will be building a panel to integrate into scheduling software.

What is the team composition?

We speak with two people on a weekly basis. The owner is on every single call as well as a project manager. There’s a larger team working behind the scenes, but we don’t have much communication with them.

How did you come to work with DianApps?

We lost our two previous app developers to bankruptcy. The first developer we had worked with recommended DianApps to us as a good fit. Unfortunately, the price they quoted for us was too high at the time. We tried to find someone to do it for less money. That didn’t work out either. However, throughout the project, Vikash (Co-Founder) reached out to us via email to check in on our project. That persistence showed that he cared about our project and that communication would not be a problem with DianApps like it has been with previous developers. 

After the second developer didn’t work out, we reached out to DianApps. They flew from India to Houston to meet with us without being paid. They then started work, staying in constant communication and learning our product and industry. Within a couple of weeks, we were convinced to commit to a year-long contract with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We plan to spend about $50,000–$70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in September 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’d been without a functioning product for a year and a half and could no longer see the finish line. When DianApps came on, it took them two months to figure things out and then release the app to the App Store. That was exactly what we’d asked for and it was a huge milestone for us. 

Since then, because we have something in the market, we can make plans for the next year. We have close to 30 users and 10 FBOs, but we’re still in testing. We would have given up if we didn’t have DianApps behind us. They really believed in our product and pushed us to keep making progress. This experience completely changed our minds about what developers should be like.

How did DianApps perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly catch-up meetings. Each one is scheduled, and DianApps never cancels; they show up prepared every time. Otherwise, we communicate through Basecamp, where I can request changes and get a response from the PM. We use WhatsApp for more time-sensitive issues like glitches and troubleshooting. If we have urgent issues, they’re available to call. 

At first, we thought our time zone differences would be a problem, but that hasn’t been an issue. We set parameters from the get-go and they’re 100% responsive to everything we ask of them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their passion for what they do comes across in every aspect of their work, from communication to sticking to deadlines to encouraging us to get past each tough spot. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly can’t think of a single thing. I look forward to the day when they have a team that is more local to us; we appreciate their efforts so much that we’d like to spend more face-to-face time with them.

Any advice for potential customers?

DianApps is very willing to learn your product and your industry. Don’t worry about giving them too much information; give them as much as you possibly can. They don’t want to just build what you ask for, but to build something beyond your wildest dreams. They have to understand your industry first to do so.

Star Ratings

Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Thousand Greens is a global network of private club golfers. We enable our members to play other member private golf clubs as guests. I am the Founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were working with a previous developer who left us in a lurch with an incomplete and non-functioning web and mobile platform. We hired DianApps to fix all the issues, complete all the functionality, and build new enhancements.

SOLUTION

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

We were referred to DianApps by the previous developer

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

The project is a complex project with both transaction services as well as social networking services. There is a backend database (Hasura and Firebase), a any device anywhere web and both iOS and Android mobile apps. The scope of work included extensive QA to ensure that the functionality was working as designed and fixing or completing each functional piece.

Many functional modules required new design creation as well. Some functional modules were completely redesigned for UX reasons. A lot of the backend needed to be refactored for performance and stability.

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

There was a project manager, a lead solution architect, two backend developers, a front end developer, and a QA engineer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The DianApps team is very competent technically. I found their attention to detail impressive. Given that they picked a troubled project in mid stream, they did thorough QA testing, identified issues that were not even user visible, and methodically fixed them including refactoring where necessary instead of simply band-aiding. Five months into their involvement, our platform is functioning flawlessly on the core functionality, and is delivering to performance and stability expectations.

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

We have a 1xweek or 2xweek call with the team which involves the project manager and the solution architect. In addition, we use Basecamp, WhatsApp and Jira for communication and tracking. The team is responsive and available for ad-hoc calls as necessary.

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

I've worked with three other development companies in the last four years, but DianApps is by far the most competent. Their grasp of development principles is strong, they take a "do it right" approach as opposed to "do it quick". Their QA and scenario analysis is impressive and they think through edge cases that even we hadn't thought about.

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

The time zone between India and the US is less than ideal, since it introduces a 24 hour lag in responsiveness. That sometimes becomes a challenge when we encounter a P-1 system or user down issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Co-Founder of a real money gaming startup. We develop own games based on skills where you can win real money.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DianApps?

We wanted to create skill based casual strategy games for android, but we were unable to hire an experienced in-house team. We hired DianApps to make the most important module - the game module. The aim was to create the entire module within 2.5 months.

SOLUTION

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

We started looking out for a competent tech development firm to get us started with our game module. We got a call from the co-founder Parag who explained to us on an introductory call how DianApps was exactly what I was looking for.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

They created the game module in lesser time than expected. They were quite thorough and meticulous in building each section of the game module carefully. They built the backend along with the matching algorithms, the withdrawal, payment gateway integration and finally, integrating it on the frontend and delivering the entire game module.

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

We worked with 3 positions. 2 backend developers and 1 android developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They completed the project even before time and it was very efficient. The codes ran well, because the logic was flawlessly executed.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project management was efficient. We used to have daily updates and we charted out the workflow for each sprint. We used to communicate using various tools for workflow management.

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

They understand the human side of development. They see our projects as their own, and they have a dedicated team of genuinely capable individuals.

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

An extremely minor suggestion - Dianapps can work on formalizing their workflows with clients.