Expedition Co.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and COO of Beatstoc, a music monetization platform based on popularity value.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were you trying to address with Expedition Co.?

We knew that the current models of subscription and advertising alone weren’t the long-term fix that the industry needed. We saw an opportunity to run after all the pieces that artists are working on, re-monetize them, and create a new royalty. And to do that, we knew we needed a really cool, functioning platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Expedition Co. is working on six features of our Beatstoc ecosystem. This includes developing and designing a website as well as an app for iOS and Android.

Right now, we’re about to finish our beta, and we should be launching in May. Moving forward, we see Expedition Co. being a long-term partner of ours and an active member of our development group.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager and a support team at Expedition Co. The support team has had as many as seven and as few as 21 people, depending on what section of the build we were in.

How did you come to work with Expedition Co.?

We were referred to them and had actually worked with a few of their team members before when they were at another organization. Their team’s experience and track record of producing the kind of deliverables we needed really stood out to us. Additionally, they understood and resembled the heartbeat behind the change that we’re going after.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them for 18 months so far.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At this point in the engagement, our beta version is almost done. We’ve been evaluating the work constantly, whether through internal tests, usability tests, or external focus groups, to ensure everything meets our expectations.

How did Expedition Co. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve got an amazing process. They use the Agile process and they have a great forecasting model that they work within. This helps us know where we need to be and how we can get there. They have daily, weekly, and monthly delivery mechanisms, and are great about communicating with our entire team.

What did you find most impressive about them?            

They are traditional development, technology guys, but they have a very good understanding of cross-industry function. Their breadth of life experience really helps them come at a project with a working knowledge that’s maybe even beyond the scope of the client. They have the ability to forecast additional vision based on past experience, which leads to some unique dynamics in the creative process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would encourage them to introduce new team members to the clients, even when they’re down in the development trenches. Though it's a transactional relationship, it’s a people to people world, and I think staff or company connection is a key piece of long-term partnerships.

Additionally, it would be amazing if they look at bringing VR, AR, and AI capabilities in-house. They have external relationships for those now, but as we know, technology is going there fast, so it would fantastic to have those as internal product offerings.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meeting these guys and understanding who they are as an organization will really help. Don’t make the relationship transactional. They give you such an amazing relational component that you know you’re really getting quality.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a part of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Expedition Co.?

I hired to completely redesign my antiquated business website.

What were your goals for this project?

To generate a user-friendly site with the capability to develop in line with future advancements in technology. I also wanted it to be compatible with mobile technology.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had previous experience with them and was always satisfied.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

They did a complete redesign of my business’s website.

What was the team composition?

Jesse (Partner, Expedition Co.) was the lead designer of the team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The site is now running. As it only recently launched, I can’t provide too much feedback on its short history.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Everything was arranged professionally and effectively.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The personalized service they provided, and their awareness of my specific needs, allowed them to customize the site to my liking.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

As a non-tech person, I was completely satisfied with the result.