FiveDotTwelve

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Swapbuzz, a startup that’s a C2C exchange platform app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FiveDotTwelve?

We needed someone to help us develop the app from the ground up, working on the front- and backend.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us develop the app, which is currently only built for iOS. We provided them with mocked up screens using PowerPoint, which they redid and used to make the app.

How did you come to work with FiveDotTwelve?

We’ve had previous companies that we weren’t satisfied with. We needed someone to pull the development up by the metaphorical bootstraps and quickly and competently pick up what needed to be done. My co-founder on another app-based startup knew someone who used FiveDotTwelve before and highly recommended them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began work in January 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Setting the bar high, we expected a team with a high average of collective intellectual horsepower. Their intellectual superiority allowed them to think about the whole problem and formulate a structured and sensible way of addressing issues. Their brainpower is worth a lot of money.

How did FiveDotTwelve perform from a project management standpoint?

They required little project management, so that’s a great indicator. It’s mostly smooth sailing—they’re very good.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There have been times where we’ve tied up almost every loose end from a UI and functionality perspective, and they question it, identify a potential issue, and then fix the problem. That’s incredibly impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement and room to tweak the tiller, but the problems are so little that they’re not worth mentioning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of ParrotOne. We are a mobile messaging app created to meet the needs of people with disabilities that have won a variety of startup tech prizes since we first started our development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FiveDotTwelve?

We are currently working with FiveDotTwelve to expand to new markets with our mobile application, and we are also preparing a hardware solution for people with disabilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FiveDotTwelve helped us with every stage of developing the project. That started with analysis based on the project requirements that allowed us to come up with final designs for the application. From there, they worked with us on Android and backend development, and they continue to add new features and maintain the product for us.

What is the team composition?

There were several members of their team involved in the different stages of the project. We have had a project manager with us from the beginning who has helped make sure our ideas are being properly executed. Besides him, we have worked with a designer, two backend developers, and mobile developers, and one QA lead as well.

How did you come to work with FiveDotTwelve?

They were originally recommended to me by a friend. We worked with them on an MVP and they did a very good job, so it was an obvious choice for us to continue working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little in excess of $260,000 for the whole project.

What is the status of this engagement?

The final form of the product, from when we first began up to launching the application, lasted from September 2018–May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After the first launch of the application, we passed 20,000 downloads, which was a huge accomplishment. Since then, our continued development has gone very smoothly and they have been really great partners in the maintenance of the product as well, which we really appreciate.

How did FiveDotTwelve perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager helped us organize all of our tasks on JIRA, which was our main tool for tracking progress on the application from week to week. We worked in scrums and met each week to discuss what we had accomplished and what we would be working on going forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

FiveDotTwelve treats my project like their own and is always willing to provide ideas that make the product better. Often, they are able to provide feedback on my ideas that make things more efficient or user-friendly, and that back-and-forth is one of the biggest strengths of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I am very happy with everything that they did for me.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CTO of LifePlanner. We are a Norwegian startup developing an online platform for personal data storage, structuring and insight. LifePlanner offers a dashboard providing a digital reflection of the user's life, to be shared with family, friends and stakeholders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FiveDotTwelve?

We needed a team to develop a prototype of the LifePlanner product in time for a planned pilot period.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed designers, developers, and testers to help us with this project. FiveDotTwelve built us a prototype that we could use for user testing and promote to investors.

We created the specifications and wireframes on our side, and they did the UX design, IT development, and testing. The prototype was built from scratch to run on AWS using PHP and Symfony as the main technology stack.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a part-time project manager, two developers, a designer, and a part-time tester.

How did you come to work with FiveDotTwelve?

FiveDotTwelve contacted us while we were reviewing potential suppliers. They had many references from the Nordic countries and other start-ups in our community. We did several reference checks before starting to work with them and all the references were very positive.

We started with a small delivery of a new website. We were very pleased with that process. Their references, our relationship with their CEO, and their performance during the first delivery were the basis for entering a further development contract with them.

How much have you invested in them?

We have spent around €30,000 (approximately $44,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on this specific project from April–September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Based on the prototype FiveDotTwelve built, we worked with 50 test users for a one-month user-testing phase. During this pilot program, each user created a profile, tested the product and provided us with feedback. We had very positive feedback regarding the need for our product and the willingness to pay for such a product.

How did FiveDotTwelve perform from a project management standpoint?

We feel that we had an excellent cooperation with them. We had weekly status meetings and ongoing communication using Slack in between the weekly meetings. They were always available to us if there were any issues. The main problem we experienced was with their estimations. It isn’t their strength and was the biggest drawback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We had a very good person-to-person connection. They listened to feedback and were very dedicated and responsive to us. We also found their prices to be affordable. Even though we were a small customer we felt that FiveDotTwelve took us seriously and gave us sufficient attention. With many larger consultancy companies, we wouldn’t have been prioritized at all, but with them, we were. It was a very positive experience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Aside from estimations, there was one team member that didn’t work out well for us. However, FiveDotTwelve were very quick in responding to this and they quickly initiated a rotation. We were also compensated for things not working well in that period. They quickly got things back on track. We're very pleased with the way they handled the situation.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Invest in building a personal relationship. Decide on the best processes from the start and how you want to work together.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I run a private museum that depicts the history of a big 19th-century cotton factory in Lodz, Poland.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FiveDotTwelve?

As a non-commercial site, we’ve been facing difficulties in attracting visitors and keeping the local community up-to-date with our cultural and educational activities. Our poor online presence influenced not only the frequency of our visitors but also our reputation.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to improve our contact with the present and potential audience as well as build a reputation of being a modern cultural institution by making our website more user-friendly and visible on mobile devices.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

FiveDotTwelve was recommended to us by another customer of theirs, due to their reliability as an engaged business partner. They're very committed to meeting their client's needs.

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

We began the collaboration with a series of workshops, during which FiveDotTwelve became familiar with our challenges and needs. They proposed a design for the website and presented a CMS solution, taking into consideration that we needed something easy and useful.

They were responsible for providing a test environment so that we could check the final version of the site and learn the system. Furthermore, they created an extensive user manual and guided us step by step. They also provide ongoing support services.

What was the team composition?

The project team consisted of three people—a web developer, a QA specialist, and a project manager, responsible for gathering out feedback and answering all questions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After one month of launching the new website, we’ve seen more interest in our museum. There’s approximately a 20% increase in group bookings compared to the same period last year.

​​​​​​How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

There was a constant exchange of information between the project manager and our marketing manager, which moved the project along quickly after the workshop phase. Although we took some time to test different CMS solutions and asked a lot of questions, we always received feedback promptly on what was possible, what wasn’t, and alternatives.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There hasn’t been an issue that can't be solved. Their team was patient and open while they helped us refine the vision of our project. Every solution introduced was first tested with us. We felt that our remarks were respected during each phase of cooperation, which resulted in a website that not only meets our priorities but is also easy to manage even by an inexperienced person.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

My only suggestion is regarding the user manual they prepared for us. Although it’s very useful, they made corrections to it too many times. It would’ve been better if they just gathered all the changes and updated the whole manual at the end of the project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of product at Sober Grid. Our iOS and Android app aims to help people recover from drug and alcohol addiction. We are headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts and serve users worldwide. Our company has about 20 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FiveDotTwelve ?

Our company created a mobile application in 2015 and had not updated it since. We had a difficult time communicating our needs to our previous developer. They had failed to deliver our product on time, and it had issues like bugs and crashes. We also noticed that our number of downloads, ratings, and monthly active users were decreasing over this time as well. Since we didn’t have any in-house engineers, we needed to outsource the entire redesign and rebuild to a different team and selected FiveDotTwelve.

What were your goals for this project?

We aimed to double our mobile app’s user engagement, downloads, and crash-free sessions by relaunching a new version in January 2017. By updating the design, we planned to simplify the UX and made it easy to engage with all the features we had previously rolled out.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found a few potential dev houses through our previous CTO. We assigned each of them a small project to see how they planned to fix our app’s bugs and crashes. FiveDotTwelve provided prompt responses to each of our inquiries. They sent a clear description of each issue complete with the rationale and time it would take to fix it. After a thorough investigation, we hired them to rewrite our old app.

Describe the project in detail.

After selecting FiveDotTwelve, we held a series of meetings to discuss the goals and objectives of our roadmap. I traveled to Poland to meet them in person and found they were very welcoming, friendly, and considerate people. Within the first two weeks, they had completed mockups that were compatible with both the iOS and Android versions. After some feedback from the US team, we successfully finalized the designs with FiveDotTwelve. Once we finalized the MVP for the relaunch, we promptly began development.

What was the team composition?

Initially, we were assigned a project manager who liaised with the rest of the team. I had the option to speak directly with all their developers, as well. The iOS developer was highly knowledgeable and became our good friend over the course of the project. The Android developer was also very friendly and provided useful feedback for our product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Launching the new app at the beginning of 2017 reversed the downward trends we’d been experiencing. Our monthly active users have increased at a steady rate. Incidents of crashes have dropped to an all-time low. We received positive feedback on the app’s new design. We’re continuously building our member base at a faster rate than ever before. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our two teams was efficient and effortless. Our project manager was always responsive, no matter the time of day. I attended standup meetings with their team every workday. Everyone was impressively prompt and on point in all our product meetings. If they couldn’t meet one of our deadlines, they explained why and gave us an alternative date.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

FiveDotTwelve’s mix of knowledge, approachability, and workmanship is a special strength in the development world. The entire team demonstrated strong communication skills and was genuinely invested in our company’s success and mission. I appreciate the effort they afforded to help us reach our goals. 

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes to mind that could be improved. We are very satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder of a last-minute entertainment ticketing startup. With their mobile devices, users can quickly search and book tickets to a number of activities in various categories including attractions, comedy, culture, music, and arts & performance. Our event partners curate the results through an approval process. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FiveDotTwelve ?

Our platform had experienced several development delays on the part of a former tech staff member. We engaged FiveDotTwelve to assist with the tech stack so that the rest of our team could focus on business development. 

What were your goals for this project?

As part of our startup methodology, we wanted to develop a minimum desirable product. We needed to ensure mobile functionality for both Android and iOS users while providing equivalent apps and portals for partners. In addition, our initial project was hosted on Parse, which was slated to be discontinued, so we needed a solution for that as well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were evaluating several potential developers when FiveDotTwelve introduced themselves. We rated the companies on a variety of criteria, including proposed development options, but it was FiveDotTwelve's responsiveness that ultimately impressed us the most.

Describe the project in detail.

Our preliminary consumer version provided the early graphical design, with our team sharing additional mockups to collaborate on UI/UX. They then developed native Android and iOS apps that allowed customers, both tourists and locals, to spontaneously discover and purchase electronic tickets. We built attendee management mobile apps with QR code scanning for event partners while two separate partner and admin portals facilitated event creation and analytics and event approval and management, respectively. 

What was the team composition?

Their team consisted of two backend developers, two mobile developers, a tester, and a project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The deliverables had the look and functionality we sought and all the mobile apps were successfully released to the Google Play and App Stores.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was conducted via an online project management platform as well as a collaboration app. For more extended sessions, we held group Skype calls at mutually agreed upon times. Should we receive an administrative task, such as setup on Amazon Web Services, the project manager would be on a live call with us to advise on each step.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We sensed early on that FiveDotTwelve genuinely wanted to do a good job during our time together. In light of our time differences, we also appreciated their willingness to accommodate call times.

Are there any areas for improvement?

To expedite the process, we would have preferred for their tester to assess each build prior to our supplementary testing, perhaps with a testing checklist of the use cases and functions for specific builds. However, FiveDotTwelve did address bugs and input from us as well as answer all of our questions and help with any issues.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and director of a loyalty app company called DinerMojo. We provide a platform for independent restaurants to use with their customers. With our app, customers can earn points and get redeem them for rewards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FiveDotTwelve?

We already had an iOS version of our app, but we needed another vendor to create the Android build. We were looking for someone who could push both versions forward as we developed more functionalities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided maintenance for the iOS app and added additional features. Afterward, they developed the Android version from scratch. They based the initial design on the iOS interface, but we’ve enhanced both platforms considerably since then.

We’re still currently making ongoing enhancements on a smaller scale, but the majority of the work has shifted into a maintenance and testing role. If we have any bugs, they help us identify the issues and then fix them. 

They also took over the maintenance and enhancement of the Django back end platform which allows us to manage the app content and provides the business logic.

What is the team composition?

We primarily interface with their CEO, who serves as our main point of contact. However, there’s also a number of developers working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with FiveDotTwelve?

At the time, we'd been looking for a vendor for a while. We were close to selecting an agency when a colleague of ours said that they were using FiveDotTwelve. They suggested that we contact them, and it went from there. We selected them because they seemed to have the right attitude, skillset, and price point.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent an amount in the $50K-$200K USD range.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work lasted from June 2017 – May 2018, but they’re now providing ongoing support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They created an excellent platform and provided fantastic service. Since launching the app, we haven’t had many issues with the platform. There have been 1–2 minor bugs, but, overall, it’s been very stable functionality-wise.

How did FiveDotTwelve perform from a project management standpoint?

My partner and I came from an IT and project management background, so we didn’t need a huge amount of support on this front. That being said, we did work together to agree on the project approach and in releasing content.

In terms of meeting deadlines, their estimation process had some room for improvement. Because forming estimations is an iterative process, it can be difficult to know how often we’ve changed the project requirements or how they could have improved their estimates. Over time, their estimates had become less reliable, and we’d regularly miss preordained deadlines. It wasn't to the point that we needed to complain about it, but it was a challenge when facing external deadlines.

As for communication, it was always good. We typically had bi-weekly calls with their CEO. This would change depending on where we were with our development. Since they were based in Poland, and we in London, we never met with them in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their work ethic; it felt like they worked 24 hours a day. If we ever had an issue, even if it was late in the evening, their CEO was more than willing to get online, discuss things, and resolve any problems as needed.

They were more than just an agency; they really felt like a part of our organization. They worked incredibly hard and relished it. They took ownership of the platform, so, if there were any problems, they were as eager as we were to fix them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Building on my previous comments, it would benefit them to refine their estimation process. They needed to define the project requirements to a point where we could establish a concrete deadline. If there were changes to any part of this, there needed to be a way to explicitly mention them, scale them, and then modify the timeline. Having said this, some of the issues with timelines came from the need to adapt code that FiveDotTwelve inherited, especially for the Django backend.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We're comfortable working with remote teams, so we were happy with our relationship with FiveDotTwelve. However, one of the challenges with outsourcing work is that you can’t just stop by their offices to have a word.

Having said that, FiveDotTwelve has a strong communication process, and their English is very good. Clients who aren’t used to outsourcing work might have some difficulties coordinating with them. But as long as they communicate, it shouldn’t be a problem.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

GreenSense GmbH is an Austrian startup targeting the precision agriculture market. We provide information about soil composition and the amount of fertilizer necessary to reduce costs and maximize the output of a field. I am a co-founder of the company, and I’m also responsible for IT matters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FiveDotTwelve?

Mobile devices are important interfaces for our users. No one in the company had the skills to develop mobile applications. We needed someone to develop an attractive mobile app that users could use to access our services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FiveDotTwelve developed an app for iOS and Android that delivers information about the irrigation status of farming fields. The app retrieves field data, defined by a farmer, from our database. Farmers can input information about the soil’s water capacity and fetch information about irrigation requirements. The advice we give them is automatically updated according to data that they provide and that we fetch from external sources like satellite images and weather forecasts.

We knew what features the application should include. FiveDotTwelve did the graphic design and technical implementation. The application was mainly a user interface. We managed the algorithms that compute irrigation advice. The mobile application used the RESTful API to read this data.

The app is finished and works great, so there is no need to continue the work. If we want to add features, we will go back to FiveDotTwelve for an update.

The mobile world is changing quickly, so in four or five months we will probably need to update the app. An update will be required after a change in the iOS or Android operating systems.

What is the team composition?

Their team consisted of a project manager, a graphic designer, an iOS programmer, and an Android programmer. The project manager was my main contact, but we also had a few meetings with the graphic designer. It’s far easier to discuss graphics and adjust them to our needs in person. There were also some staff members in charge of testing, but I never directly contacted them. The team was quite large, but there was also a lot of specialization within FiveDotTwelve.

How did you come to work with FiveDotTwelve?

I asked a friend for a recommendation, and they referred me to FiveDotTwelve. We had previously tried to develop a mobile application on our own, and use cases gave us an idea of how it should work. We abandoned the project because it was too time-consuming for us to keep up with the stack, which wasn’t our primary focus.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of the project was slightly below $4,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began talks in the middle of January 2018. We decided to start at the beginning of February, and the app was ready and published online within three weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our application is quite simple, so it was easy for us to test it manually. Because the application is small, we only needed 30–40 minutes to go through all the use cases and make sure the app was working as desired.

How did FiveDotTwelve perform from a project management standpoint?

The collaboration went smoothly from a project management perspective. Their project manager was extremely responsive and proactive. The experience was nicely conducted. They reported any problems or ideas. If we had a question, they responded immediately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication was the most impressive thing about them. They not only waited for input from us but also proposed solutions. They were our partner, not just a team doing what they were told.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They slightly underestimated costs in the beginning. They stuck to the number they proposed, so the problem was theirs. It was slightly uncomfortable for me to know that they were working without being paid, but maybe I don’t have a business mentality. They stuck to the budget we agreed on, so it wasn’t a real problem for us.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I am satisfied. Nothing could have been improved. If we develop another mobile app in the future, I will go back to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a project manager for Blue Brick, a development house for web and mobile applications. We provide both frontend and backend development, as well as hardware and software design, for different kinds of equipment. We employ a variety of technologies to suit customer needs, and consult to help them choose the best solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FiveDotTwelve?

We needed to build a mobile version of a client application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FiveDotTwelve helped design the frontend of our iOS app. We had a graphic designer on our side, but their team consulted us on streamlining the application.

The app is a marketplace where freelance cooks on the Swedish market can sell their dishes.

What is the team composition?

I worked with their product owner and project manager, who was responsible for assigning tasks to the team. I oversaw two of our developers.

How did you come to work with FiveDotTwelve?

We approached several agencies with this project. When they found it to be too complex, they referred us to FiveDotTwelve.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with FiveDotTwelve in September or August of 2017. We have finished the first two stages of development, and are currently working on the final one. The project is set to finish in one month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application has been tested by users and is currently available on the App Store. We have an internal QA department that performs code reviews and tests functionalities on actual devices. The app has also been tested by the owner.

How did FiveDotTwelve perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Asana for task tracking and never had an issue. Their project manager always asked relevant questions and stayed involved in the process. He inquired about the functionalities of our product before delegating any tasks to the development team, which confirmed his knowledge of the field. I appreciated his efforts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve appreciated the speed and quality of their development work, as well as their communication.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

FiveDotTwelve uses Asana internally and has some internal workflows in place. This is probably sufficient, but most of our clients use Jira as their main project management tool.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the vice president of PySENSE which delivers Internet of things (IoT) solutions to the Polish market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FiveDotTwelve?

We were looking for a professional partner with the ability to build our mobile app, lead us in the right direction, and provide good communication.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FiveDotTwelve provided the technical development of our iOS solution. The product is a smart home app created for one of the biggest Polish energy distributors. They wanted to enable connectivity with power plugs, allowing users to switch them on or off remotely and review power consumption per plug.

The main development is done. We continue to work with them for maintenance and testing. We are considering developing an Android version after the launch.

What is the team composition?

We have a 5–6 person team on their side. I have been in touch with their CEO for general project discussions.

How did you come to work with FiveDotTwelve?

A partner recommended them to us. We also considered other developers. FiveDotTwelve made the best impression.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was above $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with FiveDotTwelve in September 2017. The product will be launched in the third quarter of 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The software is currently being tested on 2,000 units, and no issues have been identified so far. Compared with other apps, it stands out as a high-quality product. Everything has been beyond our expectations.

How did FiveDotTwelve perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything has been almost perfect on their side, but there is always room for improvement. FiveDotTwelve delivered slightly more than we expected. The delivery dates and budget were respected, and the project management was on the highest level.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work organization, attitude, and performance were the most impressive factors. We used their performance as an example for our own team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything was good.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should be open to collaboration. FiveDotTwelve delivers not only development services but also support.