Fueled

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our app is a merger of a commission-free trading platform with a social platform.

What is your position?

I'm the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We outsourced our app development to Fueled. They handled the entirety of the development process.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Currently, it's just on iOS. It's in the alpha testing period right now. We're planning to release it for Android also.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

We looked at a few agencies. We partnered with Fueled. Their venture wing made an investment in us and that was part of the reason we partnered with them. We also got a great feel from going to their office. We met with the team, and it seemed like the right fit for us.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Our project with Fueled was $200,000-plus.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

This is a finance product and it was a complicated build. You're obviously dealing with people's money, so you can't make many mistakes. The front end was not intensive, but the back-end was. We were bringing together a bunch of different partners, and it was a complex build from that perspective. Fueled handled it well.

What distinguishes Fueled from other providers?

Fueled's creativity is probably the biggest thing that stands out to me in terms of branding and the product itself.

Is there anything Fueled could have improved or done differently?

We're not completely done, but from what's gone on so far, not really. I think the process went well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

We’re a mobile application for discovering upscale nightlife events in international destinations from Las Vegas and New York to London, Paris, and Dubai. It allows members to book reservations, so we have a concierge team that handles those reservations. I’m a tech guy. I’ve been dealing with software for 10 or 12 years and I’ve partnered with somebody who’s been in nightlife for 25 years, so it’s a unique combination, and I think we have a real winner here with the app.

What is your role and responsibilities?

Co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Fueled?

Given that it’s a luxury lifestyle type of industry and market, we needed to be seen as a luxury brand and a leader in the field. We’re dealing with very discerning demographics. The people that go out and book $10,000 tables, they don’t want to look at a cheaply designed app. For those people, their most precious commodity is their time, it’s not their money. So, we designed a very simple and easy to use app that looks opulent from the very beginning. So, that’s why I partnered with Fueled.

Originally, a year and a half ago, the project [had a different name], and we’ve gone through a couple phases already, and this is the latest iteration. The scope of the project has changed a bit with that shift as well. The original concept was a little broader, and we really narrowed down the scope of what the app does. So, it’s really about discovering two to three events per night now, and then being able to book a table. Before it was a little broader, but it’s gone through a few iterations, and now we’re doing really well. Two weeks ago, we had an event with Lenny Kravitz and Katie Holmes. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They designed and developed the iOS application. They also designed the Android version. Due to time constraints, I had my own guys develop the Android app. They have not done a Web version, but we’re looking to have Fueled do the design of our Web platform, and we’re sitting down this week to discuss what the scope of the website will be, whether that’s a full booking platform, or just a company biography.

They’re involved in the strategy phase as well, and they’re quite good at that. They didn’t understand everything about the nightlife industry, but they had a pretty good handle on it the first time I sat down with them. They understood quite a bit about what the app would need to be. I think Fueled is really good at that strategy phase, in helping startups determine what exactly the product market fit should be. It’ll need a little more work afterwards, once you get feedback from users, but I think they get it off a good start.

What was your process for selecting Fueled with which to work?

I was referred by Matt Murphy, he’s the co-founder of lemon.com as well as several other companies. He’s a really good friend of mine. I had a few things I was working on a couple years ago, and he referred me to Fueled about a year and a half ago. He sent me a couple firm names, but he said Fueled was his favorite.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

Given that it’s lasted a couple of years, it’s definitely more than $200,000. Included in that amount is several iterations of the app, plus they’ve done other branding work for us. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

The response for the design is phenomenal, extremely sleek, and opulent. People love the design, functionality, and simplicity. So I think we got what we were looking for.

User feedback from the app has been great, we had a few glitches but nothing major. We’re growing. Just yesterday, we got more than a thousand new users, so we’re growing quite quickly.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I think that Fueled does a good job at development, design, and strategy. They understand a lot of different markets, and they’re able to help you find a good product market fit.

Their design talent was great, I think they’re good at finding the right approach. They understand that it’s more about finding a minimum viable product than giving the user a thousand different features that they get frustrated by and eventually stop using it. I think they’re great for startups. They’ll make sure the money you are spending isn’t going towards features or functionality that’s never going to be used.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

That’s a tough one because everybody plays a part. Our project was not typical because we lost more than two years, and we changed the scope of the work, and other problems popped up. It may have made more sense for us to have extra developers working on our side that could turn around little patches quicker, but that’s not a criticism of Fueled, it’s just the way the project turned out.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the goal going into the project?

We had a well-planned out idea that just needed a group of top-notch developers to implement. 

How did you discover Fueled?

We were referred to Fueled by a friend of the owner of the company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the project?

We approached Fueled with an initial set of wireframes and concepts. Fueled created a more detailed set of wireframes, completed the visual design, and coded the entire backend of the application. Finally, Fueled also developed a website frontend that mimics the mobile app's functionality. The entire process took about nine weeks. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

The application has been received great reviews from media outlets and consumers alike. Since there hasn't been an app like this created before, many people were amazed that something like this was possible to create. 

What is unique about Fueled?

Fueled provided us with a single point of contact for communication and to deal with any issues. This made communication very consistent during the entire project. Fueled produced everything in-house, and can offer a full suite of understanding, giving the application a consistent look and feel.

Is there anything that Fueled could improve?

Since they have a very high workload, they are sometimes a bit stretched, and projects can take a little extra time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP, Product & Operations of a digital B2B publishing company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a digital B2B publisher, with publications serving the defense, legal, healthcare, fashion and finance industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Fueled to accomplish?

• Ongoing development, maintenance and systems support for our websites

SOLUTION

How did you find Fueled?

Referral

Why did you select Fueled over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Fueled were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We have partnered with Fueled for over ten years on design, development, maintenance, hosting, technical SEO, reporting and iterative optimization of our websites.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

This ongoing project has been running for over a decade. During that time we have seen significant increases in web traffic, digital advertising revenue, and uptime/performance metrics across the board.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The Fueled team consistently communicates well and delivers on time and on budget

What was your primary form of communication with Fueled?

Email or Messaging App

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

Fueled has been great to work with across the board. They have a great team of experts in various fields who are typically excellent at communication, delivering on time and on budget, anticipating needs, and problem solving. They've been a pleasure to work with and they deliver.

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

I honestly don't have complaints

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of MyPlace. A network to share your home with your friends.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Develop our v1 application from scratch.

SOLUTION

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

They are the most reliable and highly recommended. Their customer service and attention to detail were over the top good.

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

Build our app from 0-1.

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

At least 8 at any one time.

• Designers
• data scientists
• software engineers
• branding
• product and project management.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have raised 2 rounds of funding from their app! VERY happy.

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

Timely, reliable and consistent. We used slack and they integrated right into our team.

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

Their attention to detail.

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

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're a content platform. I'm part of the senior leadership.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fueled?

We hired Fueled to design, build, and QA our app.

What were your goals for this project?

To launch a successful app in 2020 so users could generate sales. We wanted users to generate sales for products they recommend and videos they make. This app was 90% of the company's business.

SOLUTION

How did you select Fueled?

Our senior executives considered a couple top firms. Fueled previous success with similar apps was instrumental in the final decision.

Describe the project in detail.

Fueled was hired to design, develop the product, QA it, and release it into the app stores.

Fueled provided strategy advice as well as app maintenance. The app is being built on Flutter for iOS and Android.

What was the team composition?

There are about 6-8 team members swapping in and out and ranging from project manager, designers and developers split into groups.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch the app and are currently in further development.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow improved over time and we used Jira and Slack for communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They do their best to accommodate and meet our changing targets and needs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Faster communication on hours worked and timelines are always helpful.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Founder and CEO of a mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Fueled?

We hired Fueled to build our app

What were your goals for this project?

To create a consumer ready mobile app for iOS

SOLUTION

How did you select Fueled?

Everyone I ask in New York City recommended Fueled.

Describe the project in detail.

The project involved building, testing and refining and launching a mobile iOS app for the App Store.

What was the team composition?

The team included a designer, product manager and several developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project has been a huge success. We launched a few months ago and already have tens of thousands of users without any marketing spend.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Extremely effective. They have some of the beat developers I’ve ever worked with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

TI was most impresses by Fueled's skills.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Cannot think of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co founder and CEO of Jet Animation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Fueled to help us design the entire UI for a consumer facing app. They also have done some heavy lifting for us on the animation side and augmented reality.

SOLUTION

How did you select Fueled and what were the deciding factors?

We looked at a number of firms but we wanted a firm that has built very scalable apps. We also liked their philosophy of the working together and even challenging our assumptions (which has helped make the product even better).

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

UX and UI design Brand design Animation AR tools Multi Platform R&D

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

Over 10 people. Everyone from branding, to design to project mgmt to developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Truly an incredibly talented group across multiple disciplines. Not the least expensive but you get what you pay for. They are very good at communication and planning. Very helpful

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

We have a dedicated PM and he is very good and timely communication and responses as well as keeping everyone on track.

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

The team and their level of talent are impressive.

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

nothing so far