Fueled

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of NUMOVI, which stands for nutrition, motion, and vitality. We give you the ability to browse the coolest wellness establishments in New York City under those categories and organize them into playlists that you can share with your friends.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We needed to develop the wireframes for our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They understood the direction that we were aiming for since their UX/UI branding is very funky and different. We're trying to do something completely different in this space. They not only allowed us to explore our creativity, but they helped us focus in on the direction we wanted to go.

We were able to create a solid MVP to move forward with the platform. We sat with them for a series of six weeks for sprints. We worked with a full team that not only helped us with the frontend, but also helped us better understand the backend. They helped with the design, branding, and overall look and feel of our platform.

What is the team composition?

We had one point of contact, but we could reach two to three others on the team at any time.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

We previously worked with them on a different project and had loved the way that the team kept an efficient workflow to provide deliverables. They did everything they said they were going to and met all the due dates. They had a unique way of executing user flow and frontend work, and our experience working with them led us to work with them again.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent approximately $36,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together May 2017, and we finished our collaboration in June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work was incredible. We enjoyed the work process, and we currently are in our funding rounds. They allowed us to utilize our clickable prototype to reach out to investors and bring our idea and vision to life. They also provided us a more varied branding deck that allowed us to go out and raise funds.

We hit the budget exactly, and they met all of our deadlines. When we wanted to add in extra components at the last minute, they worked into the weekend to still meet our deadlines.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They were an amazing team to work with. We were impressed at how they could make adjustments for us after a quick call. They were reachable, and they utilized various platforms to keep in contact with us, which was helpful and kept things organized. They use more people than an average design team to provide excellent design, user flow, and expertise. We mainly communicated over the phone, through video conference, and through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They immediately treat you like family. When you walk into their office, everybody is welcoming, and everything is very well organized. Even the look and feel of their establishment resemble what they do with their design work. It’s clear that they have an experienced background because they’ve worked with many tech companies. They were able to share advice with us and help us overcome difficulties. Overall, working with them was really an incredible experience, and we're still great friends today.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they handled everything really professionally and well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your research, and make sure that you're knowledgeable about the project. They know exactly what to do when you specify what you want. Leave room for change and different options because the team that you’ll work with will have enough experience to guide you in the correct direction. Be open to their feedback, but definitely have an idea of the general scope of your project. This will save you time, as well as them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of Grabbit, a social commerce retail platform for all mid-sized retailers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We had initial ideas for the platform, but needed outside help to develop it and our branding further. We needed storylines to define the application better and pitch decks for retailers and investors.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we articulated our vision to them. They then created definitions based on those concepts, identifying the deliverables that we needed. Their developers and UI specialists created the Pitch Deck; the team also brainstormed demos, screenshots, and wireframes. The team did deliver the Pitch Deck but not a minimal viable product (MVP) or an actual mobile app.

For branding, they did market research and options for logos and names. Our company had a different name before we settled on Grabbit.

The wrap-up meeting occurred January 2018. Will, my co-founder, is currently talking to them about future projects unrelated to this one. We plan to use their expertise for future work, so I expect the relationship to continue.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

I met them through Will, my co-founder. He worked with them previously on successful projects. As a result, our collaboration was a natural fit. They turn down many projects, so we were honored to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started December 2017 and ended January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team was great. Their professionalism and timeliness impressed me. They directed us by asking a lot of questions geared to figuring out our priorities. They also guided the thought process, which kept the project targeted and didn’t waste time.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

The team was always well-prepared. We used email, Google Hangouts, and Google Docs. However, Will had much more interaction with them than I did.

What did you find most impressive about them?

While I haven’t worked with many agencies that provide similar services, I found them timely, focused, and easy to work with. Overall, they’re sharp people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not in a position to provide that feedback because of my minimal interaction with them. From my perspective, we had a positive experience. There were a few mistakes, but those are inevitable in any project. We viewed the engagement as paying for their expertise and timeliness, as well as the time needed to make corrections.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Hagerty Insurance Agency is a classic car insurance company that provides valuation information on classic cars. I'm a project manager who handles development of new apps and valuation products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We wanted to build a mobile app to give our clients access to our valuation tools. We also wanted to create some new tools, such as a live feed of auction results. We needed a company with expertise in app development to do those things for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did all the coding and designed a user app, helping us develop APIs for feeding the app (we did the APIs development in-house with their guidance). They also helped us publish the app on the app store and get approvals from Apple. Our app is a competitive product available on the AppStore and on our website – we have some valuation tools online at hagerty.com. So far, we've only developed an iOS version for budget reasons, but we might build an Android version later.

The app is fairly basic at this point. They incorporated our ideas, making sure the app was finished on time and within our budget. There is a list of additional features they helped us brainstorm that we haven't built yet. We worked with them for about six months and we're launching the app this week.

What is the team composition?

I worked with four or five people, usually through our project manager, but there are probably a lot more people behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with them?

That happened prior to my involvement. One of our IT executives heard of them and discussed a few other projects with them (we didn't do those projects in the end). We were impressed with their design skills and knew we wanted to work with them before the project started.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2017 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've done a lot of user testing and demonstrated beta versions of the application to our clients at auction events to get feedback. Since the release is within the next couple of days, we started doing email blasts to our clients.

They've met all of our deadlines (even though the budget did creep up a little). They were fairly realistic about what we could do in the timeframe we had, which meant cutting some of the features we originally wanted to include.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

From a client's perspective, they were easy to work with – they isolated me from all the internal project management details they had to deal with. When I needed to get in touch with them, I emailed or called/texted them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even though they don't come from the classic car world, they quickly understood our needs. They made their design match our brand standards, so everything looks very nice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They're a little pricey and charge to make changes.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It was helpful for us to see some of the applications they built in the past, most of which we really liked.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a mobile app that allows users to book nightlife reservations, view different venues/upcoming events, and compare pricing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

When we approached Fueled, our product had significantly less functionality, especially with regards to booking reservations. We wanted to add several new features, and to redesign the app to create a more exclusive user experience. We had limited technical experience going into the project and wanted a group that could manage the entire development process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fueled built up a new iOS application for us from scratch. After an initial planning stage, we went through wireframes and initial mockups to give them an idea of our goals for the app’s design. They made several suggestions on potential additions to functionality and started building the app from there.

Features added largely focused on building out a bidding-style system for reservations, which included a database of venues with adjustable price ranges, an option to submit offers, and sending notifications upon the venue’s response to the offer.

What is the team dynamic?

We had one front-end developer, one back-end developer, and one designer. We also had a project manager and account manager who were not full time. About five people total were working on the project.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

They were originally recommended to us by a colleague, but we did receive a few quotes from other companies based in the U.S. After reviewing all of our options, it seemed that Fueled was our best option due to the price and their willingness to assist in determining extraneous vs. core features.

How much have you invested with them?

Between $100,000 and $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2016, and the project concluded in December.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don't have quantitative results, but they certainly provided us with a solid starting point. They established a solid design for the app and created something that feels like much more of a well thought out, well-designed premium experience than what we had before.

In terms of reliability, they tested beta versions of the app vigorously to catch any outstanding errors or bugs. Once the final deliverable was made available, we had no problems at all.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via Slack for daily updates and Google Hangouts for sharing larger design files and mockups. I interacted with the project manager, and he would communicate with the development team. I did not get a chance to interact with the development team members individually, but our project manager was always very quick to update us and gave us the option to set check-in intervals.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly efficient in the work that they do, and know what they're doing in both design and coding/executing their ideas. They have a great understanding of what's current and get things done very quickly compared to others. Also, a few months after completing the project, one of our APIs changed and caused a few issues with the app. Fueled fixed the issues for us at no extra charge, which was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would have liked to be able to interact with the entire team directly, but I'm not sure if that was a result of me not asking to, or a result of just how they work.

Advice for potential customers?

We had a stigma about outsourcing to development companies outside of the U.S., and I wish we had been a bit more open to the idea going into the project. While Fueled was instrumental in planning out the app and determining what functionality would be most useful, the cost difference in regard to the actual development process would have been significant.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the EVP/general manager of TrafficCarma, which offers a white-labeled traffic app for local media sites. It’s an app for folks that don’t really need navigation but just need to know the best routes to get where they’re going. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We have developers in-house, but we fall short with UI and UX. We’re doing business with local and national broadcasters, and our UI wasn’t anywhere near what our competitors offered. People are using apps on their phones, so our work needed to be on par with some of the best firms out there. We needed to redesign the UI of the app, so we did a pretty exhaustive search to find the right firm to help us. The original design was done by our team and a local firm, but for the redesign we felt we needed to hire a provider who could deliver at the level of our competitors.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fueled put together a well-rounded team to work on the project. We had an initial kickoff meeting in their office for a few hours, which their key team members joined. Some of their team had experience with transportation apps, so they understood the concept of what we were doing. We told Fueled what we wanted without too much detail because we wanted them to come back with a really fresh look compared to what we’d done already. At this point, the app had been live for 6 months.

We were really happy with what Fueled came up with. It was a collaborative effort. We would meet in-person or via conference call on a weekly basis to talk about the project status.

They did a nice job of conducting a couple of research projects. One was with users of transportation or navigation apps in general to get a feel for the marketplace. Then, they conducted a number of interviews with some of our existing users to find out what they liked and didn’t like about the current app. Fueled also showed the users some mockups of what they had designed so we could get a proof of concept.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

We asked for recommendations in our network and identified some of the top firms in the space. We started out with 25 or 30 leads from coast to coast. We eventually narrowed the list to 3 firms. We selected Fueled primarily from the previous work they had done. The time we spent communicating during the vetting process gave us a really good feeling about them. We decided we wanted to go with a provider on the east coast that could lend a hands-on approach. They were also able to do the project in the timeline we needed.

How much have you invested with Fueled?

We spent less than $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in January 2017, and it was completed in June 2017. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

We will not be implementing their work until September because we wanted to build some additional features first. Everyone who’s seen Fueled’s work—including prospects, potential investors, and advertisers—has been extremely impressed with what they designed.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job. They were incredibly well-organized and efficient, and they always hit their deadlines. They were open to our input and suggestions but weren’t afraid to push back when they thought we should go in a different direction. We used Slack to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about Fueled?

We thought very highly of their process and the quality of their work. Their ability to communicate their ideas and designs was also impressive.

Are there any areas Fueled could improve?

The billing process was confusing. We worked through that, but there’s probably a more efficient way for them to handle this aspect. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a contract director of web communications for an education nonprofit. I was the overall project manager during our relationship with Fueled. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

Our organization tries to be forward-looking in terms of how we serve our members. We didn’t necessarily have a specific business challenge; we wanted to see how we could better serve our members, and whether that could be through an app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Fueled to do an app review for us. We started with a very open-ended RFP, which was essentially, “Should we do an app?” We had a vague idea that it might support orientation, but we weren’t entirely convinced of that. We liked that Fueled was willing to walk us through a discovery process without necessarily trying to ramp us into app development right away. So, they really just did discovery for us.

We decided that we weren’t going to do an app. Being able to make that decision from a place of knowledge was a goal of our process. Based on what Fueled conveyed, and through that discovery process, we felt that an app wasn’t right for us. That sounds like a negative, but we actually consider it a positive because it put us in a better position. We had some of the best people consider the apps we might build, and we still thought it wasn’t a direction we wanted to go. It was an oddly positive outcome. We just don’t have a big enough membership base to merit spending 6 figures on app development.

I don’t think we had any developers assigned to our project, but we had user experience people and project managers. I would say we had up to 7 people involved from Fueled. We had a project manager and a project lead whom I heard from consistently. When we did our weekly sprint calls, there were often 5 people on the line.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

I found a number of app companies through a Google search. I interviewed about 5, and we ended up selecting Fueled because we really felt like they understood the problem we had.

How much have you invested with Fueled?

I think we did a 6-week sprint period. Since we paid for portions in advance, we got a slight discount. We paid their standard rate for a discovery sprint. I think we were in the $50,000–$200,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think my first conversation with Fueled was in July of 2016, and we kicked off the discovery process in the fall of that year. We finished the project in January or February of 2017. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We had them come to DC from New York for our kickoff meeting, and they brought 3 or 4 people and had some people on the phone as well. In the multi-hour session, they asked a lot of questions about our members, what we offer, and what problems we saw. They were really trying to understand the business problems we wanted to solve. We were incredibly impressed by the research they had done in advance and the questions they asked during the meeting. It showed they’d done a lot of work, but it also showed how quickly they acclimatized to the needs of our organization. We were very impressed, and the meeting went well.

The second deliverable was the concepts they developed for us. They developed 3 different concepts for an app we could potentially use as a minimum viable product [MVP]. We ultimately liked all 3 concepts, although we favored 1 as the clear leader for us to pursue. Their discovery process kept going through iterations of what that might work for us. In the end, if we’d felt that enough people would have downloaded the concept, we would have done it. We had no problems with the app concept, but we were concerned with how many people would actually use it, as we’re a niche organization.

At no point did I feel like they just told us about this app we had to develop and gave us a price tag. They really worked with us to figure out concepts that could be made into an app, and they didn’t limit themselves. They were very nimble in their thinking.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Slack as the team chatroom. We did weekly sprints, which were very Agile, and we had weekly check-in calls. At first, we started with Google Hangouts, but nobody in my office knows how to use that. We moved to another tool, but sometimes the screen would freeze, so we worked on that throughout the process. I wish I had asked in the beginning for a more formal management process.

What did you find most impressive about Fueled?

My impression, and what I heard from reference checks, is that they really excel at the conceptual portion, as well as their emphasis on a minimum viable product. Although we never quite got there, I know that they really stress being able to pick a concept, build an MVP, and then learn from that.

Are there any areas Fueled could improve?

My only complaint about them is that during the check-in calls, they sometimes had a lot of background noise, and sometimes I wasn’t sure about the point of the call. I didn’t really know where my team was supposed to come in and make a decision. That might be because we’re a formal group and needed more structure. We would have liked the weekly check-in calls to feel a little more on-point. I always hung up unsure about what they wanted. Other than that, my team really enjoyed the whole process. We felt like we really had great people thinking about our needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a mobile micro-donation platform that will ask people to donate $1, $2 or $3 to causes and current events. The thought being that if you share your donation with your network and encourage your friend to give, it can aggregate to a large amount of money. I am the Chief Operating Officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

My background is in financial technology but I’m not a developer myself. We were able to put together a PowerPoint deck prototype but we didn’t have any development skills among the three of us. We raised half a million dollars out of the gate and we needed to start building the platform, so we engaged Fueled after a little bit of research, a vetting process, and an RFP [request for proposal] process amongst a couple different vendors here in New York.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went through some design sprints with them. They were week-long sprints in which we had a project manager sit with us for multiple hours per week and sketch out the prototype and start to develop the requirements for the platform. The cool thing about Fueled that I really liked is we walked in there with a pretty grand idea and they helped us scale that into something that is more appropriate for an MVP [minimum viable product] and a first platform. We did about five of those week-long sprints. It probably took us about seven weeks in total with some delays. They also helped us do some research on what Apple allowed with regard to charitable donations and we worked with Fueled to come up with some alternative methods of donating that were within Apple’s scope of their development guidelines. Ultimately, we hand them the credit for helping us refine our product and build something that complies with Apple’s regulations.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

Interestingly enough, we started out with your generic Google search of best mobile app development firms in New York City and they came up first. I say interestingly enough because we’re now working with their digital marketing agency, Taktical, who was responsible for getting them top placement on Google. We tried to vet them as best we could, and we used Clutch. We saw some other reviews from some other places as well. The engagement started at end of June, beginning of July of last year and we finally brought the development in-house in late February of this year.

How much have you invested with Fueled?

We spent $535,000 for everything.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was completed. They went above and beyond what we expected them to do. They quoted us about $300,000 to $325,000 and we almost doubled that. A lot of that had to do with the fact that we wanted additional features that they didn’t think that we needed for an MVP, and we had talked ourselves into the fact that we did need them. Also, we did go through a whole bunch of rounds of rejection with Apple, where they rejected us for a whole multitude of reasons and we had to fix those reasons as we progressed through the life cycle. That obviously extended both the time of development and the cost of development with Fueled.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We just launched. I can tell you that it is a beautifully designed app and all of our investors and early adopters comment on how beautifully designed it is. Fueled is to credit with a lot of that design.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well from a project management standpoint, it wasn’t perfect but it was great. I think that their people are somewhat stretched, but our account manager never made us feel like we were a small-time client. You couldn’t call her any hour of the day or night and expect her to pick up but she was very responsive, very helpful, and just a pleasure to work with. The developers, the project managers, and the account managers are all exceptionally smart. There’s no dead weight in that company. They do a very good job of hiring smart people.

What did you find most impressive about Fueled?

They get it. They understand the demographic that we’re building this platform for. We’re going after millennials and they understand what millennials need. I also think they do a good job of helping you scale down to what’s actually required. Fueled is not cheap at the end of the day, and my one complaint with them is that they’re incredibly expensive compared to some of their competitors. But they do a good job of helping you spend your money wisely once you commit to going with that expensive option. They’re cool, they’re hip, and they’re a great brand. The people that are running the company are smart.

Are there any areas Fueled could improve?

We did have some concerns when we went through the multiple rounds of Apple rejection. We felt that they were somewhat responsible for guiding us down a path that got us rejected and caused us a couple of weeks of rework, but they were willing to help us alleviate the cost of some of this additional rework. Additionally, we had to work with three project managers over the course of our project. We were only there for six months so they had a pretty substantial turnover with a couple of key people. One thing I did like coming from a technical background is they provide a great deal of transparency. They gave me direct access through Slack to their frontend developer in India and their backend developer in New York. I had meetings directly with them without the account manager present. They let the clients have a good deal of freedom to talk to anybody on their team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is MysteryVibe. I am the Chief Executive Officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We wanted to make an app which drives our hardware. We make toys for women and we wanted to make an app which is very well designed and appeals to the public. It was a design problem that we wanted to solve.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created the entire design of the app as well as the build for iOS. They built everything from scratch.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

We found them by looking at a lot of award winning apps that they have built. We were looking for good apps that we already like and tried to find out who built them. That’s how we found them. Then we talked to them here in London. We have a London office, so we talked to them and then they produced it.

How much have you invested with Fueled?

We have spent $500,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

In the nine months that it has been live, the app has been downloaded more than 150,000 times.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They were really good; they took ownership of everything. They managed everything. They don’t need much guidance and they’re very independent. They also take care of other elements of the app such as submission, and they do a very good job of it.

What did you find most impressive about Fueled?

They’re very diligent, they really care about UX and design. It’s very special and not many developers and designers think that well. It was a very good experience and we still work with them. I have nothing to say which isn’t good. Also, there are a lot of good programmers in their design component. We know a lot of good programmers but there are very few teams who design as well as Fueled.

Are there any areas Fueled could improve?

We hope it’s always faster but I think it’s part of any project. Things always take longer than we planned.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a new app that just launched about a month ago [March 2016]. It provides information in terms of architecture, historical places, and tourist attractions around you.

What is your position?

I'm the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

I'm not a developer, so I needed a team to lead the development and design of my app.

SOLUTION

On what platforms is it available?

It's only available on iOS right now.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

There is an app called QuizUp, which is literally my favorite app of all time. I like the functionalities, how it works, and how it never crashes. I did a little bit more research and found out that Fueled made QuizUp. Since it was my favorite app, I wanted to work with the company that built it. That's one of the reasons I contacted Fueled. Also, because of their designs and how they are well known in the industry of app developments. That's why I chose Fueled.

I did go to other agencies as well but, when I was at Fueled, I felt the innovation and the willingness – them wanting to work with you and develop something that people will use. The vibe and the energy that I got visiting  Fueled was much more exciting than while visiting other app development companies.

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

It was around $50,000 to $200,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

So far, I haven't done much marketing because the product right now is just in minimum viable product. I haven't included all the features that I envisioned yet.

I'm just going around and meeting with people and getting some feedback – what do you want to see, and what don't you want to see – so I don't have much in terms of metrics to share.

What distinguishes Fueled from other providers?

Fueled's communication is good.

Is there anything Fueled could have improved or done differently?

In the project, there were notification issues that would have been great if that issue didn't happen. If you were to download the app and walk around New York City, you got many notifications for many points of interest, and that was annoying for users. That's something that should have been caught up front, but that's the only thing. It's alright because we'll probably fix it in next version.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for Verizon Wireless. I do national operations, and when working with Fueled I actually did national retail operations.

What is your position?

I’m the Associate Director within the National Operations Department.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

At the time, we were working towards creating an instore mobile experience for customers that would be unique to the store, utilizing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology. We were able to create what I'd say was the initial shell of an instore experience. For example, we already have a parent app “My Verizon Mobile”. When we initially rolled out with our beta, we put some beacons in the store; we rarely use the Wi-Fi access points in the store.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

What we wanted Fueled to do was take it to the next level in terms of not just triggering things you can do like checking in and scanning products, but to create more of an experience of going to the store. At the same time, letting customers feel more engaged with the store and the products available.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

I actually was the person that selected Fueled. We looked at a host of different companies. The challenge we found at the time was finding someone that had experience with Bluetooth Beacons and having an understanding of how that would work.

While seeing other companies, some were really good doing video; some were really good with creating a holistic on-the-go app. What it really came down to, in terms of not just styling choices, but the knowledge, Fueled really fit the bill for what we were looking for when building apps. Seeing some of the innovation and creative ways that they approached different apps for different companies is really what helped make the decision to move forward with them.

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

When it initially started we were in the low range, and based on the work and liking what we were seeing, we went above $50,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I wanted to make sure our original IT team helped build it so they could help manage it in the future. The partnership with Fueled was a real collaborative effort. They were patient in terms of working with us and understanding we had some strong ideas about the vision in terms of what we wanted. They were very creative in terms of giving different options. Fueled was really instrumental in helping us tailor the experience that we were looking for. They were a really strong partner in terms of helping us go back and forth on the drawing board, and boiling down what we were trying to do and then making sure it was the simplest, easiest way a customer could go about doing it.

What distinguishes Fueled from other providers?

When we were doing this, we had an extremely aggressive timeline with very limited resources to get it done. We literally ended up having daily calls every morning to make sure to drive it forward. They were great in terms of not just coordinating our project leader, but the design team members as well, from different areas throughout the business. They did a great job.

Is there anything Fueled could have improved or done differently?

We had some passionate discussions in terms of trying find the right approach. That was actually a really good thing. Everybody had strong ideas on what the best approach would be and how to do it. Fueled did a good job of letting us know if they thought we might be steering in the wrong direction, giving pushback when needed, but bringing that pushback and explaining the theory behind why the approach we might be going for might not be the best approach.