Fulcrum Dynamic

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the co-founder of Texas2020.org. We offered a voter guide that allowed people to input their addresses and learn more about their candidates.

We were sponsored by two nonpartisan organizations, RepresentUs and Common Cause.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fulcrum Dynamic?

We had finished sending out surveys to all the candidates running in Texas for the 2020 election. We were ready to build our voter guide, so we hired a developer on Upwork to handle the web development. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, so I needed a team to help us launch the site on time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fulcrum Dynamic built our website for us. They integrated various databases and APIs into the site, which basically functioned as a voter guide. Although they were our leading development partner, a freelance developer was also working on the project.

One of the APIs connected the site to a MySQL database that contained the list of candidates and their details. This allowed users to input their addresses and find the candidates in their districts.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people from Fulcrum Dynamic: James (CEO), who was the lead developer, and a MySQL developer. They both worked with a developer we found on Upwork.

How did you come to work with Fulcrum Dynamic?

We asked a headhunter to find a web development agency for us, and they sent us several resumes. We decided to hire Fulcrum Dynamic because they were a local agency that was familiar with politics. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent at least $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from January–November 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was very proud of the site, which was very beautiful. It was very complex and streamlined, and users responded well to it. The team finished just in time for the elections.

How did Fulcrum Dynamic perform from a project management standpoint?

Fulcrum Dynamic was a professional team. They were always communicative and came through whenever we needed it. We had daily Zoom meetings where we went through that day’s deliverables and what they had accomplished the previous day.

The process took longer than we thought it would, but that was the fault of the other contractors we were working with. Fulcrum Dynamic truly cared about the project, which meant a lot to us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of commitment to the project was just impeccable. It felt like Fulcrum Dynamic was really part of our team, and it wasn’t just another project for him. It was enjoyable to work with someone who truly cared about our work. Overall, they were very experienced and worked hard to fulfill our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were times where the team didn’t know how to do a particular task, so it took them some time to figure it out. However, they did improve as the project went on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Complete the work on your side quickly. Additionally, keep in constant communication with the team to ensure that everything looks and feels the way you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Fulcrum Dynamic?

I was looking for specific skills and depth in UI development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with Fulcrum Dynamics on long-term industrial UI systems and short-term projects, where they help me investigate and understand the current state of a given technology. Most of the work has been UI design, but there are also constant tasks involving components of the backend systems.

What is the team composition?

Jamie (Founder) is our main point of contact, but we’ve been mainly working with two developers; Fulcrum Dynamic’s team acts as the implementation contractor, delivering constant code and updates.

How did you come to work with Fulcrum Dynamic?

They made a good impression on me when I met them; Jamie was smart, quiet, and thoughtful but still able to communicate well. He’s been doing what he says he’d do, and I’ve trusted him ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2014, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been providing high-quality code and user interface, which are very interactive. We work on an agile sense where we incrementally build the components as we go, and the feedback loops are effective as well. The impact of their work has also been of great use in deploying it for industrial design work.

How did Fulcrum Dynamic perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been doing a great job in making progress every week, thanks to their agile deadlines — the overall timetable of the project has been better than what we expected. From a delivery perspective, I can trust their turnaround times. I’m delighted with the pace that they’re working at. 

Everything has been exactly what we hoped for in the sense that Fulcrum Dynamic has given us the system that we needed and described.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They can deliver the features with a balance of what we want and good quality software implementations. Also, their work in helping me with different investigations and understanding different code modules has been insightful and spot-on in evaluating an existing system, and the feedback on that aspect has been very positive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — I’ve gotten everything I’ve needed from them.

Any advice for potential customers?

Communicate to build a trusting relationship with them quickly — they’ll act with high integrity, quality, and speed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO for a real estate brokerage

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Fulcrum to assist in some API integration, security upgrades and middleware integration.

SOLUTION

How did you select Fulcrum Dynamic and what were the deciding factors?

I've worked with the owner, James, in the past with a lot of success helping with my build of a proprietary broker management system.

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

PHP including Slim Middleware integration. Fulcrum assisted in strengthening key security features and helped with API integration into docusign and dotloop.

How many people from the Fulcrum Dynamic team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with James as the point of contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was completed as specified.

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

The project was mostly managed via Trello and included appropriate email, zoom and phone communication when appropriate.

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

They were easy to work with, understood the goals, and easy to read code, allowing them a successful partnership

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

Nope, they did great.