Incipient Corp.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of TutorCare. We provide educational services to K-12 and college students, along with veterans.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Incipient Corp.? 

I hired Incipient to create a mobile app that provided testing and tutoring services to K-12 and college students.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Incipient developed a testing app for us. In terms of features, the app allowed users to view sample testing questions. They could also choose different types of testing materials to buy. The app was available on Android and iOS.

What is the team composition?

I worked with two people from their team, including Bryan (Partner & COO). 

How did you come to work with Incipient Corp.?

I was referred to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from January–December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, I got sick after the app was finished. As a result, it was never launched and I wasn’t able to market it.

How did Incipient Corp. perform from a project management standpoint?

Incipient managed the project well. The team was highly organized, and I was able to talk to them with ease. They were highly responsive; we communicated at least two times per month through emails, phone calls, and meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They made me comfortable, and I trusted them to get the work done. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Talk to Incipient’s CEO and co-founder directly regarding the requirements and specifications of your project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of an automotive software solutions company. We provide software to businesses to help them be more efficient and productive in their workshops.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Incipient Corp.?

We were looking to create a software application that will be our base product, which we can sell to care retailers and manufacturers to help their technicians be more productive and efficient.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with several phone calls and various exploratory conversations and drawings. Afterward, Incipient presented us with a scope of work including a detailed breakdown of how the software would work. They understood our needs and listed out the expectations. showing us they weren’t trying to sell us something we didn’t need.

The software is a technician tracking and timing solution. Every car manufacturer has a standard time for their repairs, but everyone wants their mechanics to work quicker than the standard. If the standard is one and a half hours, but you want your people to do it in one hour, you can put in both times, and the software communicates with both the technician and the person in charge of the workshop. There’s also a chat feature, allowing the technician and manager to communicate. When you’re talking about efficiency, you want the technician to work non-stop. With this feature, they don’t even have to leave their workstation, even to ask questions.

We currently use AWS, which balances cost with room for growth. The product isn’t a SaaS tool, so people can’t download it — we sell it individually to customers.

What is the team composition?

Toward the end of the project, and currently, we’re working with Amit (President & CEO). He’s more on the development and support side. Brian (Partner and COO) helped us on the sales side. Amit is helping us strategize how to grow the project, though Brian is still available to us.

How did you come to work with Incipient Corp.?

I connected with Brian through a mutual networking group and spoke for about 18 months before working together, discussing different ideas that my company was looking at.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just under $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have two pilots underway — the first started in January — and we’re still crunching data. The software is web-based, and there haven’t been any issues with that. It’s only enhanced its usability.

The innovation has been strong. We came to Incipient with an idea, and a lot of people have praised the unique approach we’ve taken. We’re trying to help our customers more directly, rather than only trying to sell them a product.

The UI is something that Brian and his team did very well on. The software is intuitive and easy to use. A lot of the compliments we’ve received talk about how great the solution looks.

How did Incipient Corp. perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Excel predominately, as well as email and Sharepoint — and that allows us to see everything that’s going on.

The project has taken a bit longer than we thought it would because we’ve changed things throughout development. Being naïve to software, we’re sometimes unaware of how long things take.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I spoke to one other provider before commissioning Incipient Corp., and the one reason was that I’d been speaking with Brian for nearly two years already. This told me he was committed to me for the long-haul. Additionally, looking at Incipient’s history, it made sense that they’d do right by our product.

While Incipient was a bit more costly than the other firm I spoke with, I felt they were worthwhile because I knew what we could get out of it. Incidentally, we just took on a sales manager, and when he asked how much the software cost us, he was expecting it to be double what it actually was. Incipient goes above and beyond, and they are very professional.

They were very adaptable, which was a good pairing with our being a startup.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s difficult because I didn't know where to start in building a platform, and there were some elements that we didn’t think would take as long as they did. For example, we didn’t build a reporting suite before we built the software out, but we didn’t expect it to cost as much as it did. It wasn’t a problem, since we didn’t know to ask about that, but we also weren’t told that initially. A bit more transparency in pricing would help.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell Incipient everything you want, including both future and current development to get an accurate cost estimate. Incipient let us know the cost for everything in the scope, but we only scoped out the first part of our software, so we didn’t know how much the rest would cost.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President and CEO of A-List Network, LLC. We help businesses amplify their message, by connecting them to causes they care about to produce brand ambassadors, who trust you, support your causes and align with your business values – which ultimately converts into serving more people. I oversee the vision and strategy for our company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Incipient Corp.?

Our company created a website 12 years ago an a platform and got hacked. We were looking to create an updated and concise website to increase traffic and sales through opt-in's and to connect with your clients.

We did not have the capability to execute this project in-house, so we outsourced web development, design, automation and integration with apps to streamline tasks and messaging for our company. We needed assistance creating a sustainable marketing tool that would help us connect with our audiences as well as generate sales.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to see our sales double by the end of the year, increase traffic by 25% through our opt-in's, provide a visually appealing marketing tool for our audience. Our website

SOLUTION

How did you select Incipient Corp.?

My team was referred by another colleague who was recently collaborating with Incipient and raved about their service and product. We hired Incipient based off of a referral.

We hired the Incipient team and decided that they were perfect for our needs based on their understanding of our needs, their professionalism, ability to complete the project in a timely manner and the quality of work.

The President & CEO chose this vendor to ensure the vision and messaging for the company was fully communicated and executed.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected the vendor, we had a series of discovery meetings and follow up to ensure our goals and objectives were communicated effectively to the team. The vendor was responsible for the concept, workflow, web development, design, integration, optimization as well as automation.

What was the team composition?

We worked with one project manager from the vendor for our contact throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within three months of our launch, we saw a 50% increase in traffic and sales. Our stakeholders find the site easy to navigate, to connect and to understand how we can best assist them because of the design and layout of our site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager was an amazing communicator, provided updates regularly and managed expectations exceptionally.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was highly impressed with the vendor's knowledge of web design, optimization and automation. I have worked with other vendors, but Incipient takes time to ensure their clients understand each step and are comfortable with each phase before proceeding to the next.

Are there any areas for improvement?

My experience was amazing and they did everything in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Big Fish Creations is an advertising and digital media company in the Sierra town of Graeagle, specializing in web & graphic design, social media branding, identity, campaign management, tracking, web presence, design, and image building for large and small businesses across multiple media.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Incipient Corp., and what were your goals?

We had a client who needed Wordpress integration with the MarketCheck API using the Vin Decoder WP Plug-in. Our client features a publication that includes new and used cards.

They wanted to extend their capability on their site to allow their website visitors to search not only their personal inventory, but the inventory from their select dealers. Incipient Corp was able to manage the project with a WP developer who assisted in the integration and coding for the MarketCheck API and VIN Decoder Plugin, etc.

SOLUTION

How did you select Incipient Corp. and what were the deciding factors?

We contacted MarketCheck for their recommendations for a developer. After an initial phone conversion with an Incipient Corporation's representative, we were very impressed with their professionalism and overall understanding of our needs.

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

We contacted Incipient Corp. to build, test and deploy the required WordPress integrations and modules to create a website experience similar to the Car Dealer WP Theme and integrate the MarketCheck API into the search functions through the website. Key deliverables included modification and enhancement of existing Car Dealer WP Theme, custom coding, testing and integration of the advanced MarketCheck API inventory lookup/integration.

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

Three people. One contact from Incipient Corp. who was the project manager, plus two Wordpress developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Project Manager clearly outlined the tasks with targeted deadlines for the deliverables. We are still in the process of measure specific details, but our client is very happy with the results.

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

Incipient Corp. provide excellent project management and oversight via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Basecamp, email, and direct telephone calls. Tasks were assigned and met by their developers in very satisfactory time.

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

The Project Management from Amit, their lead, was exceptional.

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

None that we can think of. We would most certainly utilize their services again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of IT business applications for Amneal Pharmaceuticals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Incipient Corp.?

We hired Incipient Corp. to develop a mobile app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our web application was already developed, but we wanted help with starting the mobile component. The app, a cross-platform tool, was developed for iOS.

Following that, we engaged with them for another web app. It was a custom app built from scratch and for internal use.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three or four resources, mainly with the project manager. My development team worked with theirs at some point.

How did you come to work with Incipient Corp.?

We had a contact who worked for our company and sister companies. Incipient Corp. has specific resources we wanted to use at the start. We wanted to see if they were capable of delivering what we need.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $250,000–$300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Incipient Corp. from 2018–2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Whatever requirement or feature we gave Incipient Corp., they delivered on, and we’re quite satisfied. As it is a mobile platform, we would like it on more devices, but that’s more on our side.

How did Incipient Corp. perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re satisfied with the project management. Our communication was primarily through phone and email. They also used and shared a project management tool with us as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We had a young and dynamic team. One of the reasons we have a relationship with them is because of their skilled capabilities. We don’t have experts in the more modern area of development, but their team is equipped to provide their clients with that type of technology.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We asked them to deliver on a technology stack that’s based on our requirements, which they performed well. When the company grows, they need subject matter expertise in whichever domain they’ll be working on.

The pharmaceutical domain is definitely different than other manufacturers, not technology-wise or process-wise, but having a domain expert would be beneficial in the future.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If someone has a requirement document, present it to them and explain how it needs to be done along with whatever budget constraint they may have upfront. Incipient Corp. will be able to deliver. This needs to be discussed in order to have a successful engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of Billy Joe’s Ribworks. We’re a restaurant that becomes more of a nightlife venue late at night.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Incipient Corp.?

We wanted to find a better way to reach our customers. After meeting with Incipient Corp., we decided to build a loyalty app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did this whole thing from scratch. Based on our ideas, they created this strategy. From there. They created technical documents. Once that was approved, we moved to the prototyping phase, which includes wireframes, the final design, and the prototype.

Once we got the look and feel for the product, 25 of our regular customers gave s feedback on how the product works. With a finalized design, we move on to development and they created a custom web portal to manage the product. The result is a mobile app that works with both iOS and Android.

By creating the app, our regular customers can get fast passes to bypass the line and the cover charge. We also would reward them loyalty points for drink orders and ting that to our point of sale system. This way, we know what customers are buying.

We wanted to better track who’s coming, so the app connects to sensors on each of our bars and doors, so we know how long they stay and where they like to hang out. We get that data on the backend, and the customer gets the befit of discounted drinks and special promotions. Now that we know who is coming in and what drinks they will order, we can send live push notifications with codes for discounts on different drinks.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was our project manager, but we could also reach the two owners. The overall team size was about five people, including two mobile developers, two web app developers, and the person who handled testing and feedback.

How did you come to work with Incipient Corp.?

Someone approached us and told us that they thought Incipient Corp. could help us reach our customers better. We decided to work with them because they took the time to understand our business and how we wanted to grow. They have a strong background in hospitality and supply chain, so we didn’t have to explain a lot to them. With them, we were able to refine how we defined customer experience and identify ways technology could help us grow.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $105,000–$115,000 so far and we currently pay about $15,000 per month in support. Going forward, we’re discussing a fixed cost so we can sustain our budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in October 2018 and we launched the product officially in March 2019. Though, they provide some ongoing support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has really had a big impact on our business. We’ve had more customers coming in for promotions this year compared to last year's off-season. We have a better understanding of why they’re coming in. The push notifications help us manage inventory and increase liquor sales by running special promotions. We’re also able to test what’s selling more effectively.

How did Incipient Corp. perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was very proactive. In our line of work, it’s very difficult to take on a whole project like this. Between Brian  (Partner & COO, Incipient Corp.) and our project manager, they would come onsite and work with users directly for feedback. Then, they implemented new systems.

Once a month, we held a standing meeting where the restaurant owners and everyone involved in the process could come together. They were very hands-on. They spearheaded the project, becoming more like a partner rather than a vendor. If we fell behind, they always found a way to get what they needed and kept the project moving to hit our deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re able to bridge the gap between a business goal and how technology can help them meet their aspirations. They defined the requirements needed to build the product the right way.

We’ve worked with other agencies in the past who just said yes and built things regardless of our business goals. Instead, Incipient Corp. created a strong strategy and a completed roadmap at the beginning of the project. As a result, we were confident about our project throughout development.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve always been accommodating.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be really transparent. There’s a reason why they’re requesting that information. It always aligns with their strategy and you’ll see it in the deliverable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Shadow Delivery, and we are essentially a food delivery order management system.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Incipient Corp?

The infrastructure that we had in place wasn’t able to store people’s information for them and make ordering as easy as we wanted to, so we reached out to Incipient Corp to help us develop a new software from the bottom up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Incipient Corp used our old platform as a base model but then built our new one from scratch. There is some resemblance, but their additions include an enormous number of new features, such as client and driver profiles, private pages, and regular user reward programs. The software is mostly used via mobile, especially on the customer-facing side, but it has web-based access points too.

What is the team composition?

Originally, we worked with 3–5 of their teammates, but things started picking up speed more quickly than we had expected so we brought on closer to 9–10 in the end. I spent most of my time speaking with the project manager, but he would put me directly in touch with a couple of developers whenever we had specific requests or needed something to be explained.

How did you come to work with Incipient Corp?

I was referred to them by a friend of mine, so I called and spoke to their head of development. He was very helpful right from the start, so we decided it would be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

Our original budget was $100,000, but we’ve expanded the engagement from there to around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February and launched the platform in December 2017, but our work with them is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The response to the new platform has been really good so far. It has allowed our users to start leaving reviews for our drivers as well as comments and special requests for delivery options. We’ve received a lot of positive reviews thanks to those kinds of increased functionalities that came from the work Incipient Corp did for us on the app.

How did Incipient Corp perform from a project management standpoint?

I really appreciated their effort in project management. I was in touch with their senior team, and they were always extremely accommodating to my schedule and kept me updated through email and text at all times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to deliver really exceeded all of our expectations. The app came out much better than expected, and it helped me do my job and made me look good in front of my business partners, which I really appreciate.

Not only was the final product extremely effective in its build and reliability, but the design is extremely user-friendly, which plays a huge role in customer uptake. They were able to make the entire experience, from the backend to our drivers and ultimately the customers, completely seamless.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have been nice to have had a little bit more access to the portals during the building process so that I could have had a little bit more agency to tweak things rather than having to trust that it would come out perfectly in the end. That said, they delivered everything they promised, so I have no major complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is very key. No matter how stupid you might think a question is, the importance of being on the same page and their ability to increase your own understanding of the product is invaluable.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of sales and operations at a development company. I also manage outsourcing for any mobile app or web work that needs to be done.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Incipient Corp.?

We have a relationship with Bryan (Partner and COO, Incipient Corp.) for outsourcing work. We were running a project related to a property management solution, and we didn’t have experience in this development vertical.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Incipient Corp. had experience in property management, so I sent Bryan the requirements, and he created a proper scope of work in 3–5 days, along with a budget. He gave us a development timeline of 7–8 months.

Incipient Corp. develops mobile and web solutions on our behalf, depending on the requirements. We’re both in IT solutions, so we synergize together. If we don’t have certain expertise, we give the work to Incipient Corp. They work in different segments, from discovery to documentation, design, and development.

They’ve helped us develop different modules, like signup, login, stakeholder creation, etc. We test and deploy them to the client's server directly. They work on native Android, native iOS, React Native, and Node.js.

What is the team composition?

They have 5–7 people with different expertise, including the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js) and the MERN stack (React, Express.js, Node.js, and MongoDB).

For the property management solution project, a project manager is assigned to work with us. Bryan is available in case I need help, but I’ve never needed it, since the client is always properly updated and gets the work on time.

How did you come to work with Incipient Corp.?

Bryan was one of my connections when I was a salesperson for another company. I started my own company in 2016 with a partner who was also connected with Bryan. Bryan knew about the niche and use cases we were getting into, so it was easy for us to start working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent upwards of $350,000 on their services. This particular project is $150,000, of which we’ve paid them $75,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Incipient Corp. in September 2016, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Incipient Corp. created a beautiful scope for us, split into milestones. Not only are we using them for maintenance now, but the client is giving more work to us because of the user experience Incipient Corp. created and their operational workforce. 

We’ve been working on this client project for the last two years. Our client is a startup and hasn’t disclosed details about their project, but I’ve gotten personal feedback from them.

How did Incipient Corp. perform from a project management standpoint?

Incipient Corp. follows a proper agile process. They handle the documentation segment through specific employees. For the property management solution project, I have a person with a lot of knowledge in project management, so we don’t have to waste any time with that. I simply engage the client with them, and I don’t have any headaches with managing operations.

We use Trello and Basecamp for project management. All tasks are assigned to Trello, and daily activity monitoring is done through Basecamp. Incipient Corp. sends us a report every Friday with all of the work that’s been done. They test the deliverables, and we get the final feedback from the client. Everything’s been managed properly on their end, with no delays. They’ve delivered the project in milestones, as we’ve asked them to. Because of the tools we use, everything’s been transparent in nature.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s a rare thing to find people in the market who can conceptualize a product. Incipient Corp. can turn whatever we dream up into a wonderful product. They understand the scope, and they create products accordingly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Any issues we’ve had were related to specific resources, not the company itself. I don’t have any difficulties with them right now. It’s been a very smooth relationship over the last two years.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’ve referred them to any clients looking for these kinds of services. It’s important to check the knowledge of the company and how they perceive the scope of work, and to request a requirements document before closing the deal. This allows you to see the difference between someone that is good at their work and can deliver a proper quote, rather than giving a cheaper quote but not having any knowledge in it. It’s important to identify people with knowledge in specific verticals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for a software development company. We offer both design and development services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Incipient Corp.?

We needed development help for a project that we were going to design for a client.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did the development from A–Z. It wasn't development alone, but the whole IT strategy for the product. That involved making the architecture, web development, third-party API integration, and some of the automation tools.

It was a big project. The final product is an automated ride dispatch application and a tracking application. It manages over 3,000 calls per day from making the patient appointments and ride-scheduling.

Incipient Corp. worked with the client to create a robust web application that integrates the ride-sharing platforms into one interface, allowing the operators to answer the pickup address of the patient, select the doctor’s office, see the cheapest price and the shortest wait time, and the most efficient ride. The project isn’t ongoing, but they’re still supporting us.

What is the team composition?

There are around five people including a project manager. That team handled strategy and development end-to-end.  

How did you come to work with Incipient Corp.?

We connected on LinkedIn after getting some good references for them. One of our partners recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the beginning of 2018, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The solution enabled the client to reduce overhead costs by 25% compared to cost per ride from other providers. Everyone is really happy with the solution. It’s working well.

How did Incipient Corp. perform from a project management standpoint?

The collaboration with them was efficient because of their good communication skills. They meet our communication expectations over Jira and Slack. Because of that, they're able to stay well organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strongest side is managing the expectations of the client and the deliverable. They’re good at achieving the end result.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’d have them improve. Any issues were resolved before there were major problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their advice before engaging in the project. If there’s a need to do a planning stage, do that before diving straight into development.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Point One Group. We are here to service our clients so they better understand their customers, and I think technology can solve a lot of that.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Incipient Corp?

It's a solution to get more information on companies’ users. How many times do you ever watch something and there's a beer ad that comes up? But, if you don't drink beer, then they're just wasting time on you. If I figure out that, through our algorithms and through our data, we figure out that you like water, well we'll start selling you water.

Say someone is watching a Chelsea against Tottenham match, and it's 90 minutes of no commercials. Brands are missing out on connecting with their audience. I wanted to build a solution when, if there is a goal by Christian Pulisic, we come up with a shot of him and his number 22 jersey. We would sponsor that through a place like Fanatics and give the user the ability to purchase that jersey within the actual broadcast. They wouldn’t have to go off the screen at all.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped me come up with everything. Before we even made our first call about architecture, we talked a lot about what we thought. There was some agreement, some disagreement. I listened to exactly what they said, and they very much listened to exactly what I said.

Two things that we're really wanting to focus on: our brand and its users. In this day of social media, we look at data, but when you post something on YouTube, you really only have numbers on likes, subscriptions, and comments. What we talked to Incipient about was making sure our clients really understand their customers. We're going to partner with brands to actually put their information on prerecorded and existing content. If someone has a certain shirt on, you can say that is a Calvin Klein shirt, and then give you the option of if you would like to buy it.

My grandmother loves the Kardashians’ show; she knows all the storylines. If you have the ability to sell makeup during that, and already have the viewers credit card, addresses, and email addresses on file, you can help them purchase it right then.

There's some IP that they’re working on as well. They're the experts on the technology portion of what we’re doing, so I try not to bog them down. Whatever they come up with that makes the solution, I’ll go with that. We're really trying not to base it on a lot of other technology we've seen. I want to keep it as independent a thought as I can. We’re in very uncharted waters, and Incipient's been able to decipher the confusing things that I say. So many developers are frustrated with going down one road, then another, and then another after that, but Incipient has stuck with me. They have the ability to listen and understand and be patient with what I’m doing.

What is the team composition?

Bryan (COO, Incipient Corp) is my main contact, as well as Amit (CEO, Incipient Corp). They're the two essential owners.

How did you come to work with Incipient Corp?

We had an opportunity to talk for about a year before starting to work together. I met Bryan in March of 2018, and we just hit it off. He was working on some stuff, and I was trying to explain my idea to him. My wife is from the Northern New Jersey area, so I got a chance to go into their office, shake their hands, and see who I was dealing with.

At the beginning of 2019, we both decided I needed to figure out exactly what I wanted to do and how to communicate it, so I started working with another firm. After four months of talking things through with another development shop, that relationship started to stall. I went back to Incipient and we decided to start working on the technology together. The other firm saw me as a way for them to make money, but Incipient is committed to walking me through the lifecycle of my idea and developing brand new technology alongside me.

How much have you invested with them?

I’d estimate around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together formally since April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We understand that we’re not where we want to be with the entire solution, but we're for sure on schedule. I'm very happy with what we're doing, how we're doing it, and the direction we're going. Right now, we’re in a type of beta phase, so we've got to get our first beta testers. We can't keep giving the product away for free, so we actually have to go out and make it into some sort of a business where we can take on clients. A client wants this, and we've got to be able to provide that for that client. That's where we are right now.

Bryan compared us to a band playing different bars, and the best thing is that no one has booed us off the stage yet. The people we're showing this to think we have something valuable, and that’s such a relief. Now, we need someone to take a chance on us so we can get a little bigger audience. They’ve helped me feel like a bigger firm than what I truly am. Even though I’m a one-person operation, they always take my calls about whatever ideas I have.

How did Incipient Corp perform from a project management standpoint?

That’s probably been the best thing they've been able to do. We don't set deadlines, but we always go over where we are at the present moment. I'm very patient with the product. One thing that Amit said was that the solution has to be perfect because we're going to get one shot to talk to some of these people, and if it's not perfect, then we've got nothing.

They actually visited me here in Houston at the end of October. We took seven days to get out and meet people, and then we did another day in New York in early November. Since we’ve had a solution in hand, we’ve met with between 12–15 different companies.

They're very big about prompting me to provide needs ahead of time, but sometimes an idea will pop into my head and I can text them or call them right away. They’re very good about that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When you want to revolutionize the world and do something that's completely different, you've got to be right on it. That's the one thing that I always emphasize, that we’ve got to be right on what we're doing. These people are great when it comes to conversations and determining how we can get to a certain point.

I think they're wise beyond their years, and they listen. to what you want to be and then augment it with their wisdom. They’re able to appreciate a lot of different peoples’ backgrounds and be very sensitive to that. They’ll listen to your idea and financial means and find a way to make it work for you. We’ve built a great rapport, and they’re very much willing to help in the startup space. They’re excited to see our idea come to fruition.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing immediately comes to mind. I’ve dealt with probably three different development shops, and Incipient is far and above the best.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to them and let them help you form the project. I don't think that they're a small vision shop. They're a big vision shop, and the big thing they think about is how do they incorporate your vision with what they know how to do? Make sure that you're able to sit and communicate. They never try to overstep their expertise, though, so they recognize that I’m the expert in my field.