Makers' Den

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Ayeteasea

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We’re a blockchain development firm building decentralized financial tools on EVM-based blockchains.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Makers' Den to accomplish?

• Building a custom frontend solution for our stablecoin protocol called Obymare on Cardano.

SOLUTION

How did you find Makers' Den?

Referral

Why did you select Makers' Den over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Makers' Den were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We engaged the Maker Den team to help us build Obymare, an ADA-backed CDP stablecoin protocol on Cardano that lets users lock ADA as collateral and mint gynUSD while maintaining their underlying ADA exposure.

They supported us across the frontend integration and the broader technical build required to bring the protocol to life. It was a highly specialised scope that isn’t really comparable to traditional software development, and the team handled it extremely well. We’re very pleased with the results, and honestly, we likely wouldn’t have been able to ship Obymare without their support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We actually launched the damn product!

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

Simply put, yes. 

What was your primary form of communication with Makers' Den?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They stood out for their strong technical expertise, clear communication, and ability to deliver high-quality work quickly and reliably.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Makers' Den could have done differently?

I wish they were a bit cheaper, but you’re paying for top-tier quality, so it’s more than fair and i'm just being selfish 😅

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Marketing of a management consulting firm.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Global management consultant 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Makers' Den to accomplish?

• Launch a new website

SOLUTION

How did you find Makers' Den?

Personal relationship

Why did you select Makers' Den over others?

• Great culture fit
• Prior experience

How many teammates from Makers' Den were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Maker's Den did the full development of our company website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our main priorities for the website were search + LLM performance. Since launch, we have regularly pulled 100/100 on Page Speed Insights, have seen a significant traffic climb and have been cited more regularly in AI LLMs — especially ChatGPT.

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

This is the second project I have done with Maker's Den, and project management/communications could not have been simpler. I believe we had 5 meetings total over 6 months. This is a testament to how effectively we were able to work asynchronously in figma and Slack. 

What was your primary form of communication with Makers' Den?

Email or Messaging App

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

What impresses me most about Makers' Den is their ability to think conceptually about what we are trying to achieve. Said differently, they're business partners AND engineers. They are never afraid to challenge or step back to ask why something is being done. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Makers' Den could have done differently?

Nope. The team is great. I have been recommending them for years and will continue to do so. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Fido

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fido provides reliable, tech-enabled bin-to-curb valet trash services for vacation rental property managers, ensuring trash is taken to the curb before pickup and returned after.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Makers' Den to accomplish?

• Database build out

SOLUTION

How did you find Makers' Den?

Referral

Why did you select Makers' Den over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Makers' Den were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work for Makers' Den involved creating a robust backend database system to handle various aspects of your business, specifically focusing on property management, customer data, service tracking, and integration with existing tools. Key deliverables included:

Database Design and Architecture: Creating a structured database schema tailored to the needs of your bin-to-curb valet service, including tables for properties, clients, services, and drivers.
Data Integration: Creating integrations with existing systems, such as Google Sheets, to automate data input and retrieval, ensuring real-time access to critical business information.
APIs for System Interactions: Creating APIs for seamless interaction between the database and other software solutions, enabling automated updates and data syncing across platforms.
User Access Control: Creating role-based access control to ensure that different users (e.g., admins, managers, operators) have appropriate levels of access to the data.
Service Tracking and Reporting: Creating functionality to track service statuses, revenue, customer interactions, and operational metrics, with custom reporting capabilities.
Automation Features: Creating automated workflows such as service updates, notifications, and data entry based on triggers from various sources.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress and success include:

Increased Operational Efficiency: The new backend system has streamlined processes, allowing for faster data entry, real-time updates, and reduced manual errors, which has significantly improved the overall efficiency of company operations.
Automation of Key Workflows: Automation of tasks such as service updates, customer notifications, and reporting has reduced the time spent on manual tasks, allowing your team to focus on higher-priority activities.
Improved Data Management: The new database has provided a more organized and accessible structure for managing property, customer, and service data, leading to quicker decision-making and better service delivery.
Enhanced Integration: The integration with existing tools, such as Google Sheets and other software, has ensured seamless data syncing and smoother communication across systems, improving cross-team collaboration.
Better Reporting and Tracking: With custom reporting and service tracking features, your company now has better visibility into performance metrics, enabling more accurate forecasting and insights into business operations.
Scalable Infrastructure: The backend system is now scalable, allowing for easy expansion as the company grows, supporting new markets and more customers without compromising performance.

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

Makers' Den demonstrated excellent project management throughout the development process. They were very responsive to your needs, ensuring that any questions or concerns were addressed promptly. They met all project milestones on time, delivering key components of the backend system as scheduled. Whenever adjustments or new requirements arose, they were quick to adapt and implement solutions, ensuring that the project continued to align with your business goals. Overall, their proactive approach and responsiveness ensured a smooth and successful collaboration.

What was your primary form of communication with Makers' Den?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive and unique about Makers' Den was their ability to deeply understand our niche business model and tailor the backend system specifically to our needs. They didn't take a one-size-fits-all approach but instead built a solution that aligns perfectly with our operational requirements, allowing us to run our bin-to-curb service more efficiently. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Makers' Den could have done differently?

There are no areas for improvement. Makers' Den did an excellent job in all aspects of the project. Their approach was thorough, and they successfully delivered a backend system tailored to our needs, meeting all of our expectations.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of an energy & natural resources company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're an innovative company offering "Energy-as-a-Service" solutions for distributed photovoltaic systems. It develops proprietary technologies to optimize every stage of the installation lifecycle—from design to operation—while natively integrating energy storage. With intelligent tools for management, monitoring, and performance analysis, we enhance the reliability and profitability of solar systems. By leveraging power purchase agreements (PPAs) and a network of partners, the company facilitates the deployment of solar energy and actively contributes to the transition toward a cleaner, more decentralized energy model.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Makers' Den to accomplish?

• Digital sales experience for customers

SOLUTION

How did you find Makers' Den?

Online Search

Why did you select Makers' Den over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Makers' Den were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Maker's Den help us develop a custom sales portal to accelerate sales. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Headless CMS website
React sales portal built from scratch

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

Projects are cnchored in solid cost estimations
Daily updates by head developer 
Weekly aligmment calls
State of the art project management tools 

What was your primary form of communication with Makers' Den?

Virtual Meeting

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

We've had the pleasure of working with Maker's Den on several software development projects, and they've consistently delivered exceptional results. What stands out most is their responsiveness — they're always quick to reply, easy to communicate with, and genuinely invested in moving things forward efficiently.

One of the things we value most is their ability to offer clear guidance throughout the development process. Whether it’s helping us navigate technical decisions or recommending the best path forward, their input has been incredibly valuable.

They also provide very detailed cost estimations, which helps us plan accurately and avoid surprises down the line. Their transparency is refreshing, especially when it comes to highlighting potential risks early, allowing us to make informed decisions and stay ahead of any issues.

Most importantly, they get things done. Deadlines are met, expectations are managed, and their ability to execute has made them a trusted partner for our team.

We highly recommend Maker's Den to anyone looking for a reliable, professional, and proactive development partner.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Makers' Den could have done differently?

Nothing comes to mind. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Department Head of ADDITIVE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Marketing Software for Hospitality

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Makers' Den to accomplish?

• Migration of our Frontend from Ember to React

SOLUTION

How did you find Makers' Den?

Online Search

Why did you select Makers' Den over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Makers' Den were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project involved migrating several front-end applications (7–8 apps) from Ember.js to React. Beyond the core migration, the scope included:

 • Refactoring and redesigning UI components

 • Improving performance and scalability across apps

 • Implementing React best practices and modern frontend patterns

 • Collaborating closely with our internal developers to support a smooth transition

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We worked with Natalia and Mateusz. Natalia as the Senior Developer while Mateusz provided Project Management.

Here is a breakdown: 

Guidance and Mentorship

They provided strong support to our junior developers, offering comprehensive and constructive feedback that helped build internal capabilities.

 Communication and Collaboration

Communication was clear and consistent. They were always available for calls and quick to offer support when needed.

Technical Strength

They demonstrated a strong understanding of our requirements with minimal guidance and made sound technical decisions throughout.

Team Integration

Natalia and Mateusz integrated seamlessly into our team and contributed positively to the overall dynamic.

Code Quality

The code they delivered was of consistently high quality—well-structured, modern, and aligned with our expectations.

Professionalism

The collaboration was smooth from start to finish. They were reliable, proactive, and professional throughout.

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

Their project management is reliable and effective. They consistently delivered work on time and adapted well to our internal timelines and priorities. When requirements shifted or additional input was needed, they responded quickly and adjusted their approach without issue. Communication was structured and proactive, which made it easy to track progress and stay aligned throughout the project.

What was your primary form of communication with Makers' Den?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out most was Natalia’s ability to bring a fresh perspective to our team and set a strong example for high-quality, efficient development. Her approach helped elevate our internal standards, especially for junior developers, by showing what fast, clean, and maintainable code looks like in practice. This had a lasting impact on how we work.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Makers' Den could have done differently?

If there was one area we hoped would move faster, it would be the overall project pace—but in hindsight, this was more due to our own complex setup and ongoing internal changes than any shortcoming on Makers’ Den’s side. Their team adapted well to the circumstances and remained steady throughout.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder of inAsia Media

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provider of regulatory intelligence to financial services firms globally with a specific focus on Asia-pacific. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Makers' Den to accomplish?

• Rebuild and relaunch the platform
• Reengineer the tech stack inc. database
• Find a third-party to help with ongoing development

SOLUTION

How did you find Makers' Den?

Referral

Why did you select Makers' Den over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Makers' Den were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Regulation Asia needed to relaunch in 2025 with a refreshed front-end, but still providing a similar service and experience to its users. This was a stepping stone to also launching a second Pro version of the platform. Its current tech stack was sitting on an old and overburdened wordpress install - so we saw this as an opportunity to rebuild the entire front-to-back stack and future-proof the platform so that we could evolve new tools and services to our subscribers. Over 23,000 articles needed to be ported to the new database, and a new user management, search and front-end experience for the user was required. Alongside this, thought was given on how to present a more modern UX/UI to the users of the platform. 

Regulation Asia was seeking a firm to work with in partnership, as the founders of the company had a good sense of what they were looking for. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We ended up with a project that we were proud to showcase to employees, investors and our clients. The service had new features such as better user-mangement, advanced search that was blistering fast, and a great UX/UI. Plus, the abilty to retain Makers' Den to help plan a roadmaps of future features.

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

Makers' Den were incredibly diligent in their approach providing a solid project plan with clear scope. Each time a request was needed, further scoping in detail alongside calls and videos to walk through. I appreciated their worst case/mid case/best case scenario with each individual element of the build. They communicated incredibly well and gave complete confidence throughout.

What was your primary form of communication with Makers' Den?

Virtual Meeting

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

Communication and ability to fit to our requirements. Speed of delivery. Ability to acheive our objectives without any challenges or frustrations.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Makers' Den could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Web Manager of Meister

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Meister's mission is to empower teams to plan and organize their work seamlessly – regardless of their technical experience. With our digital tools, every team member can navigate their tasks efficiently for a better workday, every day. Our work management software offerings range from task and project management solutions, through documentation, all the way to mind mapping tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Makers' Den to accomplish?

• Create a brand new website for our core product: MeisterTask.
• Move our web content from a WordPress-based system to Storyblok headless CMS.
• Enable the Meister team to work on content within our new headless CMS in a streamlined format, and in a fairly short time-frame (3-4 months).

SOLUTION

How did you find Makers' Den?

Online Search

Why did you select Makers' Den over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Makers' Den were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We had limited control over our website and over time have accumulated a lot of tech-debt which means we were not able to effectively leverage our most valuable marketing property. So, we invested in building a new, agile website to optimize our funnel:

• stand out in the market with a best in class website to uplift signup and conversion rates
• increase speed to market and enable commercial efforts, with the website facilitating new initiatives, instead of being a blocker
• eliminate tech-debt by simplifying current multi-domain and multi-CMS setup 
• enable PLG & PLS motion by creating scalable platform housing TOFU, MOFU, BOFU content 
• ensure compliance with the Accessability Act 2025

Besides the commercial goals for the company, the work related to Makers' Den focused on the following deliverables:

• enable the Meister Marketing Team to create content in a new headless CMS, Storyblok
• deliver the new website in a timeline manner, by a set deadline
• develop new blocks to be used in Storyblok, in a templatized manner
• migrate content from previous WordPress blog, to new system
• implement web design elements based on a set design framework set up in Figma

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• number of new content types developed in Storyblok
• number of website functionality created (search, animations, filtering etc.)
• number of website pages finished & published

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

• Makers' Den always worked in a timely manner, on a weekly sprint basis
• They delivered tasks on time, and within the project scope
• They were always open to feedback adjusting implementation details when needed
• They were rigerous with bug-testing and making sure the quality of their deliverables is up to a high standard

What was your primary form of communication with Makers' Den?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Their technical expertise and efficiency when it comes to Storyblok, Vercel and headless CMS set-up in general
• Their work ethic when it comes to delivering tasks on time and within the project budget/scope
• Their efficiency when it comes to async communication through Slack and virtual meetings

Are there any areas for improvement or something Makers' Den could have done differently?

In very minor cases, having another review round before delivering a task would have been helpful to catch additional bugs. But other than this small improvement, we were fully satisfied with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of marketing at a company that installs solar energy systems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Makers' Den?

One of our issues was regarding our branding and lack of consistency in communication. Last year, we created a rebranded experience for new and existing customers, and we wanted to take that rebranding to our website and create a new storefront for our business activities. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We previously used WordPress to manage our site, but Makers' Den decided to take a different approach and use a more modern CMS. Our team has designed the website, and Makers' Den has guided us through the process and coordinated the site's development. We decided to use Storyblok as a CMS and Vercel for hosting and storage. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with different teammates throughout the project. Initially, we developed the whole website in a fast-paced environment, taking us around two months to complete everything. During this stage, we worked with Carl-Petter (Founding Partner), Norbert (Software Developer), and Paweł (Software Developer). Carl-Petter is the only team member we're still in touch with.

How did you come to work with Makers' Den?

Makers' Den was referred to us by our partner in Spain, who had already worked with the team.
How much have you invested with them?

We've spent around €34,000 (approximately $37,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2024. Makers' Den has completed our site and is working on some changes. We have a retainer contract with the team in case we want to adapt something or make changes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project's success is reflected in our marketing team's ability to work independently and develop pages. We can work on top of what Makers' Den has designed and implemented. Storyblok enables us to adapt and change content easily, and we need little development post-implementation, whereas, with WordPress, we always need somebody to help us follow up.

On the other hand, the site's loading speed is quicker, thanks to Storyblok's headless CMS technology. The team has used good practices, and the site is well-designed and has implemented the latest trends and requirements of search engines. Overall, we see a high quality internally of how the site has been implemented.

How did Makers' Den perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly stand-up meetings to review the development stages. We work in project management through Asana, where Makers' Den posts the latest work updates, and we can see progress in real-time. We also communicate via email and Slack for any tasks we need to look into in the meantime. Makers' Den meets deadlines.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Norbert has been very hands-on during development and offered a good experience. Carl is very knowledgeable and solves problems on the fly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We're impressed with Makers' Den's direct and hands-on approach to communicating with clients. With other companies, they create a black box project and deliver a website as an outcome. With Makers' Den, we've been part of the creation process and adapted it on the fly according to our branding view. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm well-versed technically. However, I think Makers' Den can improve their business communication with other customers who don't have a technical background. Although, because of our project, we haven't been able to communicate more data at technical levels since it wasn't needed. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend working with Makers' Den because they use amazing technology that offers flexibility for customers' teams and empowers them in a way other systems don't allow. Working with no-code tools can be tricky when adding new items, but using Storyblok can systematically improve your working methods and empower your team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a medical educational company that provides courses for nurses and medical personnel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Makers' Den?

We needed support with coding and software development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Makers' Den provides custom software development services for our company. 

What is the team composition?

We work with two full stack developers from Makers' Den, one of which is the lead developer and project manager.

How did you come to work with Makers' Den?

Makers' Den’s owner is a friend of mine. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around €50,000 (approximately $53,000 USD) with Makers' Den 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Makers' Den in January 2022, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re waiting for the results and feedback from the makers, so we’ll have more metrics as time goes on.

How did the company perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication and ability to deliver everything on time have been excellent. They’re good at that as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're really reliable and will do anything they're asked. Also, they're very honest and reliable. They will do their job really well as they tell what they’re doing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were the best to work with in terms of project management.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

No, there isn’t anything they can improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of an information security solutions company. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Developers information security solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Makers' Den to accomplish?

• Improved delivery process
• Develop frontend
• Integrate existing APIs

SOLUTION

How did you find Makers' Den?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Makers' Den over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Makers' Den were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We needed to develop and integrate the frontend for an API that would display millions of records. It was paramount that the development was performant and wary of this. Additionally, as a small team, we don't have anyone dedicated to testing, so it was crucial that the deliveries were tested and proven.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Code quality and amount of features that were integrated.

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

Everything was perfect, from the project management to the actual development. I always felt that the PMs assigned to our project knew exactly what they were talking about and that Makers Den always had the expertise to do even more than what I needed.

What was your primary form of communication with Makers' Den?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Ease of communication and understanding of the technical challenges. Additionally, the fact that Makers Den also quickly adapted (and improved) our way of working was a big help.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Makers' Den could have done differently?

Nothing. I work with them to this day with 100% satisfaction.