MessApps

BACKGROUND

This client is the owner of Suppr, an app-based startup that promotes users to connect with each other, make friends, and explore new dining options through the app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

This client was in need of a development partner that could help design, develop, and guide the strategy of their iOS mobile application.

SOLUTION

Messapps was a wonderful company to work with. They gave me around-the-clock support and input. They were always quick to address any issues and, overall, a pleasure to partner with. We had a few problems getting the app approved by Apple, but Messapps really put the time and work in. They performed way above and beyond the call of duty to make it happen. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Honestly, the Messapps team is a great team to work with. They have a talented graphic designer as well as a great project manager – an overall team of talented individuals. They were always on top of everything. The CEO, Vasily Malyshev, was very hands on and involved. In addition to app development, the team made great suggestions and was very helpful to my overall mobile strategy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My startup has created an app to aid people to see their progress and good and bad habits. Users can see how choices affect their life in general and how long they will live estimated on the concept of micro lives. Each micro life equals about 30 minutes. There is a lot of research out there that has established a connection between the foods you eat, the amount of exercise you get, and how many micro lives you lose or gain depending on chosen behaviors. 

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Messapps?

I came to Messapps with an idea. I didn’t have a concept about how it would work in terms of programming or how it would look. I needed someone to help me take it from an idea to a product.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

They did everything except provide the idea. They did design, layout, programming – everything.

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

I found them on the Internet. I think I used Elance. They had a couple reviews there. It seemed like a good match. In terms of the money I wanted to spend, that worked fine. I had a talk with the person who runs Mess Apps. We seemed to be on the same page and he understood what I wanted to do. He also had new ideas for the project. 

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

It was from $50,000 to $100,000.

When was the work completed?

We completed the project in March 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s easy to use. I use it, and I can say that everyone else should use it also. We don’t have any raw numbers. We have had positive user feedback overall – users love the functionality. I started the project with my own ideas, which were different from the views that Messapps shared.

I decided to take their advice and users responded positively. We also have gotten strong feedback on the design. We use a minimalistic design, but it’s not extreme. Users seem to get our concept and like the execution of it. I didn’t get any real negative feedback.

Are you satisfied with their performance?

We’re happy with the project. Everything was great. I liked how fast they worked. There was no time wasted. If there were any changes I wanted, there was no time wasted. There was no waiting for an answer, no waiting for a quote, layout, design, or anything. I had access to all the work anytime I wanted. All the people from Messapps were very accessible and responsive. I liked the ideas they had and how they executed their vision. 

Is there anything unique or special about Messapps that really makes them stand out compared to other business partners?

In my experience, they work very fast with great quality. Their speed is perfect for anyone who wants to launch quickly. Clients don’t want to wait and waste a lot of time. I’m sure I wasn’t the only project they had at that time, but I sure felt like their sole customer. They were always available to discuss issues with the project. They were invested in the project. The time aspect and the human aspect made them really stand out.

What advice would you give to future clients of theirs?

If you have an idea, talk about it and listen to what Messapps has to say. In my experience, they had ideas, which make the final product better. Many entrepreneurs guard their ideas very closely and don’t want to share any details with the client but that’s not the best way to operate. Messapps has experience, and they know how to make mobile applications function better.

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

I’m sure there is room for improvement. I would suggest that they improve the marketing of their company, so it’s easier to find them online and learn about their skills.

BACKGROUND

[My company] is a weight-loss, weight-management, and nutrition company. Our company`s aim was to create an application for people who are willing to lose weight, but need a universal helper available at any moment. The app should not only sell the product to the customer, but also provide him or her with the ability to fully monitor progress related to the goal, including calorie counter, daily food register, physical activity tracker, and graphs and tables representing progress. I am the CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

We had two main challenges accompanying the development of the app: we lacked technical knowledge in the field, and we were running out of time. We wanted the app to be released by Christmas. Our target metrics [were to ] attract new customers and improve current customer satisfaction.

SOLUTION

For this task, we were looking for the highly professional company that could work under tight deadlines and can contribute to the idea of the app. We came across MESS Apps while researching app development companies and were attracted by the previous work of the company. MESS Apps managed the whole project from scratch. Further improvements were also made by the company following the requests of the client. The whole project was completed in five months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The app was a huge success, reaching 10,000 downloads within the first week after the release. The goal of improving customer satisfaction and developing a new customer database was achieved, according to the online survey held in February 2015. 

The technical and creative staff of the company is spread throughout the world and is headquartered in New York City. This distribution of experts helps the company to leverage the best knowledge and professional skills that are available on the software development market.

Our company is highly satisfied with the work of MESS Apps, and we are willing to use the company`s expertise again in future. If you seek a company that can deliver outstanding quality, MESS Apps is certainly the best choice. 

BACKGROUND

Our company is a startup technology company that has created an online mobile marketplace for skilled construction workers and the bosses who hire them to interact. We are excited we are launching next week [February 2015]. As leader for design, I am the COO of the company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Our app is targeting market share from the B2B [business-to-business] offline construction hiring space into the mobile smartphone space much like Uber, Waze, Open Table, and other applications, which have transformed legacy, offline marketplaces, and business functions.

SOLUTION

Currently hiring a plumber, carpenter or general day worker is done by word of mouth or, in some cases driving up the nearest Home Depot to solicit workers. With our company, it can be done from the boss's smartphone, in real time, on demand. 

Messapps was selected to work with us on the initial wireframing of the concept along with the actual screen designs, which were eventually put into production with our developers. Their expertise in the mobile application space helped shortcut months of work and helped us develop a great UI [user interface], which serves the needs of our business model while being clean and intuitive.

We discovered Messapps via a blend of search criteria including Web searches for NYC application development companies, references, and referrals. Their simple yet elegant designs, entrepreneurial spirit, and flexible and fair pricing were all key considerations in choosing to work with the organization.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The solution was programmed by our own internal teams, but implementing Messapps's designs and utilizing their wireframes was a relatively seamless process.  

As we made changes to our functionality, their team was every responsive in redesigning screens and functions for us while we were coding in parallel. The result was we developed a relatively complex commerce-oriented app end to end, in idea to publishing, in less than 11 months.  

They were on time and on budget and continue to be a value-added extension of our development arm. We would not change a thing about our relationship with them. We might have had them code more HTML for an even faster process to integrate their work with ours, but that's not very important.  

Hindsight is 20/20 of course, and we are still highly satisfied with our outcome with this company and wouldn't change a thing. I can attest Messapps has been an invaluable partner throughout our development cycle.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company.

The company is just an application idea I had. It was a personal project that I hired them to develop, design, and help promote for.

What is your role and responsibilities?

[I am the] owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with MESS Apps?

I wanted to make a social mobile app for iOS. I just needed someone to develop it and finalize the design, help me make a website, and optimize for the App Store. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

It was iOS development, Web design, and development.

What was your process for selecting MESS Apps with which to work?

I went through a bunch of developer websites and looked at their portfolios. MESS Apps seemed to fit the aesthetic, and their previous work seemed to lend well to the kind of app I was trying to make. I reached out to them, got quotes, and decided to go with them.

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

The cost was more than $10,000 but less than $50,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

The app is currently going through the App Store approval process. It’ll probably launch within the next week [December of 2014].

Are you satisfied with their performance?

Their performance was really good, far more than I had even asked for. The process was really quick, relative to what I assumed it would be. They gave great feedback. So, it wasn’t just ask me a question, and then do it. It was ask me a question, and they would give me advice based on their experience, and we would go back and forth. It was more of a discussion, which was really good. So, I’m more than pleased with what they did.

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

I’ll definitely be looking for positive user feedback. I’ll track how many people download it, how many log in, and how many submit content. I guess those are the main three metrics.

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

They really care about the actual project and not just the technical objectives. They did care about those, but they cared about what they meant in terms of translating it into a product, and what the product means to users. They were a little subjective about their opinions, which was great. It helped me figure things out beyond just the technology. I thought they were really good.

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

Honestly, no. I came in fairly new to the entire process, and they were very responsive and understanding if I didn’t understand something technical. They didn’t do anything that I saw was a mistake.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am owner of a small communications firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Messapps?

We hired messapps to develop a communications app

What were your goals for this project?

a completed app

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

internet comparison

Describe the project in detail.

no thanks

What was the team composition?

me, the Messapps team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

no

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

very effective, we worked well on slack

What did you find most impressive about this company?

they were very thorough in mapping out the design so we had a clear understanding before starting the program

Are there any areas for improvement?

i would like to have talked with their team on the phone more often.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a founder of Ishimbayev Law Firm, P.C., which provides legal services to businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs in New York and New Jersey.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What were your goals for this project?

We needed them to create and design a website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was looking for a team located in New York City with a great track record. They have great reviews, great design, and a great team.

Describe the project in detail.

The first phase was the design, the second phase was coding, and the third phase was implementation and going live. The project took three months.

What was the team composition?

I worked with a project manager, designer, and a programmer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yes, our website shows the outcome. The project was a success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very smooth, and the project progressed according to strict deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very responsive, they kept their promises, and overall, they are very professional.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.