StudioKrew

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the CTO of Silverstack Solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Krew?

I approached Studio Krew to develop multiple products across three different companies. This included a product for my startup in Dubai, an ERP system for my family business in India, and a CRM for a third company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For my first and main project with Studio Krew, they developed a sporting product nearly from scratch. I provided the wireframes, and they took it from there. Rather than just developing an MVP, they helped create a finished product because we had time to adjust to the market. Afterward, they handled all of the marketing.

The second project involved building a supply chain management ERP system for my family business in India. The system gave our entire manufacturing process access to tablet technology, which allowed us to better manage our inventory.

Finally, Studio Krew created a CRM-based project with geotracking features for the sales staff at my third company. With the CRM, HR resources and management would be able to better facilitate care and avoid false HR claims. The team collaborated with my in-house developers in India, using .NET and Java.

What is the team composition? 

They assigned a different team depending on the project, but I typically worked with a project manager and two junior developers. Everyone was technologically flexible. They were able to scale their teams easily, and it was quick to onboard resources for the projects.

How did you come to work with Studio Krew?

A friend of mine had worked with them before and referred them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent about $135,000 CAD (approximately $100,900 USD) across all projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration lasted from 2015–2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a fantastic experience working with them. For my first startup, the quality of the product and their marketing directly contributed to our growth. They quickly secured about 980 users through their marketing channels and SEO work alone. Our company would later be acquired by a local Dubai sports enterprise. 

How did Studio Krew perform from a project management standpoint?

I had a project manager who kept in touch for all of the non-technical logistics and dealt with the developers directly. We worked in sprints to hit on all of the features for my first startup’s product and used email, Zoho, and Trello to coordinate. The team’s communication was fantastic; they always provided accurate time estimates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their marketing skills were fantastic. They did a great job considering that they were promoting a product in an unfamiliar market. I didn’t have to guide them much beyond a few meetings either; they just handled it.

I also liked that they took a very personal approach. I could bypass channels in favor of one-to-one meetings, and there would be no issues. On top of that, they were super flexible, making them a good fit for my scale of business. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Generally, when outsourcing web development, clients have a number in mind that they’re willing to spend. But don’t worry so much about exceeding your rate.  They’ll always beat your budget while surpassing expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a co-working space that operates on a rental basis. Our visitor-management system enables hassle-free entry and exit to different facilities. I’m the COO and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Krew?

We wanted to find a company that could handle all the development phases of our product. That involved working on iOS and Android application development. A company’s initial stages are especially important for its future chances, so we needed to develop the product quickly. On top of that, we wanted a company that would always be there for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked on the design and development of the application for our coworking space. We discussed a basic idea of what we wanted it to look like, as well as the general concept behind it. Our CEO, co-founders, and directors all sat down with Studio Krew to provide some insights.

The apps were developed for both Android and iOS. They’re a full digital management solution for team co-location. People can reserve and cancel meeting rooms, communicate and meet with co-workers, and post freelance jobs or anything else on the app’s forum. There’s also an event management system, a visitor management system, and a room access management system, all within the apps.

What is the team composition?

I’ve mainly worked with Vineet (Co-Founder and CTO, Studio Krew), though I’ve also interacted with others in his team.

How did you come to work with Studio Krew?

They were based in our coworking space, so it was easy for us to reach out to them. At that time, they were expanding.

We didn’t really look at any other agencies. As our plans were still a work in progress, we thought it was better to rely on people we already knew and were working with.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost has been around $80,000–$90,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between October 2017–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first app is live, and the second one is in a beta version. It’s all working seamlessly. Every app and platform will have a bug or two when it first comes out, but they solved all those problems and made the whole thing look easy. They’re very amenable whenever we need something.

We’re getting more clients due to the app. People have been asking us who developed it and we’re happy to say it was Studio Krew.

How did Studio Krew perform from a project management standpoint?

Their principal is reliable and accountable. He’s always available, even when we call him in the middle of the night. We had some early issues in the process, but it turned out well in the end. Generally, they’re efficient and effective. They delivered the project on time and made sure tasks were completed on time.

Everything was handled by their team. We work in the same space, so we had meetings in-person, and also used email and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The whole process was really efficient thanks to their efforts. They did whatever we asked them to do. If we had questions, they answered them, and they were there to help us whenever we encountered a bug.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to get a few more developers because there’s a lot of stress on their team. They worked hard on our products, sometimes pushing more than 9–10 hours each day.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

We haven’t had any specific issues. The project worked well, and the deadlines were met. We have no complaints, and we always recommend them to other people.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a self-employed comedian. On my website, people can see my present work and previous experience. Although I run a one-man-show, I have a team of people who manage the background work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Studio Krew?

I revamp my website every one or two years. The previous version was a WordPress site built by another team, and I needed to create a new one from scratch. This project included everything on the site, from the frontend and backend to the input entries and completed booking forms.

The previous version had not been built from scratch; it was based on a template that was customized to meet my requirements. I have been working in the field for four or five years, so I knew what the new site needed to provide.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Studio Krew developed my website using a JavaScript library, HTML5, CSS3, JS, PHP, CI, MySQL, Photoshop, and AfterEffects. I gave them an overview of what I was looking for on the frontend and backend, but I didn’t focus on how they achieved it. After giving them a single input, I wanted a certain output. I didn't look at the process in between. The second phase of the project has been marketing. While Studio Krew have worked on SEO, they haven’t provided marketing services. This field is huge, so I have two specialists for it.

What is the team composition?

I worked solely with Vineet Jain [Co-Founder and CTO], to whom I could tell what I wanted. He had a couple of resources on the back-end and served as my sole point of contact.

How did you come to work with Studio Krew?

One of my friends, who occupied the same co-working space as the team, told me about them. I had also started working in the same space, which made it easy to communicate what I wanted for the site.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was 50,000 INR ($786 USD). We have done additional work—including SEO and SEM—so I cannot say for sure.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Studio Krew in January or February 2017. The first phase took one-and-a-half months to complete, but I requested a few changes after that. The final version took us three or four months to complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website contains 90—95% of what I requested from Studio Krew. It’s already four or five months old, and after such a period we always identify something which can be added. In general, I have what I wanted from the new site.

My previous website was quite conventional. The current one is more customized, which has taken some time to complete. My leads count has gone up, which could be a result of its appearance, back-end functionalities, and SEO and SEM.

In terms of functionality, I haven’t seen any issues in the last few months.

How did Studio Krew perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was in place, but their time management could have been better. The polishing process took longer than anticipated, which could have been avoided.

I share the same co-working space with them, so we didn’t have a need to use email or other tools. I conveyed the changes that I wanted face-to-face. If they had any concerns, they could come to me and make changes according to my requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were professional and patient. Even though there were a set number of changes included in our agreement, Studio Krew listened to my feedback and requests. It took additional time, but the final product was what I wanted from them. They make sure that their client service is good and that the client is happy at the end of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Time management could be improved, but it is relative: the more work I assign, the more time it will take to complete. If there were scope for improvement, it would be in this area. If a task can be done in three days, it can also be done in one or one and a half days when prioritized correctly. The project could have been completed in less time, irrespective of the number of changes I gave them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Anyone who wants to use their services can save time by having a clear idea of what needs to be done. Studio Krew can work with generic directions, but telling them everything in advance will wrap up the project faster.