Tappollo Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a tech startup. We focus on technology to end distracted driving.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tappollo Media?

We needed to get our mobile app up and running.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re in the early stages of development, and Tapollo Media works on our MVP. We use AWS as the foundation to build the app and React Native to take it both on iOS and Android.

Initially, we had a discovery phase where we had ideas going back and forth between us. We weren’t necessarily providing the deliverables but rather being challenged and generating ideas on both sides. Tapollo Media was able to identify the driver and provide data as it relates to our application.

What is the team composition?

The founder is our main point of contact, and we’ve spoken with him throughout the project. He has a team working on it, but we haven’t met them.

How did you come to work with Tappollo Media?

We found them through LinkedIn. We went through a vetting process because not every company could be brought on right away, and we reached out cold.

Also, most consulting companies operate to take any money they can get and just run with it, but we felt that Tapollo Media wanted to come on board and help the cause.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first reached out around October 2020. However, we started our working relationship until June 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve done user testing and feedback because we’ve been trying to execute the backend, and Tapollo Media has met the requirements. Also, I’ve been able to test it on my own and see the functionality. They gave it to me to test it on my phone, so I know it works according to what we laid out.

How did Tappollo Media perform from a project management standpoint?

From a budget standpoint, they’ve done great. They understand the amount of money they have to work with and are wary of where it’s being spent. On the other hand, they’ve been responsive throughout the whole relationship. We touch base every week for updates, and they stick to the timeline and their word.

We have their number, so we typically coordinate over text. If we can’t reach them, we use Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They stand out for how much time they’re willing to give us to execute correctly. Tapollo Media only charges us for the time they’re doing the work; our time over the phone is never charged. From that perspective, it’s mutually beneficial.

Moreover, they challenge our ideas and are honest. If they come up with something that can be improved, they share it with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Any company that’s highly passionate about what they do would fit in nicely with Tapollo Media. Nonetheless, you also should be open to sharing and hearing feedback. They don’t necessarily go by the book; they provide constructive criticism on how you could improve from a product development standpoint.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder & CEO of Edsy Bitsy, an EdTech start-up that aims to make learning easier everywhere by enabling children to continue their education regardless of where they are located at and the circumstances they are in.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tappollo Media, and what were your goals?

Edsy Bitsy partnered with Tappollo for our mobile app development. After our prototyping phase, our goal was to develop a product that has a higher level of scalability and utility for the students and educators that we were serving. However, we were not certain of the most suitable approach and roadmap towards our end-solution. But the team at Tappollo were able to cut through the noise and provide clarity to help us bring our vision to reality.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We choose Tappollo over other vendors because we knew we were not just getting developers, we will be getting a product team that is user-centric. This was the deciding factor for us, as they expanded our understanding of the importance of not just getting technical support when choosing a vendor but a product partner that shares both the vision of the company and the pain of the users. Through working with Tappollo, we got more than technical skills, we got a product partner.

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

Prior to the development work, we had a series of meetings to share the past data and future goals. We shared with the team at Tappollo the pain and benefits our users were experiencing and they incorporated our data before providing their views on the most suitable product features. They also reviewed the code base of our prototype before suggesting how we could maximise it by building around it to reduce effort and cost. Our partnership with Tappllo is still ongoing during the time of this review but the experience has been great so far!

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

Our main point of contacts were Boon, the Founder and Technical Advisor, as well as a product manager throughout the project. In addition to them, I interacted mostly with the lead developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within a month, we had over 300 active users. Our users commented on how easy it was to use and the rate of referral increased by almost 200%.

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

Since this was our first native application development, they were really patient and willing to walk us through their process while we learned.

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

Their development skills weren’t the only area that blew me away. Without question, Tappollo were absolutely user-centric. They understood the impact Edsy Bitsy would like to make and have made that idea come to life. The team from Tappollo were also patient and willing to walk us through their process while we learned.

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

As development work are usually complex with unforeseen circumstances, a status report on each stage of the project would have been helpful so that we could review it and limit any misunderstanding in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Pepper is the social cooking app to create, share, and discover food with family & friends around the world. I am the CEO & Co-Founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tappollo Media, and what were your goals?

We needed to develop the entirety of our mobile app after crafting the idea on our own. Our goal was to have a fully functioning mobile app that we could use on the App Store and send to family, friends, followers, and the community at large

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Boon & the rest of the Tappollo team stood out to us in terms of their experience, communication, and excitement over what we were building.

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

Needed to build entire V1 (in Flutter), iterate on it with us providing revisions from users, then eventually push to public beta on TestFlight housing > 1K users after 10 months of development. After 3 more months of revisions, Tappollo helped us push the final version of the app to the App Store. We continue to work with them to push new updates

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

At times, up to 4 employees. 1 Senior Engineer, at times another developer or two. As well as a QA constantly checking new updates and their efficacy. Boon has also been a constant support system and resource for us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After 2+ months on the App Store, we boast nearly 10K users, 350+ reviews averaging 5 stars, and are the #1 iOS search result for "Pepper", "Social Cooking", and "Recipe Share"

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

We communicate daily through Slack & Jira. Boon is also very responsive through email whenever necessary. Timelines are hit as best as possible. There are times that we go over timelines, however, we work with Boon's team to figure out best course.

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

Their quality of work and genuine understanding of keeping the best interests of the company in mind are outstanding. Our product has no clear flaws and any bugs are typically squashed quickly. Our backend is solid and has been built in nearly 1/2 the time of other competitors. It allows us to separate ourselves. Boon's team always puts Pepper first and is constantly finding creative ways to do just that.

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

My relationship with Boon is one of the strongest in my professional network. I am eternally grateful for him & his team having turned our dream into a reality. I would do nothing differently. Thank you for it all, Tappollo.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a boostrapped social networking app called Bridge

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Tappollo Media, and what were your goals?

We wanted to create a mobile app that helped local people connect with each other through real-time spontaneous events. We weren't sure of the best approach and what that ideal end-solution looked like and were seeking a partner that could really help provide the necessary thought leadership and critical thinking needed to bring that vision come to life.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We searched for vendors online and also searched to see what other early startups had used when it came to the developers they chose to give more validity to the one we wanted to go with.

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

We had a series of initial calls to discuss the project and our vision. Their team worked w/ the design team to really give critical feedback and necessary pushback when it came to the product design and implementation .

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

Our main point of contact has been Boon Chew, the founder and owner of Tappollo Media.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're currently still in the initial portions of our app development cycle. We are nearing completion of our design phase and will soon be ready for development. Presently, we have been showing our designs to friends/family members and they have been impressed w/ how simple and intuitive the app design feels.

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

Outside of Zoom calls, most of the communication has been done through Slack or Whatsapp. This has been great since those chat platforms are "always-on" lines of communication.

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

The one thing I truly appreciate about the company is their focus on the product and solving for the needs of the market. I feel they are a solution first company rather than a mobile app development company, which to me is the biggest compliment.

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

Having them provide notes on 'next steps' after our conversations so that we knew what was the net outcome and action items from the meetings we had but again we're still in the early stages of working with them.