TechAhead

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of a startup called YONA, and the name stands for Your Only Nail Artist. We're creating a mobile app to bring the nail industry together.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with techahead?

We needed help with mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

techahead is helping us develop an iOS and Android mobile app with booking and payment processing capabilities from scratch. It uses Stripe as the third-party payment processing technology.

Initially, I had a conversation with techahead about the project, during which we conducted an initial requirement scoping that kicked-off a detailed requirement-gathering process with myself, my team, and techahead's team. The initial discovery process took about two months.

Now, techahead is building the app, which has been quite a complex app to develop because it has three different interface profiles. Therefore, techahead has done a lot of intense user mapping for our three different customer bases.

What is the team composition?

I have around a dozen team members from techahead working on the project. My main point of contact is Iram (Project Manager), so I interact with her on a daily basis. Their team also includes a business analyst lead who has worked on the actual design flow for my ideas. Moreover, there are about 8–10 other teammates who work on the actual development and delivery part of the project.

How did you come to work with techahead?

I found them on Google. I did a lot of my due diligence before hiring them.

How much have you invested with them?

I've spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project around June 2023, and we're looking to launch the app in Q3 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't launched the app yet, so I can't provide feedback regarding metrics. However, I think that techahead has been able to cover over 90% of my initial requirements for this app development project, which is a lot. Anything else I add to the app moving forward is in the periphery and represents the outstanding 10% of the initial requirements. Moreover, the quality of their work has been world-class.

How did techahead perform from a project management standpoint?

The process of working with techahead has been fantastic. They've been excellent and highly collaborative. Moreover, they've managed the budget and deadlines within expectations. Whenever we have change requests, we discuss them collaboratively, and they always make it very clear what the new pricing and timelines would be. Overall, they've managed the project effectively.

As for communication, we use Microsoft Teams, on which we have a dedicated team channel where we communicate and share information. We also have a standing weekly call, and we add additional calls when needed.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

techahead's team has been fantastic. I would particularly give a shout-out to Iram, Garima (Business Analyst), and a brand new business analyst who just joined to take over Garima. I've only met her once, but she's been excellent as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Given that we're building this app from scratch, techahead's ability to take my ideas and translate them into viable products is their most impressive skill. The biggest challenge for an entrepreneur is communicating something in their mind to translate it into a real-life business. techahead's ability to do that is outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Building a mobile app requires a complicated process, so any issue I could highlight is almost unavoidable on these projects. There's nothing I would have techahead to improve. I can just ask them to ensure that we complete and release a good product.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Get to know the full team that will work on your project and establish strong relationships with the developers and business analysts, not just the project manager. Moreover, ensure that you're available, especially due to the time difference you might experience. Be committed to having the flexibility required in your time management so that you can maximize the working hours overlap.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a nightclub solutions company. We have an app where clients can order drinks from their phones directly to the bartender at a nightclub.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with techahead?

We needed help with web and mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

techahead’s team has designed and created the web and Android and iOS mobile versions of our platform. Their work includes API integrations, email and text automation, and UI/UX design using Figma, Toolio, SendGrid, and Adobe XD.

Regarding the process, they’ve started by having discovery calls with us and signing an NDA and intellectual property agreement. After the call, we’ve decided on a budget and shared a document and blueprint evaluation to give them an idea of what we’re looking for. Continuing from there, the team has referred me to their development team in India.

In terms of features, the app allows users to interact with nightclubs within the perimeter and to transact with them.

The team will continue to provide maintenance for the platforms since they have a three-month warranty.

What was the team composition? 

We’ve worked with around six members of techahead’s team, including Veenu (Senior Business Analyst).

How did you come to work with techahead?

We found them via Clutch.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $100,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

techahead’s work has met our expectations.

How did techahead perform from a project management standpoint?

techahead’s team delivers the work on time and budget and communicates well with us. Regarding tools, we use Zoom, Google Sheets, and Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

techahead’s development knowledge is their biggest strength.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could provide more visual updates.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure you’re up to date with the latest updates that techahead’s team does, and try to keep up with their pace to avoid holding them back because sometimes they can be ahead of you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the founder and CEO of SeatEats, a mobile app development company in the food and beverage industry for sports venues.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with techahead?

We needed some help with mobile app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Initially, we went through a discovery phase with techahead. This was a 3–4-week process, during which we went through everything I wanted for this app to include, how I wanted it to look, and which process flows it would require; it was an interesting and helpful phase.

After the discovery phase, techahead provided us with a quote in case we decided to move forward with them for the actual app development. They had done a decent job during that phase, so I stuck with them.

Since then, techahead has developed this mobile app from scratch for both iOS and Android devices. To date, we've been working together on ongoing development work for almost three years. As for the technology stack, they've used Flutter for iOS development.
What is the team composition?
We've had at least 30 developers from techahead working on this app. We've also worked with a few project managers. For the last year, the main project manager has been very helpful. Moreover, Shanal (CCO) was the first team member we communicated with.

How did you come to work with techahead?
We've found them through a Google search. We also talked to a few other companies, but techahead seemed to be the right fit for us. From the first time that I talked to Shanal, I knew that they would go above and beyond for us.
How much have you invested with them?
We've spent around $180,000.
What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around February 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They've done a great job for us so far. Our app isn't live yet, so I can't speak for it regarding results. Still, I know that techahead has done a lot of other apps for important companies, and those apps have done very well. As for the work quality, techahead's work is of high, decent quality. I don't have complaints in that regard.

How did the company perform from a project management standpoint?
For the most part, techahead has delivered on time and on budget. At times, they've delivered after the deadline, but I'm also at fault for that. We communicate via Slack and Zoom calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?
Overall, their work is impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?
There's nothing techahead could improve on.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
Expect high-quality work from working with techahead.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a safety-focused dating app. We verify government-issued photo ID of every member. We also verify their selfies to ensure their profile pictures match their photo ID and selfies. Our platform excludes over 700,000 registered sex offenders from joining and prevents users from sending unwanted messages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with techahead?

I engaged techahead to develop our app for iOS and Android. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The techahead team has built our app from scratch. I’ve given them a list of features, criteria, and milestones we want to build. I’ve done the design work with them; their designers have also been involved. They use Adobe for design tasks. For development, they use React Native and Node.js.  

What is the team composition?

Around 4–8 teammates have worked on the project, including product managers and QA specialists. Some of them have worked full-time, while others have worked part-time. 

How did you come to work with techahead?

I found techahead on G2. They had good reviews, and that was one of the key factors that led me to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent nearly $200,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2022, and the project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been live on iOS and Android stores for around two months. I haven’t started marketing the app fully, so I don’t have a lot of users yet. I’m hoping that will change in a couple of months. 

Regarding quality, I’ve worked with multiple development companies — the other ones are good, but techahead is better. I’d recommend them to anyone trying their hand on entrepreneurship.  

How did techahead perform from a project management standpoint?

techahead has met our deadlines and stayed on budget. To communicate, we use Slack and Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their professionalism, and their services have been cost-effective in terms of building the app. They’ve also been knowledgeable and do a good job in terms of chat messaging. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as precise as possible with the details of our goals. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of a Wellness & Fitness company. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build things that make positive change possible every day—like world-class cold therapy tubs and high-heat home saunas that transform discomfort into daily benefits for our minds, moods, bodies and best selves.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire techahead to accomplish?

• Mobile App Development
• IoT Firmware Development
• Mobile App Infrastructure

SOLUTION

How did you find techahead?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select techahead over others?

• Good value for cost

What was the size of techahead’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

We hired TechAhead to help us build the world's first cold plunge and sauna welness app. This app is designed to help users track and measure their cold and hot modalities while enhancing their user experience with our revolutionary products. IoT Controls Having control of our products through a mobile app is a simple and effective way to improve user experience and bring added value to our brand and company.

Additionally, it can provide our engineering team with more information about the device's performance, status, and errors of our products. Ex: Turn your unit off and on, Set temperature, Set modes, schedule Tracking The mobile app will be the first of its kind to allow users to track their cold plunging and sauna activities.

Ex: Track your each cold plunge or sauna session. Including duration, heart rate, number of sessions, etc., Connectivity with key wearable technology (Apple Watch, Whoop, Oura ring), Ability to report on stats over time Guided Content Similar to meditation and breathwork apps, we want to provide guides and programs to help support users cold and sauna practice.

Ex: Guided plunges and sauna videos and audio., Choose from a number of expert guides in breathwork, cold therapy, meditation, sauna. , Beginners, choose a guided program to help you learn how to plunge or sauna., Advanced users, choose a guided program to help you level up your game.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Continuous delivery of builds
• 90%+ completed sprints
• Weekly releases

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

TechAhead does an excellent job once the scope of work is designed. They consistently deliver 90%+ of their defined sprints. We started off using waterfall methodology, but moved to a more agile process which really accelerated our progress through the roadmap. Of course, it is important to note that Tech Ahead's strength for our project is their software development and application management.

This is a partnership, not just a vendor relationship. Our in-house product manager and design team, work seamlessly with them under our agile model to deliver a quality product.

What was your primary form of communication with techahead?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team we have is very good at developing mobile apps with rich features natively. They are also great problem solvers. Our lead, in particular, has been an excellent resource and has really helped the process along on their end.

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

There is always room for improvement for any team. Here are some things I would call out:

1. Testing and QA is always a challenge for any software development team. Especially one where they are halfway across the world developing an app for strangers. The more understanding the team has about what the project is about and what parts of the app are really important, the better testing/QA could be achieved.
2. Design - this is not what they do or what we hired them to do. We started with them doing some of this work, but ultimately moved it in-house. We burned some time up front with them doing the wireframes and design work, but in retrospect we should have kept in-house in the first place. Sticking to your strengths and communicating those is something I would recommend they do in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of The Nurse Coach Collective, Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide online continuing education for registered nurses to help them become health and wellness coaches.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire techahead to accomplish?

Create a Web App E-learning software with robust social features and admin capabilities.

SOLUTION

How did you find techahead?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select techahead over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

What was the size of techahead’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

We hired Techahead to design a web application to serve our business in a variety of ways. First, to provide a more socially-connected e-learning experience for our students with built-in social features, chat, gamification, and email/browser notifications, in addition to all of the things you would expect in a typical e-learning solution such as video/text content, downloads, and payment portals.

They also built an instructor portal that allows instructors to keep easy tabs on students with automated tracking of student progress, ability to set followups, send chats, text, and communicate with students/admin alike. Finally, they created an admin portal with tons of back-end features to streamline business processes, such as payment collections, generating group assignments, assigning certificates of completion, gamification, and a killer course builder.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• A fully functional, beautifully designed web application with admin, instructor, and student portals fuly integrated.
• Delivered within one year of project start date.
• Delivered within budget.

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

Project management was rock solid. We made a mistake on our end of underestimating what we were asking for initially, but they did a great job of accommodating our growing desires for our app. As with any project, the relationship grows with time. We switched from project-based to ongoing development about one-year in, in order to streamline development process. Overall, they were very patient when needed, very creative and thorough business analysts, and highly-skilled technical engineers.

What was your primary form of communication with techahead?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Dedication to completing the project correctly.

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

I think the only thing would be to have set more clear expectations from the beginning in terms of time, effort, and budget required to pull off a job of this magnitude. Admittedly, we were naive and had zero experience building an app before, which resulted in us thinking that you just snap your fingers and tadah, you have an app.

The actual process is quite lengthy and challenging, but I guess you can't say that on a sales call. All in all, I'm very happy they didn't scare us away from the development process; this app will be a complete game changer for our business and will surely be the best investment we've ever made.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO and President of CatchAll

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to develop an innovative mobile app with a completely new idea and needed a strong tech firm to help build the front and backend out completely.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online and found 4 companies that we liked. After extensive interviews and discussions we felt most comfortable with Techahead as they understood exactly what we were aiming for and came into the process with a positive problem solving attitude.

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

We had a series of discovery meetings to discuss the goals of the app and objectives for final product. After introducing some designs and proposed logic, Techahead took it one step further in developing a complete wireframe and comprehensive audit of the entire proposed app.

They worked with us step by step to ensure that each function operated in the way we required and developed within months a working prototype that we were able to beta test. After completing the backend work the App was ready for beta testing and release.

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

We were assigned a project manager and we communicated frequently with the lead front and backend developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within months of beginning the process we were able to Beta test the app with friends and family to collect valuable feedback. We then used that feedback to revise and improve the app and are preparing for a major launch within the coming weeks.

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

The project manager and two leads are incredibly easy to communicate with and are always available for any questions or concerns. Their communication over slack and email makes it very easy to raise simple questions and easily discuss next steps. I found every member of the team I communicated with to be friendly, thoughtful, and professional and enjoyed our frequent meetings.

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

Their ability to take a user story, quickly identify the problem, and find a solution was astonishing. I found their backend and frontend developers incredibly skilled and were able to deliver new builds in record time with zero flaws. Their communication, transparency, and ability to work with us in building a great app was a great experience and will continue to work with them as long as they'll have us as clients.

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

No. I never had any real concerns as they are truly professionals.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO an early stage start that incentivize consumers for being green.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a mobile app developed that was to serve as our main product for the company. Our goal with the first version of the app was to show proof of our concept & give ourselves a solid foundation that would allow us to further scale our business.

SOLUTION

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

We found TechAhead via Clutch. They came in with a clear plan & milestones they were going to hit as we progressed through the construction of our app. They had a fair price & seemed motivated to be apart of what we we're creating.

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

We had a few discovery meeting at first to capture the concept of what we wanted to do. They constructed the wireframes/early designs. We provided feedback to them as early versions were released to us.

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

A project manger (Sajal) was assigned to run our project. I communicated mainly with him as he helped to better convey my ideas & feedback to his team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app was not released as quickly as planned, mainly because of the heavy feedback/changes we we're throwing at them. This feedback was rooted from conversations with our early client base.

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

Sajal, the project manger, was fantastic. We met via zoom frequently (when needed) & communicated mainly through emails the rest of the time. He is a great planner & communicator & very understanding about the stage of our business.

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

The communication and timeliness of responses were great. Everyone I spoke with from their company was friendly & very intelligent. Overall, the app is a great starting point to grow into something powerful. We have some more work to do in regards to making it faster & the ability to reach a large audience quicker. But overall, the app preforms how it should.

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

There were a few misunderstandings when it came to how our users would interact with the app. I am somewhat of a perfectionist when designing our products, so some frustrations I had was the lack of understanding of what would make this simpler/more valuable to our customers. I had to get creative when showing the changes I wanted done so the team would clearly understand them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of a tech company building a Social Media Network.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to build a social media app for mobile phones that could be updated from an admin panel. This project included design, wireframes, and full build out.

SOLUTION

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

I searched through countless companies that build mobile apps and ended with a candidate pool of 7 companies. We decided to go with TechAhead because of their excellent communication, agile workflow style, and the projects they have built.

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

We started with discovery meetings, and once that was ironed out, we moved on to designs and wireframes. We had standing weekly meetings to review progress, etc. Then we built the mobile app and admin panel in parallel. We received test versions along the way, ending with the delivery of an MVP.

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

We had a whole team:

• project manager
• designers
• frontend devs
• backend devs

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within two months, we have had over 500 downloads with a 5-star rating in the app store. This MVP has also helped us raise money on crowdfunding platforms.

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

We had weekly meetings to go over the entire scope but also had meetings during the week whenever we needed to clarify something. We use a project management tool called Zoho that works well to keep everyone in different time zones on the same page.

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

They have worked on a lot of projects of large scale. Their knowledge ran very, very deep with almost any technology or stack you would want to use!

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

There wasn't anything other than some time-zone mix-ups (on my part).

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of a mobile App that connects diners and restaurants, headquartered in Saudi Arabia

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to develop a mobile app for Tabz so that diners can pre-order their meals before arrival at the restaurant, so that they are served within minutes from arrival. The goal was to develop a simple and user friendly app that people would prefer to use.

SOLUTION

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

We interviewed tens of developers we found online, and we chose TechAhead after multiple interviews as they were easy to communicate with, understood our idea and gave us very helpful suggestions. Their price range was reasonable.

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

TechAhead helped us from the beginning, the scope started from finalizing the idea and putting it on paper. They did the wireframes, design, developed the App and website, and we even signed a maintenance contract with them.

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

The project manager was our main contact, we interacted with about 8 other members. We communicated continuously via Slack.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We recently launched the App, and we faced almost no issues with it. Users feedback is always good and the TechAhead team is very flexible and understanding.

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

Communicating with the team was very easy, they were all reachable at all times via Slack and are very responsive. They met the deadlines.

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

The team had shown great skill and experience and was very flexible and understanding. They're also always reachable.

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

No