Tepia

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company wanted to develop an application for credit card security.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Tepia Co?

I needed Tepia Co to develop a mobile app prototype, which included both hardware and software. They needed to integrate the two and, thankfully, they had a team that had the ability to do that. What I was developing was essentially a credit authentication application, which involved using hardware to recognize card information and sync that with the app side. They developed a holistic solution to accomplish all of this, and I was happy with the result.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They worked on mobile application development, predominantly for iOS. They built the application exclusively for me. There was no need to go out to the marketplace to launch the product.

They managed to come up with a wireframe and solution quickly. We would iron out all of the details and refine the process. We would identify what was realistic and what could be achieved. They also performed stress testing. It was important for me to work closely with the team, to identify what was working and what wasn't working and have them fix any problems accordingly. I thought the face-to-face interaction and close rapport was important. I was able to work closely with the team and get the product that I wanted.

In my case, I had already envisioned the app and how I wanted it to work. I knew exactly what I wanted, so I didn't need them to give me any help with that. I just wanted to know how long the project would take. They would let me know what hurdles they came across, and then I would give them whatever feedback or suggestions I could. They would build the product and ask me to check it out. They would send me the app, I'd play around with it, stress test it, and let them know what I thought.

How did you come to work with Tepia Co?

I used Google to look for a developer that was close to where I live. I did find a few other developers online, but they were all remote. The big plus for me was that Tepia Co was close to where I live, so I had the chance to go visit them and discuss the problem and the solution I needed. I think the face-to-face interaction was important.

If I had used one of the remote sources, I would have needed to sign up on their website, then tell them what I wanted, and they would try to communicate through email and phone calls. I didn't think this would be the best way to go because there will always be issues, they would always need feedback and we would always need to go back and forth. The biggest plus with Tepia Co is that they are close to where I live, so I could pop into the office to see what's going on and discuss any issues that needed to be resolved. Thankfully, they were very responsive.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

A ballpark figure for my project would be something less than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in the beginning of May and is now complete.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics, or other feedback from this engagement?

I thought the quality of the work Tepia Co did was very good. It was about a 90 percent match to what we had discussed, so they delivered 90 percent of what was expected. The other 10 percent was mainly me being picky and because of my personal preferences. That 10 percent was not very material – it was more about aesthetics or process, but it wasn't a big deal. Ninety percent of the result was exactly as I envisioned it. I was very pleased with the result.

The time needed to fine tune the product did go slightly beyond what was expected, but I kind of knew that would happen, given the complexity of the project.

What distinguishes Tepia Co from other providers?

They're very responsive, and they worked on what needed to be done when it counted. They were very responsive to my feedback and to taking calls at odd hours. I was very pleased with that. I liked Tepia Co's responsiveness. It was almost like I was part of their team, and that I could give constructive feedback whenever it was needed. They would work on a part of the project, let me test it, then respond to my feedback.

They were building the product from scratch and keeping me posted on how they were doing and what issues were coming up. They were very amendable to work with. I really enjoyed the experience—I thought it was good. I actually became friends with the owner, so we had a good working relationship. If I needed something to get done, he would work on it to make sure it happened.

Is there anything Tepia Co could have improved or done differently?

Keeping on schedule could have been a bit better, but I expected that issues would crop up. They could do more due diligence on their abilities, because a lot of times they told me they could do something but then needed time to actually figure out how to do it. That meant that things sometimes took longer than anticipated, that issues would come up that they had trouble resolving or that needed more time or resources.

I would say they could do a little more homework on what would be possible in completing the requirements of a project before committing to the client, but for me it wasn't a big issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Vokl TV is a social media network specifically for television fans. We're located in Los Angeles. I think this will be our third television season at this point.

Vokl TV has evolved since we've started working with Tepia during the last three years. Originally, it allowed audiences to register their emotions while they're watching a live television event, with either a positive or negative response. As the audience does this, we are able to tally those stats in real time and display them back to the user through an app.

For example, we're coming up to an election year. If you're watching a debate, you can sit there with Vokl TV as you're watching the debate and as the candidates are talking about topics, you can register what you like and don't like versus trying to think of something to say on social media, like Facebook or Twitter. We found that if you're posting to Facebook, there are certain topics that you kind of stay away from – politics especially. On Twitter, if you're not a big celebrity or influencer, you're not really going to get a lot of engagement. You can post your opinion, but it's very rare you're going to get any type of feedback.

What is your position?

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Tepia Co?

We needed to make our concept Vokl TV into a mobile application.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Working with Tepia, we realized that our platform could become very powerful, especially during elections or for very simple reality-type shows. When you feel some type of emotion, you can register it and compare how the entire audience is feeling versus your response. During the last three years and with Tepia's help, we have evolved. We still do the trends, but we also became a social media aggregator for your favorite shows as well. You don't have to go to Twitter, Facebook, a YouTube channel, or Instagram. We're bringing it all to you so you can have one aggregator to keep up with your shows or favorite celebrities.

Our contract with Tepia says mobile app development, but they have brought in additional value as well. They've been involved in business development and technology innovation, but that's the kind of thing that is not going to show up in a contract. This is how the relationship has evolved during the last two or three years.

How did you come to work with Tepia Co?

The first firm we worked with did not meet our needs fully, so we started looking for another company.

This time I went through the entire process, and I must have interviewed about 10 teams. I covered just about everybody, from a guy on Craigslist who wanted to charge almost nothing while making huge promises, all the way up to Northern California startup-type teams who worked only on big apps. I finally found Tepia through a Craigslist ad. They were just starting out, and I met the owner [Abraham Agopian] at a Starbucks.

Right off the bat, he impressed me. He was low key and inviting – a cool guy. He is very technically savvy, but he speaks like a normal person, like someone who is not in technology. He makes technology very easy to understand. He's an entrepreneur himself, so he kind of understood where we were coming from and where we wanted to go because he's been there as well.

We noticed his pricing was on the lower side, and usually that's a red flag in technology. You don't want to pay too much and you don't want to pay too little. There's some kind of sweet spot in the middle. He was kind of low to middle. I asked him about that, and it was his answer that convinced me that this is our man. He gave me a shocking answer when he said, "I'm just starting out. This would be great for our company's resume. There's only one direction for my company to go, and it's up." My guess would be that a year from now, he might not even take my project.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We've spent just less than $50,000 working with Tepia.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think the relationship started in January 2013, and I'm still currently working with them. At this point, we've had five iterations since the first version of the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics or other feedback from this engagement?

Tepia didn't just develop the app and move on to the next one. As I said, when we engaged with them all the paperwork was specifically just to develop the app. The added-value services that we got, from marketing and defining the mission of the company, these are among the additional things that Tepia helped us with, even though they were well outside the scope of the original contract.

I remember our first launch. Tepia's marketing and public relations had created a buzz even before we launched. We were being talked about, and people really anticipated our launch. When we launched, it was like all hell broke loose – we didn't expect that many sign-ons. In the first hour, almost 2,000 people signed on. I literally just tweeted, "Hey, it's available!" and then all hell started breaking loose. Tepia helped us with everything. I can't even describe how much they helped us with trying to define what we are, from a technology point of view, to marketing, to business development. It's been really great.

What distinguishes Tepia Co from other providers?

There's a lot of outsourcing that's going on in most companies, and that's both good and bad. Outsourcing is good because it might keep your costs down, but from an innovation point of view it's bad. Sometimes when you outsource something – either abroad or in the United States – if you come with a wireframe, you're going to tell your provider exactly what you want in your website or app. Then, they will develop exactly what you want and would meet all the requirements. But, they are not likely to push the envelope to try something new and creative. Outsourcing is both a good and a bad thing.

For example, if you are asking for a function that actually has no value or no impact on the customer, maybe even a detrimental impact, some teams won't tell you. What I liked about the team at Tepia Co was they looked at the project as it was progressing and would point out possible problems and suggest different approaches. I really appreciated that. I don't think most people would do that. They are going to do exactly what you want, especially if you are working with outsourced teams. That really is the differentiator, because Tepia doesn't come across as a vendor that does your project and then moves on. I really felt like we were partners. If I could afford an in-house team, it would probably be exactly like them.

Is there anything Tepia Co could have improved or done differently?

I don't think so. I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a Southern California technology startup that has created a mobile and a web-based platform for the staffing industry. We are right now an Uber for staffing services for local companies, but we're planning on going nationwide.

What is your position?

I am the chief executive officer of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Tepia?

We needed mobile app development services, specifically Android, as well as website development.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

As a startup, we had some big ideas. We came to Tepia with those big ideas, but we weren't too technologically savvy. We came to them with our ideas and concepts and how we wanted potentially to move forward. They worked with us on the technology side on how to help us build our mobile and web-based strategies. They did a terrific job on that.

How did you come to work with Tepia?

We looked at several different companies. I went through Yelp and some referrals from friends. Tepia had a great Yelp rating, and that was important to us. We interviewed a couple different developers in the area, but Tepia seemed to be the most knowledgeable and seemed to have the best reviews. A couple of people that I knew indirectly had worked with them as well, and their references were great. All of that helped me make the decision to go with Tepia.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We've spent about $20,000 to $30,000 working with Tepia, along with a few other minor charges.

What is the status of this engagement?

We initially started working with Tepia in the summer of 2014 and finalized everything in November. We had started talking to developers in the summer, found Tepia, and finalized everything with them around October or November. We're still working with them. We want to do an iOS version, so we'll probably go back to them for our Apple app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics or other feedback from this engagement?

The engagement has been great, and all our customers love the app. It has been bug-free, which was the most important thing for me. The design is beautiful and elegant, just like I wanted. Even though we ran into minor problems or changes because we're a startup and things change quickly, Tepia was flexible enough to move with us, which was great. That's probably the most important thing about Tepia, their flexibility, especially for a startup like ours. Things change – customers want new things and want to make changes. Tepia was there through the whole thing, which was important.

What distinguishes Tepia from other providers?

They're local, which is good, and they are very friendly. They have a nice office environment that we visited a few times – very cozy and very nice. That was definitely helpful for us. Tepia is just very knowledgeable and has a very strong technical team. That's obviously extremely important in this field. They got things done quickly and efficiently, and that was definitely important to us.

Is there anything Tepia could have improved or done differently?

I'm happy with everything. All my concerns were dealt with in a timely manner. If we had any issues or delays, they were probably caused on my end. I could probably have prepared my work better. I could probably have done better on our features sets, wireframes and things like that. They were patient with us. I can't really complain about anything. They were very good on everything on their side. If there were any delays, it was more on our end.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Umami Food Service

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Food Service distrubtion company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• app development

SOLUTION

How did you find Tepia?

Online Search

Why did you select Tepia over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Tepia were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Mobile app and web app development 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1) our customer mobile app is working properly after Tepia helped us redevelop it

2) Tepia is supporting us with our admin web app

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

Tepia does a great job at managing the project scope and timeline. 

What was your primary form of communication with Tepia?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I'm impressed with Tepia staff... They bring a great amount of knowledge and ideas to the table. 

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

Area of improvement - stage and quality control app better before release

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of The Worktool

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Worktool is a social media platform that connects small business owners with their customers and provides digital tools for our users to manage their business. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• App Development
• App Design

SOLUTION

How did you find Tepia?

Referral

Why did you select Tepia over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Other

How many teammates from Tepia were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Build and launch a social media platform with built in digital tools including a directory, direct and group messaging, full service CRM, and build foundation to add future tools. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Deliverables as contracted. 

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

Project management has been exceptional. There were slight delays in timelines but for the size and scope of our project that was expected. I have had very scheduled and timely virtual meetings with my project manager throughout our project. Tepia is accommodating with working with a new to tech founder and their process shows their professional ability. I highly recommend hiring Tepia for any size development project. 

What was your primary form of communication with Tepia?

Virtual Meeting

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

Tepia's team is very professional and cares about achieving the results they are hired to accomplish. 

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CFO of EstateRX

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a document storage company, storing Wills and Trusts for delivery at a time of need.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Software Development

SOLUTION

How did you find Tepia?

Referral

Why did you select Tepia over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Tepia were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We asked Tepia Co. to create a browser-based application to store and deliver documents based on specific criteria. They started from scratch, building the program, working through bugs and creating fixes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have gone from an idea to a working program that matches all the desired criteria.

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

The Tepia team was highly focused and paid close attention to details. Communicating clearly and efficiently during creation, development and delivery. 

What was your primary form of communication with Tepia?

Virtual Meeting

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

Tepia was incredibly detail-oriented and laser-focused on the goal and final product.

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

Nothing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a dating application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tepia?

We needed support to develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tepia supports the development of our mobile application. I worked with two development companies before I engaged with Tepia and had a difficult time. The previous vendors couldn't fulfill our project's requirements or deliver work in a timely manner. Tepia has revamped and fixed all the app's existing code. Initially, I gave Tepia access to the app's entire code, and the team conducted a deep dive diagnostic and identified issues that needed to be fixed for the app to work correctly. 

Our app is available for Android and iOS devices and offers a dating application with a gamification ability. The app also has traditional dating app swiping functionalities and a bank of questions for users to ask questions directly to each other and get the tougher questions out of the way before they go on a date. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Brianna (Director of Engineering) and Jacob (Project Manager). 

How did you come to work with Tepia?

After my negative experience with previous vendors, I conducted an extensive Google search throughout the US for the proper development partner and had a clear idea of what I wanted from a potential vendor. Tepia was honest and upfront from the beginning, and I appreciated it since the previous vendors were good at selling but not delivering the required work. 

How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent around $20,000–$25,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Tepia started in the first quarter of 2023 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Tepia has successfully launched our mobile application and delivered good-quality work. We haven't experienced any problems regarding their work quality. 

How did Tepia perform from a project management standpoint?

Tepia has worked very hard fixing the code the previous developers had worked on. Although the team has missed deadlines, I don't consider it a success measure since Tepia has had a heavy workload with many issues to fix. We communicate via email to set up 30–45 minute calls. We also send text messages if something needs to be addressed quickly, although it doesn't happen frequently. 

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

I've worked closely with Brianna, and she is absolutely amazing. 

What did you find most impressive about them?
Tepia has become a partner to me. I appreciate that I not only direct and tell them what to do, but Tepia helps me think differently about my product and challenges my thoughts to improve my application. Tepia offers suggestions and is aware of our budget since we're a small company, being direct about the functionalities required for the app. We have a collaborative process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Tepia to improve on. Brianna and Jacob have performed an amazing job and understood what I was looking for.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I recommend potential clients have a clear plan of their development requirements and be open to suggestions from an experienced development team. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Mother's Nutritional Center

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Retail Sales

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop IOS/Android App

SOLUTION

How did you find Tepia?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Tepia over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Tepia were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Develop Ios and Android apps. Develop back end web portals.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Project completion.

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

Management team was phenomenal. They always addressed all of my requirements and concerns in a very timely and professional manner.

What was your primary form of communication with Tepia?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Project managment and end product was very on point.

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

none.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a social media platform with marketplace features.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Tepia Co?

I didn’t have any technical background, and I sought a reliable developer to guide me and help me build our MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tepia Co helps me with website development; they’ve taken care of everything from wireframing, designing, developing, implementing, testing, and integrating third-party solutions into the platform. In addition, they give us input and feedback on what route to take to improve our product and are heading into providing maintenance to the system.

Regarding features, the site allows users to use marketplace functionalities.

What was the team composition? 

We work with two members of their team, including Abraham (President) and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Tepia Co?

I found them through a Google search and looked at their Clutch profile. We chose them for this project because they seemed interested in the project and fit our budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve received positive feedback from the people that have seen the site. In addition, they’ve quickly taken care of every bug that has arisen through their QA team. Overall, I feel confident about Tepia Co’s work.

How did Tepia Co perform from a project management standpoint?

Tepia Co has stayed within budget and has adapted to our change requests to deliver as soon as possible. Moreover, I’m amazed by their ability to simplify everything into layperson’s terms so I can understand the process — they have experience working with non-tech-savvy clients like me. Regarding tools, we communicate via Gmail and Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I trust them on a personal level, and they’re available for me 24 hours a day. In addition, they’ve gone out of their way to find solutions to our problems, which shows that they care about us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could enhance their communication about timeline management; they removed a senior developer and a project manager in the middle of the process, which caused hiccups throughout the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an idea of what you need and be prepared for the process to avoid delays and have an efficient project.