Topflight Apps

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief technical officer at a company that designs and sells machines for brewing beer at home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We needed someone to develop a multi-platform app for running our device, because we only had a prototype that was being used with Android-based applications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight edited our initial app that was written in React Native. Before we started working with Topflight, we were developing a prototype version of the app in Android Studio using JavaScript. We had a previous developer create the initial prototype, which was already able to do some of the basic functionalities that we wanted.

It interacted with a custom backend that we had for our machines, that was both receiving and sending information. Another functionality was interacting with Stripe, for doing a custom store that was built in our app.

After Topflight finished their work, we had a more functional app that was able to do most of the functions that we wanted. They made sure that the app was able to interact with the firmware on our devices, and multiple backends of the API.

What is the team composition?

I was directly working with two people, Jacob (Senior Developer) and Francesco (CTO & Project Manager). Also, I believe there was a third person on their team doing some of the QA before they would pass it along to us.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

It’s been a while, but I think we found Topflight while we were searching around either on Craigslist or some other job site. We started working with them when our previous developer moved on to another project.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested roughly between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2019–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t have any metrics, but we basically got updated APKs to test internally. We based it on how it performed on both their QA and my internal testing.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well in terms of project management. They were a little slower than we would have liked in some situations, but we did only give them 20 hours a week. They were unable to do so much per week, because sometimes we would run out of hours in that week, and they’d have to wait for the next week to finish some parts of the project.

We mostly communicated through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The thing I found most impressive was they were very reactive and responsive to questions and comments, or when various things came up.    

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything where they can improve based on their company structure.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would tell them that they should realize that they’re hiring a design firm, rather than an individual developer. Therefore, they should take into consideration that they’re going to have one or more programmers with a project manager, and people who will be doing QA behind the scenes. They should then account for all the hours they're going to be spending with them, and make sure they realize that they will not just be paying for a developer.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the business manager at a cosmetic medspa. We have two locations, one in Los Angeles and another in New York.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We were looking to build an app that was both client-facing and admin-facing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps developed a native iOS mobile app from scratch. On the client-side, customers had access to our services, their patient profile, and treatment plans. On the back-end, we can manage our services, quote clients, ad handle check-out internally. Their team helped strategize how to implement the features we wanted.

What is the team composition?

We mainly interacted with Nelio (Senior Developer & Project Management) who was our point of contact for development and the CEO was involved in project oversight.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

We recieved a referral through another technology consultant we work with.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing project began in February 2013. We just wrapped the first main set of features, so we put the project on hold. Although, we plan on picking back up.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, all of the features we asked for have been built out. They met every milestone. Topflight Apps is very helpful. Their strategy helped us figured exactly what we wanted and how to accomplish it.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Our tech lead was involved in the day to day project management. We keep track of everything in a Google Sheet and communicate via phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Topflight Apps is accomodating and flexible. When we changed the direction of the project, they were able to roll with it. They came up with additional functions we weren’t even thinking about. Their team understood how to make our app user-friendly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At one point, they seemed a little bit busy, but I think they had a lot of projects. Putting ourselves on retainer solved the issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Topflight Apps is good at helping you figure out what you need to do, but it’s helpful to come prepared with your overall goals figured out so they can help you get there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a company that creates a virtual drug and alcohol recovery coach.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

When we came to them, we had been using a different developer for our app, which is a chatbot for drug and alcohol recovery. That developer hadn’t been able to execute our vision, so we came to Topflight Apps with a problem app that we needed to be fixed and launched. 

We wanted to make sure that we were working with a company that could both solve a problem and also create the vision we were going for.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps created a CMS that used a complex decision tree. We have a very graphic look to everything, so they executed graphically how the chatbot would interact with customers and sorted the content through the CMS and decision tree. 

They also inserted data analytics into the app so that we could get feedback on what the subscribers were doing. We had our own design coming into it, and it’s an iOS and Android app.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a full-stack developer, a QA specialist, and a project manager. The team would also occasionally bring in someone to help with payment systems. 

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

I did a Google search for app companies that specialize in the medical industry since we have security concerns related to that. We also wanted companies that had well-designed websites themselves and that were US-based. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $180,000 so far. It took about $100,000 to get our initial app launched, and we’re about $80,000 into the next build. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2020, and our engagement is ongoing. Our iOS app was launched in June and the Android app, in July. They’re continuing to work with us on building out new phases of the app. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our biggest goal was getting a working app launched, which they did. They also launched data analytics. Everything works well, and even though we’ve had some minor bug issues, Topflight Apps went in and fixed those. They’ve been good about staying on top of everything and getting us a working project.  

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent. We communicate on Slack and ClickUp. I’ve been impressed because any time they've had the opportunity to pass blame, they haven’t.

They’ve taken responsibility for anything that might have been on their end, and they’ve been incredibly professional. They’re great at admitting when they’re wrong and at fixing issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Everyone on their team is high-quality. Topflight Apps must have a good hiring process because they have a standard of quality that’s upheld by every person on their team, which is impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve been happy with them. They communicate well and have good expertise. There’s nothing that I’d like them to change. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Strongly communicate what you want and need because that’s the best way to get what you want. At the same time, allow Topflight Apps to have some creative input because they are creative.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own an online company that helps our clients build sustainable, healthy habits over the course of a 10-week challenge.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We worked with a web development company to build our first website, which was abysmal. The provider didn’t charge that much but promised a lot. We learned from our mistake and decided to pay more to get a top-notch product from a top-notch team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps developed the second rendition of our website. Their team built us a new site from scratch—from the landing page to the backend of the UX. We used content from the previous site, but other than that, we started the project from the beginning with Topflight App. We had an idea of what we wanted to achieve with our website. They listened and collaborated, suggesting ideas to enhance our original idea. 

What is the team composition?

Depending on the stage of development, we worked with different people. We collaborated with a designer who put together a nonfunctioning website for us to visualize the end product. Then, he passed the project on to two web developers. We also always had a project manager who oversaw the developers. 

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

We found Topflight Apps on Clutch. We put in keywords but didn’t know anything about web development or the expertise that the job required. I put keywords into Google and found a Clutch page that listed the top 50 web developers. I compared the prices of a few different agencies and went with an agency that promised a lot but charged little initially. Topflight Apps kept in touch and asked about our specific programs. That showed that their team cared about our product, so I connected with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

With Topflight Apps, we spent $50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our communications in October 2019 and their team completed the project in January 2020. We’re going to continue developing our website with Topflight Apps.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had more people sign-up for our current challenge than the total number of people who signed-up all of last year’s challenges combined. That’s a combination of efforts including Topflight Apps'. All of last year, our clients hated the website. The first website never functioned as expected, so we talked with our developers constantly. With the website that Topflight Apps built, we only hear rave reviews. We haven’t had any complaints about functionality, so they did an amazing job.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email but also had a weekly video conference. They dedicated a project manager who was with me the whole time. There was another person who oversaw him, so if there were any issues, management stepped in and handled everything quickly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Topflight Apps provides quality work and communicates exceptionally well. Those are their top two qualities, which I care about most. They’re also innovative. Their team wanted to brainstorm in order to build a product that brought their knowledge and our vision together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The onboarding process could’ve been better because I wanted to know more about what to expect. I was stuck in limbo waiting for them to talk to me about our next steps. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would over-communicate your ideas and goals. At the end of the day, if they don’t know what you want, it’s hard to make that happen. If they know your vision, they can bring it to life.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president and founder of appyperks, an app-based rewards program for business. The free app allows users to spin a prize wheel from multiple businesses and win whatever perk the business has agreed to, whether that’s 10% off or a free coffee. Businesses can sign up for free for 30 days and after that only have to pay when a user visits their profile and spends their perks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We needed a development partner for our app and website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps developed both native iOS and Android versions of the app. Their team built the apps from scratch, writing their own code. The app allows businesses to sign in and create an admin profile so they can create campaigns for users to see.

They are also developing our website in React. While the designs have been completed, the content has not been uploaded yet. Their team is currently finishing up QA on the app. 

What is the team composition?

I know there were quite a few people working behind the scenes but I was in constant communication with three people, Joe (Founder, Topflight Apps), Joshua (UI/UX Designer, Topflight Apps), and Francesco (iOS and React Developer, Topflight Apps). 

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

I researched app development companies online, exclusively using Clutch because I wanted to make sure I had a good fit for my budget and project. After reading their reviews, I decided to work with Topflight Apps. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested about $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with Topflight Apps began in December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I consistently check the app in real-time, going in from the business admin side to create a company and running a campaign to see if it’s functioning properly. Everything has been working and passing all of my tests.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Everyone at Topflight Apps is excellent. My main point of contact, Francesco, always kept me in the loop about scope creep. He paid attention to everything. We primarily communicated over email, and I would always get a response back within about 20 minutes.

Joe treated us as if we were his only project, which we appreciated. I was also able to meet with Joshua in person since he is local to me. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Topflight Apps went above and beyond to deliver a fantastic product. I wouldn’t even call it an MVP because I didn’t want to bring something to businesses that was only half working. They kept me on track, letting me know when features weren’t needed and when I needed to expand my original vision. We’re going to have a second development phase and we plan on working with Topflight Apps for that too.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we had a great experience. They weren’t the biggest development company, but those companies would have cost much more and it wouldn’t have resulted in a better project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good idea of what you really want to do ahead of time. I came to them with a 25 slide deck, so we had a good head start. Know what you want instead of depending on them to figure it out for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Tygon, a company that designs a consumer electronic health product that has both hardware and software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We needed a partner to develop our app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps built a cross-platform app, with the primary focus being on an iOS platform. We have plans to transfer it to an Android platform soon. We provided them with the app’s overall functionality and a basic color scheme. From there, Topflight Apps did both design and dev, including UX. The app has Bluetooth capability to allow it to control the hardware device and monitor its temperature, wireless charging, and other functions. It’s currently being field tested.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

We found them through an online search. They were highly reviewed, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership lasted from May 2018–February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t run any official tests yet, but I’ve done my own testing, and the app works well.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was organized and communicative, keeping us updated on project progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re honest and stand by their word. They communicated extremely well and were able to execute my vision perfectly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The engagement could’ve been a bit shorter, but it wasn’t anything too terrible.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Give them as much information as possible at the beginning of the engagement to make it a smooth partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Xennial Corporation. We’re creating an app called Betmingo.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

I had an idea for an application but needed an experienced firm to guide me through the development process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I approached Topflight Apps with some basic wireframes of the app I wanted to build. They designed the frontend interface and coded the platform using React Native and Firebase. That approach enables the app to function on both iOS and Android devices. They also built the app’s accompanying website using WordPress.

At its core, the app is a crowdsourced user database that allows people to input data regarding specific data points. The software lists up-to-date information regarding gambling and gaming tables. Those listings include betting minimums, table rules, and locations.

The system has multiple layers of functionality including data input restrictions (location verification) to maintain the accuracy of the database. Our backend uses analytic processes to track user data. That helps us identify priority users and augment our advertisement monetization accordingly.

What is the team composition?

Joe (Founder, Topflight Apps) is our primary point of contact. We also interact with a UI/UX designer, a QA resources, a project manager, and two developers.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

I found them by searching for vendors on Clutch.co. They were one of the only providers to respond to my inquiry after learning about the project’s size. We established email communication and went from there. Joe was pleasant to talk with and provided a detailed explanation of their development process.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Topflight Apps built a high-quality mobile platform in an impressively short amount of time. The apps will launch once we upload everything to mobile storefronts. Their pricing estimates are fair, and the proposed timelines have been accurate.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

I communicate with the team on a daily basis via Slack. They initiate weekly or biweekly sprints that we track through Trello. This is my first experience working with a development firm, but it’s been a reasonably smooth process thus far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I have no app development experience, but they’ve been able to guide me through the process and communicate effectively. They understand my vision and are working hard to make it a reality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I can’t think of any meaningful criticism.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Coming to them with a detailed pitch accelerated the project. They used the wireframes I provided to assign the correct resources and calculate a reasonable price.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a professor of emergency medicine at an educational institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

I needed someone to develop my app idea. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed my app for iOS and Android for a new research field I was doing, as well as the patient dashboard. After they fainted, patients would enroll themselves in this study. It gives the patient a dashboard and user-friendly interface to work within the app as opposed to just answering surveys and putting in data like the prior company had done. They built a geolocator as well.

I’ve focused on iOS to start with, and I just launched the app. The wearables with Apple and the iOS version are much more integrated than with Google Fit, so it made more sense to put the effort into iOS. Although they did a similar Android platform, I haven’t launched on the Android site yet.

They also produced a professional grade video for me and did a great job on that.

What is the team composition?

My main contacts were with their developer/project manager and their founder. I’m sure there were other people doing the testing.

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

I started this project with another company but I needed someone who was able to better customize my app. They recommended working with Topflight Apps.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They really did a great job making the UI and the customization of the app optimal for me. I’ve had good feedback from users about the dashboard.

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great to work with. They’re timely, and I’m happy with the end result. It’s been seamless. If I have questions, I email the project manager, and he gets right back to me. We had frequent conference calls to make sure the project was moving along or to clarify emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly personable and on top of their work. They’re fluid and dynamic and quick to respond to my needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can't name anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Athcorpo, a behavioral-based analytic software provider for government and private entities. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We needed help with the development of our AI software and making it accessible on all digital devices. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Topflight Apps walked us through a discovery phased initially, asking our team questions and developing mockups for the UI. They then created the UX and developed a progressive web application, using technologies such as MySQL, Laravel, and React.

What is the team composition? 

We work with 9–10 developers and designers, as well as Joe (Founder, Topflight Apps).

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

We met one of their developers and started a rapport that eventually evolved into a partnership. We were sold on working with them mostly for that fact that they had won a design award for another web-based platform. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested over $120,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since July 2017 and plan to only work with them on any further iterations needed. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're very happy with the product Topflight Apps developed for us overall. They went above and beyond to deliver a product that exceeded expectations. Thanks to some of their design efforts, we were recently picked up by a business incubator and will make our products available in their catalog. 

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very efficient with their time, operating in two-week sprints.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their willingness to do whatever it takes to make the product works sets them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their advice–they know what they're doing and are exceptionally professional.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of finance at Select Ortho. We dispense durable medical equipment at orthopedic clinics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Topflight Apps?

We were developing new proprietary software for our clinics. A couple of developers started the software, and we were having some issues getting the software up and running.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We are developing an order entry software; the existing software had a lot of rules to walk through. The documentation for healthcare billing requires the system to manage a lot of “ifs” and “ands” based on what item is being dispensed. Topflight Apps worked with the existing code and then updated the code from AngularJS 1 to AngularJS 5 to make it easier to work with. We also needed the code updated so it would handle the tree of entries necessary to be made by the fitter when they enter a particular product and billing code to bill the insurance payers.

We’re in the implementation phase now. They’ve been extremely responsive to adjusting items and addressing issues that we’re having with the code when we interface with an inventory management system. There are issues that you can’t identify when you’re testing. Once it’s onsite and live, there are things that pop up that you never could foresee. That’s been ongoing.

We’ve scheduled a meeting to look at doing the next phase of development.

What is the team composition?

We work with Nelio (Project Manager, Topflight Apps), one main developer, and Heather (QA Specialist, Topflight Apps). 

How did you come to work with Topflight Apps?

We were referred to Topflight Apps by our backend developer.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2018 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The fact that we’re up and running is the metric that’s most important to us. It’s a service that we’re able to provide to our clients, which nobody else in the industry can provide.

Our internal fitters are the ones using it right now. They’re generally set in their ways because they have a process that they’ve been using for a few years, so we knew it was going to be challenging to get them to switch over to a completely different process. At the initial location where we rolled it out, the acceptance of what we were doing was almost instantaneous. Employee acceptance of the new process has been absolutely fantastic. We’re really pleased. We’ve now rolled it out at two other sites. 

How did Topflight Apps perform from a project management standpoint?

There’s one person in charge to make sure the project is going forward. We’ve been using Microsoft project management software to track our progress. We have weekly calls to discuss issues and next phases and steps.

They work well with our team. Healthcare billing is especially complex and there’s a lot of documentation, especially dealing with Medicare. They were great at understanding the flow of what we needed and when we needed it and what needed to happen when a particular item was dispensed.

Heather was great at interfacing between our clinical people who were talking in a clinical language and the developers who were talking in a technical language. She meshed those together and understood what needed to be done on our side with documentation and workflow and conveyed exactly how the code needed to look and work to the developers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re responsive to our issues or questions we have. There’s not a lot of lag time between us contacting them and them at least letting us know they’re working on it. The implementation of our requests is normally less than 24 hours. 

They understand what we’re trying to accomplish. They are far and above anybody else that we’ve worked with. They took the time to understand our business so the software we’re developing works for our business. It’s been impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It’s been a great experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you know what your goal is. It makes the process a lot easier.