Torus Tech Co.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Pyxsee. It’s a mobile app with which users can access all their social media accounts in a simple swipe. Our Pyxsee self-timer shows users how much time they’re spending each day on social media and helps create awareness.

Our overall purpose is to generate healthier social media habits—to get users off their phones and engage in the real world. Our newest feature is Pyxsee Parental Control, which allows parents to control, monitor, and set timers for how long their kids spend each day on social media.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Torus Tech Co?

We had a prototype that I developed through freelancers and another company, but its quality was below par. We really needed someone to build our mobile app right.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve been my full-time development team and continually update and keep the app in shape for our users. They developed the iOS version and just finished with the Android one, which is phenomenal progress.

Torus has also been involved in design efforts, bringing many useful ideas to the table such as feature additions. They don’t just develop what I ask of them but rather chip in to create the best product possible. We came up with the parental control together, which has been one of our biggest additions to date.

How did you come to work with Torus Tech Co?

I started spreading the word that I needed a developer and Torus Tech was recommended. I connected with their co-founders and they gave me a very lean price, but what really drew me in was the connection and trust that we had after the first meeting. I knew they were the right team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $10,000–$50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017 and have them on a retainer. There’s a determined amount of their employees working 24/7 on the development and improvements of the app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since launching the new parental control feature this January, we’ve had more than 17,000 iOS downloads and a dramatic retention increase. Our users are staying on our app more and coming back to it more often. We now have a valid revenue model, which we didn’t before working with them.

We don’t have much data on the Android version yet since we just launched it. It was finished in less than a month, which is extremely fast or a development firm. I can easily see Torus as our full-time development team for the long run, along for any other future project. That’s how good their work is.

How did Torus Tech Co perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m in contact with their executives and product manager. Their communication and project management are outstanding. They take their work seriously.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re dedicated and passionate about the projects they choose to work on. Many development firms will take on any kind of project, whether they’re committed to it or not. That’s a very poor decision because if you’re not dedicated, you’re not going to make it the best product that you possibly can.

That’s what separates Torus Tech from other development firms. They really put forth all of their efforts instead of just trying to check off tasks to get the product done. They care about the quality and the overall usage of the app.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder at RaiseUp.org, which consists of 750 online stores including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Best Buy and hundreds of other online stores that offer 1 to 10 percent cash back on a customer's purchase to the customer's chosen charitable cause.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Torus Tech Co.?

We needed developers to build our company’s website and apps and browser extensions from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave Torus an overview of what we wanted for the online site, and they immediately made the suggestion that we consider building an app for our website as well. We agreed that an app would serve our vision, and they built us a platform from scratch that included an online website, apps for both iOS and Android, and browser extensions for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome.

What is the team dynamic? 

We primarily worked with Torus’ two co-founders and its chief operations officer (COO). 

How did you come to work with Torus Tech Co.?

We were looking for a company that was collaborative, local, and cost-effective. While at a networking meeting, my co-founder heard that Torus was capable of navigating sophisticated software builds, so I decided to reach out to one of their co-founders. While speaking with them, I gravitated towards the company's professionalism and heart (they sincerely care). RaiseUp.org’s mission is to help those in need, and I could sense Torus had a similar mission, so we decided to partner with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2016, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ebates, the popular online retailer, has a very sophisticated platform. We never envisioned that we’d have a similar platform for our company, but now our backend is essentially the same as Ebates. And while Ebates only has a Chrome extension, we have an extension for four major browsers.

But perhaps the best way to review the quality of Torus’ work is to actually visit our website, RaiseUp.org, as well as utilize the apps and browser extensions to see how smooth and efficient our platform is.

How did Torus Tech Co. perform from a project management standpoint?

They are wonderful communicators. I had the personal phone numbers of the co-founders and COO, so I could call them whenever. The COO would pick up at 2:00 a.m. if necessary. If I left a voicemail, they’d get back to me within the same day. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Torus understands that you can’t anticipate every possible scenario that could arise while working on a custom-built platform. Unlike other companies I’ve worked with, they maintained the budget we agreed upon because they didn’t charge us extra for every alteration they had to make throughout the process due to unforeseen complications. They delivered what we wanted and more for around $100,000, when it could’ve easily costed us somewhere in the $400,000 range. Their price was phenomenal for their level of expertise and dedication to the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on their internal testing before they deliver a final product to the customer, to ensure its functionality. They could also improve on informing their customers what upkeep is required for their products.