Twin Sun

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO and Founder of a networking company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company works with organizations and their member base to foster in-person friendships through events, online interest groups, and one-on-one friendship forums to help build engagement and connections in the community. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Twin Sun to accomplish?

• Build out a custom website
• Clean up wireframe design of website

SOLUTION

How did you find Twin Sun?

Referral

Why did you select Twin Sun over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Twin Sun were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

1. Built a custom website from scratch 
2. Cleaned up and organized wireframe designs
3. Maintained website after building it out

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Built a professional, well-organized and fully functioning website used by many people

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

Twin Sun was always on top of it, well-organized and responded in a timely manner to the project. We kept a program of what needed to get done on a week-by-week basis and also worked through issues as they came up. Every week, we met virtually for 20 minutes to an hour to go through the work they had done the previous week and then talk about what needed to be done for the next week. They always answered my questions and were very knowledgeable about the industry. 

What was your primary form of communication with Twin Sun?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed by Twin Sun's character and integrity. If something slipped up at one point, they immediately got back to me and righted their wrong. I appreciated Twin Sun's transparency as well as their willingness to take on a new project and a new idea, regardless of the website's complexity. I highly recommend Twin Sun as they always have your best interest in mind! Even though they were more expensive than other options, they do it well and right the first time and you build a solid relationship with them.

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

Nope! Working with Twin Sun was a very seamless experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder, CEO of BiteSlice, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We give passive income to content creators by licensing content and sharing ad revenue.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Twin Sun to accomplish?

• Build BiteSlice MVP
• Connect Social APIs
• Build User Admin Portal
• Build AI ChatGPT Integration Tool
• Build Marketplace Prototype

SOLUTION

How did you find Twin Sun?

Referral

Why did you select Twin Sun over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Twin Sun were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Components/Features: 
  • Social Content Download (15 - 25 days) 
    • Determine a good method for scraping content from platforms that can avoid being blocked or alleviate block/ban concerns entirely 
  • Influencer Onboarding (3 - 5 days) 
    • User registration, accepting terms and conditions, user login, forgot password 
    • Manage profile, add LinkTree links, and authorize social media access 
    • Anyone can sign up, but accounts must be manually approved by a BiteSlice admin 
  • Admin Panel (5 - 10 days) 
    • Influencers can manage their social media access, profile information, and other settings 
    • BiteSlice Admins can manage user accounts, moderate content, and view reports 
  • Gallery Enhancements (5 - 10 days) 
    • Adjust the layout to look more like the example on the website 
    • Refactor image/video display to be more SEO-friendly (suggestions below) 
    • Fix/hide items that have missing/no image or video content 
  • Ads and Google Analytics Integration (1 day) 
    • Ensure ads are actually showing up in galleries 
    • Ensure page views and other events are properly registering in Google Analytics 
  • Gallery Theme Customization (2 - 3 days) 
    • Influencers can choose a gallery theme from many predefined color options Components/Features: 
  • Claim a Profile (1 day) o Provide a simple way for Admins to flag a profile as unclaimed
    • Give visitors the opportunity to claim a profile by sending a message to BiteSlice support § This will be a manual verification process to start; may be automated more later 
  • Ads Integration (3 - 5 days) o Integrate display ad code, and testing out different ad sizes for mobile and desktop 
    • Scheduled jobs for pulling ad metrics (RPM, revenue) for display to Creators and Admins 
  • Facebook Integration (8 - 10 days) 
    • Connect a Facebook account via OAuth o Initial sync of all posts (individual posts, with text, image, and/or video) 
      • Scheduled sync for new/updated posts o Seek production approval through the Meta developer portal 
  • Twitter Integration • BiteSlice Admin Dashboards 
    • API/Sync Status 
    • Earnings 
    • Onboarding Status § Unpublished, Ready to Claim, Pending Social Sync, Pending Bank Account, Active 
  • Marketplace (15 - 20 days) 
    • Brand accounts can discover micro creators through a portal that lists creators by category/niche and audience size

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• BiteSlice MVP Completed 
• Customer Onboarding Process Started 
• Completed Angel Fundraising Round

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

Very timely deliverables and fantastic communication. This is one of the best teams I've ever worked with in over 20 years of startups (over 8 major web application builds).

What was your primary form of communication with Twin Sun?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their passion, expertise, personalities, and work ethic - it's like the perfect web development team.

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

I can't think of any... they've gone above and beyond!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO/Founder of Criticless Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Criticless is a pro free speech, entertainment reviewing social media platform tailored for the general public instead of media industry critics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Twin Sun to accomplish?

• Execute on creating our entire platform, both web and app, from the ground up using ideas, designs, and features envisioned by the Criticless founder.

SOLUTION

How did you find Twin Sun?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Twin Sun over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Twin Sun were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Twin Sun provided all app and web development along with help on a more complicated design and functionality than what is typically needed. Along with platform development they have helped to maintain and sustain the product well after launch and will continue to.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Criticless made it to launch successfully in a better state and quality than it was originally envisioned and continues to be a very loved and quickly growing platform. Not only did they help us from the very beginning, but now they continue to help the platform evolve as it grows to fit the ever-growing users wants and needs.

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

Any problem we had was addressed with priority and quickness. Each member of Twin Sun that was working on Criticless had a clear role and it was very easy to contact whoever was needed to solve any sort of issue. The project was managed very smoothly and without any significant issues.

What was your primary form of communication with Twin Sun?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Twin Sun is a very "go with the flow" company who adjusts and molds as needed to help ensure that the customer is happy and the project running smoothly. They are also not afraid to warn you of potential problems and will be completely transparent when needed. The team works well as a whole and is not afraid to have fun with what they do!

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

Honestly, no, not that I can think of. I have watched them grow and change over the time we have worked together; they are fairly quick to adjust and change when they need to or if they are doing something wrong.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I oversee marketing and partnerships at my company. We are a biotech/pharmaceutical data vendor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Twin Sun was hired to build and manage our website.

SOLUTION

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

We selected Twin Sun through an interview process. They are also local to our headquarters.

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

Twin Sun manages our website in a very consultative manner. They have handled the ongoing updates flawlessly.

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

We have one primary point of contact who holds a leadership role within their company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have received numerous laudatory comments on the design of our website. The Twin Sun team has been a seamless integration into our own operations.

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

The typical scope of work entails updating contents on pages on an ad hoc basis. Every now and then we will overhaul the design of the site to include new products. Every step of the way, Twin Sun has been easy to work with while providing a top-quality product.

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

Their expertise in WordPress is noteworthy. My team members are not experts in web design or development whatsoever. The Twin Sun team makes it easy for us to tell them all of our ideas and they turn around and turn it into an easily digestible format for viewers.

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

Not really. Any issues we have encountered with the website, the Twin Sun team has been responsive and quick to fix. No complaints at all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Partner at Nibble Technologies. We specialize in integration and API management services and software.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We've worked with Twin Sun on 3 different projects all in the DoD and Federal space. While my company specializes in integration and API management software, we do not typically have available resources who specialize in UI/UX type work. We were able to partner with Twin Sun to fill this gap and to provide our customers with an excellent product from top, down.

SOLUTION

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

The management of Twin Sun was known by a mutual business colleague and came highly recommended. Over the course of several remote conversations I was able to get to know Dave L. and Chris W. and was impressed with their knowledge of the industry as well experience with past project work.

After interviewing several resources I felt that the Twin Sun employees were the best fit for our customer, especially given the background that they had with Federal and DoD customers.

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

All of the projects we worked with Twin Sun on involved custom web applications helping create a singular customer view of numerous and disparate datasets. The web applications had a large API layer that was exposed in some cases using React and in another case using Angular.

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

We have worked with 4 different resources over the course of our different projects. We generally described the resources as full-stack web developers and I would categorize their experience as ranging from Junior all the way up to Principal/Architect levels.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

On our first project we were able to deliver a full-featured, fully functional, production web application in less than 5 months with only 4 developers in total, one of which was Dave Lane from Twin Sun. With very informal requirements from the customer, we were able to guide them from conception, through architectural decisions and all the way through implementation and release.

The release was a resounding success and the customer could not have been more pleased with the work. Since the initial launch, the site has gone through two subsequent revisions and is used by 100's of employees within a large Federal Agency.

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

We engaged Twin Sun as staff augmentation on multiple projects so the project management responsibilities were largely driven by ourselves or the end customer. Regardless of the PM style or tooling however, Twin Sun resources proved themselves capable and flexible to adapt to the cadence and style of the customer.

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

Their technical expertise was both wide and deep. Every new technical challenge was rapidly researched and resolved, even if the "ask" happened to be outside of the list of technologies the resource had previously worked with. They're incredibly smart-resources who can get the job done.

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

The only thing I wish I would have done sooner is met Twin Sun :)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for Alternative Capital Solutions. Our company parents over other companies, and we are a non-bank commercial loan lender. We cater to different types of commercial real estate businesses, helping clients who were not able to secure a loan from banks. 

We have a newly launched brand called the Commercial Broker Playbook, for which I am also the marketing director. It is a subscriber-based learning platform for commercial lending brokers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Twin Sun?

We hired Twin Sun to build the actual Commercial Broker Playbook itself.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Twin Sun utilized Moodle to build the e-learning platform. The team customized the website, uploaded all of the educational material, integrated a Stripe payment gateway, and built a dashboard where we could view how our students were progressing. They also built the platform in a way that ensures there is no overlap of content between the three different subscription tiers and that our content, videos, and materials were secure and not easily corruptible. 

Apart from building the platform, Twin Sun also developed a landing page where prospective customers could learn more and sign up for a subscription. The team even taught us how to onboard new students and process payments through Stripe. 

What is the team composition?

Caleb (Founder & Partner) and Chris (President) were our initial contacts prior to working with Dane (Marketing Development), Caitlin (Designer), Jack (Senior Software Engineer), and Jeremy (Software Engineer).

How did you come to work with Twin Sun?

We were considering working with another company, but their price was a bit out of our range. That’s when I reached out to Caleb, who I’ve actually known personally for years now. We met and went over the project details. I really liked their proposal and their suggestions in some areas, so we decided to go from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in April 2021. The platform was launched last October 2021, and we plan to do some updates in Spring 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have any metrics, but I had a very smooth working relationship with Twin Sun. They were always very quick to help. We appreciate that they really tried to grant our wishes, but that they set realistic expectations and presented real-world examples. Their honesty helped us decide on which goals to pursue and what that would entail.

On top of that, Twin Sun rolled the whole thing out fairly quickly. The platform itself has not run into any sort of issues since its launch.

How did Twin Sun perform from a project management standpoint?

They did really well and were always checking in on us to see how things were going or if we needed anything to be moved around for a timely launch. We spoke at least once a week, and they typically gave a good overview of the project’s progress. 

We typically communicated via email, video calls, and Confluence.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out about Twin Sun was their willingness to work within certain budgets. They are a very friendly team and they work together like a family, which, in turn, made us feel comfortable having them as a partner. They not only had the ability to work quickly, but they also had quality people on their team.

I also liked that I did not need to shuffle through different people and explain things to everybody. I was faced with the same people every time, which speaks to their consistency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything negative about them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Maintain a conversational relationship with Twin Sun. They are people that you can talk to about anything, whether it’s about your worries or about your struggle to choose between options in the project. It's important to reach out to them if you have any questions because software development involves so many steps. Keeping open lines of communication with be a good idea for anyone.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Objective Zero Foundation. We’re a tech nonprofit using mobile and web-based app technologies to connect the military and veteran community to peer support and mental health resources in an effort to combat suicide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Twin Sun?

We hired Twin Sun to work on mobile and web app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Twin Sun has built our native apps on Android and iOS, and they’ve developed our web app based on our mobile apps. We use Twilio products, too. Moreover, they’ve created new integrations into our apps, including automatic features. The team has also helped refactor our messaging and code errors. On top of that, they help us with project management, UI/UX design, and everything else included in mobile app development projects. 

What is the team composition?

We work with 3–4 people from Twin Sun. Two of them have leadership roles in the company, and they help us with budgeting, SOWs, and others. The rest include developers and designers. 

How did you come to work with Twin Sun?

We were referred to Twin Sun by our previous developer who could no longer handle the amount of work we did. That previous developer worked with Twin Sun in the past. They knew that the team had the skills to keep our development going, building upon what was started. On top of that, Twin Sun was familiar with the technology that we were using. As a result, we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $100,000–$150,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Twin Sun in January 2020, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we’ve worked with Twin Sun, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in our user base. Apart from app users, we also have volunteers supporting other users through text, voice, and video chat. In 2020, we’ve seen a 40% increase in app users and a 45% increase in our volunteer base. 

Moreover, the Twin Sun team has decreased the time it takes to connect a user to a volunteer through voice, video, or text. Usability, security, and privacy have also improved. Our recent program evaluation has shown that 100% of the users we’ve surveyed feel safe and that their privacy is respected when using the app. 

Further, Twin Sun resources are quick to respond to app crashes or bugs. If I share a problem that our users experience, they quickly address the issue. Apart from that, their communication is clear, so I understand where the issues lie and what fixes are being made even if I’m not a tech person. I also get updates along the way; when they implement a fix on the app’s backend, they let me know when it’s submitted to the App Store or Google Play. Overall, they always keep me informed at every step of the process. 

How did Twin Sun perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve had zero problems with projects going over budget. Twin Sun has done a great job at providing a buffer so that we don’t go over our budget on our projects. For context, the team suggests techniques to enhance the app many times along the way. As a result, we add more work to make the app better in terms of usability. In other words, their resources do a great job of anticipating issues that may arise during the project, so they put those in the budget. 

To communicate, we use Jira, Confluence, and emails. We do weekly check-ins over Google Meet. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Twin Sun’s communication is absolutely superb. We’ve worked with other development teams in the past, and those people are highly technical. As a result, they aren’t always clear in their process. By contrast, Twin Sun relays the process of app development to us clearly even if we don’t have any technical skills — this sets them apart. No other developer I’ve worked with has broken down their technical language in the way that Twin Sun does. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. They’ve been a truly fantastic resource for us, and we’re a better organization with better services and impact because of them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly communicate the product that you want. This is crucial for the Twin Sun team to understand how they can best support your needs and project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and owner of Unger Software Consulting. We’re a software development agency, providing software and design services. I offer mobile application and web development solutions that support the entire software lifecycle.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Twin Sun?

They’re basically overflow resources for the company. They take on projects that I don’t have the capacity to do by myself.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve partnered on several projects during which Twin Sun provided additional development and management resources. We completed several projects and have several active projects. Their team has worked on Android, iOS, and Java development projects. They also assisted with AWS work.

What is the team composition?

On a regular basis, I work with about 2–3 individuals at a time. Over the lifetime of our relationship, I’ve probably worked with 6–8 of their employees.

How did you come to work with Twin Sun?

I had a previous relationship with the founders of Twin Sun because we previously worked together at a company. After leaving the company, we maintained relationships with one another.

How much have you invested with them?

We just passed $220,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2019, and our relationship’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve partnered on projects that neither one of us could’ve managed on our own. They’re excellent technological generalists with many skills. Their team learns how to be successful on any given project, which the quality of their work reflects.

Twin Sun takes the time to figure out how to make our projects successful. Their team takes the time to be successful because they want to build a long-term relationship. The quality of what they produce is important to developing that relationship.

How did Twin Sun perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly use Slack which is a convenient way for all of us to correspond because we’re computer oriented and distributed. They’re effective at talking about what’s happening with the project. Their team’s thoughtful with their feedback.

They respond to deadlines well too. Twin Sun won’t commit to a project that they can’t accomplish. Rather than scramble and do a poor job, their team would rather say that a timeline’s unrealistic.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Twin Sun’s intentional about how they conduct business. They’re honest about their strengths and areas for growth. We have a lot of trust.

In our relationship, I'm reaching outside of my organization for resources. Ultimately, the product has my name on it, so it’s my reputation at stake. I trust that they’ll help me to be successful with projects because they want to work on future projects. Twin Sun focuses on maximizing a long-term relationship for long-term returns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t experience challenges specific to Twin Sun. The challenges we faced related to the nature of agency type development. By nature, they have multiple projects to schedule at a time. It would be lovely if they could drop everything and work exclusively on my projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When hiring an agency, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you want to accomplish. Twin Sun can help to refine your ideas too. However, if your goals are fuzzy, your criteria for success will also be fuzzy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a company that develops mobile technology to help people be more present during their day. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Twin Sun?

Twin Sun built a web-enabled app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They essentially developed a website that users can access on mobile devices. When a user turns their phone facedown, a timer starts counting down from two minutes. Once the timer goes off, they can turn their phones back over. It’s a way to help people get off of their screens.

How did you come to work with Twin Sun?

I knew one of the founders, Caleb (CFO & Mobile Developer). 

How much have you invested with them?

It was about $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was from June–July 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Twin Sun did a terrific job in terms of quality. I needed a beta version, so nothing too fancy, but the app looked and worked great. I was super happy with that. 

They also did a great job of working with all of the different types of browsers and phones. Only certain phones allow access to their accelerometer, since the phone needs to know where it’s positioned and whether the phone is turned over or not for the app to work. 

How did Twin Sun perform from a project management standpoint?

They did terrifically. They kept me informed throughout the entire process, and they met their deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Brainstorming with them at the very beginning when we were outlining the project was enjoyable. It was also great to work with them through any hurdles I didn’t foresee; they were very flexible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Any advice for potential customers?

I encourage them to hire Twin Sun and start a conversation.