Valere

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our organization is a software company. We focus on providing solutions in the employment space: recruiting, talent acquisition, hiring solutions, and the like. I’m the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Valere Labs?

We need to collect data from around the web and plug it into an AI tool that would make sense of the content using natural language processing (NLP). We also needed to create sentiment scores for employers.

For example, we can take employer reviews from the internet, put those into the AI tool, and create sentiment scores about how workers feel about a certain company at a certain time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I tend to crawl before I walk and walk before I run, so the initial project was simple. We wanted to have a user put in a search query for a company and confirm that we provide the correct company in return. Then, we established functional connections to RSS feeds for the particular company and plugged the content into the AI tool, creating the sentiment score. Finally, we developed a charting system. Every day, Monday through Friday, we can now show scores based on the data we pull from the internet.

The whole tool was built using open-source PHP and My SQL.

We just finished a second phase, which involved e-commerce capabilities. People can subscribe to follow companies and receive more data. This required us to pull more data and develop more robust graphs (10-days vs. 90-days). Valere Labs has been invaluable in all these tasks.

What is the team composition?

Historically, when I’ve worked with sites like Upwork, I connect directly with the developer, which results in communication and time zone issues. I picked Valere Labs because their main contact was US-based and in my time zone. I’m not a technical person by trade, so having a liaison with the developers, who are primarily in India, was very helpful.

Once I built up a relationship with the developer, the US contact faded into the background a bit. He remained available if I ever needed help, however, as he focused on timelines and milestone delivery.

How did you come to work with Valere Labs?

I found them on Upwork, and I liked that they had a US-based contact.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $35,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in June 2020, and version one of the software launched in September of that year. Once we gathered enough users, we began the next phase, which ran from November 2020–March 2021.

When we reach the next funding and user target, we’ll look ahead to the next set of enhancements, which we’ll build with Valere Labs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ultimately, we’ve been successful on a human level. From the initial conversation to the work of the past 6–8 months, we’ve established a common culture, vibe, and language. This similarity has been missing in my past relationships.

How did Valere Labs perform from a project management standpoint?

We still communicate over Upwork, including for milestones and payment. If I ever need to add a job, we handle it over Upwork as well.

The access I have to Valere Labs is vital. They respond to me as long as they’re not asleep. They’re accessible, and we have Trello set up for everything. Everyone is on the same page about priorities and what has to be done.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their cooperation stands out. They want a long-term relationship, rather than to simply get the job done. We’ve maintained the same developers throughout the project, which speaks to the value of coordination with Valere Labs. I haven’t seen that with other vendors.

They’ve taken a bit of ownership with the project, and they want to see the business do well. Rather than seeing themselves as a simple delivery partner, they understand that I want them to develop for me for years to come. It’s not beyond them to throw in extra service free of charge — whether it’s extra edits or something that wasn’t caught earlier. That’s been rare in my experience in the development world.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always a tug-of-war over the business owner wanting the task done yesterday, but the reality being it will take a little longer than we hoped. That’s been the only issue. Rather than having something done in January, it will be done by mid-February. Coordination could improve perhaps.

It’s like we’re committed to following the North Star, and we hope we arrive as soon as possible, but sometimes storms arise or the wind dies. Ultimately, we’ve been able to get to the North Star, which is the ultimate test for me. This is why I’m endorsing them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be communicative and ask questions about potential options. Valere Labs has thick skin, and they never talk down to you. Rather, they’re open and collaborative. If you don’t ask questions, however, they won’t offer them. They’re open to fixing projects that have gone in sub-optimal directions, which is helped by having a US-based contact.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of CTRL ALT ELITE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We operate a digital media and AI software business focused on transforming raw law enforcement and legal footage into professionally edited, narrative-driven YouTube documentaries and short-form social content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• ) FOIA Case Discovery, Ranking & Acquisition Automation Our first major business objective was to build a case discovery engine that could identify the most compelling law enforcement incidents with the highest storytelling and virality potential. This included: searching public arrest, court, and incident databases using AI + weighted keyword logic to rank cases by drama, escalation, and narrative strength prioritizing cases based on ease of FOIA acquisition organizing agency, case, and jurisdiction metadata streamlining the FOIA request and follow-up workflow building a scalable pipeline for consistent acquisition of high-performing body cam content This was critical because content sourcing is the lifeblood of the business model.
• 2) AI-Assisted Multi-Asset Video Editing & Final Production The second core goal was to create an AI-assisted editing platform capable of turning raw body cam footage, dash cam, surveillance video, 911 calls, dispatch audio, and legal documents into professionally edited long-form YouTube documentaries. The expected workflow included: automatic transcription multi-camera sync story-template rough cuts intelligent highlight detection narration and subtitle generation timeline editing face and license plate blurring contextual evidence inserts final rendering and export The end goal was to drastically reduce the time required to produce high-retention body cam storytelling videos at scale.
• 3) Scalable YouTube Monetization & Publishing Workflow The third major goal was to create a repeatable media production operating system that could scale publishing across YouTube and social channels. This included: reusable story templates long-form + shorts workflows hook generation title/thumbnail suggestions retention optimization virality feedback loops analytics-informed content selection rapid publishing of multiple videos per week The business objective was to turn the platform into a scalable content engine for a body cam media brand, not just a simple editing tool.

SOLUTION

How did you find Valere?

• Clutch Site
• upwork

Why did you select Valere over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned

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

Scope of Work
The scope of work involved designing and developing a custom AI-powered media intelligence and video editing platform focused on the end-to-end production of body camera and law-enforcement-based documentary content.

The work was divided into three major functional systems:

1) Case Discovery, FOIA Search, Ranking & Acquisition
Development of a sourcing engine capable of identifying high-potential incidents from public records, court databases, arrest logs, and other law enforcement data sources.

Key deliverables included:

keyword and metadata-based case search
AI ranking of incidents by virality/story potential
jurisdiction and agency organization
FOIA workflow management
case acquisition status tracking
evidence and document library ingestion
incident scoring logic for prioritization
 
2) AI-Assisted Video Editing & Storytelling Workspace
Creation of a professional editing environment for transforming raw body cam footage, dash cam, 911 calls, dispatch audio, surveillance footage, and legal evidence files into narrative-driven YouTube documentaries.

Key deliverables included:

asset casting into story-template roles
multi-asset synchronization
AI-generated rough cuts
timeline-based manual editing
manual clip creation from raw footage
narration and subtitle generation
contextual evidence inserts
face and license plate blurring
transitions, trim, reorder, and timeline refinement
final render pipeline and export workflow
 
3) Scalable Publishing & Content Optimization Workflow
Development of a repeatable publishing system for long-form and short-form video content.

Key deliverables included:

reusable storytelling templates
hook and climax-based scene workflows
shorts generation from long-form edits
title and thumbnail ideation
metadata generation
YouTube optimization workflows
analytics feedback loop for future case selection and ranking

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Measurable Outcomes / Success Metrics
The measurable outcomes we defined for the project were tied directly to content sourcing efficiency, editing speed, and scalable publishing output.

The primary success metrics included:

1) Faster High-Value Case Acquisition
reduction in time required to discover compelling incidents
automated ranking of cases by story strength, virality potential, and FOIA ease
increased number of viable body cam cases sourced per week
improved hit rate of acquired cases leading to publishable stories
The objective was to move from manual case hunting to a scalable AI-driven acquisition pipeline.

 
2) Reduced Video Production Time
A major KPI was reducing the time to convert hours of raw body cam footage and supporting evidence into a publish-ready documentary video.

The intended measurable outcome was:

AI rough cut generated in minutes instead of hours
faster clip identification and story assembly
shorter human editing cycles
increased weekly publishing capacity
reduced manual labor for synchronization, narration, and evidence insertion
This was meant to directly improve cost efficiency per published video.

 
3) Higher Publishing Volume & Audience Retention Potential
The platform was also intended to increase:

number of long-form videos published weekly
number of Shorts generated from each case
template consistency across story arcs
hook/climax quality for better retention
repeatability of viral content structures
The long-term measurable goal was to create a repeatable content engine capable of scaling YouTube revenue and audience growth.

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

Project management was one of the most disappointing aspects of my experience with Valere.

From the beginning, I felt that the project was poorly scoped, poorly managed, and inadequately understood despite the fact that I spent substantial time explaining the business model, the intended workflow, and the level of sophistication required. This was not a simple website or generic app. It was a highly specialized AI-assisted media platform involving FOIA-driven case sourcing, ranking logic, evidence ingestion, multi-asset synchronization, and timeline-based video editing. In my opinion, the team never truly grasped the operational and technical demands of what they were hired to build.

A major problem was that the so-called discovery and planning process did not appear to result in meaningful alignment. I expected a serious effort to study real body cam YouTube content, review representative raw source files, understand how documentary-style narratives are built from law enforcement footage, and define what could realistically be automated versus what required human editorial control. Instead, I felt like discovery was treated as a formality rather than as the critical foundation it should have been. Many of the most important issues that should have been clarified early remained misunderstood or unresolved much later in the project.

In terms of delivery, my experience was that progress was slow, fragmented, repetitive, and often disconnected from what had actually been requested. Meetings frequently felt like a cycle of re-explaining the same concepts rather than moving toward completed, usable deliverables. Instead of seeing a steady progression toward a coherent MVP, I often saw partial outputs, shifting interpretations, and features that did not align with the actual purpose of the product. There were multiple points where I felt the team was taking shortcuts to reduce development complexity rather than building what had been discussed.

I also did not feel that deliverables were consistently provided on time in a meaningful sense. Even when something was shown, it often did not reflect the level of functionality, thoughtfulness, or understanding that I expected based on prior discussions. In other words, “delivery” often felt more like presenting something for the sake of showing activity rather than delivering a well-executed component of the actual platform. That distinction became very important over time.

Responsiveness was also frustrating. While communication existed, I would not describe it as effective project management. There is a major difference between replying to messages and actually responding to the client’s needs. Too often, I felt that my concerns were acknowledged superficially without being substantively resolved. I repeatedly raised issues about misunderstanding core requirements, lack of visible progress, weak discovery, and the gap between what was promised and what was being shown. Those concerns did not, in my view, result in the kind of course correction I would expect from a competent development partner.

Another serious concern was the feeling of scope drift without corresponding accountability. Over time, the project seemed to move further away from the original vision and closer to a far more manual, far less intelligent workflow than what had initially been discussed. Features that were central to the value of the business began to feel watered down, reframed, or replaced by simpler substitutes. That was especially frustrating because I had hired them specifically for their claimed ability to handle advanced AI product development. Instead of confidence increasing over time, my confidence decreased as it became more apparent that key concepts were either not understood, not prioritized, or not being implemented properly.

I also found the process inefficient and costly relative to what was actually demonstrated. For a premium-priced engagement, I expected much stronger leadership, clearer ownership, better requirement translation, and more tangible progress. Instead, I often felt like I was paying senior-level rates while still having to repeatedly educate the team on the same concepts and push for clarity on basic deliverables. That is not the experience I would expect from a firm presenting itself as a highly capable AI and product development company.

Overall, my experience with their project management was that it lacked rigor, lacked product comprehension, lacked urgency, and lacked the discipline required for a complex custom build. I did not feel that they adequately translated my requirements into execution, I did not feel that the most important items were delivered in a timely or competent manner, and I did not feel that my needs were truly understood or met.

What was your primary form of communication with Valere?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ratings and ranking!

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

Yes—there are several major areas where Valere could have significantly improved the engagement.

1) A Real Discovery and Feasibility Process
The biggest improvement would have been conducting a serious discovery and feasibility phase instead of what felt like a high-level requirements collection exercise.

For a product this specialized, they should have:

studied actual body cam YouTube channels and successful storytelling formats
reviewed representative raw evidence files before scoping
validated what could realistically be automated with current AI tools
identified which workflows required human editorial control
modeled infrastructure and operating costs early
pressure-tested the business logic behind FOIA sourcing, ranking, and editing
Had this been done correctly, I believe a significant amount of scope confusion, rework, and expectation mismatch could have been avoided.

 
2) Stronger Product Leadership & Requirement Translation
A major gap was the translation of business goals into usable product requirements.

I spent a great deal of time explaining the vision, workflows, and intended outcomes, but too often I felt those ideas were either simplified, misunderstood, or converted into features that did not solve the actual problem.

A stronger product lead or technical architect should have been able to:

convert the vision into tighter acceptance criteria
challenge weak assumptions early
define clearer MVP boundaries
ensure UI/UX decisions matched the operational workflow
prevent repeated re-explanation of the same concepts
This would have made the project much more efficient.

 
3) More Tangible Progress and Evidence of Work
Another area for improvement would have been showing more demonstrable proof of progress between meetings.

For a project of this cost and complexity, I expected:

clearer milestone ownership
visible prototypes earlier
GitHub evidence and development logs
better documentation of what was completed
more working features instead of conceptual discussions
faster iteration cycles tied to user feedback
Too often, I felt that meetings focused on what would be done rather than what had actually been completed.

 
4) Better Alignment Between Promise and Delivery
The final major improvement would be ensuring that the sales and discovery promises remained aligned with the delivery team’s actual capabilities.

At times, it felt like the initial vision presented during the sales process was much more advanced than what the execution team was realistically prepared to deliver.

That disconnect created frustration and made it difficult to maintain confidence in the project trajectory.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Quickslip Ent LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are Quickslip, a daily fantasy sports app that allows users to make wagers on players' performances in professional sports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• To get our app working with a 3rd party API provider.
• Allow users to download the app for trial and testing purposes.
• Have the app display realtime data and feedback to users.

SOLUTION

How did you find Valere?

Upwork

Why did you select Valere over others?

Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Valere were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Valere took on our mobile app project from a previous company we had hired. The previous development company couldn't deliver what our company wanted. We contacted Valere to see if they could finish our mobile app and make it a functioning product. We needed our app to be able to work with an API service to bring in data that needed to be displayed on our app. Valere fulfilled that task and brought our app to life. We now have a functioning app.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Valere was capable of delivering a functioning app that does all that asked for. Valere sent daily updates and logs of all work that was executed and set to be done the next day. They stayed on track with the timeline that was given to complete our project.

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

The management was great and responsive. I was updated everyday on all tasks that were done and which task were to be completed the following days.

What was your primary form of communication with Valere?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Valere's ability to execute the project I was asking for was impressive. They were able to get my app functioning within a couple weeks. Their professionalism and attentiveness are what really impressed me. The development team I was given did an outstanding job.

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

I think if I was given a schedule of when the team was working and when they were available would of been a good thing to have. At times I wasn't sure when was good time to contact the team. The dev team is based in India and we're in California so I understand the time difference is bit extreme, but nonetheless the team would always get back to me within the hour.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the fCTO of Omnia, a healthcare care management platform that streamlines managed care delivery between risk payers and providers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Valere?

We needed to set up an AI-enabled platform to streamline communication and organize disparate healthcare entity activities financially at risk for the same cohort of patients. Disjointed data streams and heterogeneous communication methods between organizations made patient cost management challenging and inefficient. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Valere developed a distributed web app capable of ingesting payer flat file data and provider EHR data. The goal was to create an ecosystem where patients, providers, and admins could engage to improve cost containment strategies. Key features included secure bi-directional messaging, AI-enabled patient insights and clinical summaries, video visits, and event notifications from payers.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five teammates from Valere, including senior full stack engineers and front end developers. 

How did you come to work with Valere?

We found Valere through a referral from a friend. We chose them over other options because of their great communication and expectations setting.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is in the delivery phase, and we started working together in October 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The measurable outcomes from our project with Valere were the MVP delivery timeline and AI output accuracy. The MVP was delivered in five months, and the AI output accuracy was 92%.

How did Valere perform from a project management standpoint?

Valere's project management was excellent. They underpromised and overdelivered. We communicated via Slack, email, and web calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Valere's speed, AI prowess, and delivery timeliness were impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren't any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO of a fleet management company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fleet services 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a digital platform

SOLUTION

How did you find Valere?

Online Search

Why did you select Valere over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Valere were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

They helped me to create a digital Fleet management company where users can upload their fleet and request job such as glass repair, key replacement, etc

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Continuous communication was a great measurement with daily updates in which  shows the continuous progress 

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

Their service was great, and I truly enjoyed working with them. I specifically like the fact that are open to feedback and at the same time provide feedback 

What was your primary form of communication with Valere?

Virtual Meeting

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

Pushkar and Bruno are great people to work with. I will say the people are best to work with 

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

Be a little more pushy.. If they are not getting the reviews requested from me, ask again. Unfortunately my time is minimal and I tent to forget things 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder/CEO of Relative Motion

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide dance studios and competitive dance events with cutting edge technique training. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create Software for dance comps

SOLUTION

How did you find Valere?

Upwork

Why did you select Valere over others?

• High ratings
• Felt most confident they could deliver what we needed

How many teammates from Valere were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Developed Software App for our company to connect competitive dance events into technique training. Built CRUD funtionality for super admin + updated client experience to host videos and present them in a seamless way. Created an app to be able to run the system without wifi. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Client Satisfaction - Constant feedback that there is an ease of use to our software and the value it delivers.

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

They were incredibly communicative- like from 1-10 they were an 11. Always delivered in the timeline promised, if not sooner. always delivered quality work and if there were ever questions or concerns they were addresssed instantly. 

What was your primary form of communication with Valere?

Email or Messaging App

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

Impressive- High quality of work, constantly overdelivering and incredible communication

They truly cared to do the job at the highest level and truly cared if I was happy!

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO Founder of Paydesk AI

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Paydesk AI automates accounts payable processes, providing real-time insights, reducing errors, and offering banks new payment tools while improving cash flow governance.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build MVP
• Onboard Customers
• Product Support

SOLUTION

How did you find Valere?

Online Search

Why did you select Valere over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Valere were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Strategic Planning: Conducted market research, defined key problems, and built the business model.
AI & Automation: Developed AI-driven features to automate invoice management and enhance real-time insights.
Payment Tools Integration: Enabled support for digital payment tools beyond traditional methods like ACH and wire.
System Integration & Security: Connected the platform with existing financial systems and ensured robust data security.
Testing & Deployment: Conducted beta testing, launched the MVP, and scaled the platform for larger customer adoption.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

MVP product in use in production. 

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

Excellent project management and execution! 

What was your primary form of communication with Valere?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Broad expertise and talent. 

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

NA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Fable AI

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fable's essence lies in the seamless fusion of AI and storytelling, transforming the tabletop RPG experience into an immersive and dynamic adventure. It's about empowering users to craft unique narratives, fostering boundless creativity and exploration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Market Research
• Company Branding
• Product Development

SOLUTION

How did you find Valere?

Online Search

Why did you select Valere over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Valere were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Valere helped in creating a generative AI for my platform alongside doing market research and company branding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project is still ongoing, but the outcomes so far have exceeded my expectations. I'm excited to see the finished product once we're ready for launch.

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

The PM team at Valere is thorough, communicative, and able to use their experience to helpg uide the project to fit my needs in the best possible way.

What was your primary form of communication with Valere?

Virtual Meeting

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

The transparency and willingness to work with the customer to create an ideal solution.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Caylent

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an AWS Premier Consulting Partner delivering services suchs as migrations, devops, application development, big data, and generative ai.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• User experience and design
• Generative AI POC

SOLUTION

How did you find Valere?

Referral

Why did you select Valere over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Valere were assigned to this project?

15

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

We engaged Valere on two fronts - the first was user expereince and design. This invovled working with product owners and users to develop wireframes that capture all the appropriate use flows is a well thought out way. The second was on a handful of GenAI POCs which invovled backend and front end development and interacting with LLMs and Vector stores to deliver chat bots

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For the user experience work stream they delivered wire frames and use flows. Everything was well done and delivered in a timely manner. For the GenAI workstreams they delivered code, demos, and handoff documentation.

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

We conducted project managed internally 

What was your primary form of communication with Valere?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their flexibility and willinginess to work with you to find the best outcome 

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

None come to mind