Varfaj

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a software engineer at a financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

We hired Varfaj to help us build a payment application in Shopify.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Varfaj helped us develop a Shopify-based payments app. Initially, we onboarded them onto our systems and worked with them to develop a project timeline defining the milestones and scope for the delivery. Then, we worked closely with them as they integrated some things into our system. 

From there, Varfaj worked on developing our app until we got to the point where we could send it for approval. They also guided us through the approval process in case there were some changes needed.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Varfaj’s developers, including DJ (Shopify Engineering Director) and Michael (Senior Backend Developer).

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

They came as a recommendation from a friend.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2023. Varfaj already delivered the app. However, we’re still in contact with them in case there are some bugs in the product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Varfaj’s scope was mainly related to project delivery, so our main success result is that they were able to hit our milestones. Additionally, there was a QA component to their work because we wanted to ensure that the app met our criteria for a production app — that area was also a success.

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

Varfaj hit our milestones on time and was very communicative. We communicated via Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Varfaj was friendly, professional, and very committed to the project’s success, which was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have been great if Varfaj had a project manager as our main point of contact because project management wasn’t the developers’ specialty. A project manager would have streamlined the project, ensured that it was moving in the right direction, and helped facilitate all parties involved with the right information to set the project up for success.

On this project, the project management was driven by us. We tried working using different models, which was good enough. However, we were still working with two senior developers for whom project management isn’t their area of expertise.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Focus on project management. Once we started being more hands-on regarding project management, we started seeing a lot more results. We wouldn’t have met the deadline otherwise.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Recurate. We’re an e-commerce integration company that helps brands launch a secondhand marketplace of their own products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

We do a fair amount of frontend web development for our e-commerce clients. Our in-house team does that work. We’ve hired Varfaj to supplement our capacity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Varfaj provides Shopify frontend development support for our team. We have an interesting relationship in that there are three parties involved: our client, our team that’s contracted to create a resale marketplace for the client, and the Varfaj team. 

Usually, either our team or the client provides design mock-ups. Then, Varfaj executes the designs and handles the coding and development tasks. The primary technologies we use include Shopify and GitHub. 

In some cases, they provide us with Shopify e-commerce consulting services. They help us work through some edge cases and some unique Shopify aspects. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Kevin (Web Developer) and Nick (COO). 

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

Varfaj was referred to us through another agency in our network. They had a relationship with Varfaj, and they put us in touch with each other. We chose them over their competitors because of their Shopify expertise. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in October 2022, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve completed the frontend development work derived from our client’s designs and mock-ups. The designs have been pushed to customers in a way that reflected and matched the expectations and mock-ups that we’ve received from the client. 

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

Varfaj has been great in terms of delivery and meeting deadlines; they’ve been super flexible. Moreover, their resources are willing to put in extra time when needed to meet the client's exact specifications. Overall, they’re communicative and always available. 

We use Slack, Zoom, and phone calls for communication and ClickUp for assigning tasks and tickets. Our team conduct stand-ups every Monday morning. We also have a GitHub account for our team, and we’ve given Varfaj access to it. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re easy to work with and talented at what they do. One thing I truly value about them is that they’re great communicators. The team communicates clearly, sets proper expectations, and gives good progress updates. They let us know when things are going well and when there are blockers in the project. This is incredibly helpful as we always know where things stand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set a clear scope of work and expectations for what exactly Varfaj has to provide. The team is communicative, and they’ll do a great job delivering your project as long as you set clear expectations. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of KUSSHI.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

We needed assistance with our Shopify site; we needed to redo our bundle pages and do some general updates.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Varfaj has provided web design and development services. We started small and then expanded to bigger projects. Initially, we told them what we were looking for, and they provided proposals and designs to ensure we were satisfied. They’ve upgraded us from Shopify to Shopify Plus, which has also helped with development.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with David (Co-Founder & CEO), Nicholas (COO), and Natalia (Project Manager).

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

Someone recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid around $35,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2022, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve introduced new pieces to our website, and we’ve seen an increase in conversions. We’re satisfied with their work.

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very responsive. We use emails and Slack to communicate with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They fix problems quickly and fast at communicating. Overall, they’re great people to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a great company to work with if you have a Shopify store.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at a beverage startup. We make non-alcoholic beverages that are just as good and complex as any alcoholic drink without alcohol, added sugars, or artificial ingredients; we’re trying to provide a great alternative.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

We needed a competent team to help us maintain and optimize our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Varfaj provided us with website maintenance and optimization. They ensured our Shopify-hosted site was running well and executed any updates we wanted. The team also built some new parts of the website, optimized existing parts, and pushed through various updates. 

They helped us relaunch our subscription program, redesign our home page, and optimize our purchase system. Varfaj updated our site to Shopify 2.0 and created new landing pages once they completed the update. The team optimized our cart and helped us launch 4–5 products on the website. As for tools, they used JavaScript, HTML, and custom CSS, working on GitHub.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the founder, the COO, three developers, and two project managers. 

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

One of our previous clients, who’s our friend, referred Varfaj to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little bit under $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2021–October 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Varfaj helping us relaunch our subscription program, we increased our subscription base 10x. 

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good at project management through Asana. The team had constant and productive communication on a daily basis. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their design capabilities weren’t as strong as their development capabilities; they could expand on their design offering. They could also improve communication between the client and the developer, which is project management work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to have someone who can put in the time to ensure everything is going according to plan and that things are executed as intended. This resource should understand Shopify and have time to explain things to Varfaj and help them familiarize themselves with your website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a 3D Metaverse collectibles company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

We needed to develop a mobile application and a browser extension.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Varfaj has supported ongoing mobile app development and provided maintenance for an existing application. The app is for iOS and Android, and they mainly work with Python and React Native. Additionally, they’ve taken care of the design and development of a Chrome browser extension.

What is the team composition?

We work with frontend, backend, and full stack developers, a project manager, and the CEO.

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

A peer introduced them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2020, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application works seamlessly, and we have around 2,000 daily active users.

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is fantastic. They’re very hands-on and responsive; the team works all hours around the clock.

We use Jira as a project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take feedback and work it into whatever we’re doing. All in all, their service is one of the best I’ve seen regarding their reaction and response time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I honestly don’t think there’s anything they need to improve. They do an amazing job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them and their process. Additionally, make sure to maintain constant communication with the team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a private wellness membership community in New York City. We offer annual memberships and different programs and events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

When we started our business in 2017, another web designer built us a completely custom site. Members could access the frontend to log in, manage their membership, and sign up for events. Simultaneously, we could access the site and dashboard on the backend to manage memberships, lists, events, renewals, and other admin-related tasks.

The site was pretty complex, and we needed to make some changes, especially to the renewal process. We had about 150 members in total, and the majority were up for renewal in January and February.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we contacted Varfaj to help us implement coding changes to our custom site. They helped with maintenance and did the changes we needed. They used Firebase, Netlify, Sentry, a Stripe integration for e-commerce, and a MailChimp integration for newsletters and emails. Additionally, we have a tie-in with Google Analytics.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with David (Co-Founder & CEO). He handled the account management and was part of our initial onboarding. Also, we had a project manager who worked closely with us on the project.

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

It was a word-of-mouth referral.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $8,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2021, and the last round of updates wrapped up in February 2022. However, we’ve been in touch. We’ll probably reengage with the team in the fall.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We started working with Varfaj in October because we knew the site needed major work so the renewals could happen seamlessly, without errors or issues. Between January and April, we successfully renewed every member who went through the renewal process — they were close to 100 members.

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager stood out for being responsive and quick to answer questions. He communicated well where we stood on the project and was very organized and detailed in sharing updates. We always knew what else needed to be done or when they would complete things. He was fantastic.

We used Trello for project management and Slack and Zoom for communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They did great compared to others we’ve worked with, particularly in their responsiveness and client-facing responsibilities. We knew the project needed a high level of intelligence and organization, and they were able to figure it out and do what was necessary. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we first spoke with David, he was a bit distracted on the call. However, it was a minor issue compared to all the great work we did with them. In general, it was great to work with Varfaj.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re working on a project where you’ll work with them for a couple of months, ask them what kind of retainer structure they would like to have for the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for an activewear retail company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

We needed help with our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We brought Varfaj on board to build our website. We gave them a brief to start with, and they then proceeded with the work, developing and designing the site based on our requirements and feedback. They integrated the site with Netsuite.

We recently signed a maintenance agreement with them last week. Currently, they’re solving all the issues present on our site.

What is the team composition?

We work with four people from their team: a project manager, a UI/UX designer, a NetSuite expert, and another tech person.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent around $65,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website is now more user-friendly and much easier to navigate from a customer's point of view.

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

They are super responsive — whenever there’s an issue, they’ll immediately get back to us and always provide us with updates and feedback on their progress. For communication, we mostly use Slack and hold regular meetings through Zoom. We also use Google Docs to manage tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are experts at what they do, and they always try their best to solve problems quickly. For instance, they won’t shut down if any frustrations come up; they’ll keep working hard until they fix the issue. They’re also trustworthy and collaborative as business partners.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Based on their relationship with the third-party service providers that they work with, their team needs to create extra steps when solving smaller issues. They can also put in a safety blanket within their processes to prevent any unnecessary delays or frustrations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Talk to them directly and set clear expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of REAME LLC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

We hired Varfaj for their development services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Varfaj developed a mobile app for us. The software served as a work order real estate platform for property management. They made the app available to iOS users, but it would be available to Android users, too. The main function of the app was to receive and process work orders. 

The team also offered marketing services for us. They provided an all-encompassing service to help us get the app out in the market. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with several people from the Varfaj team, including a project manager and the dev team. 

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

I found Varfaj through Upwork. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $20,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

The partnership lasted from July 2021–January 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I worked directly with their CEO, and he was amazing and patient. He walked us through the steps and the process; he was truly professional. Other team members were equally professional and friendly. 

Moreover, I truly appreciated their process especially since I didn’t always understand the tech side of the engagement. Overall, their team was truly patient in explaining the process to me. 

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

Varfaj’s project management was the best part of the engagement. They were always on time, and if there were any delays or hiccups, they would explain them to me. Overall, they always had excellent communication. We used Slack to communicate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They paid attention to my project — I didn’t feel like I was just a case number for them, and I truly appreciated that. They were a great help in getting my product out in the market. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For anyone who doesn’t have any tech knowledge or coding skills, you have to get your idea out of your head and onto paper. To do that, you have to relinquish trust in who you hire. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head project manager at a project management agency; we help businesses connect with people for their needed services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

One of our clients needed help with app development and UI/UX design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Varfaj helped us develop a time capsule app for one of our clients. We presented them with a design, and they helped us bring that design to life on Android and iOS platforms.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 members of their team, including David (Co-Founder), Jared (COO), and other people working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

We reached out to them via Twitter. We chose them based on their accessibility, the fact that they were in our same time zone, their personable approach, and how they understood what we wanted to build in a collaborative workflow.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent $30,000–$50,000 with them on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March 2021–May 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team was always willing and able to take constructive criticism from us with an understanding, patient, and open approach. Overall, they did an amazing job managing the client and communicating with us.

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a close and transparent relationship with them, so they’d reach out and ask us what we needed through a phone call when we needed to clarify something. Overall, they took their time to be patient and went out of their way to communicate with our clients to help them understand what was happening.

Regarding tools, we used Slack and Microsoft Teams. They also used a wireframing tool throughout the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was refreshing to see their patience throughout the engagement; their team wanted to grow with us, so they could always find quick solutions. Overall, working with Varfaj helped our business grow internally.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Having a solid project manager on their team would help them improve their team; many people were working on this partnership, so sometimes communication wasn’t prompt enough.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure to take your time to know their team and set certain communication tools you’d like to use, which is important to implement from the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a tech startup. We create apps for restaurants that do all their staff training.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Varfaj?

My background is in coding, and we needed people to build the actual products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Varfaj is our development team. They started the app from scratch, and we’re designing it directly with them. They’ve guided us through the process. The team uses MySQL as a database, React Native as the language, GitLab, AWS hosting services, and Sigma for the design element. The application is for Android and iOS.

What is the team composition?

When we started with them, they were a smaller team. We worked with one project manager and 3–4 people on the project. Now, we have two project managers and 4–5 people under them.

How did you come to work with Varfaj?

In the beginning, we got a WeWork subscription to start our office space. WeWork had a community bulletin option, so we put on the board that we were looking for a development team. They were one of the companies that responded.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in August 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still a young company; we launched the product about 4–5 months ago, so we’re still getting our success metrics. However, we’ve had a 60% growth rate over the past six months — each month, we’ve grown between 50%–60%. It’s more than just Varfaj’s work, but they’re a huge part of the success. If the product weren’t good, we wouldn’t see those numbers. Overall, they’ve been instrumental in our whole business structure because we wouldn’t be a business without the app.

How did Varfaj perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is the one thing that I’m always picking them on — they could be better at it. I’ve had to evolve and guide them into how I want to do things, so I’ve done more project management than I probably should. However, they’re very receptive to feedback. When I tell them that I need something to be done differently, they’re quick to adapt. Their tech side is generally excellent, but communication and organization are their weakness.

We’ve done many things to communicate. We tried using Slack at the beginning, but I’m not a fan of Slack, so we moved on to email threads. It got confusing when we got multiple project managers because they didn’t communicate with each other. When we got to meetings, people were on different pages.

Now, we have one email thread every week, and all the communication happens on that thread. We’ve gotten better, but we still have to reach out to them to clarify some points. Nonetheless, I’m also part of the choppy communication, but we always joke that we’re failing upward together because we always learn ways to make it better.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The founders are young, so they’re more open to doing things differently. We’ve talked with teams with more experience, but we didn’t like their traditional and fixed approach. They’ve done the same for 40 years, so they think that’s how it’s done.

On the other hand, Varfaj seems to grasp creativity and innovation. They don’t want to be like everybody else, which matches our business and our approach. In summary, their mentality sets them apart, primarily when they cater to startups and young companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could anticipate better what we expect. Sometimes there’s a little bit of a delay, and it takes a few days to get it resolved, but then it happens again a couple of months later. However, whenever we voice a complaint, they jump in to make it right.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have your own vision for your company, communicate it clearly to them; they’ll be able to execute it. If you don’t have that vision, it could be more challenging.