1stFold WebSolutions

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO & Co-Founder of Tabero, an early-stage startup operating in the hospitality technology space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 1stFold WebSolutions?

We needed help with creating a marketplace platform that would allow us to validate and test the market. We wanted this platform to allow people to sign up, book events, and meet other people socially.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

1stFold has created the web-based platform we needed. We’ve continued working with them since launching the first version of the platform, and we’re now close to launching its third version. Additionally, they provide maintenance to it on an ongoing basis. The frontend technology stack includes HTML5, CSS, Bootstrap, Ajax jQuery, advanced Angular 7, and Node.js, and the backend technology stack includes PHP, Laravel, and MySQL.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 3–4 people from 1stFold, including Aamir (Founder & CEO), who is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with 1stFold WebSolutions?

We were referred to 1stFold. During the selection process, we shortlisted 3–4 potential clients, including them. Ultimately, we chose them because they seemed to have a better understanding of what we were doing, and their communication was really good from the get-go.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $25,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together for the very first time in Q3 of 2019. Developing the first version of the platform took them about 5–6 months to complete. We then engaged with 1stFold again towards the end of 2020 for phase two of our project. To this day, our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1stFold has essentially made us a viable company by proving our concepts at a very early stage. Now, we have hundreds of paid users with a repeat purchase rate of around 30%, which is very good. Additionally, we’re now ready to go to a potential investor and get a first official round of investment, which we expect to do at the end of 2022. 1stFold has made this possible by producing a scalable marketplace platform for us.

How did 1stFold WebSolutions perform from a project management standpoint?

1stFold is very precise with their estimations, and everything has worked out very well. We originally decided to go to an overseas company for this project because, as a startup, we had a very limited budget. 1stFold has absolutely met our budget and provided us with great value for the money.

Additionally, they’ve been able to deliver on time because they’ve put together a critical task list for us that we both agreed on, and they’ve stuck to it. Thanks to this, we’ve been able to see when the next deliveries and testing phases will happen. We typically communicate via email and share an Excel document to collaborate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

1stFold has demonstrated a genuine willingness and commitment to understanding our business and the value we bring to our customers; they really listen. Additionally, we’ve learned a lot from them, and our relationship has allowed us to keep evolving our offerings. As we move forward and try to scale our business with each iteration of the platform, they’ve been able to partner with us and understand where we want to go.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good conversation with Aamir; he’s very approachable, and his communication is very precise and clear. Additionally, they offer really good value for the money, so having an initial conversation is really worth the shot.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I previously worked at Holistic Analytics, a consulting firm that I founded.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 1stFold WebSolutions?

I needed help with web development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at 1stFold WebSolutions performed full-stack development for several websites. We had some projects where they focused only on the frontend. From the beginning, their team was involved in requirement gathering, wireframing, alignment with the business owners, and other interpersonal factors.

For the frontend, they used JavaScript. The backend work was in WordPress or custom-coded PHP. On and off, their team has been completing small projects. They’re currently working on a significant project that is planned for 12 weeks.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with their technical team.

How did you come to work with 1stFold WebSolutions?

I was looking for someone offshore because development in Ireland is expensive. I found 1stFold WebSolutions on Elance.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested €30,000 (approximately $33,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their team is great during the initial stages. They’re tight on milestones and deadlines. Since their team manages everything in a specific way, we never had an issue with delivery. They excel at forming the groundwork of projects.

How did 1stFold WebSolutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Along with delivering on time and within budget, their team provides useful documentation. We used Trello and had conference calls through Skype and Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the projects was quite challenging. It was a custom-coded PHP related to getting referrals and traffic to websites. It was in the digital analytical space and involved tracking successful and unsuccessful references.

If someone referred another user to buy something on the e-commerce website, I had to make sure it was all tracked right because of payment. It was a detailed project that required a lot of precision. The team at 1stFold WebSolutions delivered that successfully.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any complaints, which is why I keep using them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company provides liquidity solutions for digital assets. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 1stFold WebSolutions?

We hired 1stFold WebSolutions to re-design our corporate website.

What were your goals for this project?

To have a more dynamic, professional, and modern website that presents a better image of our company to our prospective customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We used a freelancer website and selected them from the competition.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed the website in line with our requirements, then searched for relevant images and videos for on it. Working with our team, they put together this content in the right places. Finally, they developed the whole site. 

Throughout the project, any changes and adjustments were made as and when required, including improvements to the initial plan.

What was the team composition?

I only dealt with Aamir (CEO, 1stFold WebSolutions).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

My company is still in its very early stages, so no metrics are available yet. I believe the website is very good. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was dealt with well, with no hiccups. Everything was finished in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The speed of delivery and their professional attitude impressed me.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No. I recommend them to other people in need of professional web development and design services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an investment banking firm. We provide advice to companies looking to buy or sell other firms or to raise capital from private investors. I'm a managing partner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 1stFold WebSolutions?

They joined us to assist with a website refresh and update. We needed to completely overhaul our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were involved with everything to keep our site running and up-to-date. They migrated and updated existing content, added new content, improved the look and feel for the site, and updated the backend systems. The entire package was modernized, and our routine maintenance procedures and policies were clearer.

What is the team composition?

Our principal point of contact operated as the project lead. I’m not sure how big the team was on their side.

How did you come to work with 1stFold WebSolutions?

We posted a project online and they submitted a proposal. Their references were good, so we decided to use them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The collaboration started around 2012 and lasted about six years. We recently moved to a bigger firm to accommodate our business growth.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site was very professional looking, with an upgraded UI that was very contemporary. They did a great job providing a state-of-the-art image for us. We received a lot of positive feedback.

How did 1stFold WebSolutions perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was very good. They kept the development process moving forward and on track. We communicated primarily through email, and occasionally via Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness was very strong. They were always available to make a change or resolve an issue and were a key player in our success. It wasn’t a complicated site, but they created something within our budget that fit our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any negative things to say about them; we had a very positive experience. When we moved to a different developer, it was simply because we needed a bigger firm.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand what you need and be as specific as possible.