Airdev

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO and Founder of a technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Airdev?

We do not have an in-house technology team and needed a partner to help translate our vision into reality at an affordable price quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Airdev is developing our web application. When we finished the first scope of work, we decided to give Airdev more business as we had a lot of requirements for the app’s next phase.

We’re still working with Airdev only because we’re in a crunch and need a developer. However, we’re actively looking to see if we can do the work ourselves or hire another vendor instead of using them in the future. 

For the time being, we have engaged them under their capacity-based support model. Previously, our arrangement was project-based.

What is the team composition?

We were assigned an offshore product manager and developer and had infrequent interactions with an onshore solutions architect. During the sale process, we spoke to several others who were not engaged once we signed up.

How did you come to work with Airdev?

We were referred to them by another custom software developer based on cost.

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent around $30,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in the second half of 2021 and are still working with them until we find a better solution.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business. 

We decided to use Airdev because of their lower cost and time-to-market potential. They’re more affordable compared to other agencies because they use low-code / no-code development platforms. However, they treated us like we didn't matter especially because of the amount of money we were spending. Rather than treating every customer like they matter, they treated us like an afterthought not worth spending much time with.

Throughout the relationship, Airdev has been less of a partner and more of a vendor — they don’t listen to what we’re trying to do or help us get to where we want to end up. They just take direction and execute, instead of being a partner and helping us find creative solutions. 

We’re not very proficient in technology, and we don’t always know the best way of doing something. Whenever we discuss our deliverables, Airdev just does it in the way we said it instead of helping us think through and find a better solution. They’re just interested in getting it done and moving on.

How was project management handled?

I’ve had many issues with our relationship. Airdev told us that since we’re not large enough, they would not be willing to do anything tailored for us, and we would have to follow their standard processes, contracts, etc. They gave us a choice of either doing it their way or not working with them at all. I didn’t expect that from Airdev. 

It felt like Airdev didn’t want our business. It was difficult to get them on the phone, and our product manager wouldn’t show up for meetings — they weren’t responsive. When we wanted to have a scoping discussion to understand the project’s potential cost, they told us it would cost money just to have a scoping discussion. 

I had no access to their CEO or upper management even after I asked. I had to find their contact information myself and email them, and although the CEO replied, his response was not helpful.

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

Airdev has delivered a functional final product, and they’ve met our expectations for the first deliverable. They’ve finished the work — only, the process of getting there is not something I want to try again. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you're fine being treated like a number and that your business does not matter to them, then this is the developer for you. They will deliver what you ask them to do but will not help you solution your product to find the most optimal approach. Working with them will be as transactional as possible with no hand-holding.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a small technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We wanted to build an internal business intelligence system to keep track of various metrics from our systems. We also needed it to manage our customers. As a result, our company hired AirDev. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We scoped the project based on our requirements. Then, AirDev assigned a developer to us. From there, we started building the system. Our teams spent two weeks on building it and another two weeks on fixing bugs. 

What is the team composition?

I only worked with one developer.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

The person running AirDev and I went to school together. I picked them because they were a no-code development shop using Bubble. Our team would have an easier time managing that technology in the longer term. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We did this project in May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customers increased by about 50% after the project since we were able to handle more of them. The company’s accounts receivables also dropped considerably afterward. 

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was truly stellar.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The developer assigned to me was excited about this project. It was a challenge for them since this was out of the normal projects they took. As a result, they accomplished it in a fun way as opposed to saying that it was difficult. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to AirDev with a specific idea of what you want to build. Like any other development shop, they’ll build what you ask them — not more, not less. As a result, if you don’t know what you want, you’re going to run into cost and time problems.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the founder of some crypto-related early-stage startups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a way to rapidly evaluate market fit and traction. Bubble is a cool platform but hiring bubble developers and managing the project would certainly take time we don't have right now.

SOLUTION

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

It was top-rated and the testimonials were excellent. AirDev also looked targeted to our size, in contrast to other companies that target larger projects. You can also infer that from the number of projects they've delivered.

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

We needed a prototype for tracking crypto-performance and investment rationale. It's a relatively simple application. We needed it to be accessible via web and mobile and also provide an API to integrate with proprietary systems.

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

Three people. 2 PMs and one developer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The application works great under our own domain for both web and mobile customers. We are now able to collect feedback and iterate.

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

The project was delivered on time and on budget. They provided a timeline and everything was accurate to day. Their process was well thought and it provided ample space for feedback and iteration.

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

The fact that they have all systems in place to collect accurate feedback and fix bugs is impressive.

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

Not really.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the cofounder for an online career accelerator program for underrepresented talent in the healthcare industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We needed a way to optimize our workflows on a single, integrated platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used AirDev to develop an MVP that we could scale effectively. First, we wireframed the design. Then, we scoped it in several iterative meetings around getting the right features and functionality.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with one project manager and one developer.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

We did research online and were impressed with their success stores. They made everything simple and affordable.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $13,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re super pleased with the product so far, especially since it’s at the MVP level. The team is super supportive. Overall, our feedback is positive; we’d definitely recommend them.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager is really easy to work with. It’s easy to bounce ideas back and forth with him. They’re really strong with project management.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re flexible and meet our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their tracking tool could be a bit more user-friendly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to build a relationship with the project manager. Treat it as a relationship, not just a transaction. Make sure you walk the team through the workflows you have in mind so they can deliver what you want.

RATINGS

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a social media platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We needed their team to develop our web-based application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initiated the idea behind our MVP, but I needed a team that could implement the necessary IT solutions for me. AirDev developed our web-based application from scratch. Their team also designed the entire platform based on our outline.

AirDev currently helps us ensure that the product is well prepared for its go-live by implementing changes and monitoring any issues that we’ll potentially encounter.

What is the team composition?

I work with four resources in total, including Aaron (Product Manager & Developer), Ed (Product Director), Jennifer (Product Manager), and a web developer.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

I found them on Google after searching for potential companies to onboard for this project. We ended up choosing AirDev because they were a local agency, and I specifically wanted to work with a team that I could trust and meet frequently at the same time.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $15,000–$16,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the engagement in May 2021. It took them 4–5 weeks to develop the product, but we continue to make adjustments to date.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any quantitative data to share yet as this is a new platform with no active users. However, I can definitely say that AirDev has done their part in making sure that everything is well implemented. 

We’ve created a bug list, and we’ve gone through it to ensure that the app works smoothly, and it does. Overall, I’m happy with AirDev’s work, and we’re planning to scope out more work for their team soon.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

AirDev has great communication skills. They have an efficient ticketing system that can use to make requests and share feedback. Additionally, their developers have a thorough method of reporting their work to us — they create voice-overs and presentations to explain each new feature they implement. AirDev remains patient and responsive throughout our project, and we’re pleased to be working with a team like them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

AirDev sets realistic expectations and communicates effectively to meet those. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the scoping phase, I was under the impression that there would be a designer tackling the project, but that wasn’t the case. Being a designer myself, I would’ve been more present in the design aspect had they informed me about that matter.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to onboard a project manager who’ll understand the scope well and flesh out all the information you need to proceed with the implementation of the product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Director of Digital Transformation at Ivanhoe Grammar School, a multi-campus K-12 school in Melbourne, Victoria

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Over the past two years, we have been working on developing formative assessment frameworks for learner competencies. We had a vision for the digital interface for the observational tool, which included a slider functionality for intuitive assessment input.

SOLUTION

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

Two factors drive our decision. Time to market and budget. We had a tight timeline for our project and due to our specific requirements were worried that the budget would blow out for this project. The exploration of NoCode/Low Code options seemed like a good fit and Bubble was a platform that we had some experience with dealing with. When we looked at the Bubble catalog for companies to partner with, AirDev jumped out as a leading option to explore.

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

Competency assessment in education is extremely complex. Observations over time from many assessors help to sharpen the image of where the learner is on a continuum of development. We had an extensive rubric that outlined this continuum. The platform needed to be intuitive, easy to use, and quick for observation input. We decided on using a slider for assessing along the continuum. This would hide the text not required, making the user interface clean and minimal. We required staff, student, and class information to be stored in the application and an admin panel to facilitate the management of users and building of the competency attributes. For the first part of this project, we only had minimal data visualisations that we wished to house natively in the app.

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

Evan Schwarzbaum was our Primary contact. We worked with one project manager, David Nabarro, and two developers, Hadi Rasyidsono and Kenil F.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully launched the project to over 180 staff members three weeks ago and our goals of easy and intuitive assessment input were achieved. A five-minute video tutorial was all that was required to teach staff how to input information. This has allowed for a large collection of student assessment data, and even better, rapid collection from already busy teachers. We met our timeline for internal project delivery and have had all our project goals ticked off. The speed of this project delivery has already greased the wheels for new project ideas.

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

David Nabarro is a genius. Education is rife with acronyms and edu-speak but David was able to translate all of this information into a clear and concise project scope. He knew the project as well as we did and this coupled with his ability to problem solve meant that he was able to make the platform simple and easy to use. We still rave about our scoping meetings with David. Nothing fazed him and everything had a solution. He was proactive, positive and thoroughly enjoyable to work with.

The online project build platform enabled clear actions and communication for all involved. No question was too silly. And there was always detailed and prompt responses. Hadi was amazing. He outlined every element clearly and provided step by step instructions along the way. He also went above and beyond with some of our requirements. They were a truly pleasurable team to work with.

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

The ability to connect on a deep human level is one of Airdev's major strengths. They are as excited about the project as you are! The speed. The creative problem-solving. The teamwork. We won't look anywhere else. If we have an application to build, Airdev is the place to start.

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

I have nothing to add here. Every request was met with prompt and concise responses.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a hardware and software company that creates technology for bars. I’m the Australian director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We needed help building a software solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AirDev is working on a Bubble software solution to help users load money via a web app using ApplePay and Stripe. I gave them a high-level overview of what I wanted and AirDev asked questions. We’re making it very simple, so there are only three pages that the customer is interacting with.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 2–3 people, including an onboarding specialist, Matt (Product Manager), and a designer, and a UI specialist.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

They came highly recommended as Bubble and Stripe specialists. I took several quotes and decided to work with AirDev.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $17,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and our work is ongoing. We were a bit delayed on our end.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work is good, and I would keep working with them. We still haven’t really tested the app in a high-volume location.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re quite good. We don’t have a huge time crunch, so we’re happy to move a bit slower. Overall, AirDev is very responsive. We could have less back and forth if I gave clearer directions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re cheaply and successfully doing a project that we were told wasn’t possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although they said they’re Stripe experts on their website, their expertise isn’t that good. I actually had to do some research on my own. They could have a few more in-house Stripe professionals. The team could’ve offered more guidance at the start of the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a startup. We run an online marketplace that allows users to rent space in gyms and athletic facilities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

They helped me create an MVP for my service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a fully-functioning web app prototype quickly. We used their deliverable to test our idea and get a better understanding of what the market response to our service would be like.

What is the team composition?

I started the engagement working with Jasmine (Account Specialist). After that, David (Partner) and a developer took charge of the project.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

I found them on Bubble, which was the platform we used to build the web app. They were listed as a Bubble agency. They had strong reviews and several examples of previous work, so I reached out to them. In my first interaction with them, they demonstrated their understanding of development principles. They made sure I understood the specificities of their process and assured me they would be available throughout the engagement.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $7,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–April 2021. We would have been ready to launch the app sooner had my schedule been less busy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I haven’t had a chance to properly promote the platform yet, so I don’t have any external metrics or feedback about their work. However, I’ve been really happy with what they delivered. Everything works as I anticipated, and they provided everything they said they would. Their team was patient and flexible in making any changes.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They exceeded my expectations. Their team was great at managing the project and communicating their progress. New tickets and bugs were handled in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were communicative and transparent in managing the project. They set clear expectations for themselves and met every deadline.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only area I could point to for any improvement would be the low-fidelity mockups and sketches for the solution. I think we rushed through creating them, which led us to have to make fixes down the road.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’ll deliver a high-quality product. Because my web app was built on Bubble, we ran into some functionality and user interface communication limitations. Make sure you address any concerns in these areas early on in the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the CPO of a sports data company. We take basketball statistical data from games and apply our in-house metrics so that coaches and recruiters can analyze basketball players better.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?
We had mocked up and designed everything on Google Sheets for our platform to take sets of data. We built a dashboard system where users can apply filters and other things as well as find the exact players they want. AirDev helped us design a web interface for our product.
 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
The biggest thing they helped us with was to have all the data in one accessible database so we could start cross-referencing our data instead of just having to look at one set of data at a time. Once we figured that we could do business together after going through the scope and seeing what they could do, we evaluated it, came to an agreeable price, and set up an outline. Everything was documented. We were able to see what was possible for them to provide for us. We had a really good couple of hours of meetings and brainstorming to see what was possible.

In the near future, when I have time to learn the Bubble platform a little better, I may take over some of the small design changes and tweaks on our end here. I just needed a jumpstart, and AirDev handled the structuring phase. When we first got the product in our hands, my job was to learn how the data structure and data flow worked because we’d have to update the database very consistently. I needed to understand the data structure, how the data flowed, as well as how to upload new data and manage that data. That is what I did the first week when they released it to us. After a couple more versions of working with AirDev, I should be able to manage the platform on my own.

What is the team composition?
We initially worked with Ed (Lead Project Director) and an individual who serves to scope out the overall build. Lola (Project Manager) made sure all of our needs were met and made sure the project stayed on our timeline. We had weekly meetings with her to make sure we were all on the same page. Julia (Project Programmer/Developer) built the entire web interface and structured the database. Julia was able to make many minor changes to the design as we were building and corrected any bugs we found during our testing period.

How did you come to work with AirDev?
Our COO knew one of the individuals on AirDev’s leadership team. They connected, had a good talk, and then put us in contact with the individuals who were going to work with us to see if something viable could come out of it. This is when we got involved with Ed and the project manager. We came to the conclusion that it’d be a really good partnership to fast-track our product into a web app.

We had been looking for a full-stack developer to try to productize our Google sheet into a web app. It would take longer to put a person on a trial period to see if that was who we were looking for. Going with AirDev, we knew they’re a proven company. Our team also knew it’d probably be a little more expensive, but we knew what we were going to get out of it.

How much have you invested in them?
Originally, we had a pretty small budget of $10,000 to $15,000. We extended our scope a little bit and wanted to have a few more features than we had in our Google Sheets. It went up to almost $25,000 for the entire build.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started scoping things out in early February 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. We have a plan to have a second version and even possibly a third version with some feature changes. Those changes won’t be huge but will be some tweaks and an extra dashboard or so. The next step we’re thinking about is building a consumer product that’d be housed on the same Bubble platform.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
AirDev is responsive to working with some of the bugs and tweaks that we need. Product-wise, we have about five main staff members including myself. We have done tons of internal testing and a few demos with some of our prime customers. Our team has gotten really good feedback. 

One of the main concerns I had, when we got our first rollout, was the load time efficiency as that can make or break this type of product. Our developer did a great job of shrinking that time in half. The load time was big, and it got way more efficient and quicker within days. We were very happy about this.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management is great. Early on, the project manager was very hands-on. We had weekly meetings and that was great. She made sure all of our needs were met, communicated, and documented to those who needed to know, and that was mostly the developer. The response time was really good. We never had to wait more than a day to get an answer to any questions or receive feedback on what we needed.

We use one of AirDevs’ web portals to manage the project and it works really well. Any kind of changes or tasks is all documented there. It is very easy to follow and easy to request any kinds of small changes and tweaks. Especially during the review and bug fixing process, it was very, very helpful.  

What did you find most impressive about them?
Overall, the main thing is that the loading time is a lot faster with the web app. Being able to access everything from one menu very quickly instead of having to open many Google Sheets is excellent. It has made the product what it needs to be. It’s not in a blueprint-building stage anymore; this is a product that we can be proud of.

Are there any areas they could improve?
I do understand that when we work with so many staff members, we want to make sure that we have the right developer for a project. I felt our project was pretty cut and dry as well as straightforward. However, there was a long lead time to find the right developer. It was about a week and a half. That could’ve been shrunk down just a little bit knowing that the project wasn’t that difficult.

I know that when a scope is well-documented, the developers don’t have to understand the data that they’re working with. However, it would’ve been a little bit helpful if we had a developer who at least knew basketball because there were a few times when very simple statistical data from basketball stats were not understood and caused some issues. Our developer wasn’t from America so they may not be in a culture that’s centered on sports. 
This did cause some issues because simple stats weren’t understood, but the efforts that the developer put in didn’t make it a problem. I just think it would have been helpful.

If we are going to spend that much time connecting with the right developer, having a little bit of knowledge of the data would have helped. I don’t want to give the developer any negative comments because it was definitely not her fault. To me, she was perfect. Because of our different time zones, I’d be done with my work, and then she’d start to give feedback in the morning so it was great timing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Having our Google sheet was great for us. A lot of other companies may just come with ideas and not really have something concrete like a Google sheet. However, I believe our project was priced accordingly and ran smoothly because the Google sheet was a map of everything. It included the data flow, the logic, and how the dashboards would look. If you can blueprint your thoughts up and have everything you’re trying to do on a Google sheet or simple interface, that can go a long way. 

Sometimes when you are building solutions like this, you need very complex ERDs, data flow, and diagrams, but we had a functioning product with the tables in one tab and the dashboards in the other tab. Mapping things out on Google sheets, even if they’re not functioning would help. We had formulas for everything. I thought it should have been pretty easy to translate that into a web app because all of the logic was already there. Any time you can map some of those details out, even if it’s a draft, that helps the designer a ton to be able to take it and not have to hold meetings and go over little details all the time. It makes the build a lot easier.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m starting a company called Re:User Ltd. It’s a reusable food and drink container system for the on-the-go, eat-in, and potentially takeaway delivery market. Someone would subscribe to the service, go to a food vendor or café, and get their food and drink in a reusable container which is logged via the web application.

They’d eat or drink their food and return the dirty container into a receptacle and log that again via a QR code. Re:User collects, cleans, and redistributes the container into the system. That’s the business in a nutshell, and I’m the founder and CEO.

We’re a pre-revenue startup that’s going to be launching in London, UK, and potentially in Austin, Texas as well. It’s pretty much just me right now with some paid consultants such as AirDev for tech development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

I was trying to build an application for Re:User. I wanted an application that could keep track of the inventory as it goes through this circular economy system. The app would allow users to search out and find participating food vendors in a directory as well as log the checkout and return of the container or the borrowing and returning process.

There is a company, and I was in their accelerated program. I built a non-operational prototype with them. It’s essentially a sustainable delivery company with a reusable container system. However, I ultimately decided to launch with more of a lean approach and have the MVP as I described. We might add that down the line.

During my search and process, I found out about Bubble which is a no-code web application builder. Although it is a no-code platform, there’s still a lot of workflow design and such that needs to be optimized to help the application function properly and efficiently. I realized that I needed to hire a development firm to build the app in Bubble. That’s where AirDev comes into play.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AirDev doesn’t use or sell any templates because they build a unique solution for each company. Their team does use a development platform called Canva which is kind of a template, but they use that for design. I ended up going with them and built the web app with them which is now ready to go.

In order to get the detailed technical scoping doc completed, I have to pay a $1,000 deposit which is refundable within a week of receiving the technical scoping doc. We had an initial one-to-two-hour call and on the back of that call, AirDev sent over a scope document which ended up being 19 pages. Then, there was some back and forth on that scope document in terms of finalizing and such. Once that was finalized, I paid the first half of the fee.

It took about three weeks from the time of paying to have the project start. There were two development sprints which were five-day periods where they were doing development. In the first sprint, there were 3–4 days of back and forth testing and then making some corrections.

Then, there was another one-week sprint. There was probably about a week of testing and requested changes and things of that nature. If I had questions about stuff, the developer always answered those or put things on hold for the next development phase.

What is the team composition?

I first started speaking with someone who was more of an initial sales rep. Then, I worked with a project manager, project director, and developer.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

When I decided on that strategic direction, the other company was quoting me a fixed cost for part of the development and then a bigger range. I thought what I wanted to build was quite a lean app. I didn’t think it should cost what they were quoting me for. I conducted a developer procurement process. I talked to a couple of other firms that were priced at pretty high rates, and these were all in the traditional development method.

After Bubble won me over, I looked to hire a development firm for Bubble. They list some partners on their website and I looked at AirDev as one of those partners. I probably reached out to about half of the partners on that website that looked good from the initial research I did on them.

I had an initial call with AirDev and reached out to other firms too. It was between them and another company based out of Moldova. The customer service experience from AirDev was so much better than the other firm. That other firm didn’t hit some of the self-declared deadlines that they had for delivering things to me. I felt I was getting a very templated approach from them, versus AirDev who was more customer service focused and also gave a unique type of approach to my specific need.

I ended up choosing AirDev because I thought they might be preeminent Bubble developers. They’re exclusively Bubble, and I heard their founder speak on a podcast. They seem to be the industry leader there. Being based in San Francisco, I thought they’d be a lot more expensive, but Bubble is still not that expensive and they have a rate for startups like myself.

How much have you invested in them?

The cost was $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The scope doc discussion was in January 2021, and the last stages of development were in late March 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’m in a weird position where I’m waiting on an entrepreneurial Visa to go back to the UK, and my business cannot be “trading”. I can’t receive revenue or book expenses to the business yet or else it’d be viewed as trading and that would be violating the Visa restrictions. That means that I, unfortunately, have this web app that’s ready to start taking subscribers. We’re ready to sign up restaurants, but it’s not going to be operationally live until sometime in May 2021.

I won’t begin getting the real-time feedback of the product out until that time. I’ve tested a bunch of scenarios and things on my own and it seems to be working properly. Additionally, I’m able to track the inventory through various situations. The checkout and return process works, and we have the QR codes generated. Everything should be working properly at this point and it will be ready to launch. In a way, I could say that I have now built the MVP and am able to use that as part of my fundraising collateral.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management worked well. Air Dev manages this own process on their own custom project management portal. My project manager wasn’t super responsive; the engagement was really me working directly with the developer and testing. The developer would ask the project manager and project director if she had some Bubble technical questions, and they were more or less supervising her work.

There were many other individuals from AirDev who were testing the product as well, given the log-in history of the app when we were testing; there were multiple other AirDev emails that have logged in. The developer wasn’t deciding what was best by herself. There were other people to bounce her ideas and questions off of. AirDev also has a structured onboarding program for any developer who is working for them.

Overall, the project was pretty good. I didn’t really talk to the project director besides one conversation. However, I know he was engaged by the project manager with specific questions about things as well as whether certain things could be included in the scope or if they would be extra. I think overall, they seemed pretty on top of it with managing the project and the chain of command and things like that. It was an organized and efficient project management structure.

They use Loom for recording videos of how to make a specific change. I’m getting this web app and for any future changes, I can reach out to AirDev to handle them or I can change certain things myself. The developer has recorded videos on Loom that are instructional showing how she did things, so I have those as a backup. Using Loom video is very useful.

AirDev uses another tool where if I am reviewing the web app, I can take a small screenshot or point something out on the screen and add some dialogue to it. When I make that comment, it makes a new thread in their review portal. I can’t remember what they’re using for that, but it was quite useful as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with their speed of building. This is partially based on the perks of Bubble but also on AirDev as well. I really liked the speed and price of development and that I could achieve by using AirDev and Bubble. It’s a very organized process that’s very customer-focused as well. AirDev provides good customer service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The actual UI/UX design abilities of the app are fairly limited and maybe that’s due to Bubble or Canva. The whole idea of Canva is to have a uniform design and be able to quickly make some design changes. One of the downsides of Bubble and AirDev as well is just the ability to be very flexible with our design.

Their workflow and portal where they manage everything were good, but I gave them a few feedback points on it just because one annoying thing was if I’m taking a screenshot to paste into the portal, I can’t paste an image. That was annoying because I had to take a screenshot and save it to my computer and then attach it. There were a couple of other small nitpicky things.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely test everything yourself because you’ll find things to change. Set aside enough time for the testing and review process. There are two one-week sprints, and I’d arguably say to set aside one week for testing back and forth for each of those sprints. Set aside 3–5 business days for the testing and requested changes as part of each of those sprints. Then, the same timeframe of three to five business days for the back and forth on the scoping doc.

 Make sure the scoping doc has everything you can think of because that’s then treated as the bible of what will be developed. If something is not included in the scope doc that you have asked for, that could be an additional cost. AirDev is only on the hook for what’s in that scoping document so ensure everything in there is everything that you’ll need. There were some things that they did push back on and said would be better for a later improvement.