Airdev

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is called MyPerfectfFnancialAdvisor.com. We use deep data and artificial intelligence to match investors and financial advisors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We’ve worked with AirDev on a few projects; we first connected to create an MVP so we could get consumer feedback about our site. Obviously, we wanted to get that done as quickly as possible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them a list of things I wanted the MVP to include. What’s terrific about AirDev, was that they told me what was and wasn’t reasonable for an MVP, but offered alternate ways to accomplish the goal without diminishing the product.

There’s also data about the financial advisers and investors that we needed to collect and store in a relational database. Then I needed the algorithm to match the two parties. So they used PHP. Then I hired them to develop the full product.

What is the team composition?

I work with a point person and one other.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

I searched on Google and met with several development shops in our area. I found AirDev and they’ve written some papers about building MVPs. Based on that, I decided they’d be the best fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work together in April 2017–May 2019.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve yet to find a substantive bug or hiccup with the product at all. There have been a few minor things that haven’t posed huge problems. It has never gone down either, which is quite significant.

Their support and responsiveness are excellent. When I’ve had requests for updates, they’ve let us know if it’s practical and have come up with alternative ways to do things. They’ve added tremendous value to our project. So, we plan to work with them for future upgrades.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

Very well, they have an internal project management platform that works very well. They assign tasks to different people. I just go into the portal and issue a new request, and pretty quickly, they reply back and I get an email. As a customer, I’m pretty happy. They’re responsive, clear, and accurate.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

When they say they’re going to deliver, they do it. Over the course of our time together, they’ve always hit deadlines. When they can’t do something, they come up with another solution. A lot of firs can’t do that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that comes to mind is that the internal project management tool they used was difficult to use for certain things. Like, scrolling into the pages wasn’t as intuitive as it could have been. Their comments were also hard to navigate.

It would also be nice to hear from them more often. I don’t want them to change anything about their core function, but it would be nice to hear what they’re up to through blog posts or a newsletter. They don’t promote themselves as much as they could.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on your requirements and take the time to make sure they’re as buttoned-up as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our goal is to make it easier for customers to find assisted living and eldercare options that align with needs. We’ve organized resources into a comprehensive, searchable database.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

They helped us build our database that could assess product-market fit in a fast, affordable, and scalable way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The backend of our database contains information on all kinds of different eldercare resources in the Maryland market. When users enter the app, they can search by location and type of business. Results can be displayed either in a list format or an interactive map.

When the results are showing, customers can see the quantity of in-app “likes” each business has. This helps establish credibility and trust in a non-bias way. We’re in the process of curating feedback and endorsements for the businesses from eldercare physicians to create that sense of trust. The final product is a web app that’s built on Bubble. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Lucien (Co-Founder) and Eli (Developer).

How did you come to work with AirDev?

I’ve been tinkering with Bubble for several years, so I started trying to build the product out myself. There were tons of things I didn’t know how to do, and I found myself looking through user forums to learn. Very often, some of the best answers to questions on those forums came from AirDev.

I started seeing their name and brand everywhere in conjunction with their effective responses. Their explanations showcased a level of expertise that made me feel confident in their ability to take Bubble to the max. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $8,000 on the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and the app went live in March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because I haven’t marketed the app to any users yet, I don’t have any metrics. Everyone who sees and hears about it has indicated that it’s a much-needed product.  

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

In the beginning, they took the time to understand the problem I was trying to solve. When working with other developers in the past, their level of understanding was the main issue while collaborating.

Here, AirDev totally understood me. If they had questions, they asked them to clarify any confusion. They didn’t want to move forward to development until they understood our problem and proposed solution thoroughly. Their ability to make suggestions and provide insight from their past experiences was key.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

During development phases, issues come up that couldn’t be anticipated previously. There’s always some degree of scope modification that’s needed. Despite the adaptations, they didn’t nickel and dime me at all. They evolved the requirements as we moved along in an amazing way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were receptive to everything I told them. I can’t think of anything.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do as much homework and critical thinking as possible before engaging with the developers. This will help you determine what you want your app to look like and save everyone time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an online platform that connects brick-and-mortar businesses that want to host events with different event creators and brands that want to do activities, like popups, panels, or workshops. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

I was looking to build an MVP to get my idea to market and test it, and that’s how I found AirDev.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AirDev developed the platform’s backend with Bubble. I came in with a high-level idea, and then continued to add more features and functionality as we started building. Initially, I was looking to create a platform that allowed for simple functionality: for users to be able to create profiles, to search and discover one another, and to message back and forth. That was the basic MVP, and we’ve added a few more features as we’ve gone along. We’re going onto our third scoping document for new features in the next few days. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with two people: a project manager who scoped everything with me, and then an implementation manager who did all of the work and building the platform. 

How did you come to work with AirDev?

I found Bubble first and then saw that AirDev’s team were experts in Bubble. That was really enticing to me, because I could learn the Bubble part of it at a high-level so that AirDev could build the nitty-gritty. Then, I knew that if I needed to make changes or little updates or iterations, I’d be able to do that through the no-code software that is Bubble.

I did a lot of research and looked at feedback. What was most important to me was having a team that was comfortable working with a non-technical entrepreneur, so they needed to have a willingness to guide me in some things. A lot of the reviews for AirDev were from other first-time or non-technical entrepreneurs, and that made me feel comfortable working with their team. Once I had an initial call with the project manager, I knew it would be a great fit.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent between $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I committed to a detailed scoping document from AirDev in October 2019. The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been so fantastic; I can’t say enough good things about them. We’re still working together, and I want to work with them for as long as possible, so that I can continue adding more features. It is the perfect marriage, where AirDev created the platform, and I can iterate on it going forward.

The key success metric for me was that after we scoped out the original document and they priced everything, AirDev allowed me to provide feedback and make changes within the scope of the original document. They didn’t try to one-up and charge me for every little change that I wanted to add or tweak. I knew that I could trust them to say what it was going to cost, and they meant it. That was the absolute best and the reason I wanted to continue working with them. The price was great for what they did. Also, their responsiveness was impeccable. They were on top of it. 

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic. They provided really detailed wireframes, which was helpful. I felt complete clarity throughout their whole process, from the initial scoping conversation to the wireframes to the build. I always knew what the next steps were because everything was so detailed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Having worked with them as an entrepreneur, the best thing for me was that they were willing to take my feedback but also provide helpful guidance. They proposed other ways of doing things. I don’t know if other providers would have been as invested in my success in the way that I feel the team at AirDev was. They wanted me to be happy with the product, and I truly am.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m so grateful for their team, and part of the reason I wanted to leave a review is that they provide a fantastic service. I wish I had some kind of feedback for them, but I don’t. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Just be super communicative upfront about what you’re looking to do; the sooner you figure out the details, the better. They were super accommodating to some of the changes I wanted to make, but now, I’m much better about going into it and thinking through every little thing as early as possible, just because it’s a pain to make changes after something is already built. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder of an Agile performance management platform that will be web- and mobile-based.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We needed to build an MVP but had a problem with scope creep. We needed outside eyes to cut down the project and then build the platform for market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AirDev worked with us across a few different phases of the project. During the first phase, we talked about what we wanted to build to establish the scope. From there, their team scoped the development and its timeline. Over a month, they delivered the basic functionalities that we needed.

For example, they enabled us, as platform owners, to manage users and accounts. Their team built an admin dashboard for our clients' project managers as well as a user dashboard that allows users to set and manage goals. Users can also follow different workflows for feedback, which are peer assessments, one-on-ones, self-assessments, and performance assessments.

Their Canva templates eliminated the need for us to build components from scratch. We filled in a template and then customized parts of the platform. While the main functionality of the website was templatized, we manipulated the branding.

What is the team composition?

I worked with three different individuals. I scoped the project with Vladimir (Founder and Co-CEO). And then, I worked with Kevin (Project Manager) who managed the project. Another team member from AirDev developed the platform.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

AirDev specializes in Bubble, which is the platform that we wanted to use. I saw many of the plug-ins that their team built throughout the community. Then, I identified and researched a number of consultants but AirDev was most professional.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2019 and completed this iteration of the platform in February 2020. We’ll reengage AirDev to develop future functionalities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was unable to produce what their team turned out in a month, in a year. Their team significantly decreased the platform’s time to market. AirDev saved us a lot of time and money. From scope to a working product, their work was incredibly fast and impactful.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

AirDev delivered the milestones according to the established schedule, which wasn’t an easy feat considering the number of scheduling conflicts such as holidays and vacations. Their team was responsive throughout the process. They did everything that we needed them to do.

What did you find most impressive about them?

AirDev has a well-defined process. They had software enabled that made it easy for us to identify issues for them to correct. Their team gave us access to a portal that made working together easy. We were able to give feedback and ask questions, which was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They probably work with more B2C customers from their Canva templates. It would be useful to adapt the template to fit B2B companies. Also, their team organizes the platform too. It was built as a one-page app, which made it difficult to find specific elements.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you have a vision for your product, don’t be afraid to sketch the idea and provide it to AirDev. They’ll take you through guiding principles for developing the software but speak up for what you want. If you don’t, you’ll end up with someone else’s design.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m building a reverse marketplace for tickets. So, we’re creating a place where buyers who are interested in purchasing tickets on the secondary resale market to create bids that indicate where they want to sit and what they’d like they’d like to pay. That enables sellers to sell their tickets instantly by finding a matching bid. We’re creating value for buyers by giving them the opportunity to find tickets for less. The platform also allows sellers to sell at their convenience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

AirDev helped us figure out how to build the MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re great at determining the minimum features to go into the first version of the product. The team is able to scale an idea down to its essentials, which allowed us to build a foundational app together. From there, they can develop the product fast, within a few weeks. 

The final platform is a web-based application that is mobile-responsive. They built the platform on Bubble. At this point, we’re continuing to develop new updates on the app, but the initial version of the solution has been delivered. Buyers can enter the app to see recent sales and bids as well as view open seats. They confirm the bid by inputting the payments and expiration date. Sellers can filter active bids, accept one, and put in their information to recieve payments.  

What is the team composition?

We communicated with Vlad (Founder & Co-CEO) prior to the build and then were passed off to two development leads. 

How did you come to work with AirDev?

I was referred to them by someone within my network. Their CEO spoke on the phone with me to recap the idea. The next step was to create a scope of work that detailed wireframes and the overall process. That included the scope of the project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $11,500 on the MVP.

What is the status of this engagement?

We proceeded with the project in December 2019, and the project was complete in January 2020. It was a two-week build.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The effect has been huge for our business because they created our entire product. Before working with them, we collaborated with another team to make designs for an iOS app. However, without any development behind it, it was difficult to understand how the app would function for users. They were able to provide us with a solution that enabled us to test out our product idea. We went from having a concept and prototype to having a functioning MVP. We’ve seen an immense amount of growth.  

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated solely online with all of their teammates, which was challenging at times. However, they know when there’s a significant issue that needs a quick response. Vlad was able to make decisions faster than anyone else on the team, so I contacted him in urgent situations.

They have their own, nicely-designed communications portal. I can screenshot anything from my site, write or comment on it, and create a task. From there, we can move the task through their backend as they work on and complete it. That was easy to use.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

They build robust products at a speed I haven’t seen from any other company. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They focus much of their attention on functionality, so I’d love for them to place more emphasis on the design aspect of the build. Overall, they do good work. 

It is important to review the scope document closely because they will charge for small additional features that don’t appear on that initial form. That can be difficult, so it would’ve been best to have another conversation surrounding need a little further into the build. I think it’s necessary to be able to reach on the phone. There wasn’t a lack of communication, we just would’ve benefitted from a more direct system for interaction. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have an understanding of everything you need from the scope before moving into development because adding additional features will cost you. No matter which company you’re working with, outsourcing can be a challenge with communications and speed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the cofounder and CEO of an early-stage startup that’s building a skill-based job application platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We’re a non-technical founding team, and we decided to build the MVP of our product on Bubble, a visual programming service. As we scaled and brought on paying customers, we realized that working with experts in Bubble would allow us to be a lot more efficient and build better than we could be if we did it ourselves.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first time we ever worked with AirDev was a sprint engagement. Basically, they made the UI of our product look a little bit better right before we launched the first MVP. We had built all the workflows and logic, but seeing how they were able to execute what we were looking for in a pretty fast timeframe gave us some confidence. Down the road, when we wanted to build out more features and functionality into the product, we went directly to them.

That progressed into a more formal relationship where they’re our primary developers. We scope projects and figure out what we want to build and how we're looking to developing the product. Then, they'll tell us how much it will cost and build it for us. On an ongoing basis, they’re the people we go to to resolve bumps or issues in the product.

When things are more open-ended, we explain to Andrew (Co-Founder, AirDev) what we would like to achieve and he comes back with examples of what we could do or a mockup of what it would look like in Bubble using our standard templates. There are other times when we've done more extensive wireframing and designing on our own and then come to them with exactly what we want to build. They’ve replicated our work in those cases.

What is the team composition?

We don’t have any full-time engineers on our staff. There have been periods of time where we've had contract developers on our team building Bubble things, but, by and large, it's been all of us non-technical folks in-house and AirDev helping us build.

We've interacted with four or five people from AirDev over the course of our two years of working together, but by and large, Andrew is our main point of contact. There are a couple of team members who have gotten to know our product pretty intimately as well. One is a little bit more design and frontend focused, another is more of a project manager, and then there’s one who's more of a backend and workload builder.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

Bubble credits were being offered as a benefit of one of the coworking spaces or accelerator programs we were in when we first started, and so we decided to try learning Bubble. Then, as we were familiarizing ourselves with Bubble, we were offered a free consultation call with AirDev as a part of the associated credit package.

We had one call with Andrew, which was really just him advising us on how to use Bubble to build the MVP ourselves. We hadn't paid him anything or worked with him at all. As we were getting closer to launch, it didn't quite look the way we wanted it to, so we reached out to Andrew and asked if he would be able to help us. That was the starting point of us realizing we could go to them for a lot more.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them a monthly support fee for bug resolution and everything else. But, we’ll also pay scoped contracts for new features when we reserve capacity to execute on specific things. To this point, we've spent between $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

That first sprint engagement was August 2017, and we’re still working with them. The full commercial solution launched in April 2018, and it’s been support and continuing feature builds since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a non-technical team, the fact that we’ve been able to create a commercially viable product on Bubble that enterprise customers are using is a testament to AirDev’s help and reliability. We've had very few bugs or crashes of downtime issues since the launch, and customers are certainly happy every time we roll out a new feature. AirDev has helped us be responsive and integrate requested features from customers.

They are some technical limitations of Bubble as a platform, but that's not a reflection of AirDev's development capability. They’ve done a good job of helping us understand what's feasible in Bubble versus not. I'm very happy with what they've done.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

One of the nicest things about having a longer-term relationship is the iteration of communication. I feel like Andrew, in particular, is very responsive. When I've needed things, if I haven't always heard from the team or anything like that, I can reach out to him and he will be very quick to respond and get on top of it.

There are sometimes challenges or complexities in using their project management portal as opposed to email or other tools, but they’ve invested a lot in making that better and smoother. Not that our team has gotten used to their way of work, it's all worked well. They have a project management portal that all customers under a certain tier should use. If you pay them above a certain tier, they'll work within your Asana or other things like that. But otherwise, you log, request, and track the project in the area of the portal. I totally understand why they do that, and our team has adjusted to that. They've continued to invest in that as well, to the point where they rolled out a feature where we could easily go into test mode and screenshot and comment on issues or bugs that we find. Those are automatically dropped into the portal on our behalf so we don't have to screenshot and copy and paste and all these things that we had to do initially.

When they say something will take a certain amount of time, it’s generally on time. I think the things that are more unpredictable are those that required testing when iteration and feedback can stretch out. Their initial estimates for the first versions are always very accurate, and any delays are normally because of business considerations on our side. Overall, they’re responsive in meeting our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They a good job of understanding what our business needs are and what we're trying to solve for. This helps them be a proactive partner in our work. Andrew actually understands my company and my business well enough to offer suggestions on how some things could work. Along with junior members who have joined the team, they keep senior members on as well to maintain the relationship support. This is a strong value-add for an early startup.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, they’ve been great partners. I think they are still iterating a bit on their business model, in terms of how things are priced though. It’s ranged from one-off project budgets to purchasing capacity on a dedicated team for a specific amount of time. Therefore, more predictability on pricing would be nice, but we understand that, as an early company, they’re always iterating.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think there are two ways you can work with AirDev. One way is going to them with just an idea and asking them to help you build an MVP. I feel confident that they can do that, based on what I've seen. If you’re doing that, make sure you know what you want to get out of the MVP.

If you then evolve into a long-term development relationship like we now have, it’s important to set clear expectations around deadlines and prioritizations. If you ask for 50 things, be clear about what the most important five are. This will help them balance their capacity.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and director of a freelance gig platform that helps connect individuals with companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We needed a partner to develop our platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

While our team had a clear vision, AirDev enhanced and improved our ideas. First, they helped to create the scope of work because our idea for the platform was complicated. Then they began building the platform. While we created the design, their team developed the website from scratch using Bubble.is. They built the wireframes and implemented a dashboard that enables organizations to post jobs, hire candidates, and direct projects. They also created profile capabilities for freelancers, who can manage their information. AirDev has become our development team essentially.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked primarily with Andrew (Co-CEO, AirDev) but they have a team that supports our development needs.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

The CEO of AirDev and I worked for the same consulting firm. We speak the same language, which made it easy for us to collaborate on the scope.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started collaborating in April 2019, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

AirDev created a platform with exceptional usability. The website is simple and intuitive. Clients have commented that the site has a beautiful UI. Our team hasn’t had to make constant changes because their team has pushed for simplicity, which has enabled the platform to perform well.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

After we have agreed on the scope, AirDev manages the project. Our team doesn’t need to direct them because they have strong values. Their team goes above and beyond; they have worked late at night, into the morning, and on the weekends to make sure they deliver top quality.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Unlike competitors, AirDev can solve business challenges and scope tech well. Their team is passionate about providing a solution to their client’s problem. They think about the minimum needed for a solution rather than the maximum, which tends to not be the case with other providers. Their focus on simplicity has helped our team to manage the website without unnecessary oversight. They have values that create value.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re doing everything right. AirDev should continue to be client-focused, which is hard to maintain as a business grows.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Call AirDev.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder and CEO of a social platform associated with the B2B and social good space. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We were looking for a developer with that could build our app on Bubble. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AirDev developed a web-based, mobile-friendly app on Bubble, followed by a cross-platform mobile app.

What is the team composition? 

Andrew (Co-CEO, AirDev) manages the project, but we also work with one of their top developers, who happens to be one of the top Bubble developers in the country. 

How did you come to work with AirDev?

We were looking for a development firm with expertise using Bubble, and AirDev was the only company we found that not only had the right skillset but also met our high standards. The other company we considered wasn't timely or professional in communications, but we felt that AirDev's team was on the same page as us. They also understand our specific industry, are very transparent, and built their own website on Bubble.

We liked that they offered an affordable option to test out the relationship for a week. We were very impressed by the build they delivered in that time, so we've continued to work with them since. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested between $50,000–$60,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're blown away by the fact that AirDev has been able to build both a web and mobile app that supports different user types for just $50,000–that's unbeatable. Using a different technology, our app would easily cost six times as much to build. 

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They've actually built their own project management tool on Bubble and, aside from some minor issues we had with platform in the beginning, it's now very user-friendly overall. We also have regular calls with their team and use Google Docs. I like that they're willing to ask around and research any questions we have if they don't know the answer offhand.

What did you find most impressive about them?

AirDev was really the only choice for us, considering their expertise with Bubble, professionalism, and business background. They offer some of the top Bubble development resources in the country. Their team even hosts one of the few Bubble meetups that currently exist in the U.S., which goes to show their leadership in their field. 

Additionally, I also appreciate that Andrew is heavily involved with us. He's a business school graduate and a former member of the Social Enterprise Club at Harvard, so he brings a lot to the table. In addition to their expertise in the tech space, they also have specific experience in social enterprise business, making them a perfect match for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a few times when their perspectives weren't aligned well with the end user or the social good aspect of our strategy, but that's not entirely their fault. We should've been more involved during the product strategy phase to ensure development was moving in the right direction. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure their team is a good match and visa versa, taking the time to get to know them and learn about their processes. They offer an affordable one-week collaboration phase that can help determine whether or not they're a good fit for the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product owner at a digital product agency located in Arkansas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

We needed help creating rapid prototypes and proof of concept for our clients. They would be invited into the project at the pre-flight stage and would rapidly build a clickable Bubble prototype for them. Our company uses this service as a sales tool.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired AirDev on a project-by-project basis. They completed several rapid prototype developments for us, but I directly spearheaded one. Lasting eight weeks, they closely helped us with thought leadership with our client. Working on the backend in Bubble, they helped us execute our vision, turning our designs and wireframes into an intuitive prototype the client was able to show to stakeholders. Their team was integral in helping us figure out the backend logic needed to build a prototype.

It was a very iterative process due to the agile, volatile nature of the project. They had to respond to changes, making sure to implement them in a reasonable amount of time. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager as well as a professional that acted both as a designer and developer. Since Bubble is a less code-heavy framework for building an app, he was able to play both roles. 

How did you come to work with AirDev?

Originally, someone in our organization had a prior relationship with their company. We’ve worked on several projects with them in the past and they’ve delivered good work, so now we collaborate frequently. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from December 2018–February 2019. Our organization still works with them on other prototype projects, though.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a fantastic experience working with them. It was awesome to deliver a prototype framework to our client at a much faster pace than we could’ve done using traditional development methods. 

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They used a custom project management dashboard to keep everyone up to date as we were moving along. Any progress, issues, and questions could be posted there, so I always had the ability to check-in to see where they were on certain tasks. I was also able to view the prototype as it currently stood when needed to make sure everything was progressing smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great people to collaborate with on this project, delivering products very quickly. For instance, during the development, we got word from our clients that they needed to showcase their prototype for stakeholders the next day. We communicated that to AirDev thinking it would be almost impossible to achieve. But, their team came through, working late into the night to make sure everything got to the client in time. That was a huge win.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

During our limited engagement, they performed excellently. I wouldn’t change anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The only hiccups we had were internal communications with our client. Part of the nature of software development is understanding and making changes quickly. So, I’d recommend going into the project with the mindset that change is probably a good thing for your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an associate at an organization whose objective is to create a future where skills are valued over degrees or years of experience. In partnership with Microsoft and others, we are developing skills-based training and employment practices. We work with employers, educators, policymakers, and coaches to help the nearly 70% of Americans without college degrees get good jobs based on the skills they have or the skills they can learn.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AirDev?

Whenever we trained clients on how to do skills-based hiring, they consistently told us that they wanted to adopt those practices but were struggling. They told us it took a lot of time and they weren’t sure how to define jobs in a skills-based way. We tried to find a tool that would automate the process but didn’t find one, so we began looking for a partner who could develop one.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AirDev built a mobile-friendly, web-based tool with the Bubble application. The tool connects to various different APIs. Employers and HR representatives can type a job title into the program, and the APIs pull data from different sources. We identified and cross-correlated what competencies and skills each API would pull, creating a hand-selected list of skills for each position someone searches in the program. After selecting a job title, users can review a skills-based job posting and add the company name, job overview, and which skills are required or preferred. They can also add if certain certifications or other requirements are needed, allowing end users to tailor the job post to their own company. AirDev currently provides maintenance and support.

What is the team composition?

We had two main points of contact.

How did you come to work with AirDev?

We tasked our in-house consultants with finding a company that would be able to build the tool. Our main qualifications were budget and speed, and AirDev was the best fit. They had a detailed and comprehensive plan, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in 2018, and the product launched in December.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within 100 days after launching, we had users in 26 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. We’d sent the product to 26 governors and received positive feedback from users. It makes job hiring an easier, one-step process. We recently integrated a heatmap feature that lets us analyze user behavior, which we plan to use to make needed changes.

How did AirDev perform from a project management standpoint?

They were responsive and provided weekly status updates. Whenever we raised concerns, they quickly addressed them. They created their own portal to track complaints, show task statuses, and provide notes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They offered a competitive price and finished all their work in a timely manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the building stages, they didn't deliver some feature additions on time. Communication about the delay was lacking. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be clear on deadlines, letting them know which ones are most important. Maintain clear communication and, if possible, have one person responsible for talking to them.