App Boxer

Please describe your company and your position there.

Hypest is a free health and fitness platform that allows content creators in the industry to sell their routines to the global community of users.

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

Hypest contracted App Boxer to design and develop the entire app from start to finish. The goal was to reach a global health and fitness platform on a industry leading standard.

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

I initially came across App Boxer as they arrived in my top search results as one of the leading reviewed national performers in app development and had won several awards doing so. Upon engagement with the team I was immediately presented with a sense of structure, professionalism and enthusiasm I had not previously experienced from other developers.

App Boxer did not only present me with an extremely beautifully designed product but have managed to create an app which will easily stand toe to toe with any of its kind.

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

The project initiated with a meeting with one of the onboarding managers, they did an excellent job of both understanding and interpreting my needs as a client as well as setting realistic expectations moving forward. This then led into the kick off phase which as the tittle eludes to involves all of the crucial beginner elements to a successful project. I must admit as the consumer this part impressed me a lot as the professional structure App Boxer took to this approach was excellent.

Once development began the team started building and implementing a platform that can scale on a global level with payment systems integration. So far the team has done an excellent job of delivering these requirements as we have just crossed the final milestone.

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

To know the exact number of all developers involved would be hard for me as the customer to guess, however I personally know of at least 8 individuals. Positions ranged from project managers, UX designers, programmers, customer consultants etc

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

The app is not live yet, so realistically there are no measurable outcomes at the moment other than a very successful project. I personally as the founder and owner have been taken back by the very outspoken need from the health and fitness industry for a product like this so things are looking up.

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

App Boxer were very accommodating in their management style and focussed on client needs. As the project ramped up and there needed to be a more constant flow of communication they very happily agreed to my request for a move of communications to a platform like Monday.com which would allow for a more constant flow of communications. We still used traditional methods such as emails, phone calls, video calls etc where applicable.

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

There are several aspects of App Boxer that stood out to me in a positive light, as mentioned earlier the professionalism, dedication and creativity were some of those elements. What I found extra unique was their ability to put themselves in the founders' and clients' shoes and think with an element of empathy and vision which really came across as sincere genuine. The business world lacks a lot of this and it was refreshing to experience it with App Boxer.

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

As the founder and financier of this project I am more than happy with App Boxers performance during this entire project. I hope that all my future experiences in business will be this courteous and will definitely be coming back to them for future app upgrades.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of HEROE - a socially positive dating app that allows couples to book their date directly through the app, supporting local businesses and charities and benefiting the wider community in the process.

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

I engaged App Boxer to ultimately provide everything required to take the idea I had in my head and bring it to market.

From creating a brand identity during the kick-off phase that aligned to the vision then all the way through to developing and implementing a mobile app for the B2C market plus the web development of the business portal (and linking to the app) for the B2B market.

The goal itself was to create a dating app that allows individuals to match with each other and then view, shortlist and book their date directly through the app. Conversely, it was also the goal to provide businesses with a sign-up process that allowed them to easily create a venue profile that can be promoted on the mobile app directly to couples.

Further to this, I also wanted to provide businesses with relevant data analytics such as the number of impressions, shortlisting’s bookings and attendees at each venue to demonstrate the ROI on any business subscription plan.

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

To start, I googled “Best App Developers Sydney” and saw that App Boxer had the highest number of 5* rating Google Reviews in the list of app developers.

I therefore shortlisted App Boxer straight away but, to ensure I carried out my due diligence, I called the top three ranking app developers based off their Google Review rating to introduce myself and my idea / vision. I then applied the same logic to App Developers in London and St Petersburg.

One of my biggest concerns was that I had zero to little tech development experience and therefore wanted to engage an organisation that I could trust and not take advantage of my inexperience. With each interaction, I found App Boxer to be the most professional, knowledgeable and understanding organisation.

They took the time to understand my vision, understand the risks and how to mitigate those risks in the development process which ultimately led me to develop a level of trust in App Boxer that I did not feel with other App Developers.

Lastly, as I needed to create the idea / vision from nothing, I gravitated towards App Boxer as their Kick-Off Phase allowed for the creation of the brand identity.

Other app developers provided this too however, I did not feel they took the time to understand the vision well enough to create a suitable brand identity that aligned to that vision.

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

I engaged App Boxer to develop a Mobile Application and Business Portal (including website design) and integration of that into the App. The entire scope of work can be broadly broken down into two phases – the Kick-Off Phase and the Architecture Phase.

I also engaged App Boxer’s sister company The X/Over to develop and implement the marketing strategy post-development. The Kick-Off Phase consisted of Discovery Workshops, Wireframe Development, Branding with mood boards, UI and UX design, the creation of a High-Fidelity Prototype, creation of a Landing Page, creation of a Pitch Deck and the development of the User Stories.

For me, the Kick-Off Phase was a key differentiator between App Boxer and other app developers.

Considering the relatively low cost of this, I was impressed with the number of deliverables and outcomes for this phase and I feel App Boxer went above and beyond a number of times to ensure the brand aligned with the vision and the Wireframes, User Stories and High-Fidelity Prototype accurately reflected the Mobile Application I wanted to create.

The Architecture Stage consisted of the Mobile Application Development and Website Design. This was broken down into 5 key Milestones with different deliverables in each to ultimately create the Mobile Application, Business Owner Dashboard and the App Admin Panel.

The technology stack that was required to create HEROE and bring it to market includes ReactNative (Mobile Application), ReactJS (Responsive Web), Python (Backend) and Django (Admin Panel).

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

Over the last 2 years I have worked with a number of different members of the App Boxer team depending on the phase I was in. The Discovery Workshop was led by Zyran Erasmus (CEO) who outlined how the Mobile Application would be built and what the technical requirements were based off my idea and vision.

I believe this was a critical first step as did not have the budget to make any significant structural changes once it was developed so getting this right from the start was crucial.

Following the workshop, throughout the rest of the Kick Off Phase and Architecture Phase I have worked with Joshua (Product Designer), Yogesh (Lead Business Analyst and Project Manager), Bharat (QA Engineer) and Tom (Delivery Manager) who have all done a tremendous job in developing the mobile application and business portal.

In parallel to this at the start, I worked with the very talented Eze (Head of Design) who did an amazing job creating the brand identity. He set up a moodboard on Pinterest and we went through a number of iterations to arrive at the final brand theme and design.

I was constantly impressed with Eze’s design outputs and I truly believe he has created the strongest brand identity possible for HEROE.

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

I have only recently launched so don’t have any significant numbers to report as yet however, I have had 150 downloads in the first 2 weeks and received a lot of positive feedback on the brand identity, UI and UX.

I feel confident that what has been developed looks professional, operates effectively and is something I can take to investors in the near future.

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

I believe App Boxer’s project management style is a blend of expert, technical and supportive project management. Over the course of 2 years they have been incredibly diligent in keeping the project running.

The communication has been clear and articulated in a manner that I can understand and digest which is appreciated as I don’t have a strong technical development understanding.

App Boxer also took the lead (and supported where required) on the setting up of the AWS Account, the Stripe Account and getting the app launched on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.

Now that HEROE has been launched I am having fewer meetings however, at the height of development I was having at least one weekly meeting with Tom Hall (Delivery Manager) and Bharat Dangwal (QA Engineer) to review progress and deliverables which Tom or Bharat organised.

I found Tom and Bharat to be very focussed, succinctly outlining what development had taken place and what was upcoming. The purpose of this was also to flag any issues that required my feedback (flow, layout, functionality) etc).

Where issues did arise, I found Tom and Bharat were either able to resolve it themselves and provide me with the most suitable outcome or, provide me with enough information to make an informed decision myself which was greatly appreciated.

There was a minor issue about the interpretation of a User Story that had been developed which resulted in the development of the mobile application in a manner that I had not anticipated.

Luckily (and deliberately), the key meetings with the tech lead are recorded which allowed the meeting to be reviewed, development confirmed and the mobile application updated to reflect accordingly.

This approach and App Boxers resolution of this minor issue was greatly appreciated and just reinforced their professionalism.

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

Most impressive for me was how relatively young the team was but also incredibly dynamic, passionate and professional they all were. Also, on a number of occasions, App Boxer was able to provide innovative solutions to issues that arose that I wouldn’t have been able to think of myself.

A good example of this was when I was seeking to partner with specific charities that businesses could affiliate themselves with through HEROE.

It quickly became obvious after I reached out to a number of charities that I wasn’t going to be able to partner with them and businesses weren’t going to be able to affiliate with them through HEROE– App Boxer suggested that instead of partnering with specific charities, HEROE allows businesses to “champion” a cause instead – something I hadn’t thought of at all.

This reinforced the socially positive aspect to HEROE and provided a greater degree of latitude in how to benefit the wider community. This type of thinking has been greatly welcomed over the course of the project.

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

None that I can think of.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I utilized my experience as a carer for my daughter with a disability to found Living Easier with Disability. Our organization offers a mobile app and an all-inclusive website specifically built for the disability community in Australia, but can be used worldwide. 

What challenge were you trying to address with App Boxer?

I am a pharmacist and don’t have any background in app development and all I had at the beginning of the project was an idea for the app. However, since the app is targeted towards individuals with disabilities and their carers, I needed a company that would build a very basic, easy-to-use app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

App Boxer developed my organization’s mobile app and website. However, the project kicked off with their team developing our logo and branding. 

After the branding materials were finalized, App Boxer sat down with my partner and me to discuss the wireframing. I provided them with my requirements, the App Boxer designers walked me through how the app would work, and they developed the app from there.

Our app serves as a communication tool between a disabled individual’s carer and their external supports, including respite and day program workers. The app allows both parties to share videos of the individual’s progress and completed exercises, which has become especially important during the COVID-19 lockdown. The app also has features to show the likes and dislikes of the disabled individual and a brief medical history. 

The app is linked to the website App Boxer is designing and developing, which acts as a directory for disability-related services around the country. The website brings together everyone involved in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and connects them to carers. 

App Boxer also handles our marketing through their sister company and runs our social media accounts, including Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. We have standing marketing strategy meetings where they guide us on how to best build our brand. 

What is the team composition?

App Boxer has a wide variety of expert staff; we’ve worked with Rowan (Chief Strategy Officer), two app designers, a logo designer, and a delivery teammate. The same team has worked on our project from the beginning and there haven’t been any staff changes.

How did you come to work with App Boxer?

After my business partner and I first put together our initial idea for the app, we had no idea how to develop it and put out a job posting on an online platform. Rowan then contacted me, and when we met up, they presented us with research on our market. I could tell that their team understood our niche market and, for them, the job was about more than just the money. 

It was also essential that any company we worked with were based in Australia and had a local office — App Boxer was very professional, and we could meet them in person. 

None of the other developers we contacted had the same knowledge or checked off our boxes like App Boxer, so they stood out to us. App Boxer put together a proposal to build the app, and we were more than happy to sign with them immediately. 

How much have you invested in them?

At the moment, we’ve invested about $130,000 AUD (approximately $93,000 USD), which includes the website development. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership began around June 2019 and it is ongoing. The next phase of our project will be upgrading and adding new features to the app. 

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

We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from users about how concise, bright, and easy to use the app and website are. App Boxer completely nailed the project; nothing is too clinical or corporate — there isn’t one thing I would change. 

App Boxer has facilitated my vision to create an app that our community can use as a communication and information tool. Not only that, but they’ve provided suggestions on how we can improve our platforms. 

How did App Boxer perform from a project management standpoint?

I approve all aspects of a project, but App Boxer handles almost 100% of the project management. They meet deadlines and fully understand our business goals — almost everything they bring us perfectly meets our needs.  

Internally, I believe they use Monday.com, but we generally communicate via email and Zoom. Their documentation is excellent, everything is itemized, and they share information with us through Google Docs. If I ever need documents from them, there are no problems retrieving that information — they are very organized. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I am impressed by App Boxer’s professionalism and how they’re able to express their technical work in layman’s terms. Rowan is very passionate about his job, going above and beyond to make suggestions on how to improve our business. My business partner says that we couldn’t have picked a better team to work with. 

App Boxer also offers a lot of after-service and is easy to contact; they’re very friendly. They are very innovative and I am very thankful that they are working with us. Anytime someone is looking for an app developer, I have no hesitation in recommending App Boxer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they could do anything different — they were always on top of their game. If anything, I could’ve been more knowledgeable about the app at the beginning of the process. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers need to be upfront and honest about what they want from their engagement with App Boxer. Telling the App Boxer team exactly what is required makes their job easier; they’ll be able to guide customers through the development process and bring new ideas to the table to improve the final product.  

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the executive marketing manager for Momento Hospitality. We own and operate an ever growing portfolio of hospitality venues.

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

We wanted to develop a digital membership platform that provided our guests with exclusive specials, discounts and offers. We wanted the application to be effortless to sign up whilst capturing key details about the customer that we could use to provide them with tailored rewards.

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

We searched online for many months before engaging App Boxer to complete this project. The main deciding factor was there history with working complicated API's which this project demanded. We also favored their design work on a few previous projects they completed.

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

We had a series of discovery meetings to flesh out the problem and what we were trying to achieve. The meetings were actually fun for a change! Seeing our ideas come to life was amazing. Once we had settled on the design we begin delving deeper into the unlimited potential of the app and how we could leverage this. From here it was a sprint to get the app developed and tested which occurred within a 3 month period.

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

App Boxer allocated several key team members who all specialized in their own departments. From a dedicated project manager to the back-end developer, the team worked effortlessly together to make the project fly along. Their communication both internally and externally is flawless.

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

We launched the application as soon as possible to our communities and within 6 months we had received over 40,000 sign ups. We even made it into the top 20 food and beverage apps on the app store!

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

Our project manager was great, they would check in on a weekly basis to provide updates and any issues/discussion points that we needed to address. It made the experience very enjoyable and fulfilling to be honest.

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

This project had been a work in progress in our to do list for quite some time however we were quite concerned around the integrations and complexity of work. App Boxer handled our specific preferences like true professional mobile app developers.

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

Introducing an online project system for clients to check the progress and flow of the project would be beneficial but not crucial. Currently a lot of this is done through G-Suite. This is just a matter of personal preference however.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO of PremiAir. We have two divisions: PremiAir Fuels and PremiAir Hire.

What challenge were you trying to address with App Boxer?

Our PremiAir Fuels division was trying to address a new market. Specifically, we wanted to target smaller customers and allow them to order fuel and pay online, similar to popular food delivery apps.

What was the scope of their involvement?

App Boxer developed a mobile app for us. We didn’t know how to create a plan, so we just presented the team with our idea. They then established a detailed project timeline.

Eventually, they finished the deliverable, which was available on iOS and Android. It allowed users to sign up, add their credit card details, and then have diesel delivered to their desired address.

What is the team composition?

We worked with six people, including the CEO, two project managers, a marketing manager, and a product designer.

How did you come to work with App Boxer?

I googled for local app developers and cold-called the top five agencies that showed up. Eventually, I chose App Boxer because they seemed confident that they could guide us through the process.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $110,000 AUD (approximately $80,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from December 2020–July 2021.

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

They delivered and fulfilled our needs on time.

How did App Boxer perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of meeting deadlines, App Boxer did a great job of fulfilling their promise. Their communication skills were also good. We used email to interact, and they were very responsive. 

Additionally, the team gave me access to their project management tool so I could check on their progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They accommodated the modifications we asked for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing they could have done differently. Overall, we were happy with their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time to plan the project with the team, and don’t be afraid to ask questions if anything isn’t clear to you.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the managing director of Star Compliance, an intuitive mobile compliance management and training platform with a focus on the hospitality sector.

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

Whilst the hospitality industry have been quick to embrace technology to support their daily operations, compliance related management has not shared the same adoption and continues to be a major deficiency. For an industry that is highly regulated with legislation, employee training requirements and inherent safety risks, a digital solution was clearly needed. Our goals were to build a simple to use platform that combined all of the necessary elements that make up compliance management.

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

We had searched online and conducted a lot of research into other development agencies to no avail before coming across App Boxer. In two cases before App Boxer, developers disappeared and did not finish the project leaving us at a significant loss of time and financial resources. We came across App Boxer via referral comment on a local startup facebook page. After our intial meeting with App Boxer it was clear we had found the right agency for our project. Their previous work portfolio was well presented and stood out in comparison to the previous agencies we had worked with. Their quality of work and process driven approach were key to providing us with the confidence to partner with them.

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

We had a series of meetings originally to see if we were able to salvage the current work our previous developers had left incomplete. App Boxer were willing to take on the project and rebuild the platform from scratch - looking back we are extremely glad we entrusted them with this decision. App Boxer produced an MVP within 4 months which allowed us to verify our idea and continue on to V2.0. The platform needed to be easily accessible across all devices and we wanted to be able to scale and continue to build the project in stages as new ideas surfaced. We decided to build IOS and Android native apps along with a responsive webpage.

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

App Boxer has great depth across their team. We worked with Rayan during the design stages who than passed us onto Tom, our product delivery manager. The handover was seamless and both were across everything. Zyran - CEO, regularly checked in to ensure we were happy and satisfied with how the project and his team were looking after us.

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

Within 4 months App Boxer had rebuilt our previous incomplete versions and we had a working stable MVP. 6 months later we had our first paying clients. From here we re-invested into the project and continued to add features based on customer feedback. We are now in the process of growing our team and have numerous funding offers on the table.

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

One of App Boxer's strengths is their project management style. Having a dedicated project manager between yourself and the development team helps streamline communication and ensures the developers truly understand what you are trying to achieve as well as feedback. I'm not sure if these guys quite ever sleep! There is always someone online ready to reply and jump on your request.

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

Their design is second to none. The team just know how to design beautiful elegant applications that work. I have also seen their business grow, moving offices whilst working with us - it's great to see them being successful because they really do deserve it.

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

It is very hard to fault their work, the only comment I could make is that I personally always forget my Gmail account password to access the documents they send me!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of MyTradie. We’ve developed a platform that bridges the gap between property managers and trade people.

What challenge were you trying to address with App Boxer?

We’re not technology-minded, and we needed someone to help us build our platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We contracted App Boxer to design the UI/UX and develop the MVP of our platform. We gave them a lot of creative freedom to do this. 

The app is built for Android and iOS, and the technologies used are React and Python.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 5–6 people from App Boxer, including their CEO, chief of strategy, and developers.

How did you come to work with App Boxer?

We contacted quite a few local app companies, looking for a young team that we could have a long-term collaboration with. We really liked App Boxer’s vibe and how well we got along with everyone there. We thought that we could work well with their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid them $85,000 AUD (approximately $62,300 USD) to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with App Boxer in December 2019, and it’s ongoing.

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

Their service has been amazing. We can ask them for anything, and they’re always in reach of us. 

The app hasn’t launched yet, but they’ve delivered phase one of the MVP. It looks amazing, and potential customers are telling us that they love it. App Boxer puts a lot of time and effort into helping us develop a product that’s easy to use and very effective.

How did App Boxer perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re amazing. We’ve gone a bit over the timeline, but that’s through no fault of App Boxer’s. If they run over on something, they’ll let us know about it in advance. The communication has been fantastic.
 
We communicate by phone, email, and text, and we use a project management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

App Boxer makes the whole process incredibly seamless. We know exactly what’s going on at any given moment, and we get along extremely well with everyone on App Boxer’s team. We’re never made to feel stupid if we have a question or don’t know how something works. I couldn’t imagine working with another company, and I’m glad we chose App Boxer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If the client feels that App Boxer is the right team for them, they should go ahead. They’ll do anything the client asks them for. They’ve gone above and beyond for us. What we’re building hadn’t been done before, and they’ve nailed it.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a non-executive director for a company called Jangler, a mobile gifting platform.

What challenge were you trying to address with App Boxer?

We were bringing the Jangler product to market. We engaged App Boxer to help us bring our whiteboard drawing to reality.

What was the scope of their involvement?

App Boxer was contracted to help build the prototype for the MVP. That entailed both the design work, so the UI, as well as the actual development of the mobile app itself. They also developed the administration portal to manage the content within the app. They used AWS and did integrations with several third-party providers, such as an integration into a gift card provider’s platform and an integration into a billing platform.

What is the team composition?

There were two key developers — front- and backend developers — and I’m sure there were people they were working with that we didn’t meet. We also worked with a UX/UI designer and two people from leadership that helped with strategy and workshopping decisions. In total, we worked with five people that I’m aware of.

How did you come to work with App Boxer?

We worked with another party to help with the brand, marketing, positioning, and whatnot, and that company put my business partner in touch with App Boxer as a great development company to work with startups. They never missed a beat from day one.

How much have you invested with them?

In total, we’ve invested about $150,000 AUD (approximately $105,800 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our conversation started in December 2018, and then developed started in late-2018–early-2019. It took about six months to build the MVP. We went live in November 2019. We’ve continued to work with App Boxer since then.

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

There are two key success metrics that we use. One is downloads of the app, which indicate that people can move from just the download of the app to becoming accustomed to it. Then, the second is transactions, so whether people are using the app and transacting. We measured success by one transaction, and we’re now increasing that.

How did App Boxer perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. We can call Zyran (CEO) and Rowan (Chief Strategy Officer) anytime, and they pick up straightaway. We always have a point of escalation if we ever feel like something needs to be happening faster, better, or quicker.

The developers themselves are fantastic. They took the time to set our expectations. They would squirrel away for a couple of days or half a week, but then they'd come back and let us know that we’d receive a user acceptance testing (UAT) on a certain date. On that day, we'd receive an email saying that it was ready for testing. Otherwise, they let us know in advance that there would be delays and explain the reasons for those delays. There has never been a point when we were waiting for the app to be tested; the expectations have always been set clearly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate that they had input. When we request to change or enhance something with the developers now, we have a conversation about whether that’s a good thing to do. I feel like they’ve bought into the product and aren’t just doing their jobs.

This is the first time my business partner and I have had a startup; we’ve never done this before. I have some IT experience, but we’re figuring it out as we go along. It feels like the whole team at App Boxer has bought into the success of the product. They have ideas and suggestions, and they validate stuff that we think is good. They also provide ways to make it better. I feel like it’s a real team, not just a bunch of guys we pay to do the dev work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I feel like they’re young and hungry. They did everything that they could’ve done well. I can’t really think of anything they could’ve done better; they’ve done a stellar job.

Any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be to challenge them. If they come up with an idea, an architecture, or a way of developing something, I always try and understand why they’re trying to do that. They perform really well when they’re challenged in their thinking. They’re a lot more experienced than they make out. 

For one of the enhancements we’re doing at the moment, I’ve challenged them to go with a 100% serverless architecture. They’re comfortable with it and are adopting it, and now it’s being baked it into the rest of their thinking. I think they really flourish when they’re challenged in what they’re designing and developing.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of PRKA. We’re developing an application that provides parking solutions. It’s a marketplace where private citizens can offer their parking spaces to others.

What challenge were you trying to address with App Boxer?

I’m not a developer, so I needed someone to build the app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

App Boxer developed the app and did some UI/UX design. I described to them what I had in my head, and they were able to bring that to real life.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with four people from App Boxer, including Zyran (CEO) and a product designer or manager.  

How did you come to work with App Boxer?

There isn’t a huge startup culture in Sydney, so finding an app developer was pretty difficult. I looked online for developers, and App Boxer was located close to where I am. Being able to talk to them in person was a big advantage. They quoted me a price I was comfortable with, and they had good reviews.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost so far is around $100,000 AUD (approximately $72,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

I first met them in September 2019. The project is ongoing.

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

They’ve been great quality-wise. I can’t judge them on speed given the pandemic. With the lockdown we experienced in Sydney, I don’t think the app would’ve been that successful even if I had rolled it out earlier. 

Taking that into account, App Boxer has been pretty good. They were quick in going from initial discussions to development, and they gave me a clear timetable showing when everything would be ready. They were flexible with payments during the pandemic.  

How did App Boxer perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been hands-on, and they’ve had no hesitations in reaching out when they had a question or wanted my feedback. The development team in India also had no issues reaching out to me. They treated me like a part of the team and kept me in the loop.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They care about what they create. This wasn’t just another project to them. Even though they have a small team, they dedicated enough time to each project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was some miscommunication around the maintenance contract. I thought I was buying an overall number of hours, but it was a number of hours per month. App Boxer was happy to adapt when I brought up the issue.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If the client has an idea, they shouldn’t be afraid to execute it. App Boxer will provide the best people to speak to about it. They have a lot of experience and a hands-on approach.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have a company called SHOCT, which stands for suspension health optimization and characteristics tracker.

What challenge were you trying to address with App Boxer?

We’re designing a system that monitors motorcycles' suspensions and then sends the data to a mobile phone application. We wanted a prototype application so that we could show the data and get funding.

What was the scope of their involvement?

App Boxer works to develop our platform for us. They had to enable the app to read three different Bluetooth devices and import data from them and then translate the data into readings. Their team also had to incorporate GPS and acceleration data because we needed to know the speed of the suspension.  

They completed the prototype version, which means that we have a working system. Their team also created a pitch deck and a landing page that enables people to sign up for our product.  We’ll continue to work with them until we have a final sellable product.

What is the team composition?

We have four people from their team working on our project.

How much have you invested with them?

To date, we’ve spent about $60,000 on their services. The complete package will cost about $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the partnership in February 2020, and it’s ongoing.

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

They’re professional. We’ve been impressed by their services. They’ve made a professional and attractive app. Their team also put us in contact with potential investors. It’s been quite a package of services.

How did App Boxer perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet every two weeks using Zoom. If we need to communicate, we meet straight away. Their communication is good. They also set and meet deadlines. It’s a smaller operation, so we’re continuously working together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team offers more than we initially expected. The quality of their work and their actual services are beyond our expectations. We’re quite happy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They had a little trouble with the Bluetooth integration. The process took a couple of weeks longer than anticipated, but it was resolved. There will always be technical issues in these types of projects.