Appinventiv

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

I never received any acceptable results. It was unbelievable what I had to go through while working with them. They had limitless time and resources to develop a good app, but I only received a very bad, bug-filled build for iOS and Android. Even the simplest actions, like logging-in via Google, made the app crash. Some bugs were present for over a year.

The app wasn’t well known when we launched because I hadn’t done much marketing. This proved to be good as it crashed for 95% of users. When they went to save their birth date, it would save a different date. That was a problem for over a year. They always promised they’d do their best and improve, but nothing changed. The quality was so bad it wouldn’t make sense to use any of it. I lost two years of capital and had to start over. I’m now looking for another company to help.

How was project management handled?

We talked on Skype, but I only received empty words. They would act familiar and call me “brother,” but when they ought to have taken responsibility, they acted as if they’d done nothing wrong and barely knew me. Several times, it felt like I was talking to a bot. One developer promised to take care a problem and then gave me the same promise two days later as if he forgot he’d already said it.

They’re friendly, but their communication is misleading and doesn’t represent their results. They seemed inexperienced like I was their first client. They certainly weren’t like their website portrayed them to be. The only thing they did consistently was share invoices. 

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

I can’t think of anything.

In what specific areas can they improve?

They need to be honest with their clients and not promise something they can’t deliver. They were kind and friendly, so I wanted to believe things would change; unfortunately, they didn’t. They kept making promises, and I always received disastrous builds with several old and new bugs. Finally, I had to cancel our cooperation because it was always the same, endless story. Their behavior was extremely unfair and gave me false hope for improvement. I hope I can prevent others from making the same mistake and trusting them too much.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Be careful and don’t make too many payments upfront until results are in. I’m normally a private person, but I feel it’s my duty to give this review. I only worked with the headquarters in India (I have no experience with Appinventiv’s headquarters in Manhattan), but people should stay away from them.

How did the relationship with Appinventiv evolve?

The project’s original timeline was five months, but problems arose after only eight weeks. The team started coding without a structure or database architecture, even though we provided documentation. The demo was not functional during in-house tests. I emailed the CEO, development team, and project manager, but none of them responded.

Appinventiv had insisted on a $2,000 deposit. But it was after the demo tests that I ended the partnership and requested a refund. Although the team hadn’t been responsive, Peeyush (COO, Appinventiv) did reach out to say a refund wasn’t possible.

How did the vendor address the problems that arose?

I told Peeyush that the team was not professional and the project wasn’t working. Peeyush apologized and offered to change the development team; he acknowledged by architecture and mobile app development expertise. However, we didn’t see any follow through on that offer. Appiventiv continued to write unstable code for a non-functional product.

Describe the impact this engagement has had on your business.

I haven’t received a code and my money is gone. Since this was a startup project, my business partner and I had to raise funds for the build.

How was project management handled?

I preferred to work with Appiventiv through Upwork, but they requested to arrange the project outside of the platform. We primarily communicated via Skype.

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

No, I had a negative experience.

In what specific areas can they improve?

The team was unresponsive. Their lack of communication cost me a significant amount of time.

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

Appinventiv is a larger company. They typically assign junior developers and other less-experienced resources to projects.

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

I was very nervous, but they took me under their wing and guided the process. We haven't had a soft launch yet, but we're hoping to launch next month. Every app has bugs and I expect we'll have them too, but I'm confident in the quality of their work. They exceeded my expectations, especially in terms of the value I got for the money I paid.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're excellent. They work with my schedule and make the whole process easy for me. We mostly use email, Basecamp, and WhatsApp to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate their technical expertise. They're very innovative and passionate about the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear plan, but be flexible and open to changes

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

The development is going well so far. They have met the arrangements we made. There aren’t many bugs compared to what we expected for an outsourced project. It’s working well.

How did Appinventiv perform from a project management standpoint?

We speak directly with the developer and we don’t have to go through the project manager, giving great transparency. The project manager is only needed if there are issues which we have not had. The developer understands the specifications when we discuss them with him on the phone. We communicate mainly through Skype.

Sometimes we have to make sudden changes and adjustments and not everything can be documented. For those cases, we need somebody who understands rapidly what we want to accomplish and add something of their own if there are missing elements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have quick turnaround times. They’ve worked on many projects, which gives them a good idea of the new requirements and how to map them easily. One of their biggest strengths that I haven’t seen in others is how they fill in the blanks.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re good on the development side, but they need to follow the style guides for the aesthetics side. I have a UI designer who provides the aesthetics. They should not take liberties in changing them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with the developer that I was assigned to has been good.