Appunite

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner, director, and founder of a dating app which connects people looking for genuine long-term relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppUnite?

The challenge was putting my idea into reality and producing a professional-looking end product. I needed the creative input from an outsider looking in, on how design elements and functionalities could be optimised.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AppUnite developed my app for iOS completely from scratch. It may be reproduced on Android in the future, and I do plan to continue working with them going forward on any tweaks, amendments, and further versions.

I had some firm ideas about the design, color scheme, and logo, around which they worked with me from the very start. As with most things, when the actual project started, other factors came into play and what I thought needed to be done changed along the way. AppUnite worked on the project from the initial idea right through to the end product, beta testing and releasing it to the App Store.

The app is self-explanatory in that it’s a dating app. Users swipe through a database looking for their match. The app has some nice touches, such as the logo appears as a watermark on the screen to signify a new match and this is also replicated in the “Matches” section.  There is also a time component as users have 48 hours to communicate with their match, and there is an hourglass timer, complete with sand, which dwindles down to zero.

What is the team dynamic?

We had a few initial conference calls in order to establish what my app focused on and the target market. I produced templates on how I wanted the screens to look and behave, detailing the key elements I wanted covered. I also gave AppUnite some free reign to input their ideas. At the end of the day, this is their area of expertise, and it’s why I employed them.

I would say there were between five and ten people from their side working on my app at any given point, all with different areas of expertise, from design framework to project management to actual front of house and backend developers. Overall, I would say I was in touch with almost everyone from AppUnite’s office.

How did you come to work with AppUnite?

They were recommended to me by a work colleague (I am also a lawyer). We were put in touch and got conversations underway in terms of what I wanted to achieve. I tried to determine whether they were a good fit, whether they understood the concept, and whether they agreed that there was a void in the market where my app could fit nicely and subsequently be successful.

I am based in London and had approached others, weighing up the costs and seeing how they would deal with the app itself.  I had to decide whether it would work best with a single company building it from start to finish, or whether some parts would be outsourced. My preference was to deal with a single company, not multiple.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the contract in February 2017 and released to the store in early October. As mentioned, I plan to continue working with them.  We are on the brink of another release, which is currently in review with the App Store.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They have been brilliant from start to finish in terms of getting the work done. The app has been released to the store already, which happened fairly quickly considering that many apps take a year to a year and a half to complete. They worked fast, but still delivered a very professional end result.

I’m happy with the current user base, and there have been no crashes since release, which is brilliant for a product in its early stages. Of course we do expect some minor problems to present themselves, but AppUnite has always worked hard to address any issues like that when they do arise.

How did AppUnite perform from a project management standpoint?

Last weekend, I needed assistance as an advert going out in the Metro newspaper here in London. It was a substantial financial investment for us, and they worked throughout the weekend using two to three people from the team, even though this wasn’t their standard practice. I found this to be admirable. I can’t fault AppUnite for the work they’ve done, and hope that their strong work ethic continues going forward.

I had a single project manager as my go-to. They are based in Poland, while I am based in London, so there is potential for language barriers. I have not found any problems aside from having to explain myself more because of certain words or phrases which are difficult to translate.

Other than this, they’ve always executed what I needed. There have been very few issues or missed deadlines, and if something has been missed, they have addressed it straightaway when I have mentioned it. I find this to be rare for companies, especially bigger ones who will often push some clients to the side. AppUnite seems to have a wide spectrum covered.

Apple certainly seems to be temperamental in terms of if and when things are accepted, and how long it will take. They have their own timelines, which has led to some delays. This is, of course, out of AppUnite’s control.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strong work ethic was made apparent within the first weeks of working together. I could see they were putting their heart and soul into the project, from their design ideas to the actual work produced. Bigger companies often just see the paycheck, and are not that focused on the end product overall.

They have put “Handcrafted by AppUnite” on the bottom of my landing page, which shows their pride in the end product, appreciation for what the app does, and acknowledgment of what I’m trying to do in the market. There is a wide range of dating apps, some very questionable and some of poor quality. It’s great to see that AppUnite wanted their name attached to the app, and I was more than happy to allow this since I do think they did a great job. Without them, I wouldn’t actually have an app so it’s only fair that they get the recognition.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Throughout the whole transaction, from design to build and release, everything has been brilliant, and I can’t fault them. The only feedback I gave was for them to introduce someone who I could have as a go-to point for any tweaks and amendments within the first two or three months, just while the app is getting off the ground and I’m building a user base. People will come to me with issues and concerns which all need addressing promptly. I have suggested this because it wasn’t clear whom I should go to, as the team initially working on my app has obviously moved on to other projects.

AppUnite has put this into play already, and they were pleased to hear constructive criticism about their company. They are small in comparison to other developers, but there is always room for improvement like with anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a German company working with startups as CTOs —heads of products and heads of service. Many new companies in our area lack this expertise, focusing more on business and marketing. We help them with product development from the kick-off, including conceptualizing, designing, and managing the production process until the first release. After that, we help them recruit internal teams to replace us.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppUnite?

We use companies like AppUnite as external partners for actually developing software for our clients

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have worked on 2 Android development projects with AppUnite, one of which is ongoing. One of our projects used the ReactiveX Java framework.

AppUnite has assigned 2 engineers for our first project. They can provide an internal project manager as needed, but we've mainly communicated with engineers directly. AppUnite has also assigned UI designers to our project.

How did you come to work with AppUnite?

I had some video calls with candidates in order to evaluate their language and communication level. I have experience in the interview process so I am able to filter out candidates from the initial discussion, minimizing the risk to a high degree. 

How much have you invested with AppUnite?

The cost of our first project with AppUnite was between 6,000 and 8,000 euros. We had a fixed price. It was a simple Android app using a single API. AppUnite is also involved in the product development cycle for our second project. The development is ongoing and we're working on a time-and-materials basis, so it's hard to estimate the final cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with AppUnite in June 2016 and our first project was finalized 2 months ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Our finalized app hasn't been published yet. The app we're currently developing with AppUnite has been launched to app stores. Both of them have been a success. AppUnite has a good team and I would continue to work with them in the future.

How did AppUnite perform from a project management standpoint?

We have handled project management for the more complex work and only involved AppUnite's project managers when needed. AppUnite can provide technically skilled project managers for our work and they have good continuous integration processes in place. AppUnite has been able to provide accurate estimates for our work. Their team also has good English skills. The frequency of information exchange and of the deliverables has been very good. We initially used Pivotal Tracker as a management tool, but have moved to our client's solution, GitHub.

What did you find most impressive about AppUnite?

For the price, the quality provided by AppUnite has been very good. I was generally surprised with the level of their engineers and project managers. I've since worked with 2 other Polish agencies and AppUnite has stuck out compared to them.

Are there any areas AppUnite could improve?

I wouldn't say so.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is a mobile messaging and marketing platform software company. We developed a platform for brands and enterprises to engage with their audiences, and social users to engage with their friends and family.

My role is business operations and business development. I also focus on support in some of our recruiting, human resources, and staffing needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with AppUnite?

Originally, we had two levels. On a more tactical front, we had a specific problem with one of the features within our messaging platform and they were a company that had done historical work in that category. On a broader scale, we were looking to get resources on board quickly that would have a certain degree of support. We had a mix of staff that were independent contractors, mostly home-based developers, which goes either way - you get some very good, and you get some not so consistent people when you do that. AppUnite fit the need of really getting a developer on board within an environment that we knew was structured and also with having a background from a company that has shown some results in the area we are looking to get some help in.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve taken a different approach with AppUnite, and that’s one reason why we like them. They were very flexible. So we have taken on board one Android developer specifically, and the purpose is that the role he plays is really as a developer, almost as if he’s part of our team. In the background, there’s a bit of support from AppUnite, and AppUnite has offered to do more but we have not engaged in a full turnkey solution with AppUnite at this point.

How much have you invested with AppUnite?

I think a good way to describe it is relative to what we were paying North American staff; it’s about less than half. It’s probably $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in August of this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I would say things turned out better than we expected originally because we were sort of looking for a mid-level developer but the developer from AppUnite is taking on a bit of a senior role. In terms of output, we have some complicated geo-location features within our app and he’s helped as part of the team, not on his own, to find solutions.

How did AppUnite perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re probably making it a bit difficult for them because we have one resource and we haven’t engaged a broader team there, but they’re still quite proactive. They do weekly or bi-weekly calls to check out and make sure everything is going well. The management people sort of want to be involved if there’s a problem, so they can help address it. We had some communication hiccups in the beginning which they jumped on right away and improved.

What did you find most impressive about AppUnite?

I think being more on the commercial side is what really drove this. They really tried to understand what we were doing and what we were looking for. When we started to expand our resource needs and gave them a chance, we needed them to meet a certain requirement in order to take a look at it, and they did. I thought they reacted quite well. I’m sure other agencies would do the same things, but maybe not as well. I thought their approach was very professional and now it continues to be. There is potential that we’re going to expand our agreement with them, but we have nothing firm at this point. We’re actually quite pleased that they’re effectively working with a competing agency but working with them very well.

Are there any areas AppUnite could improve?

I think the one thing I would probably look at is we had to sort of structure what we ultimately agreed on with them. We sort of pushed them into the direction of the agreement we have now. It would’ve helped if they had come to us with those options earlier. Truthfully, we may have engaged with them earlier had they done that. But in the end, we had to sort of form the model and say, “This is what we’re looking for. If you can meet this, this, and this, we can move forward or we can consider moving forward.” So it was after we gave them instructions that they turned it around.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Creative Lead of DayZero Studios

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Brand Relevancy through gaming.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appunite to accomplish?

• Developing a game competition system for our project "W"

SOLUTION

How did you find Appunite?

Referral

Why did you select Appunite over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Appunite were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Supporting our developers in developing the backend of a gaming competition based on points and leaderboards. This system connects directly to game servers and does result submissions automatically.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Finishing project on time without any users noticing updates or losing data. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Appunite were very flexible and met all our needs, both in timeline and scope. 

What was your primary form of communication with Appunite?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their vast knowledge of Elixir was impressive.

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

Everything was perfect.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Engineering of a fitness company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide Health & Wellness classes

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appunite to accomplish?

Launch Native Web Apps with High Quality

SOLUTION

How did you find Appunite?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Appunite over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Collaboration Model

How many teammates from Appunite were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Appunite has developed multiple apps for us that primarily revolve around delivering audio (songs & music) and visual (videos) materials to our instructors. They have also developed apps for us that incorporate AI vision and deal with the creation and delivery of marketing assests and materials. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Deadline to launch app and new features
• Stability & Quality
• Adoption

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Good project management and good collaboration around deadlines. Very flexible with changing requirements.

What was your primary form of communication with Appunite?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We were impressed by their collaboration model and willingness to see a project through and ensure its success. Our engineers work hand in hand with theirs over Slack directly, with no time wasted communicating with account managers. All of their team members provide value. 

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

Highlight scope of work change impacts earier, but this has drastically improved after the first project. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Research Scientist of University of Luxembourg

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

University of Luxembourg is a public institution with a mission of higher education and research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appunite to accomplish?

• Reimplementation of a webservice frontend

SOLUTION

How did you find Appunite?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Appunite over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Appunite were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Our webservice (https://minerva.uni.lu) is developed for over 10 years and focuses on visualisation of diagrams and data supporting research in molecular biology and medicine. The technology stopped being sustainable and we accumulated significant legacy functionalities. AppUnite realised a previously prepared UX/UI design and reimplement a complex frontend of our webservice.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

A complete, reimplemented fronted, ready to be integrated with our backend.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The deliverables were realised on time, the team was responsive and adapted their schedule to necessary changes.

What was your primary form of communication with Appunite?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Appunite was very responsive and resourceful, focused on problem-solving.

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

No remarks.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CTO of a Sports Fishing Platform

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are one of the world's biggest sports fishing mobile app, a powerful tool for anglers to catch bigger fish, a social network for anglers, and a platform for exploring everything that has to do with fishing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppUnite SA to accomplish?

• Increased development efficiency
• Increased application quality

SOLUTION

How did you find AppUnite SA?

Referral

Why did you select AppUnite SA over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from AppUnite SA were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Ongoing development and quality improvements of mobile apps on both iOS and Android. Successful delivery of Android rewrites, migrating to Compose.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Less reported bugs
• Increased customer ratings
• Increased velocity

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We've been working with AppUnite in different setups, where they either took full responsibility for a project or strengthened an existing team with additional resources. They have delivered great value in both setups. They always manage the projects professionally.

What was your primary form of communication with AppUnite SA?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

They really care about delivering value, not only resources, and they've always been flexible when our needs have shifted.

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

Not really. There has been an occasion where the person from AppUnite wasn't the best fit, but that was addressed quickly and with great flexibility.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Fraidoc GmbH

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Body leasing of doctors to hospitals

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppUnite SA to accomplish?

• launch a first mobile app as proove of concept

SOLUTION

How did you find AppUnite SA?

Online Search

Why did you select AppUnite SA over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from AppUnite SA were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

programm the business logic of the app

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

day to day development progress

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

always deliveredon time. Well managed

What was your primary form of communication with AppUnite SA?

Virtual Meeting

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

I'm impressed by the team's quick response and high flexibility.

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

nothing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Engineering of Wire Swiss GmbH

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

End to End encrypted messaging, collaboration and conferencing tools

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire AppUnite to accomplish?

• Launch a new Android client application to the Playstore
• Support the iOS team in feature development and keeping the business running
• Support the Web team in feature development and keeping the business running

SOLUTION

How did you find AppUnite?

personal connection

Why did you select AppUnite over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Reputation

How many teammates from AppUnite were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Deliverables:

• new android client application in the playstore
• accessibility enhancements of Web application
• new look and feel of Web application
• accessibility enhancements of iOS application
• critical bug fixes for iOS & Web applications
• several new feature development on iOS & Web applications

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• launch of new android application on playstore
• relaunch of Web application with greatly improved accessibility
• relaunch of iOS application with greatly improved accessibility
• delivery of several features to our customers in a timely fashion

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Timely delivery, close feedback loops and great fit of team members that joined our projects

What was your primary form of communication with AppUnite?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was most impressed by the professionalism, flexibility, and quality of their deliveries

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

Not for this project