E2Generations

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

VP of Finance and Operations. I oversee all operations and finance matters within the organization including project management of our custom investor portal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire E2Generations?

Building out a custom investor portal with API integrations into a third party escrow agent to replace an existing vendor with compliance requirements in the venture capital industry. The tech needed to support several levels of viewing permissions, admin levels, fundraising regulations, etc. This project will introduce a new revenue stream to our business that can have a major impact to the industry as a whole.

What were your goals for this project?

Building out a custom investor portal with very user friendly design and functionality to complete investments as an individual and maintain a portfolio of investments with top of the line security measures. This project will introduce a new revenue stream to our business that can have a major impact to the industry as a whole.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A long vetting process that involved speaking to many shops and ultimately selecting E2 due to their flexibility and understanding of our long term approach.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Building out a custom investor portal with API integrations into a third party escrow agent with compliance requirements in the venture capital industry.

What was the team composition?

E2 has ramped up and down their resources to coincide with our business needs being new features with a tight deadline vs ongoing support of small features and enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

This project will provide efficient processes and procedures to the industry of venture capital as a whole with additional revenue streams provide to our business.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was handled through Jira and help desk support systems built by E2 which made the communication of timelines and expectations very streamlined.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to adapt our business needs, which are in an industry that is not easy to get, as well as our compliance, need into functional tech that looks great and performs very well.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of RentIt, Inc., a peer-to-peer mobile sharing app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with E2Generations?

My company had developed the first beta version of the app, and we needed help taking development to the next level. We’d outsourced work to both onshore and offshore developers, but we weren’t satisfied with the work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

E2Generations is developing our iOS mobile app. Although they took some components from the beta version, they have basically rebuilt the app from the ground up. They reconstructed the backend in Firebase and did database mapping. The E2Generations team also redid the frontend UI design. They’ve built several features, such as on-demand scheduling, peer-to-peer delivery management, and additional security functionalities.

Currently, E2Generations is doing some web development work for our site’s landing page. We plan to develop an Android version of the app in the future.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 5­–6 people, including two backend developers, a designer, a database mapper, and a project manager, Kyle (CEO, E2Generations).

How did you come to work with E2Generations?

A fellow associate within a Tampa accelerator program referred us to E2Generations. Then, we connected with them at an innovation summit, where we launched the initial beta version of the app. We discussed the app and ideas for improvement. My company went on to do a soft launch of the app to get user feedback, evaluate the market, and determine areas for improvement. After that, we contacted E2Generations; based on the feedback they provided, we felt they could take us in a new direction and vastly improve the app.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay in installments. My company has spent $35,000–$40,000 thus far; in total, we will spend between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in March 2019, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re still in the development process and haven’t pitched the app yet. However, we ran E2Generations’s designs by a panel of people to ensure we were choosing the right look, interface, and user experience, and we received promising feedback. Various VCs expressed interest in the original build, and we think they will be even more interested in the version E2Generations is building, which surpasses the first version tenfold.

How did E2Generations perform from a project management standpoint?

My team is in constant contact with Kyle; he provides frequent updates and often asks for our feedback. Our teams communicate daily. We have weekly meetings because our offices are in close proximity to each other. Our previous developers were not local, so being able to see the work in-person has been a great bonus. When we meet at their office, we go through everything and exchange ideas. E2Generations is very cooperative, and they understand our requirements and expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The high quality of their work and designs made E2Generations stand out amongst the other developers that pitched us. E2Generations has added a lot of intuitive features and functionalities that previous developers we’d worked with didn’t propose. Those developers strove to keep costs low, and they didn’t think about how their work would influence the long-term user experience. E2Generations, on the other hand, is extremely thorough, which means they readily perceive any future issues. We were willing to pay a bit more because we wanted a premium product.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I can think of is improving their marketing. When I began looking for a local development company, I didn’t find E2Generations on my own, but rather through a reference. They should build more brand awareness and let people know that they are one of the premier app companies in the area and even in the southeast region. It would’ve been much easier if I found them three months earlier than I did, instead of hiring other developers and spending so much money.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be as specific as possible about the functionalities and design that you want. E2Generations is very flexible. I believe they will deliver the highest quality, but customers need to fully explain their vision so that E2Generations can be on the same page.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Faraday Inc., a boutique product development and conceptualization firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with E2Generations?

We wanted to develop a few digital assets for one of our products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

E2Generations is building a website and a mobile app to accompany our product. We gave them a list of requirements, which included front- and backend development, UI/UX design, software development, and project management. They have creative control over the design; however, we did give them suggestions for color schemes and design style. While the website will be used as a promotional tool, the mobile app will serve as a remote for our product; it will turn the device on and off and change its colors. The app will also incorporate social media and a rating system to make personalized recommendations. 

What is the team composition?

There are two designers working on the interface and four developers working on the software.

How did you come to work with E2Generations?

We initially hired a few freelance developers to take on the project, but the amount of time and money spent fixing their mistakes was hurting our expenses. Someone within our network recommended that we attend an incubator session ran by E2Generations, which is where we first connected with them. After reviewing their portfolio and testing their skills with a quick design task, we knew that they would be able to meet our expectations.  

How much have you invested with them?

We expect the final cost to be a little more than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We hired them in March 2019, and they have completed about three-quarters of the project as of now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

So far, everything that E2Generations has produced has been perfect. Their sleek and modern designs exude sophistication. Our product was built with high-end and tech-savvy consumers in mind, so it was important that our digital assets matched our branding.

How did E2Generations perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team meets up with us every two weeks to review their work and discuss their next steps. We usually text them for urgent requests, which they always respond to immediately. They gave us access to their online project management tool, but we opted to use email instead.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are doing an incredible job. We gave them a terrible mock-up of what we wanted, and they came back with a flawless interpretation of our design concept within one day. There is nothing that I would change.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only complaint that I have is that their second office is a long commute.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with E2Generations is a lot more expensive than hiring a freelancer, but their work is worth the price. We ensured that our project was in the best hands by asking for recommendations and viewing their past work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a company focused on lead generation, initially targeting the auto industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with E2Generations?

I felt like there was a market for an automated application to prompt follow-up from auto dealerships. I pitched the idea to the company I was working for. While they liked it, they suggested I launch it on my own. I needed someone to help me develop an automated email application.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The application supports an auto dealership by creating new leads based on previous customers that had not made a purchase. This step is often skipped because success rate might be only 3%. The solution inputs that information into a custom database, and automates the process of sending follow-up emails. The key feature of the database is the automation for range of intermittent times to send an email. The dealership sets up the application to send an automated alert to the customer via email after a specified number of hours, days, or weeks.

What is the team composition?

I primarily work with one of E2’s co-founders, but the other co-founder occasionally joins our calls to offer advice.

How did you come to work with E2Generations?

I was referred to them by a friend when I was working on a previous project. We really clicked because we saw things the same way. I really appreciate their ability to take a project from initial concept and develop it into something that we can actually execute. When I got some financial backing on this project, I knew I wanted to work with E2.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent just under $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from January–March 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

All of E2’s work is extremely solid. Right after launch, we had a couple of dealerships that were interested in pilot testing the solution. I also pitched it to the company I worked for. They really liked it and are piloting in a few stores now. 

How did E2Generations perform from a project management standpoint?

They did an excellent job. Everything got done in a timely manner, and delays were minimal. There were a couple of decisions I had to make that I needed some time on, so I was probably more of the cause of any delay than they were. Since we’re on different coasts, we communicated by phone, email, and text. I appreciated that they were open to using whatever type of technology was most appropriate for the conversation. Overall, their communication was always on point. There was never anything going on that I didn't know about, or a time where I felt I wasn’t completely up to date.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've had bad experiences in the past with other developers in terms of quality or work not being finished. E2 is very well-rounded and delivers the overall package. They really focus on every little detail to determine if it’s helping or hurting the UX. I always felt comfortable with the direction things were going. The skill of what they do and their communication ability is the reason why the final product ends up being excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think their main challenge will be scaling properly. As they get bigger, they'll need to make sure to continue to hire the right developers. They're really solid right now, so there’s nothing I would change.

Any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want but also be open to their creativity. Even if you know what you want to accomplish, be open to how it happens. Have a conversation with them and get on the same page. If you have an open mind, it's a very good experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a game development platform. We provide the server architecture and API’s necessary for developers to connect their games to the cloud and start running user accounts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with E2Generations?

We're a new business and are still in the process of rolling out our developer tools. Therefore, we often found it easier to take a hands-on approach and help customers set up their projects on our platform. We did as much as we could in-house but started to take on more projects than we could handle. As a result, we engaged E2Generations to help integrate some customer projects with our development platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re currently assisting a web development effort by customizing our platform to host a third-party project. When we first engaged E2Generations, we put together the scope and discussed the project with their team. Our goal was to align both team’s understanding of integration’s details. Kyle (CEO, E2Generations) spoke on the phone with me and the potential customer to clarify any tech issues or specific features that would need to be worked out during the integration. Everyone signed off on the scope of work and they began development.

Ultimately, they’re creating a customized integrating layer for the customer. It’s a REST API written on a Node.JS server. It’s a fairly straightforward project that’s nearing completion. We should be able to deliver it to the customer within a few weeks.

What is the team composition?

Kyle is our primary point of contact. He functions as the project manager but also does some development work. At least one other developer is working on our project.

How did you come to work with E2Generations?

They had a presence in our shared office space and we needed more developers at an affordable price. We were also in the middle of a round of investment, so the possibility of them contributing to that was appealing. Additionally, they had customers that could be a good fit for our platform. Overall, they seemed like a good business relationship to pursue from a strategic standpoint.

How much have you invested with them?

This project cost around $9,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My team isn’t developing everything themselves for once, so I’m pretty satisfied with how everything is going. Having E2Generations be an extension of our team has been pretty great. The project won’t be complete for another week or two, so it’s hard for me to offer detailed metrics. The code is sitting in code review for our CTO to look over. I glanced at it and it looks good. The final deliverable feels promising, but I can’t say definitively until the project is completely wrapped up.

How did E2Generations perform from a project management standpoint?

They stay on top of everything we throw at them. They’re usually in Florida, so we hold meetings over the phone or via video conference. We also communicate through Slack, GitHub, and Trello.

What did you find most impressive about them?

At this point, it looks like they were able to figure out the type of code we write and quickly progress the project. They seem like fast learners.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not at this time. I’d be happy to provide an answer once the project is concluded.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. I’ll have to follow up on that too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a data analytics company. We created a real-time task management and high-level data analysis platform for hospitality organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with E2Generations?

We needed resources to resolve our server issues and continue developing the platform by implementing innovative functions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Although I can’t give too many details about their role to maintain product confidentiality, they served as our main development team and product manager.

Initially, they began to quickly identify and address our platform’s main issues before expanding its functions. The platform featured improved reporting capabilities and system integration. They also resolved our AWS server overload problems.

Currently, they’re working to improve the UX/UI. Their designer created the mock-ups, and they’re going through the screens to make the platform more user-friendly.

What is the team composition?

I worked closely with the lead developer and their product manager.

How did you come to work with E2Generations?

My husband’s team used their services for a project, so he referred them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent at least $50,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work began in December 2017 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our updated system has more uptime, virtually eliminating server overloads. Our internal team has praised the platform’s usability and overall design. We’ve also noticed a marked improvement in our demo quality.

How did E2Generations perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve identified our priorities and organized them using various management tools including ZenHub, Trello, and Slack. I’ve also met with them in person in Tampa. This facilitates smooth communication and a strong sprint system. We review their work regularly to track the project progress, which helps maintain transparency and timeliness.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate E2Generation’s driven commitment to producing high-quality deliverables. They’ll do whatever it takes to support their clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. They communicated well, so I have no complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers need to understand their objectives and have their priorities aligned. This allows them to develop an effective plan of action.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an owner and head of research and development of SOLO Laboratories, a manufacturer of custom orthotic devices. I oversee research and development and finance. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire E2Generations?

We required custom augmentation of a mobile app for 3D scanning, oversight and continued development of web-based cloud systems, and the technical resources to back the project. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a fully functioning and supportable app with smooth UX/UI. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

E2Gen partnered with us on a previous project and was extremely competent at a reasonable price. I did not want to risk and delay the project finding another company and went with E2Gen's trustworthy work. 

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Provided with a base-line app, E2Gen interviewed us and compiled a comprehensive list of changes and features to be included in the revision. They developed functional software changes using Objective-C and improved UX/UI using JS, HTML, and CSS. Their team integrated the application with cloud commuting using AWS and continued to oversee the development. Throughout the project, we reviewed the changes and provided feedback. 

What was the team composition?

The team of consists of 5-10 people managed by one point of contact. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Their improvements allow us to participate in our market in a more visible and economic way. The app's upgraded UX/UI increase the efficiency of our manufacturing processes and was more user-friendly. E2Gen deliver results that are in line with our expectations.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Their project management is very professional and responsive. They catered to our initial desire to use Google products for tracking and communication. Since then, they have guided us with tools such as Monday to construct and track various products.They housed all the code on bitbucket to be easily accessible. We never had to wait more than a day to meet with them. E2Gen managed with transparency and with little dependence on us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are a small family business with a great personality. I looked forward to our meetings as they have a sense of understanding and levity to make the experience enjoyable. They invested in the end results and not just the billable hours. E2Gen is one of the most competent vendors in the market. They are honest about what areas they have expertise in and offer alternatives options for projects they are less experienced in.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

My expectations may be low due to inferior engagements with other vendors, but I'm having trouble finding an area for improvement. Perhaps, they could have recommended the transition to a project management solution sooner. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO and Founder at a startup transportation company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire E2Generations?

E2Generations provided great advisory support for my company. They understand my go to market strategy and focus.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to expand SunVessel's footprint and they have helped us get to a better position.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met them at Synapse 2019.

Describe the project in detail.

Expanding my company's footprint.

What was the team composition?

Tyler (Chief Revenue Officer, E2Generations) and his team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Great feedback and go to market strategy.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have constant communication and feedback.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Dedication and support.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not as of yet.