Fountain City, Inc.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO for a company that works with high-profile clients to digitize and monetize their estates.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City, Inc.?

We were trying to solve some graphic design and UX challenges for our database system but didn’t have the right resources on hand. We needed a company to create a new UX design based on our existing 2014 versions and, if the project worked out, continue working with us as our go-to design firm for frontend work.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Fountain City, Inc. provided project management and graphic design services for our Drupal-based database system. They showed us wireframes for what the new UI elements would look like, which they then turned into design compositions for us to review. After we clicked through their work on InVision, they assigned resources to implement those designs in Drupal.

What is the team composition? 

I primarily worked with their CEO who also served as our project manager for most of the project. We interacted with their lead designer as needed. They’d arrange calls with him so that we could share our requirements, and he’d reach out to us for additional information. When we transitioned into the development phase, we started working with their lead Drupal developer who oversaw at least two other junior developers. 

How did you come to work with Fountain City, Inc.?

My company found them through a referral back in 2017 before I joined. Back then, our tech team was even smaller than it is now, so we really didn’t have anyone on staff. Our management team was looking for a partner that could help support our Drupal-based initiatives.

Things didn’t end up clicking at that time as far as the scope of the project and services. Once we started this new version of our database system, they were one of the names on our shortlist to consider, so we went with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from February–October 2020. 

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

We were fairly dissatisfied with the work. They were able to deliver on our expectations from the design perspective since we really only wanted a refreshed aesthetic. However, the UX was very quirky and didn’t flow well.

What we didn’t realize until we started implementation was that certain sections of the app had a very different feel to them — and it wasn’t an intentional choice. For example, the same information would have a different layout depending on the screen. It was the type of issue that we didn’t notice looking at each screen in isolation but started to see when we were going through the screens. It just didn’t seem like the design team considered the app as a whole and took a piece-wise approach. 

The implementation ended up being the same, too. The team would focus on implementing one screen at a time. But if we needed a new screen, it felt like they tried to reinvent the wheel again even though we already knew how the components should behave. With each new section, we had to keep reminding them not to make the same mistakes again.

How did Fountain City, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was very ticket-driven through Jira. Each ticket would have conditions of acceptance, which functioned as a checklist to indicate when we’d consider the ticket to be complete. At each planning meeting, we’d go over the tickets to confirm that they understood and were comfortable with the requirements, and they’d say, “Yes.” 

I’d then ask them how many they thought they could get done in a two-week sprint, and they’d ask for as many as we could give them. I didn’t really understand how that could work. I’d never been on a project before where the developers wanted to overcommit and still delivered a good result. Fountain City, Inc. said that they preferred to have more work than less because it would ensure they weren’t idle, so we went forward with it.

Instead of getting a continuous stream of work to review, their team would send us huge chunks of work at the end of each iteration. That meant that we didn’t have any time to react to whether the product was good or not before integrating it. When we did get the chance to react, they were usually already on to the next sprint even though a lot of what they turned over was incomplete. They’d only meet three out of the six conditions of acceptance on average.

How did Fountain City, Inc. address the challenges that arose?

When it came to the Jira tickets, we thought that it might have been a miscommunication on our end and asked them if there was a different way we could write the ticket. That was when they’d tell us that they actually had questions about the conditions, which was why they only did three out of the six requirements. I asked them why they didn’t consult us as they were going along, and they responded that they didn’t want to slow down the process by asking questions. Instead, they just wanted to turn over the work as quickly as they could.

It just seemed like there were lots of opportunities to seek clarity, and they didn’t take them. Every time we’d bring up that concern, they’d say that they’d do better but still have the exact same pitfalls at the next planning meeting — it was like the movie Groundhog Day. Our internal QA resource didn’t even have to try to find issues with Fountain City, Inc.’s work because it never satisfied the ticket. We’d have to reopen tickets with them between 3–5 times before they would finally get completed. 

To make matters worse, their CEO said that all of the rework would cost us more money because it’d take two additional sprints. However, they submitted a fixed-budget bid for the project. They fell back to the argument that we added to the scope, but those were last-minute changes at the end of the project. They wanted more money to clean up the existing scope that they just weren’t completing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The overall design process isn’t bad. They started with abstract information and then moved into mind maps, flow diagrams, wireframes, designs, and finally implementation. However, they spent too much time on certain parts of the process. I think we spent about six weeks on mind maps and flow diagrams. It just seemed like it took a very long time to get a result, and they didn’t want to commit to deadlines unless it was six months out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would’ve liked to have seen someone on their side who was staying on top of the details. There were a lot of times when it seemed like they’d processed our feedback, but it would really only apply to that specific instance. Once they started working on the same task but on a different page, we’d have to repeat ourselves again, which was really frustrating. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear with your expectations upfront so that their team knows what they’re committing to. If you run into any challenges or miscommunications, address them immediately with the CEO until it’s resolved.

In our case, we made an agreement with them where we said that we’d give them a 10% bonus on the project if they improved on the ticket completion rate. That meant improving on their ability to communicate when something was holding them up and bettering the quality so that we didn’t have to reopen tickets as often.

Even with that in place, they still weren’t able to hit our marks. It ended up being a frustrating situation because we’d raise concerns with the project manager, but the CEO didn’t feel like he was up to speed on the situation. When they didn’t qualify for the bonus, he told us that we should’ve brought the issues with him sooner.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was a solutions architect for OPI Products, Inc., a cosmetics company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City, Inc.?

We needed a web-based platform that could be centrally maintained by our US headquarters and easily accessed by our different marketing departments. Each department managed a specific market, and they needed to access a version of the website geared toward that audience.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fountain City, Inc. created a proof of concept for a customized web platform. Features included translating, product approvals, and routing. The system adjusted based on location, market, and browser preference. The team’s proof of concept was approved, but their involvement ended when the project was canceled following a corporate merger.

What is the team composition?

I worked with five teammates.

How did you come to work with Fountain City, Inc.?

We hired the team because their professional image aligned with our needs, and they had experience in our market. They also knew how to communicate with a non-technical audience.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in January 2015 and ended in December 2015 due to a corporate merger.

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

The intuitive platform received excellent feedback from international stakeholders. The first test phases would configure automatically, rarely requiring manual adjustments.

How did Fountain City, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We collaborated via email, the phone, and video calls. They were highly communicative and effectively explained technical concepts. The team offered realistic information about feature feasibility, enabling us to make informed decisions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were transparent and always notified us of concerns early on. Their technical expertise allowed them to ideate a platform that anyone could use.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I couldn’t say. If we would have hired Fountain City, Inc. earlier, we would have had more time to plan for the internal changes that disrupted the project process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Future clients should provide a large pool of information during the planning stages, even if it’s just a wish list and doesn’t relate to the product. They will take the information and adjust the project path for future updates.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CEO of two companies that provide online marketing and web development services. One company is geared toward the wine industry and the other helps small businesses.

For what projects/services did your company hire Fountain City, Inc.?

We hired Fountain City to serve as an extended part of our team on several projects. We occasionally don’t have enough resources to deliver the high-quality work we aim for, so we needed their support.

What were your goals for this project?

We hired Fountain City to address our needs across several projects. We wanted to produce work on time and in our budget that surpasses expectations.

How did you select this vendor?

Fountain City came highly recommended to me from a colleague in the web development industry.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The work they’ve done for us has included IT support, Drupal development, security, and backup services.

What was the team composition?

The team they provide fluctuates depending on our workflow and client demands.

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

Working with Fountain City ensures we serve our clients to the best of our ability. They allow us to handle an increased workflow and everything is executed perfectly.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Fountain City manages the work professionally and efficiently. I was repeatedly impressed with their organizational skills, management tools and the prompt delivery of their work.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m never worried when we work with Fountain City—I can always rely on them. The work they produce is spot-on every time. I’m proud to use them as an extension of my team.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s nothing I can think of for them to improve—they're worth every penny.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of Proficia. We do editing and translation for academic and scientific English writing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City, Inc.?

We needed a customized internal project management tool. We operate across multiple countries and currencies. We needed it to track documents, track work, and track payments for work. There were no existing tools that really met our needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fountain City, Inc. built a customized project management tool using Redmine, a Ruby-based opensource program. We went extensively through my requirements focusing on functionality and UI. We developed user stories. They helped me to envision the solution by identifying and ranking our needs from which their developers put together a list of features with pricing. I was able to choose from that list what I wanted to build immediately versus adding later.  

What is the team composition?

We worked with about five people on this project.

How did you come to work with Fountain City, Inc.?

I had a previous vendor that was no longer available. They suggested Fountain City, Inc. I considered them as well as some other companies. I felt that they were the right size to work with the size of my company. I also knew they had a good reputation in the community.

We had worked with them on several previous projects when we established this engagement. I went to them for advice about what software was already on the market that I could use to meet our needs. We talked through a few of the options and about the possibility of Fountain City, Inc. building something from scratch.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $50,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2014, and it’s ongoing.

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

We have the tool that we wanted, and it works as we wanted it to. We’ve had the site running for several years. It's a core part of our operations, and we've never had it go down in such a way that we couldn't continue to function. If anything happens, they fix it right away, and it has never interrupted our operation. We've been able to scale up two additional people, and it can handle it without a problem.

How did Fountain City, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We speak by phone a lot. They have a Redmine-based project management system that forwards messages to my email and has an app that makes it easy to follow what they’re doing and comment myself.

Project management is one of their core talents. I’m always confident they’ll take the lead to ensure that the project runs smoothly and in the manner that I expected. I don’t have to manage the project for them or tell their project manager what to do. They manage their own people. They ensure that they have backups and that people contribute for the time they put in. Regular phone conversations are well organized; they check the time throughout the call and summarize everything at the end. They provide weekly reports and check in with me every step along the way. They guide me through everything and help us anticipate things.

We’ve kept to budget, and there are no surprises. I always know in advance what I’ll spend on different options for maintenance and improvements. They provide different levels of estimates—low, medium, high—and end up with the range they quoted.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They operate at the enterprise level with the quality of their people and the professionalism of their projects. It's not like hiring just one person. You’ll get the full services that a corporation would get from hiring a big firm. At the same time, they’re small enough that you'll get attention. They won’t treat you as unimportant compared to a larger client. They really prioritize you. They’re a great option for funded startups or small- and medium-sized businesses that have a proper budget and timeline and want work done well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There's nothing that occurs to me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If someone just wants a brochure or a WordPress site, that wouldn't be right for Fountain City, Inc. because they look for bigger projects than that. In those cases, the client would be disappointed. But if someone has a substantial project, they’re the best that you'll find.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the business manager of TATlife, Inc. We’re an acupuncture healing company. We sell recordings and offer live webinars, workshops, and private sessions. We have students, professionals, and trainers all over the world.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City, Inc.?

We’ve never had a functioning, efficient website which impedes our goal of creating an easy-to-use online store with all of our resources in one place. We wanted to have one main site that displays our offerings and resources clearly and cohesively. Due to this need, we hired Fountain City, Inc. to create our platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We held an initial meeting in which we explained our company and project goals. From this, the project manager visualized our ideas and began the work. They developed an aThemes website so we’d have the ability to make future changes as necessary. Their developers paired the site with WooCommerce and build on WordPress. Their team handled the graphic design, colors, flow, UX, etc.

What is the team composition?  

To begin the project, Sebastian (CEO/Owner, Fountain City, Inc.) assigned Anthony (Project Manager, Fountain City, Inc.) to our project. David (Web Developer, Fountain City, Inc.) was our main developer, and there were others working with us, too.

How did you come to work with Fountain City, Inc.?

Though we looked at a few companies, we followed a referral to work with Fountain City, Inc. We had worked with several developers in the past, so we knew this team felt right. They had a strong grasp on our goals after a ten-minute conversation.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $28,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2017–March 2018.

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

Our Google Analytics account shows we have a significant number of new users. Additionally, the length of time they spend on the site is four times longer than with our old platforms.

How did Fountain City, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project manager was amazing—we were kept updated on every stage. They were highly responsive and communicated with us via text, email, webinar-based meetings, and tickets. If we ever had emergencies, they answered quickly. Even if there were delays on our end, they were helpful and felt like a part of our team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We valued the way they supported us throughout the project—everything was on track. We were always made aware of our budget and timelines.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing they could have done better.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I manage the IT and web development needs for Vapor Beauty. We’re a natural cosmetics manufacturer and distributor.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City, Inc.?

Our e-commerce site was operating on a very old platform, and the owners of the technology weren’t maintaining it properly. We ran into several problems and security breaches that were nearly impossible to fix. Eventually, the technology owners decided to shut down the platform and told us we had six months before we’d lose our website. We needed to find a vendor quickly and build a new e-commerce store on a new platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our engagement with Fountain City, Inc. started with a brief discovery phase where we shared our requirements for the new platform. We decided to use the Shopify platform to build a more modern e-commerce website. Fountain City, Inc. put together a very detailed action plan for the entire project, listing hours for each task and accounting for any possible challenges. We wanted a predictable budget, so this roadmap was extremely helpful. Once we finalized all of the plans, their team built out our site on Shopify and implemented some SEO strategies. After launching, they added some extra features.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Sebastian (CEO, Fountain City, Inc.), Will (Developer, Fountain City, Inc.), Joshua (Technical Project Manager, Fountain City, Inc.), and Anthony (Marketing, Founder City, Inc.).

How did you come to work with Fountain City, Inc.?

I’ve been friends with Sebastian for nearly 20 years, and we’ve worked together in the past. I was familiar with his experience and the quality of his work, so I reached out to him when I needed help. We considered a few other vendors but ultimately chose Fountain City, Inc. My boss met Sebastian and immediately trusted him.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000­–$35,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Fountain City, Inc. in early 2017 but took a small break. The project picked back up again in August 2017, and we launched the site in February 2018. Our partnership officially ended in November 2018.

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

Fountain City, Inc. helped us out of an urgent situation. They delivered quality, clean, and stable code, and they follow industry best practices in each of their processes. Their services are very advanced, and they still came in under budget. I could trust their team to guide us in the right direction. As a result of their services, our revenue has significantly increased.

How did Fountain City, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was great. If we ever ran into an obstacle, someone was always available to help. The Fountain City, Inc. team was very well organized, and they paid close attention to even the smallest details.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fountain City, Inc. allocated their resources efficiently, which helped them stay within budget. Even though they billed us for their time, I could count on them to work as quickly as possible. Their planning and management skills are fantastic.

Are there any areas they could improve?

After we finished the core part of the project, Fountain City, Inc. billed us for some additional time that we didn’t necessarily expect. The charges were very minimal, but we would’ve liked them to communicate with us beforehand.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should be very clear about what they want. Having direct and detailed requirements will save time in the end, and it reduces the need for additional back-and-forth communication.

Additionally, I recommend clients use Fountain City, Inc.’s graphic design team. It’s very well integrated with the development team, and they have a very efficient inter-team workflow.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and president as well as the principal consultant of Darim Online, a nonprofit organization providing strategic and communications consulting to other nonprofits.

For what projects/services did your company hire Fountain City, Inc.?

Our website’s layout, backend technology, and content needed a major refresh. Having worked with Fountain City in the past, they were my first call when it was time to update things.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was a total revamp. As a communications consulting operation with a strong focus on digital, we need to urgently update our look and feel. We were looking to achieve this refresh without a huge burden on our staff or our bank account while creating something that would last.

How did you select this vendor?

I’ve worked with Fountain City on and off for a few years. I really trust them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Fountain City helped me finalize the website’s navigation and features, then applied our visual brand to a theme we chose together. They built the site, loaded content, tested everything, and conducted a smooth launch.

What was the team composition?

I had one main project management contact who worked with the other team members as needed.

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

The website works great! I'm happy and not burned out from the experience of building a website. The biggest demonstration of success is that I recommend my clients to Fountain City too! Their technical work is top notch, the project management and account management is impeccable, and they’re really nice people.

Building a website with this team is stress-free, and after the site is done, they proactively stay in touch to make sure all system updates, security patches, and other good practice maintenance are done.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The communication was very smooth. They have a great online ticketing system and they’re also open to phone calls when a personal touch or further discussion is needed. Fountain City is also responsive and transparent with what’s happening behind the scenes. I couldn’t be more pleased with their project management, and I've had a fair amount of experience in this area.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Working with Fountain City feels like we're all on the same team. They treat clients like friends, not just as a vendor. I really appreciate the thoughtfulness that has gone into each project. Relationships matter to this team, and it makes for a pleasant and productive experience.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s nothing I can think of!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Panoptic Media is a video production facility in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area. This is our 25th year. We primarily do corporate sales marketing, but we also do some training and nonprofit work.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fountain City?

We needed help with sales and wanted a better presence on the internet. Fountain City has helped me with two iterations on our website. We had an existing website before I reached out to Fountain City. That was back in 2002 or 2003. We scrapped it and came up with a new design.

The first one was fine for several years, but with changes in technology, we needed something that was responsive and looked the same whether people viewed it on tablets, desktops, or phones. Last year, we started working on a new site just to do a better job on encouraging people to work with us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fountain City had three people work with us: Sebastian [Creative Director, Fountain City] and two folks that he regularly used. There may have been somebody else that popped in along the way. I know he’s got a bigger team than that, but it was primarily the three, with Sebastian as the lead. The old site was on Drupal, and the new one is a WordPress theme called Avia. With the way that we developed the site, I found the WordPress template I wanted to use. Sebastian and his team did most of the backend, and then I filled in most of the content.

How did you come to work with Fountain City?

I was looking for a website designer, and the ISP [internet service provider] I used recommended a couple of resources, one of which was Fountain City. Out of the two, I felt I had more rapport with Fountain City, so I went with them. I have great faith in Sebastian and Fountain City. Our relationship has been going on for ten years now, and Fountain City has treated me well over these years.

How much have you invested with Fountain City?

I’m going to say $4,000 or $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The recent project started in July 2016, and we went live in November 2016.

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

There’s been a little bit of increase in traffic. The biggest improvement we’ve seen is our Google rankings going up consistently. As opposed to being between the eight and 10^th position, we are now between third and fifth. We’ve also gotten good feedback from people regarding the website.

How did Fountain City perform from a project management standpoint?

Fountain City did well. There were a couple of issues with the email migration. That took maybe two weeks instead of a few days, which Sebastian had initially suggested. There was one other little thing with responsiveness on phones, where the infographic was sliding off the screen a little bit. But those were pretty minor. Both issues were cleaned up in a timely fashion.

What did you find most impressive about Fountain City?

Sebastian and I both share a little bit of trying to make the world a better place. He’s also worked on a couple of websites for a nonprofit that I’m involved with.

Fountain City has a pretty good team. They’re always trying to find out what I want to do and work from there, as opposed to telling me what I need to do or not to. Fountain City doesn't try to take over.

Are there any areas Fountain City could improve?}

No, I can’t think of any big issues.