Fueled

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of afloat, a mobile app. Our platform provides a way to connect communities to each other and to the businesses that they love. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We released a beta app to the market that we wanted to get feedback from. The product that we had people testing on was really subpar for their experience, but the interest was very high in what we wanted to do. We needed to solve that product-market fit with a better product. When I found Fueled, I just thought that they were top-notch, and they delivered.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came with our concepts pretty well-developed. I had drawn out the flow that I wanted, and our most important features and all of that were established with our beta iOS app. We couldn’t offer those features with our beta, but after having our product out there and getting user feedback, we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted Fueled to build. They were able to add tons of enhancements and provide great suggestions for things that we didn’t think of ourselves, so it was a great partnership.

They made recommendations on our tech since what we were coming from was subpar. They walked us through all of the backend work that we needed and all the specs. Their suggestions on what to build and how to build it were super helpful. They also walked us through the phases that would make sense for us and our market. They were brought on to enhance the beta but essentially built a whole new app.

The app is live in the App Store. We’re still waiting on a couple of final tweaks so that we can push a new version; Apple required that we build in a reporting system last minute. Though the app is live, a better version is coming soon. 

What is the team composition?

I regularly worked with five people, but that probably went up to 10 throughout the process. We worked with designers and backend developers.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

I love Barneys, and the Fueled team had done their app. I thought their app was great. All of their other clients have been so fantastic as well. In the end, it was a no-brainer to collaborate with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–November 2020. We’d done a mini engagement in May, during which they reviewed our product to see if anything was salvageable and recommended a plan of action. 

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

Unfortunately, we don’t have any metrics yet; although we did push the app live, we haven’t done any marketing around it yet, knowing that we’re waiting for the second version to come out.

However, Fueled helped us do some marketing videos so our current users and everybody who has seen those videos and the app’s new look are so excited about the new features and functionalities. That feedback has been great, but we don’t have any on the live app quite yet. The overall flow, look, and experience is beyond anywhere close to where we were. 

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They kept me on budget, and the timeline was great. We typically communicated through Slack. We also had weekly Zoom calls, unless they didn’t have anything new to show us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We interviewed a couple of other teams before we ended up going with Fueled, and I just really liked the depth of their team. We did have to rely on their team pretty heavily toward the end of our project, as we were having some issues and bugs. They pulled developers from other projects to look at our app. Overall, they were really competent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I loved seeing all of our status updates that they would give us on Zoom, but I never really knew exactly what those meant in terms of where we were in the development.

They gave great sprint updates and all of that, but I didn't really understand what it all meant. This might’ve been a weakness on my end since I’m not a tech person. It would’ve been great if they could’ve broken things down into simpler terms, but I trusted them, so it was fine. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in really confident and stick by your idea of what you want. However, once you know that they understand your brand, business, and product, let them do what they do best because they know what they're talking about.

They know what their capabilities are, and they know what’s out there right now in the industry. That was really invaluable to us — we came in with our concept well-established and set, but then we gave them the freedom to make it amazing. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Zuul. We’re a ghost kitchen company with one facility in New York City.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We needed some design work on one of our products. We didn’t feel the need to hire an in-house team; it was more accessible to partner with a team like Fueled.

What was the scope of their involvement?

It was a website that Fueled designed for mobile and desktop. We needed the design and functionality of the products to work up to our specs. We’d drive demand for our brands and allow consumers to order from multiple restaurants at once. We had the backend worked out, but they layered on that UI we needed.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people that included John (Director of New Projects) and Sean (Product Designer).

How did you come to work with Fueled?

In New York, they have a great reputation, working with some of the best companies here and globally. It was a no brainer to reach out to them and collaborate.

Their past work blew us away with the level of detail. They were able to hit the ground running and hone in on what we were trying to achieve.

How much have you invested with them?

It was around $10,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2020, and the website wrapped up that March. We’ve kept in touch with them as our needs are changing.

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

We had a good idea of what we wanted it to look like, and Fueled blew that out of the water. All of our employees love it. We have demo days every two weeks to talk about what we’re working on, and that was one of the more exciting things for our tech team to show.

The site is just getting out into the market. COVID-19 has impacted our plans, so I don’t have insight from our customers. When we do articulate it and show it to the larger landlords in New York City, they’re fired up about the functionality and design.

One of the things that drew me to them was the opportunity for strategy sessions. Those involve case studies and user feedback. We didn’t really take advantage of them because we knew what we wanted, but it’s a great thing to offer.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, it was great. Their diligent team is incredibly attentive to details. They knew what corners to look around without us telling them or having insight. They have the breadth of experience to understand what the client wants and provide great service.

We communicated mostly through Slack with a shared channel. We also used email occasionally.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Fueled emphasizes a level of personalization and partnership in their work. Their work speaks for themselves. They’ve been able to get a few key customers and projects under their belt, which attracts the same caliber as they move forward.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re incredibly busy. There was actually a week or so delay because they needed to wrap up some previous work before helping with our project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of all their services. We went in there knowing what we wanted. But that said, it would’ve been amazing to go through that strategy session with them. We didn’t have the budget to allocate towards that, but I don’t think we quite took advantage of the full suite of services. They’re a big value add.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO of a global education company headquartered in Los Angeles. We provide education for Emergency Medicine physicians via both online and mobile app platforms.

For what projects/services did your company hire Fueled?

Our company's mobile Android application was developed more than five years ago and had largely been neglected due to other priorities. With the rapid expansion of our Android user base and consistently low reviews in the Play Store, upgrading the app to parity with our iOS platform became a priority.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to achieve feature parity with our existing iOS app, to dramatically improve the UX, and to begin increasing our Play Store rating.

How did you select this vendor?

Our company engaged in a comprehensive search for a well-respected Agency with a proven track record of success working on projects of this scale or greater. We had no room for error; this had to be done correctly the first time.

We narrowed our choices down to several top firms, set up meetings with each of them, and ultimately decided upon Fueled based upon their track record, and their ability to integrate seamlessly with our existing development team. Fueled demonstrated the perfect balance of strong development capabilities and emotional intelligence we needed for this unique project.

Describe the project in detail.

Ours was a complete re-build from the ground up. The project required the integration of multiple content types (audio, video, etc.), variable speed playback, collapsable players, and several other technical needs -- all for a very large user base of thousands of doctors whose downloads, play history, and other data needed to be tracked and preserved.

What was the team composition?

The core team on Fueled's end was comprised of a project manager, a product manager, one full time developer, and one part-time developer. We also provided one full-time developer from our team and Fueled worked incredibly well with them and integrated them seamlessly into the project. They also ensured he was fully trained on the entirety of the code base so he could maintain it moving forward.

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

The goal was to achieve feature parity with our existing iOS app in 3 months. They did it in just over two and spent the remaining time fitting in all sorts of new additions -- Android auto, content notifications, you name it! They never took their foot off the pedal, treating our time and money as valuably as we do.

Perhaps the most stunning outcome apart from an amazing app that works flawlessly is the amazing transformation that took place in the Play Store. When we started the project our poor app was hovering around 2.1 stars. Less than a month after project completion we soared to over 4.8! What a complete transformation!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Great! We integrated them seamlessly into our Slack and they shared us on their JIRA account. Easy peasy!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They under-promised and over-delivered. By the end of the project they were looking for more features to fit in and we got a ton of new bells and whistles! Other companies would have put it on cruise control, but Fueled floored it and as a result we won big time!

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were minor hiccups here (mostly with scheduling meetings, meeting notes, meeting platforms, etc.) as with any project. But those were very minor. We were very satisfied with the project and the team.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the product manager at Wirecutter, a product recommendations website.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We hired Fueled to support us with web development as we undertook a reengagement mission to get more customers to come back to our site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Over the span of about nine weeks of intense work, Fueled helped us build a new website that included a new type of content and about 60 articles. The new site's architecture enabled us to send out automated deal alerts to visitors, depending on the products they saved. The backend was built in Python within a Django CMS and the frontend was built with Vue.js. In addition to development, they also provided quality assurance and project management services. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with 6–7 people, including an account manager, a product manager, two engineers, a QA lead, and a junior product manager. 

How did you come to work with Fueled?

They were recommended by one of our partners.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–December 2018. After they built the alpha version of the platform, we extended the contract so they could help us take it into a beta phase. 

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

The platform they built made it very easy to modularize, fitting very well within our existing ecosystem. Many of the features Fueled implemented have since been built into our core offering. They delivered the alpha version of the platform on time, on budget, and slightly over scope. As the deadline got close, they did everything necessary to ensure they delivered on time, taking a lot of accountability and responsibility in the project. 

They also delivered a platform that was more robust than we anticipated, allowing us to use it as a beta version and introduce it to over 250,000 people within a few months. Engagement within that time was very high and allowed us to generate a profit, even though that wasn't the purpose. 

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They were absolutely fantastic, and the whole engagement was relatively seamless. Similar to our approach, they worked in a very agile way and held daily check-ins. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their engineering group takes ownership in their work and brings a lot of passion to the table. The product they delivered allowed us to generate revenue before launching, which was extremely impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took a couple of weeks for us to work out the best process, so the initial transparency in progress reporting could've been better. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure someone on the team is owning the relationship and making themselves available to Fueled's team to ensure they have everything they need on a daily basis.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a relatively new startup in the event planning space. We're trying to develop a mobile app that is a combination of location tracker and event calendar. I'm the founder.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We hired them to build the MVP.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed the app from scratch and did all of the design and development with our input. The iOS version was built natively using Swift, and the Android version will be built with Flutter. They created wireframes and oversaw all the UI/UX. They included an onboarding process, developed the event planning portion, and set up functionality that lets users announce their projected ETAs to events. We’re about to submit the iOS version to the App Store.

What is the team composition?

We have a project manager for the development team and another direct point of contact. We also had two designers based in the UK and two developers based in India.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

We spoke with five companies and had a short list of three. We interviewed them thoroughly and felt that they were the strongest technically. Their costs were a little higher than their competitors, but they brought the price down from the original estimate.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost between $250,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together on this project from November 2018–March 2019.

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

The app has yet to launch, but they cleaned up a lot of the bugs within the MVP. There are a few things we might have done differently, but we're set to get started with what they've provided.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was excellent. They were on top of things, and our main point of contact coordinated all the pieces.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organization was excellent. They finished everything on time and set good expectations. They pushed back on our weaker ideas, and we usually moved forward after some discussion. They kept us on track and under control, and everything was straightforward.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could have used more feedback between collaborative periods. We had two-week sprints, and I like to be more involved than some of their other clients. Though I was further outside the process than I would have liked, they finished everything within their stated time frames.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product manager at Kiss Products, a beauty products company. We sell our products in large national chain stores.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We hired Fueled to build a mobile application that would let users try our product virtually.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed our mobile app using 3D modeling assets. Consumers can virtually try our cosmetic products: lipstick, eyeliner, and blush. They can also try our eyelash and hair color products.

What is the team composition?

The team included an account manager, two product managers, and three mobile developers and designers.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

I reached out to several mobile agencies in South Korea and the US. I chose Fueled based on their portfolio, price, and past projects.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2018 and the partnership ended in January 2019.

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

We haven’t launched the app because we’re currently planning the marketing campaign. Most of our six test users were satisfied with the solution. We plan to release the app in April or June 2019.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

The partnership was seamless. Fueled completed the project on time in an organized and professional manner. The team leveraged their expertise to implement great strategy, functionality, and deliverables. We communicated via Slack and held weekly one-hour meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was very satisfied with the engagement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve their 3D modeling assets.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The team understood our business and suggested several scenarios that ultimately led to a good solution.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Jobbhopp, a mobile app that connects skilled workers with everyday tasks in their area.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

I needed to find an app developer who could help me transform my innovative app concept into a tangible product.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Fueled was tasked with developing a blueprint of our app. They broke the project down into three phases; the first was spent identifying the problem, analyzing our competitors, and creating a solid business plan based on our research. During the second phase, they built a few wireframes that revealed how the app would look and operate. We discussed additional features that we wanted them to implement, and they sent the specifications to their UK-based designers who created the final models.

What is the team composition?

The project manager oversaw the entire project, while the team leader handled scheduling and email correspondence. They also assigned two junior developers and two designers to help us with the blueprint.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

While searching for local app developers online, I discovered Fueled and all of the amazing apps that they developed in the past. Their reputation as one of the best development companies in the world influenced us to reach out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent approximately $40,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ended after the blueprint was created. We originally planned for Fueled to develop the app, but their quote was outside of our budget.

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

The model that they developed was instrumental to our app’s creation, and we’re pleased with the product that we were able to build from their work. Our current app developer even admitted that Fueled’s blueprint was the best that they’ve ever seen.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

Our teams met once a week, but they were always available to take our calls and respond to our emails. They even accommodated our schedule by setting up video conferences so that we didn’t have to make the long commute to their office.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Several factors contributed to our app’s success. Fueled had a hands-on approach throughout the entire project, and they didn’t hesitate to use their extensive knowledge to prevent us from making terrible decisions. Breaking the project down into three stages allowed our team to give feedback along the way; they seamlessly fused their unique style with our requirements to create a stunning and sophisticated model.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We wanted to develop the app with Fueled, but their prices were too high for our modest budget. The price that they charged us to create the blueprint is close to the amount we’re currently paying another developer to build a functioning app with lifetime security, updates, and data storage.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of an online dating platform for individuals seeking part-time relationships.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

After two failed attempts at building a dating website, I was eager to find a competent web developer who could transform my vision into a functional site.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave them a detailed mock-up of what I wanted to include on the website, and they explained their development process during our first meeting. Fueled conducted extensive research to develop new design concepts that improved my original vision. Research was also used to answer questions thoroughly, so I never got an immediate response to my inquiries. They recognized that this was a new business and went beyond their scope to offer guidance on my startup. After several weekly meetings, they finished building the MVP site.

Visitors can sign up for an account and create a dating profile. Fueled developed an algorithm that matches members based on their responses to compatibility questions. Members receive email alerts about matches and have the option to send anonymous messages. We plan to build a second version with more features soon. I recently started working with their marketing team; we’re scheduled to execute their promotional strategies next week.

What is the team composition?

The web development team included the account manager, two product managers, a backend developer, a frontend developer, and a senior and junior designer. The marketing team consisted of the marketing director and two analysts. I also interacted with one of the founders on occasion.  

How did you come to work with Fueled?

I had made almost 300 phone calls before discovering Fueled through a consultant. I was impressed by them on multiple levels. Their team is highly intelligent, but they are also approachable. Most importantly, they were the only company that truly understood what I wanted and offered brilliant suggestions to bring my vision to life. Their willingness to sign my NDA was a great bonus.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working on the website in February 2018, and we plan to develop a second version of the site soon.

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

I was always confident in my unique dating website idea, but I was pleasantly surprised by the number of members that joined. Things started off slow due to the ineffective Facebook campaign my prior marketing group developed before I started working with Fueled, but membership eventually increased.

Their designs are spectacular and unlike anything I’ve seen before. They accomplished my goal of building a functional website. My willingness to work with them on future projects is a testament to their success.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They worked at a rapid pace and treated essential and trivial tasks with the same urgency. I never had to micromanage them, because they always delivered work on schedule. They were available to answer my questions and troubleshoot issues seven days a week via Slack, text, phone, and email. We used Jira to track their progress and prioritize items when necessary. I typically correspond with the account manager, but I have the option to email the entire team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Many of the developers I contacted to build the website perceived me as a walking dollar sign, but Fueled treats me like a human being. Working with them was like having an in-house development team because they looked out for my best interests. They followed through on all the promises they made during the sales pitch, which is rare. Their team is intelligent and intuitive, and they have a quick and agile approach to work. I recommend their services to anyone looking to enhance their online platforms.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m delighted with their results, so there’s nothing that I would change about their approach to business. They were patient and accommodated my technical illiteracy. With their guidance, I was able to contribute to the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Finding a team that you are compatible with will produce the best results. Also, phone correspondence is more productive and intimate than sending emails back and forth.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of PopShop. We’re an online platform for short-term retail leasing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We needed a team to develop our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We shared with them the concepts that we wanted to create. They challenged us on some of our ideas and direction, then helped us define our brand a bit more and what we wanted to achieve.

They started with designing the website aesthetically and functionally then developed the backend. Our initial MVP has just been delivered to us and they’re continuing to provide maintenance for us, tweaking things.

The backend was developed in Python and Django, while the frontend used Java. They did the integration of Stripe payments. There’s the ability to split up the spaces and have multiple tenants in each space. 

What is the team composition?

We had around eight people at various times. Molly (Account Strategist, Fueled) was our account executive who oversaw everything and Nathan (Product Manager, Fueled) was the liaison between the developers and us. We had two coding developers and a couple of design people as well.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

We found them online when searching for the top development firms in the New York area. We saw their track record and thought it was well worth using them.

How much have you invested with them?

$200,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2018 and the site was finished in April.

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

We haven’t rolled the site out to the public yet. They delivered a product that we’re very proud of and we’re looking forward to growing. We did go slightly over budget and timing; we didn’t get to complete all the things that we did want in the initial product. I don’t want to fault them for that though. What they delivered was sufficient for what we were expecting.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

We were very impressed with their project management. They were really hands-on, using Jira so we could track all of the development. We got detailed weekly summaries from them. They were very open and nothing was hidden—they laid everything out in front of us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve never used any other providers. We were definitely impressed with them overall. Their level of professionalism, their level of scrutiny, and their attention to detail was very impressive. They were solid and delivered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We felt rushed to finish at the end. We didn’t feel the end product had enough attention paid to the little details that we felt should have been, after paying $250,000. There was still a couple of glitches that we felt shouldn’t have been there. These things are always going to come up during any project, but it was the one area they could improve on.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of NUMOVI, which stands for nutrition, motion, and vitality. We give you the ability to browse the coolest wellness establishments in New York City under those categories and organize them into playlists that you can share with your friends.

What challenge were you trying to address with Fueled?

We needed to develop the wireframes for our platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They understood the direction that we were aiming for since their UX/UI branding is very funky and different. We're trying to do something completely different in this space. They not only allowed us to explore our creativity, but they helped us focus in on the direction we wanted to go.

We were able to create a solid MVP to move forward with the platform. We sat with them for a series of six weeks for sprints. We worked with a full team that not only helped us with the frontend, but also helped us better understand the backend. They helped with the design, branding, and overall look and feel of our platform.

What is the team composition?

We had one point of contact, but we could reach two to three others on the team at any time.

How did you come to work with Fueled?

We previously worked with them on a different project and had loved the way that the team kept an efficient workflow to provide deliverables. They did everything they said they were going to and met all the due dates. They had a unique way of executing user flow and frontend work, and our experience working with them led us to work with them again.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent approximately $36,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together May 2017, and we finished our collaboration in June 2017.

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

The quality of their work was incredible. We enjoyed the work process, and we currently are in our funding rounds. They allowed us to utilize our clickable prototype to reach out to investors and bring our idea and vision to life. They also provided us a more varied branding deck that allowed us to go out and raise funds.

We hit the budget exactly, and they met all of our deadlines. When we wanted to add in extra components at the last minute, they worked into the weekend to still meet our deadlines.

How did Fueled perform from a project management standpoint?

They were an amazing team to work with. We were impressed at how they could make adjustments for us after a quick call. They were reachable, and they utilized various platforms to keep in contact with us, which was helpful and kept things organized. They use more people than an average design team to provide excellent design, user flow, and expertise. We mainly communicated over the phone, through video conference, and through Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They immediately treat you like family. When you walk into their office, everybody is welcoming, and everything is very well organized. Even the look and feel of their establishment resemble what they do with their design work. It’s clear that they have an experienced background because they’ve worked with many tech companies. They were able to share advice with us and help us overcome difficulties. Overall, working with them was really an incredible experience, and we're still great friends today.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they handled everything really professionally and well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your research, and make sure that you're knowledgeable about the project. They know exactly what to do when you specify what you want. Leave room for change and different options because the team that you’ll work with will have enough experience to guide you in the correct direction. Be open to their feedback, but definitely have an idea of the general scope of your project. This will save you time, as well as them.