Gennovacap Technology

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

I would say that since the new website launched, we’ve been looking at a 20% increase in sales. We are quite pleased with that.

The main thing is that our new platform offers a better mobile experience. This was a result of Gennovacap’s suggestions. They also helped with heatmapping and other tactics for understanding our customers’ behavior better.

How did Gennovacap Technology perform from a project management standpoint?

We never know what a relationship will be like until we get into the nitty-gritty. On the initial meeting, everyone will be on their best behavior; but, once we get down to it and there are deadlines put in place, organized project management will really come into place, as well as working with a team of people who can handle the pressure. Gennovacap’s project management was great, and there was a lot of communication. We couldn’t have been happier with them. We’ve had a successful launch, and there were only a few minor glitches at the end of the day—significantly fewer than with our previous relaunch using the New York company.

The collaboration was mostly virtual. Our main contact from Gennovacap is local, and he came to our office on a number of occasions. We had meetings and whiteboarded things, but much of the work was also done via FaceTime, phone, and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about Gennovacap Technology?

The most important things were Gennovacap’s communication and availability. Whenever we reached out to them, there was a sense of urgency and promptness on Gennovacap’s side. My main lead was a very good communicator, which is important. He was reachable on weekends and evenings, especially leading up to the launch when we were working around the clock. We were never left hanging or waiting on a response. If we hadn’t communicated well, things would have fallen through the cracks; if the developer was not taking the project seriously, that would also have been a problem.

At the end of the day, every person has strengths and weaknesses, and no one can be an expert at everything. I appreciated the fact that Gennovacap has a number of experts on the team, all with expertise in different areas. For example, for our WordPress blog, we could work with an expert in the platform. I felt like we didn’t have one person trying to do everything but rather worked with several go-to people.

Are there any areas Gennovacap Technology could improve?

Our finance person kept trying to estimate how much we were spending on development since Gennovacap worked on an hourly basis. It’s difficult for a developer to provide a quote on how long something will take, as they often don’t know this until they’re working on it. If there’s a glitch, they will have to fix that as well. We’ve had to bring in the main contact from Gennovacap, sit down with the finance person on our end, and get on the same page as to what the costs were. More initial transparency about the expectations of cost and how the world of development works would be an improvement. We would have wanted more upfront communication about our invoices, what we could expect, and how that could tie with our ROI. 

What were the results of the project?

The results have been positive. Gennovacap has very good developers. If something comes up that they haven’t done before, they're quick to dig in and figure things out. It’s been great for us. 

The new site was launched within three months, and our relationship is ongoing as they continue to provide support.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Not that we can share at this time.

Is there anything unique about Gennovacap that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I think communication is what sets Reza and his team apart. He’s quick to hop on Skype or Google Circle Chat, and talk us through anything and everything. When you talk to him, it’s not just emails or phone calls; it’s screen sharing, and walking us through things, and really teaching us and explaining things to us. He’s very detailed and methodical about how he collects and relays information. It can be hard to find that with other developers.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

I guess the size of his shop. We get a great hourly rate, and they do great work. However, occasionally we had problems with his workflow. 

He’s always accessible, but if he doesn’t have anybody to hop on a project immediately, then you’re put in a queue. So, there have been some growing pains in terms of manpower, but you have to expect that with a small business. 

I would say, overall, it has not been a major detriment to our partnership.

What advice would you give to a future client of theirs?

This is the advice I would give to anyone looking to work with a new developer. Be very detailed in your communication and what you’re requirements are. The more detailed you are, the better the chance that they’re going to get it right the first time. 

He’s great for development, but most developers aren’t necessarily the best at design and aesthetics. So, be very specific about the work that you’re looking for.