Irstha

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a small business, without any customers yet. We’ve been trying to develop a booking platform for small and mid-sized businesses. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Irstha?

I'd been trying to put together a team or to find someone to develop our platform. I’d tried teams in Morocco and China, but none of them were able to develop what I wanted.

We needed a mobile web platform developing, with booking capabilities and sides for both businesses and customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an iOS and Android web and mobile app that allows businesses to create calendars, with a customer side too. They started the project again, providing new ideas and UX design after I told them what I wanted. We currently have an alpha version of the platform, on which they were quick to implement features. It can be difficult to deploy new features, but they’ve worked quickly.

For example, a hairdresser that needs to create appointments will set up a calendar, then the customers can book themselves. Business can offer multiple services, categories, and subcategories, including information and pictures. It works just like a normal booking platform, but in app form, so professionals have everything they need in their pocket. We’re also developing some social features for the app.

What is the team composition?

They have a large team, but for this project there were 3–4 people involved. There was one person assigned to the web app, one to the mobile app, and one for databases and server work.

How did you come to work with Irstha?

I spoke to one of my friends, who knew someone working for a local hospital; that person had some developers under their wing, and that’s how the collaboration started. They’re flexible in terms of cost, which we liked.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost has been above $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2018. I’m currently very busy with other things, but I believe we’ll be ready to launch in mid-October.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The platform we have at the moment is much better than the first version. They’ve helped me make multiple updates based on new features and updates I wanted.

The team has gotten better since we began. Initially, they showed me some examples developed in frameworks that were too unresponsive, but they then started to use the latest technologies, including AngularJS, which was an improvement. The quality is very good now, and the app is quick.

They’re also quick to address any bugs or issues. We haven’t launched yet, but we’re testing the iOS version, and developing some more features for it. If there were any critical bugs, they would fix them quickly.

How did Irstha perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m the product manager and I have one main contact, who helped take the idea and implement it. They’re based in the same country as me, which helps a lot. We use InDesign to share graphics showing how the app works, for example, what happens when buttons are clicked, and so on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve had experiences with some bad developers in the past, even though I paid them the same amount as this team. Irstha has developed something I can use, which is the core difference between them and others. They’re much better, in relation to the ones I’ve used.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s difficult to say. Irstha managed to do the things I wanted. When I showed them graphical representations of what I wanted, they understood.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure you know what kind of platform or application you want developing.