Jafton

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a startup company focused on the delivery service of cannabis. We are looking to connect customers, delivery drivers, and dispensaries through a mobile application.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jafton?

We needed a user-friendly mobile application for everyone involved in the delivery process. We hired Jafton to help design a logo and build the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided Jafton with the idea of how we wanted the app to look in terms of the background and the color palette, and the app was built from scratch. 

The app consists of four layers. The first is focused on customers, and it will allow them to create a profile and utilize their account to make purchases. The second layer involves the dispensaries, and allows store owners to upload products and photos, process orders, and notify drivers that orders are ready for pickup. 

The third layer is for the driver. Any drivers within the area can see the order, pick it up from the dispensary, and deliver it to the customer. The last layer involves the administrative portion on the backend, where everything is monitored to ensure everything is being processed correctly.   

In order to stay within compliance, the app will require any drivers to undergo a background check process. The customer will also be required to submit identification. All of this software will be included within the app. The app will also have a payment process, although we are still looking for a company to provide this. We are working with multiple vendors to ensure that the process and app will run smoothly. 

The app will be available on iOS and Android. We recently tested the product on both platforms, and we have an agreement to utilize the App Store and the Google Play Store. 

An independent graphic designer initially created the logo, but we didn’t think that it was polished enough, so we sent that logo to Jafton. They came up with another design that we liked, but felt that some elements were still missing. Jafton took designs from the original logo and the new logo, and put them together to come up with the final product. 

What is the team composition?

We work primarily with Sam (Managing Partner & Chief Revenue Officer). 

How did you come to work with Jafton?

We found them on Google. We looked at multiple companies because we wanted to find a balance between price and quality. When we sat down with Sam, we felt very comfortable, and we liked how he communicated with us. We wanted to work with someone that we could quickly get into contact with, and we felt like Jafton would be able to provide that for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $25,000 with Jafton. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2022, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has not launched yet, but we are very happy with the product at this point. The designs they’ve come up with have been exceeding our expectations. We gave them the colors and pieces to work with, but we think they’ve done a fantastic job of putting everything together. We’re looking to continue the partnership with Jafton beyond the launch of the app. 

How did Jafton perform from a project management standpoint?

The project is taking longer than expected because we’ve been having an issue with the payment method we will use, but we expect to launch the app soon. Problems have not always been communicated to us as quickly as we felt they should have been, and we feel like that has put us behind schedule slightly. The process hasn't been perfect, but for the most part, we’ve had good communication, and Jafton is doing a good job of staying in touch with us. 

We communicate via Slack and text messages. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve never had to go anywhere else for projects, and Jafton is the first call we make when we need something. We have a great relationship with them, and they’ve worked to help build that with us, so we will continue to work with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could improve on some of their communication. There have been times when we have felt they have taken too long to disclose important information. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate everything with them upfront, and know what you need beforehand so everyone can get on the same page quickly. Make sure that you are asking what they need from you so that everything moves faster, and continue to ask questions throughout the process. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of Voizy. Voizy is an app that let's you browse through audio memes and exchange them with other users. Like giphy but for audio

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Jafton , and what were your goals?

We hired them for developing an app. Our goals where to develop the application as fast as possible. Jafton was able to deliver the prototype in a short period of time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Jafton worked on my friends project and my friend recommended them

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

I am not sure what technologies were used since I am in technology but everything works. The first steps were that we first signed a small contract for a few thousand and it was called a discovery session where they did research on how much would it cost them to develop it. Then we signed a contract for full development. We have calls every week where project manager share what they accomplished.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Currently, they provided me with one project manager, one designer and two developers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

After they started to work on my product the prototype was ready in about 3 months and I was able to launch it. Also, they complementary developed a Telegram bot. Today we have over 45k people who use that bit

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We have calls every week We primarily use slack to communicate. Most of the time deadlines were met

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

CEO and COO are responsible for their work. I had an intense ones when project manager had some difficulties and he missed the deadline. Their CEO and COO invited me on the call with them and they assured me that everything still goes well.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not really

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CTO of Blockcrunch, a consulting firm that specializes in enterprise blockchain development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire JAFTON?

We hired Jafton to do staff augmentation for our client's project. We specialize in blockchain development but do not have our own mobile developers. But for this client we had to do everything, so we hired Jafton to do the mobile development by hiring 2 iOS and 2 Android developers with a dedicated project manager that worked with our and client's product owner to get the app rolled out.

We had our MVP in 6 months and since have been working with Jafton and extending the team. As of today we have 8 engineers from Jafton's side working on the app.

SOLUTION

How did you select this agency and what were the deciding factors?

We found them through a google search when looking for companies in NYC for outstaffing mobile development.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

As mentioned, we hired Jafton to do the mobile development by hiring 2 iOS and 2 Android developers with a dedicated project manager that worked with our and client's product owner to get the app rolled out. We had our MVP in 6 months and since have been working with Jafton and extending the team. As of today we have 8 engineers from Jafton's side working on the app. MVP included an NFT wallet and social media features.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

I interviewed each developer personally after looking over the resumes that Jafton provided. We picked all senior-level talent and were happy with the fact that they knew both the blockchain and social media spaces well which is what was needed for this client's project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What I loved about Jafton is that they were able to work really well under our white label agreement, so for our client, Jafton's team was presented as our own team and the whole process went super seamless. We were able to roll out the app before the given deadline and even add few extra features. Currently the app has over 500k DAU.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our team is mainly in the US and Canada and their people are in Eastern Europe and Central Asia but they were still able to work on the EST most of the day and were trained to respond timely. All of the team members speak really good English, so there was no barrier between our developers and Jafton's team.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Besides very appealing rates, they're able to work really well under our white label agreement and with our existing in-house team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

There were some connection issues on zoom meetings due to some of their team members working from home which was a little frustrating in the beginning but they got it quickly resolved. Other than that we have really been enjoying working with their entire team. Their project manager Tim is really professional.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of a remote work solutions company. We provide video conferencing solutions and we’re also going to be adding a lot more features.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JAFTON?

We needed help building a remote work solution.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were starting with a video conferencing solution that was unique, but we came a little bit late to the market when the pandemic started. We decided to pivot a bit and right now we’re doing everything remote. This means we’re going to be offering booking solutions, payment systems for freelancers, and integrated video conferencing on top of that.

Their team has done the development from scratch and also custom-designed everything. The consulting part that they provided was very helpful as well. They’re constantly on the calls with us helping us navigate through some of the product deliveries, life cycles, and product market events. Even on the non-technical side, they’re subject matter experts at launching products and were very helpful in that way. 

They used Golang for the video conferencing part. The frontend is JavaScript and they used Python for the backend booking system.

What is the team composition?

There are 12 people working on the project. There’s an assigned project manager and she delivers all the updates and communication to us. Additionally, there are two designers; one for promotional materials and another one for main product design. They have a few front- and backend developers, and some QA teammates. 

How did you come to work with JAFTON?

I found them in a Google search three years ago when we started another similar project with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2020 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been very proactive — it’s always a pleasure working with them. They believe in our vision which is the biggest plus aside from them being really good professionals on the technical side. I’m very satisfied with what they’ve delivered.

How did JAFTON perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is awesome and they’re very dedicated. There’s timely communication. Deadlines aren’t always easy to manage but they’ve been upfront about that.

I’m very satisfied with their project management and their project manager is so involved. We have weekly calls and use Slack. Internally, they use some project management software for their tasks. We get updates through Slack and it works well enough for us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their dedication is what sets them apart from others in the industry. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go with their suggestions. They’re pros at what they do. Trust their expertise. Be very upfront with communication. Be sure to respond on time and they’ll do their job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Uzbek Diaspora, a non-profit social organization that brings together displaced people or transplants from Uzbekistan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JAFTON?

We’re a new organization and needed a very professional web presence. Going with a template was not an option, so we sought help from a professional team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed a professional web page for us. We were seeking keyword visibility, so we asked that they make it SEO-friendly. They utilized Adobe XD for prototyping and JavaScript to execute the actual platform. Their CEO periodically consults with us to formulate a promotional strategy.

What is the team composition?

There’s a project manager, a designer, a frontend developer, and a backend developer. I work directly with the first two.

How did you come to work with JAFTON?

We knew the CEO through social media, and I’d been following him for a while. That’s how we reached out to them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2020, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered an amazing web design, so far. They’ve also been very kind in accommodating the changes we request. The site boasts features that we didn’t even explicitly request, which was a pleasant surprise. The CEO has provided us complimentary consulting and guidance, despite being notoriously busy. He’s demonstrated the depth of his knowledge by suggesting methods for growth.

How did JAFTON perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent. Our project manager is professional and timely in his communication. He always offers to get on a call in light of any major development, which we appreciate. We use Slack for casual communication, which has been great in terms of getting a quick response.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provided a lot of resources that were outside of the strict scope of work. They gave us a free SEO consultation to help us increase our visibility. That extra effort has been a true highlight of the engagement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I’d have them improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Rely on their expertise. They’ve been in the industry for a long time and have scaled many successful companies in the past. Sometimes, their recommendations may not sound very intuitive, but they’ve been doing this for a while and they know what they’re doing.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Truck Avenue Inc., a trucking platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JAFTON?

There weren’t any applications available to find truck parking, make reservations, and make a payment. We decided to create an app with those capabilities, and needed someone to develop it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off with the idea of just making an app that would find parking spots. Then we decided to add other positions as well, like different locations such as truck stops, rest areas, weigh stations, etc. It’s one single app that has everything in it, making truck drivers’ jobs a lot easier.

JAFTON created the app from scratch. We’re about to release it but there are a few other small things left that we are adding. They do everything including design and backend. We’re first going to be releasing for iOS and the second step will be for Android.

What is the team composition?

There’s a project manager, a backend developer, an iOS developer, and a designer. The owner is also a part of the whole process.

How did you come to work with JAFTON?

I heard about their previous projects. I was referred by a friend who knew them. I reached out to the owner and told him about my project idea. They took some time and did research on their end, and then we decided to work together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000-$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re really satisfied with their work. It’s been a great experience. Once the app is released, we plan to stay with JAFTON for additional features, and other updates.

How did JAFTON perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is at the highest level. We have scheduled weekly calls with the entire team. If I have a question, I can reach out anytime. We understand each other really easily. 

The invoice shows what kind of work has been performed, how many hours each person spends on whatever he did. It’s very transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

JAFTON didn’t just jump on the project right away — they did the research. They came to the project understanding what issues were in the trucking industry. That was the deciding factor to work with them.

I’ve had horrible experiences with other companies who just want to take your money and finish the project and aren’t open to changing the scope. JAFTON is different. If there’s some work that becomes more complicated, it doesn’t matter. JAFTON’s main concern is delivering the solution that’s right for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything is perfect on their end.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate. Ask a lot of questions. Don’t hide that you don’t understand something.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and CEO of a podcasting and video sharing software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JAFTON?

I was looking to build out an app for iOS and Android as well as a CMS to manage the whole thing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the full software and app interfaces that I was looking for. Right now, the app allows you to record a podcast with video conferencing, and then it allows you to be able to extract 30-second recordings of the podcast and then post them in clips on the app. It's a little bit like Tik Tok for podcasts.

There are one or two other apps for that idea, but they're just doing audio. We're doing the full thing with actual video, which makes it significantly more sharable on social media platforms. The JAFTON team provided the frontend design as well as the development work, and they’re using React on Android and Golang for the backend.          

What is the team composition?

There were about fifteen developers in total because we had two developers for iOS and four for Android. We had two for the frontend of the website, three on the backend, and several in support and QA roles as well.

How did you come to work with JAFTON?

I found them on Clutch and was impressed with their reviews and previous experiences, so I decided to reach out. They were willing to let me communicate directly with the developers, so we started working together from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $400,000–$450,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in September 2019 and we are continuing to partner together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

That’s a little bit hard to quantify because we were doing virtual events but then lost them in July. We got to about 5000 monthly users, so it was going well, but then we decided to pivot. Now we're relaunching, and plan to kick off our new podcast app next month. So, it's hard to say what our success numbers are, because of those changes during the process, which wasn’t at all their fault.

That said, I have been very satisfied with all of the work they've delivered. The platform that they built is really impressive. I honestly have no complaints, and I would certainly work with them again if I wanted to start on another product.

How did JAFTON perform from a project management standpoint?

I've been the project manager, but that's because I asked for that from the very beginning. I talk to their main developer every day so that we are always on the same page, and things have progressed seamlessly throughout our work together as a result.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is just fundamentally made up of very good developers. Obviously, we’ve run into occasional bugs here and there that have been fixed, but overall, everything they do just works. The technology is absolutely excellent.

We haven't had any comments from developers or other people who’ve seen the work questioning why anything is built the way it is, because they’ve used such intuitive and cutting-edge technologies that everything just makes sense. Things work really well, and we’ve gotten a lot of feedback from users to that effect.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There haven’t been any issues that caused us serious problems at all throughout the work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I talk to one of their Project Managers a lot, and we throw around ideas. The great thing is, I never get charged, we just talk about the ideas. I think it’s really important to just let them do their thing because they know what they're doing. They have some pretty good designers and some really, fantastic developers, so the best thing you can do is give them the requirements and then give them the reins.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of a startup in the trucking industry. We created a platform that matches trailer owners with individuals looking to rent trailers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JAFTON?

We needed a website. We had an idea but no web presence, and we needed a company to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the whole website and all the features and functionality within it. We have two types of users, so there are profile creation options for both owners and renters. There is a location-based search option, as well as other search filters. I'm not sure of the technologies they used, but I know they built everything up from scratch. They created all the wireframes and did both the design and the development. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, a designer, a frontend developer, and a backend developer.

How did you come to work with JAFTON?

An individual in my network worked directly with their CEO and referred them. They had a lot of experience in IT, and we liked the advice that they provided.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $20,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in late 2018, and they completed most of their work within about two or three months. We still make requests, and they're happy to make small changes whenever we need them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site is live, but we're still growing our userbase. We haven't started the marketing, so site traffic is still mostly within our network. The site worked well in tests, and all the functionality is active. They still offer advice and consultation services, and we'll go back to them for maintenance once we start marketing more actively.

How did JAFTON perform from a project management standpoint?

I worked directly with the designers, but the project manager made sure everything was well-organized. They took good notes whenever we spoke, and I was happy with all our interactions with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The site isn't particularly complex, but they did an excellent job and were a good partner. Their CEO was very helpful, and he had suggestions for userbase growth, development, and other areas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, I'm very satisfied with their work. I can't think of anything they should improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This was my first experience of this kind, and I was initially hesitant to ask certain questions. They were available at any time, and they always responded positively. Don't be afraid to reach out to them about anything; they're very accommodating.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of a SaaS company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JAFTON?

I was looking for someone that could build a website widget tool for our SaaS company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I came to JAFTON with a simple idea. Their team developed a website widget that tracks website abandonment and creates a pop-up. Essentially, a site visitor may want to leave without having a deep interest. When they click the exit button, the widget pops up and offers to call back within 20 seconds. This helps the company owner keep the customer. The text, color, and behavior of the widget can be customized.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager, senior developer, and a senior designer. My team also engaged with the founder when necessary.

How did you come to work with JAFTON?

I searched for development companies. I decided to contact JAFTON after a random choice and ended up finding out that they’ve been in business for 20 years. The CEO was supportive and business-savvy, backing up his products with his own insight. He contributed by giving us satisfying and important advice.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve invested $750,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with JAFTON on this project from February–June 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

JAFTON has exceeded my expectations. Since our engagement ended, they’ve been maintaining the product. The tool is comfortable for users, working effectively for my customers. We’ve been able to sell the product to large online enterprise companies.

How did JAFTON perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira as our project management tool. Along with daily calls, we communicated through Slack. Their team was supportive throughout the engagement.

What did you find most impressive about them?

JAFTON was interactive and available whenever I reached out to them. The founder was engaged in the business and understood its scale. With his background, he gave us a lot of professional and helpful advice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they had more specialists that could work in different time zones, it would be effective and help improve their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers should read about the team’s previous successes. We were a bit reserved at first and provided them with instructions; however, it really helped once we started treating them as teammates and asked them for advice. It didn’t have to be very formal, which made the process smoother.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of technology and foreign operations for Digital Trust, a startup investment company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with JAFTON?

We needed a website to introduce our company to foreign investors.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed and developed our website, which is a landing page about our organization.

What is the team composition?

There was a project manager, designers, and developers. We worked with the project manager.

How did you come to work with JAFTON?

Friends of mine recommended JAFTON to me as they do beautiful work, so we decided to cooperate with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $125,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between September 2018–January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They made the website very beautiful and our search results keep getting better—we get more calls and more people find us and are reaching out.

How did JAFTON perform from a project management standpoint?

We used Jira and work in an agile way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very customer-centric; if we need something, they can do it. We sometimes even talk directly to the CEO.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m totally satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t be afraid to ask for a bit more as they’ll do anything to make sure you’re satisfied.