Komodo Digital

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of marketing and communications at Taemar. We're a property development company based in the northeast of England.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Komodo Digital?

We were going through rebranding, so we were looking for a vendor to help us design and launch a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they walked us through the process and provided the timeline. Then, they developed the wireframes and helped us with the coding. They also worked with us to develop the copy and the tone. It's a WordPress website and they continue to provide ongoing support for it.

What is the team composition?

I worked with about 4–5 members of their team, including a project manager and some developers.

How did you come to work with Komodo Digital?

We were referred to them, so we asked them to send us a pitch for a different project. We were impressed with their pitch, but at that time, we chose the company we had worked with previously. So when we were looking for a vendor to do this website, we reached out to Komodo.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between £18,000–20,000 (approximately $22,500–25,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between July–October 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered the website on time and within the budget. We haven't had any issues with the functionality of the site and they regularly update all the plugins. The CRM is set in a way that allows us to do most of the changes in-house.

How did Komodo Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They kept the project on track and always let us know what information they needed from us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer service was exceptional. They listened to us and resolved any issues immediately.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We'd definitely work with them again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an idea of what you want to accomplish and have a good understanding of your own business. They will help you achieve your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and founder of a delivery booking platform called StreetStream. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Komodo Digital?

When I first engaged Komodo Digital, I needed a developer to build a complicated website that communicated with a mobile app. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I originally came to Komodo Digital with quite a detailed plan of what I wanted to do. We already had some wireframes from a different developer. After a few rounds of discussions to finalize the scope, they prepared an initial quote for building the two products. 

Komodo Digital developed a custom website with a corresponding native iOS app connected with an API database. The primary programming language of the site is Node.js. They conducted development in sprints using an Agile approach. 

What is the team composition? 

I generally had one specific sales contact. I was in regular communication with two developers but spoke with one more than the other. 

How did you come to work with Komodo Digital?

I searched on Google for developers in various cities. I looked at their websites and previous work. After speaking to Komodo Digital over the phone, they seemed like the first developers who instantly understood what I was trying to accomplish. Explaining the concept to everyone else was much harder work. 

How much have you invested with them?

In terms of pure capital, we spent about $200,000 in total. The initial build cost about $85,000. We continued to do extra projects together that included maintenance. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our contract started in April 2014. The beta for the initial version of the project went live in early February 2015. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a startup, our business is built around the technologies we developed with Komodo Digital. They delivered products that launched our company from nothing to a reasonably sizeable business, which made a significant impact. There were quite a few bugs to iron out, which took a long time before we were ready for launch. 

How did Komodo Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Komodo Digital performed well in this regard. They were very organized and used the Agile methodology. During the building and testing phase, we communicated almost daily. I don't have much to compare them with since they are the first developers I’ve hired.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Komodo Digital works methodically. They genuinely want to build the most robust technology possible. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I noticed was that one particular developer, who has since left the company, had a tendency to make assumptions. They probably should have clarified everything with me first. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My general advice would be to specify what you want very carefully. I hadn't really worked with developers before and found it necessary to think through the project like a flow chart. Explaining the exact sequence helped them understand what I had in mind. Writing a description in prose doesn't work very well, which is probably true of all developers.