Make Directory Developers

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Small Army, which is an ad agency in Boston. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Make Directory Developers?

I needed an app developed for a personal side project. I knew what I wanted and already had the general functionality and designs, but I needed developers to bring it to life. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped me spec out the whole app for Android and iOS. They looked at how every tiny element could work. They went through every function at a high level. They delved into the detail so they could understand exactly what needed to happen at every point and what the user experience should be. In many instances, they explained scenarios that could happen and suggested changes that would make the app better. 

Right now, they’re working on the more detailed functionality. The backend isn’t functioning yet, but the frontend is working and it’s beautiful. To the pixel, it’s exactly how I imagined it. They did a really great job of paying attention to every detail and making sure the design is exactly as I wanted, as well as incorporating improvements they thought of. Even though the design is not part of their scope, they’re helping improve the graphic design of things and they added animation.

We needed to integrate our app with the calendar, chat function, and contacts. It's a social app, but it's a private social app. You can’t search for everyone and add whoever you want to your network. On this app, you have to know the people to add them. They helped me think through how that could work to keep it intuitive but still as private as we need it.

What is the team dynamic? 

There are two guys that I work with primarily, but I don’t know how many developers work on it — I think at least two others for the coding.

How did you come to work with Make Directory Developers?

I originally worked with a group of developers in India and it was a mess. I paid them a lot and ended up having to throw out all the code. 

Some other firms I spoke to were too expensive or the timeline wasn’t right. This is a personal project and so it needed to hit my own personal budget. I was introduced to one of the guys at Make Directory Developers through a friend. I met him for dinner one night and we set up a meeting. I really liked their approach. Since it was through a friend, I trusted them. He introduced me to his partner, Andrew [Head of Operations, Make Directory Developers]. They really proved that they knew what they were doing. 

How much have you invested with them?

$25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2017 and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What I’ve gotten from Make Directory Developers is already a million times better than my previous developers. The first time I opened it there was almost nothing wrong with it. They really paid attention to every detail. They’re definitely putting their heart and soul into it.

How did Make Directory Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

They were diligent and were very thorough. They put a lot more time on nights and weekends because they wanted to get it back to me quickly. Even before the development phase, they made sure it was 100% thought through and were really easy to work with. 

They use a project management site and put everything on there. They’re really good at communicating. They keep me abreast to where they are at in the project. If I want to meet with them in person, they’ll come to my office. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really took the time to understand what it was I was trying to build and why. Once they understood the why, they were able to ask all the right questions. They had good intuition around what would and wouldn’t work. 

I work with a ton of developers. Make Directory Developers is just as good, if not better, than anybody else we’ve dealt with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re new so we’re among their first set of projects. They’re starting up a business though, they’re developers and engineers by trade, rather than business owners. I was fine with that and it’s understandable. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of GiveWay LLC. We are a non-profit tech start-up, a team of four, focusing on making generosity a part of everyday life.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Make Directory Developers?

We were looking to have the design for our app done, to prepare it for launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Make Directory Developers provided us with app design work for iOS and Android, and also put together our user story, which goes hand-in-hand with the designing of it. They took care of the color scheme, layout, wireframes, in addition to creating the Adobe Illustrator design files for the look of our app, from start to finish. I had given them some hand-drawn sketches of what I wanted the layout of the app to look like, and Make Directory Developers worked with me to get that to a visual color layout.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with Andrew [Head of Operations, Make Directory Developers] and Alex [Head of Design, Make Directory Developers].

How did you come to work with Make Directory Developers?

I found Make Directory Developers online through a search. I had compared multiple organizations, but chose Make Directory for this project, more as individuals, prior to the initial launch of their company.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent approximately $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2017, and the work was completed in March 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very pleased with the design. The color scheme really meets the look and feel we were trying to achieve. We are a micro-funding app, so we wanted to convey a softness, but at the same time, let people see the tech side of what we are doing. They managed to capture that well, and the feedback from most of our users has been positive, especially in terms of how it looks. They were also integral in the overall user experience. In that aspect, they worked on the color layout and design and walked us through how users would interact with the app.

How did Make Directory Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They were very accessible, approachable, and easy to reach, which was a big thing for us as this was my first foray into the tech world. On occasion, we worked together at odd hours in the evening, just to make sure things would go right. It worked out well. We mostly communicated through phone and email, as well as Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their honesty and how upfront they are is a really great attribute, and I enjoyed working with them. They worked with me as a person, more than just as a business, and that was important for me.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Hunt Equity Group, which is a mergers and acquisition consulting venture capital incubation and private equity investing company focused in the cannabis space. We also do some things outside of legal cannabis operations as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Make Directory Developers?

I had a website that I had made with Wix but it was really not very good. I hired them for logo and branding design and I also needed a full suite of web services including SEO, email, etc.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did everything. I had an idea of what color scheme and layout I wanted but they put together a logo, business cards, etc. After that, they also built the website. They coached me through the process and did 90% of the work.

What is the team dynamic?

I worked with Alex Giavis who is their Head of Brand Development.

How did you come to work with Make Directory Developers?

They reached out to me on LinkedIn. I was planning to do something anyway, so they reached out at a good time.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $5000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around March of 2017. If I ask for changes to the site or SEO, they do it free of charge as the engagement ended in August of this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site looks great and I’ve gotten feedback from people saying they like the way it looks. It brings me more credibility as a consultant. My clients go to my website, and they can see I’m legit.

How did Make Directory Developers perform from a project management standpoint?

Unbelievable. They got the work done quickly. I would get emails at 3:00 a.m. or even over the weekend. We communicated through email, phone calls, and texts. They were super communicative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The speed at which they got things done and the level of communication throughout the entire process was impressive. They did the logo and a lot of stuff for me before I even paid them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.