Metafic

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of an IT services company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Metafic?

We wanted to have a new product in the market and needed an agency to build a mobile app, website, and CRM for our backend and frontend services. We turned to Metafic for this specific purpose.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with the website. We sent Metafic our requirements, and the conversation took off from there. I believe they used PHP, JavaScript, and WordPress. Once the website was finished, we asked the team to develop a custom CRM for us as well. They utilized Python and Django. 

Metafic also developed a platform where researchers could upload and publish their research papers as well as view and manage their entire profile. They integrated a peer review functionality where multiple peer reviewers can go over uploaded scientific papers.

The third phase of this project will be on the development of the mobile app, but that project hasn’t started yet. At the moment, we are about to start the first marketing campaign.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with five people, which includes a UX designer, a project manager, two WordPress developers, and a cloud architect.

How did you come to work with Metafic?

An old colleague recommended Metafic to us so we got in touch with them. We looked at a couple of other agencies but Metafic really stood out. They were very responsive and willing to help us even beyond the project. That they presented a good price point was also very important for us as the project has not been funded yet.

I didn’t want to have to go to multiple agencies for different things; I wanted to work with one agency for all of the requirements we had. Metafic seemed very well suited for that, so we decided to hire them.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of the project is between $25,000–$50,000. We’re paying $15,000 for the website, $10,000 for the CRM, and around $10,000 for the mobile app.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Both the website and CRM have been delivered and are operational. Metafic did a really good job of developing the user management and researcher platform. I think that it’s a very good feature along with the peer review functionality. It was initially very challenging for both teams but we eventually worked it out and the end result was really good.

How did Metafic perform from a project management standpoint?

They do really well on this aspect. The project manager is responsive and very good at absorbing all of the requirements from our end. They meet the timelines and the CRM was, in fact, delivered ahead of schedule. Their documentation is really good as well, which is a plus.

We have a Slack channel and use Google Meet for video calls. They use InVision for the UI/UX design, and they showcased the entire website there as well. They also use Jira where we could keep a tab on the work and any bugs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think the best part about working with Metafic is that their team is very responsive. They’re always there to help us with any challenges. They are experts and professionals who have years of experience. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We faced some challenges because the holidays in their region differ from the holidays in ours. I don’t think they have team members in other time zones, so it would be great if they can have that arranged. It would make it easier for us to communicate with them. Despite those clashes, though, and I am very satisfied with their work and especially with the expertise of the team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask to join their Slack channel. They provide long-term support once the product is delivered so make sure that you talk with them about that. If there is someone on the team that isn’t working out, you can also let the project manager know. They’re able tp replace that person on the team instantly.

Introduce your business and what you do there

I am the CTO at a marketing company, and we specialize in real estate.

What challenges were you trying to address with Metafic?

We were working on a campaign for one of our clients who wanted to use a platform to promote a property. As a result, we contacted Metafic to support us on the technical side of the project. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

The platform consisted of a system that could allow end-users to log in and look at videos and pictures of properties on tablets or mobile devices.

What is the team composition?

There were 2–4 people involved, including software developers and UI/UX designers. The project manager was our main point of contact.   

How did you come to work with Metafic ?

They were referred by someone who had already worked with them. When we reached out to Metafic, we chose to work with them because of their fresh ideas. They also quickly discussed their ideas and provided a proposal so they gave us enough confidence that they were capable of pulling off this project. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent $18,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from January–May 2019. 

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

In terms of metrics, the software was used by 5,000–6,000 people so those results were very good. It also created great visibility for the company.

How did Metafic perform from a project management standpoint?

Metafic did pretty well. However,  the project sometimes required them to work extra hours, so that could have been organized better. We used Slack to communicate but also had occasional phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Metafic’s overall way of approaching the project, clear communication skills, and exceptional efficiency impressed us.

Are there any areas they could improve

I had a good experience with them so I am not sure if I could point out anything specific. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate clearly with Metafic. Write down and document everything in your project.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and founder of Enabimnio, a startup app for emotional intelligence and mental reprogramming.

What challenge were you trying to address with Metafic?

Metafic built an app for us on both Android and iOS. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Basically, Metafic built an app that gives users a way to read our intelligence system out loud. I’m the creator and writer of the materials in the app. Users can also save their favorite passages and sections, as well as share them on social media. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with three different people from Metafic, including a project manager. One of them works on the design and interface of the app, while another is in charge of core engineering. Another person does much of the groundwork, and I deal with him directly on editing and moving texts to the right positions visually. 

How did you come to work with Metafic?

My former business partner found Metafic through reviews. He then interviewed them, and they answered all the right questions. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019, and the project is ongoing. We developed the app for three months, and then we had a month of debugging.

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down everything in this business, and we didn’t have any revenue, so I stopped the app. However, I’m starting the app back up, and I’m using Metafic to design its next version. 

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

I like Metafic very much, and they’ve been very good to work with. For the budget and the amount of time we’ve had, the app was quite successful. We’ve been able to build a pared-down version of the app very quickly. Although we've had a minimal amount of money, we’ve taken all our ideas and incorporated them into one beta version, which we use to shop around for investors.

Overall, the engagement has been very successful, and it has all worked out well pretty much right off the bat. 

How did Metafic perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met all the deadlines, and the communication is great. I haven’t had problems like people not returning my calls or not executing directions. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The whole project is a novel concept, and Metafic expresses interest in it. I’m building an app that’s very personal to me; it’s a passion project, so there are emotions involved. Metafic doesn’t judge it or treat it like they’re only making an app to sell something. They respect me and the project even though it’s a small one; they treat me and my project like we’re very important. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

One thing that has confused me is that I’m not really clear with their roles. For instance, if I need to go to someone right now, I’m not quite sure who I should talk to. On the flip side, this can just be my ignorance and not a failure on their part. I’ve never really read up on people’s roles and who I should communicate with.

Moreover, this has been my first experience building an app. I’m a non-tech person dealing with this new technology. When the app was launched, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a debugging stage. I had to learn all of that when I thought the app was ready, and it was a bit frustrating for me as the app’s creator.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be polite and respectful, because they’re very polite, warm, generous, and engaging — they care.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Product Manager who helps entrepreneurs build out software applications.

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

I hired Metafic for the design and development of an application for a client. The team needed to solve design challenges and develop a backend of an iOS application.

How did you select Metafic and what were the deciding factors?

One of the main reasons I selected this vendor was the people. The team was thorough and thoughtful throughout the process. They provided really great guidance across the development cycle and implemented everything with no bugs.

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

We discovered the goals were design-focused and required exceptional development to be successful. The team used flutter for the mobile app development.

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

6-8

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

We have started onboarding new users onto the application. The feedback was amazing, and shows how well developed the application was.

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

We used a combination of emails, trello, slack, and whatsAPP for real-time communication.

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

I loved how thorough and thoughtful the team was in the workflow.

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

I think more in-depth reporting could be useful. But overall this is an excellent team and excellent service.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Chatra, a social media platform designed to enhance and draw in positive content creators. We want to have end-users who have a positive message to share and people who can contribute a little bit more about spirituality and positive thinking. 

The problem with social media now is people feel like it’s not necessarily about positivity — it becomes more about superficiality. Oftentimes, social media makes people feel bad about their lives because they see people going on vacations, buying cars, and more — almost everything looks fake. We want our end-users to come to Chatra and not see those superficial creators. Overall, we want to be a healthy social media platform.

What challenge were you trying to address with Metafic?

We hired Metafic to be our development team. They’re in charge of building our app and website. In order for us to be successful, we need the app and site working well and it needs to be scalable. We also want platforms that can handle the amount of traffic that we’ll hopefully get. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted the website and mobile app to be visually engaging and easy to use. Metafic started by creating a developer document. That contained the list of features that were needed by our stakeholders such as the users and the administrator. Then, Metafic put together a wireframe that we could review. They were also in charge of the backend coding work. 

The Android and iOS app is a video-based platform similar to Tiktok where people can post on their profile and other end users can follow whoever they want. We don’t have a like feature — people only see the number of views per post. 

We also have another feature called karma, and the purpose of that is to give end-users a higher score based on how quickly they grow their profile and how they affect other users. Overall, the Metafic team continues to ensure that all the features align with what our end users want. 

What is the team composition?

4–6 people are working on our project. We work closely with their owners. 

How did you come to work with Metafic?

I already worked with Metafic before this project. They built my last app — a positive affirmation platform. They did a great job on my previous project, so I hired them again. 

On our first project, Metafic was not my first choice. However, the first team we engaged with couldn’t get the job done — they didn’t deliver anything at all. That was the reason why I reached out to my friend who was an engineer. He then recommended Metafic. In the end, the team completed the job in a few months and saved my project. 

How much have you invested with them?

The budget for this project is $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in August 2020, and we continue to collaborate. 

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

Metafic has always met every milestone we give them, and they make sure that they deliver whatever they promise. I also appreciate that the team is very honest. In the technology world, that rarely happens.

Additionally, it's usually hard to monitor the progress of development companies, but the Metafic team has been very responsive, timely, and committed. That’s why I can’t recommend them highly enough. On top of that, their prices are great; for the amount I’m paying them, I need to pay 10 times more to hire somebody based here in the US.

How did Metafic perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly phone calls and Google Meet calls. During those calls, we go over everything and if there are any problems, we talk about them. Metafic has a very straightforward and transparent process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Metafic’s ability to deliver on every single feature or request we have has been very impressive. I’ve had experience with other development teams where that’s just not the case; some of them even make a lot of excuses if they weren't able to deliver what they’ve promised. 

One of Metafic's strengths lies in their wide range of experience working with other companies and dealing with various technologies. On top of that, they always make sure that they know the latest technologies that are being released. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of the staff they bring into the projects don't have good English skills. However, for the staff I deal with directly, their English is perfect. I’m more than happy to work with their staff who's not well-versed in English despite the language barrier. If they can be a little bit better at communicating in English, that’d be great. However, it’s just a very small complaint. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very specific about what you want in terms of the features and UI — that will save you some time. If there’s a certain look you want, make sure to provide them with examples.

Metafic is good at following directions, and they will deliver based on your requests. If you don’t have the complete features, that may slow down the project if you’re going to integrate them at a later stage.