OneSeven Technology

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder of a community based social network.

What challenge were you trying to address with 17 Web Dev?

We needed a partner to build our web application platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

17 Web App is in the process of developing our web application. We have an existing website, that they're using for reference, but this new platform will be built from scratch. They conducted user interviews to understand our vision and use cases and built some wireframes to come back and get our feedback. After, we provided feedback, we went and developed a mobile counterpart to the application as well. It's currently built on Julia and PHP. At some point, they'll be upgrading it to WordPress and PHP.

What is the team composition?

On the design, portion, I only worked with two points of contact. For the development, we have around three people, including a project manager and two developers.

How did you come to work with 17 Web Dev?

We did some research online and posted our requirements on some freelancing websites. We contacted three companies, and 17 Web Dev was the best fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in September 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

It's only been month one on the development side of things, but we've been pleased with how the design turned out.

How did 17 Web Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

They've delivered on time and within budget thus far. For development, we've been using a bi-weekly scrum methodology. Our communication is once every two weeks, and we'd like to turn that into once a week. From a team standpoint, it's helpful to see the progress they've made.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They definitely know what they're doing. From a design perspective, they've delivered and brought in a lot of good insight into the process. The cost also seems very reasonable and for our budget. Overall, they really understand startups and the things we go through. We bring back that aspect into how we engage and what our next steps should be.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice to have a different development cycle, wherein they involve and engage their customers more. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Platonic, a geolocation-based interest app to find real-time platonic relationships.

What challenge were you trying to address with 17 Web Dev?

Our in-house team handles the frontend work, so we hired 17 Web Dev to help with the iOS backend development of our app.

What was the scope of their involvement?

17 Web Dev created the backend of our app from scratch. We told them our ideas and recommendations for what it should look like, and they gave us potential designs to pick from.

Their team has helped us build several features so far, including a custom messaging interface and our tutorial. They’ve also created a social media request tool, allowing users to request, approve, and deny access to their profiles. Additionally, the app has a scrollable queue, showing people from closest to furthest. 

What is the team composition?

In total, around five people have been helping us from their team. They regularly provide a UX/UI designer, backend developer, project manager, and iOS developer. 

How did you come to work with 17 Web Dev?

We met them at an industry conference, and we hit it off with  James (CEO & Head of Operations, 17 Web Dev).

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $40,000 on their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in December 2018, and we’re continuing to work together. 

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

They’ve hit every goal that we’ve set for them, so far. We have no complaints about their delivery at this point. 

How did 17 Web Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve set a list of goals, and use Teamwork to execute the project and achieve them. They’re very attentive and walk us through what needs to be done.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a very hands-on team and have a thorough process that we appreciate. Coming into the project not knowing much about app development, we've found it very helpful to have 17 Web Dev guide us through the work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since some employees are independently contracted, it has been slightly confusing at times when some employees join at different times. However, there’s been nothing else I can think of for them to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be involved in the process, because they truly want to make the right product for you and do it thoroughly. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director and founder of a nonprofit that uses a subscription model to negate carbon footprints.

What challenge were you trying to address with 17 Web Dev?

I contracted them to build our website. Rather than a tacky WordPress site with plug-ins, James (CEO & Head of Operations, 17 Web Dev) promised a robust system. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

17 Web Dev is building a web application with a React.js frontend, a Node.js backend, and a Google Firebase database for scaling. Beyond creating an ordinary page, they built a customer reward points system that integrates with our credit card processor and triggers points after confirming payment. 17 Web Dev basically created a subscription program.

They also integrated the system with the Shopify API. Using Webhooks, they added products to our rewards program, connected them to individual user profiles, and built a backend database for registered accounts. Our users can track how many trees we've planted for them and what carbon impact they’ve had. We’re launching in the next two or three months. They’ve finished the MVP and will keep it as robust as possible.

How did you come to work with 17 Web Dev?

I found James through a simple internet search. I had a limited budget, so I wanted an affordable, local partner who I could meet face-to-face. A local partnership was also a huge benefit for James because it helped him explain things better. A lot of people can say “yes” on the phone, but it’s hard to fake when you're sitting together.

James explained everything. I went through many developers to find someone who could do that. Even before we discussed pricing, he understood my goal. He wanted to give me the best representation, rather than wasting his time on a client who didn’t understand his services. That was refreshing.

Few entrepreneurs are successful, but James vets clients to determine that they’re serious. He ensured that I completely understood my plan. He didn't constantly sell himself; our conversation went both ways. He was willing to work with me and passionate about my idea. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve paid them $20,000 so far. I pay commission for the ongoing work, but set a minimum payment. Our payment schedule varies depending on how much work they do. We might work for a full month, then hold until we have more money. We paid for an extra two months of a la carte development, but I've never felt duped or misled.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project has evolved as we built and gone in a different direction than the original contract. The project is a long-term collaboration for updating the site, adding content, and tweaking the system. James is as fluid, amenable, and transparent as possible.

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

I’ve attempted other internet businesses in the past, but not at this scale. James is instrumental in identifying our limitations and horizons. We knew we’d encounter limitations, so I needed someone who could understand my idea and step back from the technological limitations I imposed on myself.

I thought we were going back to the drawing board at one point. We planned to use a Shopify site, but James exposed a monkey wrench. He handled things well, leaned on his developers, and delivered a working demo I didn’t expect for another three months.

How did 17 Web Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

They do everything they can, but I don't like their Teamwork project management software. I'm not enthusiastic about staying up to date with it, which is a pain for them. Our communication is still excellent, and I give them top marks for project management and teamwork. They invited us into the project and were totally transparent about development and deadlines.

James tackles all projects in the same way and always strives to do better. During whiteboarding sessions with his development team, they created a main solution and two backups to use when the first one inevitably failed. He lays everything out and makes it seem almost easy. It's a simple, robust approach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

James builds valuable products. He doesn't create as many websites as possible while outsourcing work to engineers in India. Instead, he pursues high-quality projects and fantastic ideas.

His transparency also eliminates huge issues. I entered this project with certain expectations and stated some preconceptions as facts. James didn’t realize how ignorant I was, but he dealt with it. 

I see James as my co-founder, but I couldn’t pay him his worth if he were an employee. We wouldn't have anything without the system and infrastructure he built. Trusting him was one of the best things I've ever done for my company. He’s a great partner at every step. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

My only comment is that his first facilities weren’t up to par. He opened his offices during my tenure, and they’re beautiful now.