Peritus Digital

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Brio Boutique Experiences is a startup travel and event experience company. I’m a travel agency, but I am also responsible for events and coordinating those. I started the company in July, and so far, I have no employees. I’m the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Peritus Digital?

I needed website design and development as well as help in getting social media started. After conversations with Peritus Digital, I also realized they were able to help me build a proprietary CRM [customer relationship management].

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Peritus Digital helped me design my logo and brand, and carried out that branding through web design and web development. At the time, I had ideas of what I wanted but had nothing on paper. When I’ve worked with other firms, I’ve had to go through several iterations, but Peritus hit it spot on. They sent me 3 or 4 ideas, and I chose one right away. Once they submitted the web design, we didn’t make any changes because they nailed it. They understood what I was trying to convey, and they were able to create that artistically very well. After the website was complete, they set up my social media accounts and built the custom CRM.

How did you come to work with Peritus Digital?

I had received 3 quotes from design firms. I called one other firm that I wanted to get a quote from in New York, and they were very candid with me. They did work for larger companies, and their price was above my budget, so he referred me to Peritus Digital. He told me Peritus Digital would figure out which services were best for my company.

Peritus Digital’s background involved working with startups, and they gave a lot of free time, to begin with. I was much more drawn to working with that type of personal relationship than working with a marketing firm. I had only 2 contacts this way, a designer, and the principal.

How much have you invested with Peritus Digital?

I’ve spent $10,000 for the complete project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working in October 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

My website is extremely user-friendly. I have already received compliments from people even though I haven’t actively marketed my business yet. The website looks and feels the way I wanted it to, which is simplified but luxurious.

How did Peritus Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Peritus Digital is very organized. They use an online task management system, and they take notes while we’re talking on the phone and add tasks. I am able to reach them at any time through text or email. Any delays have been because I hadn’t given them the content they need.

What did you find most impressive about Peritus Digital?

Their personal service and formatting their services for the customer’s business is key. Nobody else I received a quote from was doing that.

Are there any areas Peritus Digital could improve?

I suggested making a business card as soon as the logo was designed. By the time I needed them, I was busy with finishing out my previous job and realized too late that the business cards weren’t done by the deadline.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We provide an application for task management on construction sites or any other projects which rely on tasks. I am the founder and CEO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Peritus Digital?

I'm more of a sales and business development person, so I don't have a background in technology. I was trying to bid out the work for creating a minimum viable product for my company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Peritus Digital had a developer who did a great job building my app. This was my first time going through the process, so Peritus Digital's principal was always on my side and discussing the requirements for our MVP.

Peritus Digital developed a hybrid iOS and Android mobile app based on the Apache Cordova framework. Although our scope of work didn't include design, Peritus Digital has created many design components to help me out. Peritus Digital's principal acted as a liaison between the developer and me, coordinating the whole process ensure that I was happy.

The app allows users to assign tasks with features such as pictures and descriptions. These tasks are sent via text message and other means. Completed tasks can also include pictures which are sent back to the creator for approval, and we added a delay reminder functionality. It is essentially a communication tool for two parties, with a focus on the construction industry. It can work in other fields, acting as a sort of Trello with pictures.

How did you come to work with Peritus Digital?

I proposed my app to various development shops in New York City, who gave me extremely high quotes. One developer, in particular, told me that every dev shop in the city will have a price beyond my budget, but that there is a person from Peritus Digital who might be interested in my idea.

I gave them a call and was extremely impressed with Peritus Digital's principal from the start. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about the industry, but he was also the one and only person who gave me a chance. He believed in my idea and offered to partner up. Peritus Digital ultimately created a product which fit my budget and helped me in every step of the way. Without Peritus Digital, I would not be where I am right now. I've never met a person who was as diligent in making sure that the client was happy every step of the way.

How much have you invested with Peritus Digital?

The cost of Peritus Digital's work was $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Peritus Digital in November 2015. We have completed the scope of work, but I plan on starting another version build with Peritus Digital, once I have the funds.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I've been extremely impressed with Peritus Digital and can't wait to work with them again. Peritus Digital's principal is not just a developer, but also a close friend. I plan to give him a board seat in my company, once the work is finished.

We have received many different views for the app. People have mentioned parts of the UX [user experience] which could be cleaned up and improved, reducing the number of steps necessary for an action. These are always the lessons learned when a product is brought to market. 30% of the apps being developed are actually completed, so I consider myself fortunate to be within that 30% and to have entered the app into app stores. That was a good milestone to hit, given that many developers are unable to complete apps.

The feedback has been positive, with only minor complaints. The functionality is perfect, so we are mainly focusing on improving icons and other details. The app was always meant to be simple to reach the market quickly.

How did Peritus Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

I could call Peritus Digital at any time of the day, late or early, when I had a question or concern. Peritus Digital always worked within my means when it came to making payments or obtaining extra funding.

When it comes to clients, Peritus Digital has been on my side no matter what, pushing back on the developers as well as giving me reality checks on what can be done within my budget. As a client, I want everything to be done cheaply and as fast as possible. Sometimes it can be hard to manage resources, so, the fact that Peritus Digital's principal was able to manage the developers and me makes him a great leader.

What did you find most impressive about Peritus Digital?

Peritus Digital's principal is knowledgeable about the industry. He has been in business for a long time and has worked with various industries. He's great at sales and client relations, always learning, growing, and trying to be better. This has made me a better person as well.

Are there any areas Peritus Digital could improve?

Before delivering a product, Peritus Digital could take an extra day or 2 for the QA process, making sure that everything has been properly checked. We have gone back-and-forth on a couple of occasions, and it was a learning experience for both parties.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Lingrid is an iOS app working as a multilingual translator and a language-learning cloud. It functions both as a translation tool and as a collector of translations from users. These user translations are then put back into the cloud. I am the lead designer and creator of the app. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Peritus Digital?

We had a 1.0 version of Lingrid, which had been built by an outsourced firm. It launched a year and a half prior to working with Peritus Digital. I was looking for help building the next version, but my communication with the original developer wasn't working well. I needed a team with whom I could communicate quickly, preferably based locally. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Peritus Digital gave us a development team who could take on the job on a tight budget. I had many ideas for the 2.0 version of the iOS app and Peritus Digital helped me focus on the most important pieces. Along the way, their principal was in constant contact with us while also project managing the team in Ecuador. I am the app's lead designer, so I provided designs and graphics to Peritus Digital's team. Their principal also has a great sense of design so he could tell when we had the right elements.

The translation method used to be a bit slower in the initial version. The 2.0 version had to be able to translate multiple languages at once, which involved a lot of server-side work. We changed our backend from a China-based server to one in the US. That involved a lot of transition work. We revamped the UX of the app, adding a hashtag organizer which helped users manage their phrases. Lastly, we have also added audio playback as a completely new feature.

How did you come to work with Peritus Digital?

I looked within New York and I talked to a similar company as ours. Their team thought that Peritus Digital would be a good choice for my situation. There was only 1 other company that had a serious offer, but they were more interested in creating a larger version of the app and helping me obtain investors. Their offer was more to create a master plan for moving forward with the app, whereas Peritus Digital was willing to help me continue developing it on my own.

How much have you invested with Peritus Digital?

The cost of Peritus Digital's work has been around $12,000, but the next phase will have additional costs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Peritus Digital in November 2015. The 2.0 version was launched on October 1st, 2016. We're currently working on the next phase, cleaning up a few details, and perfecting the app. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The proof is in the app—it's a quality product. It's immediately clear that it was well-designed and put together. Peritus Digital was a big part of helping me put it together. The user feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many people are interested in the app and have downloaded it. It's currently selling for $1.99 on the App Store.

How did Peritus Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly calls with Peritus Digital. Whenever I've had a question, they were fast to respond via text, email or phone. The project took longer than anyone expected by a few months, but that is due to the nature of the app. It's seemingly simple, but we discovered new things and dug deeper into the code. Peritus Digital's principal tried to be very fair to both sides, the developers and myself. When it came down to it, he pushed the project to where the app needed to be for the launch.

What did you find most impressive about Peritus Digital?

Peritus Digital is distinguished by their communication skills, their tenacity to get things done, and their design sense. As a good recent example, we overloaded our servers during the New Year's period. Peritus Digital took it upon themselves to start the upgrade and transfer process right at that time. It was an emergency situation and Peritus Digital stepped up to the plate.

Are there any areas Peritus Digital could improve?

Given Peritus Digital's role in this project, they performed as well as possible.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Play Across America is a free crowdsourced app and website helping families quickly and easily find playgrounds nearby, wherever they go. I am a co-founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Peritus Digital?

I was looking for an app developer who could capture the vision of what we were trying to offer. Because I am funding the work myself, I needed an affordable option, at least for the core of the app.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Peritus Digital has developed our iOS app and also redeveloped our website to give it more compatibility with the app. We initially had a WordPress site, which couldn't work well with the app.

We are using Heroku and Amazon Web Services, and much of the coding was done through Meteor. Peritus Digital also created the design, which was based in part on my original work. I didn't provide an initial structure, so Peritus Digital has built the app from scratch, based on our ideas and goals.

The site's platform, database, and servers needed to be changed to handle traffic better. Peritus Digital worked out several glitches that we encountered as we were getting started, and they continue to provide services for mapping out our next steps. This includes not only for building the next version but also for the best marketing strategies around our product's visibility.

I was initially involved with the site's backend, but I have no app-building skills. Peritus Digital filled in a major gap for our company.

How did you come to work with Peritus Digital?

I met Peritus Digital's principal by chance at the Inc. 5000 conference in Orlando. I was looking for app developers, so I had a few discussions with multiple people there. I wanted face-to-face contact with whoever would be designing my app, in order to see if they could focus on the client's needs rather than their own approach.

Several developers I'd spoken to over the phone charged outrageous amounts, disregarding the fact that we were just getting started. I also considered using offshore companies, but I had concerns about the product.

I was having a hard time finding someone in the middle, but, after talking to Peritus Digital face-to-face, I saw that he understood our vision and was excited about helping us accomplish it. Right from the start, he said that we should prioritize elements to meet our budget. He was very transparent and focused on our vision, rather than Peritus Digital's agenda.

How much have you invested with Peritus Digital?

The cost of Peritus Digital's services has been $27,300 to date. There was a $26,000 agreed-upon cost for the website redesign and iOS development. Peritus Digital has also helped us populate our database with playgrounds, which came with a $750 fee.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Peritus Digital in November 2015. The iOS app and website have been completed, but we continue to go to Peritus Digital for bulk uploads and enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Now that we have the app, our user base has grown exponentially. The number of logged playgrounds has quadrupled in less than a year after it initially took us 3 years to reach 2,000 playgrounds. The process of sharing this information has become much easier, which was our original goal. Peritus Digital has made our product into a user-friendly, clean and simple app. 

Our budget was constricted, but we hope to build out all of our features eventually. Peritus Digital could certainly accomplish everything, but we don't yet have the funds.

How did Peritus Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Peritus Digital has stuck to deadlines, and the communication with their principal was great. The individuals working on our app didn't always respond, but this was always addressed quickly. However, it was unclear at times to whom I should be directing questions because of this. Peritus Digital used Basecamp, which is a collaborative tool. We also used Google Hangouts for face-to-face conversations, as well as Google Docs for exchanging documents.

What did you find most impressive about Peritus Digital?

Peritus Digital has understood the vision and the heart of the entrepreneur trying to build a site or app, and they're focused on helping people accomplish this within their means. Peritus Digital proposed that we should gain traction with the iOS app before starting on the Android one, and they showed me that they were willing to put my ultimate goal first. Anyone else would have said the opposite, but Peritus Digital cares more about accomplishing what needs to be accomplished than getting our money.

Are there any areas Peritus Digital could improve?

After our initial process was done, I continued to write to the developer who handled the bulk of our work, and he didn't respond. I finally wrote Peritus Digital's principal, who told me that he was now the main contact person. Peritus Digital could have done a better job detailing what role each person has, and when those roles end.