RapidDev

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Atlas.vet, a platform that connects the military community with companies looking to hire or interested in training veterans as they leave the military.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rapid Dev?

We needed someone to develop our web app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rapid Dev built our online platform for our users and clients — it’s a web app. Initially, I wrote everything I wanted the platform to be. Then, I met with their owner and their COO, and we went through my requirements. The meeting lasted around 60–90 minutes, during which we talked about the features I wanted.

After the scoping session, Rapid Dev laid out the entire process. Then, they created a mock-up using Figma. Finally, they built the platform on Bubble.io.

What is the team composition?

I was in contact with the owner and the COO.

How did you come to work with Rapid Dev?

I evaluated numerous companies before deciding on Rapid Dev. I was looking for a company that used low-code development platforms so that I could maintain the app myself as much as possible without relying on external teams or internal resources.

I bought my company from someone else, and they referred me to Rapid Dev’s owner. I saw some of their past work. I also really liked the owner because he’s a veteran, so I really liked the idea of supporting another veteran founder.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $17,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–March 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rapid Dev created an amazing platform exactly how I had envisioned it.

How did Rapid Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

Rapid Dev was very fast, and the project went smoothly. They delivered within budget, although I ended up paying more than originally desired because I added features along the way. Moreover, their COO was great. From the start, I told them that I wanted an update every Friday on the status of the project, and every Friday, the COO sent me a Loom video showing their progress and how the platform looked.

Besides Loom, we mostly communicated via email, and Rapid Dev’s communication was perfect. They got back to me quickly and answered all of my questions. Additionally, I was able to put notes and request changes over Figma.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rapid Dev was very skilled. I’m not a tech-savvy person, so they were very generous in explaining what was possible and what wasn’t. Their team also helped me come up with ideas for creating and making the site better. Overall, they went above and beyond their line of duty, and they were very nice people to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Rapid Dev could have improved on; I was happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The process will go much smoother if you have a clear picture of what it is you want them to create — be very detailed about what you want. Additionally, they’ll help you make your product better, so be open to their input.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of LTHJ Global, a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultancy firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Rapid Dev?

We wanted to build a no-code, low-code solution for an MVP.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rapid Dev has provided web app development for us, using Bubble as their main technology. We’ve started by meeting with Matt (CEO) to do an initial scoping exercise, which has led to a full-development project of an MVP, taking into account the specs that our internal UI/UX designer has delivered to them. They’ve also worked with our in-house engineer to help us understand what functionalities we should prioritize before launching our MVP and which ones could wait for a second iteration of the system.

In terms of functionalities, the platform has custom-built surveys and a learning management system. Still, we’re currently working on adding new features to the product.

What was the team composition? 

We mainly work with Matt and Kate (Project Manager), but there are 4–5 other team members of Rapid Dev’s crew involved in the project.

How did you come to work with Rapid Dev?

Someone referred them to us. We looked at several potential providers, but we chose Rapid Dev because Matt impressed us by sending us written and recorded feedback on their previous projects and showing what they do and how they work. In addition, they stood out in terms of their responsiveness, thoroughness, teamwork, and price point.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $30,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2022, and the engagement is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rapid Dev’s work is outstanding, and we’re delighted with the platform’s quality and their team’s ability to fix any bugs that arise.

How did Rapid Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

Rapid Dev’s team is committed to helping us meet our deadlines while staying on budget, making this a great partnership. Regarding tools, we use email and Excel spreadsheets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rapid Dev’s best attributes are their communication and commitment to helping us find solutions for complex problems. Moreover, considering the Russian Invasion of Ukraine, we’re amazed by their ability to show up and be present in the meetings.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as communicative as they are, and you’ll be as delighted as we’ve been.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and product lead of Coleap. We’re a startup that offers a social learning platform that allows experts to record learning courses and run them in a community and project-based learning platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rapid Dev?

When we raised our first funding round, we wanted to develop our platform’s MVP. We were looking for a no-code agency since we didn’t have an in-house development team and needed to complete this project quickly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the discovery phase, we had meetings with Rapid Dev where I explained our project's requirements and what we wanted to achieve. On the other hand, Rapid Dev explained to us what could be accomplished using no-code development. They worked closely with our in-house product designer. 

Initially, we provided a rough product design, and Rapid Dev developed from there. The learning platform features a curriculum builder where teachers can upload their experience, create a learning path, send automatic emails, and track their students' progress and deliverables. On the other hand, students can search through the course directory and watch the recorded lessons.

Rapid Dev built the MVP in 2–3 months using Bubble. After that, they created the first version of the platform, which allowed us to launch the first courses in September 2021. We then hired an in-house development team to build a more robust platform. From October–December 2021, Rapid Dev worked with our in-house developers to fix the issues from the first iterations.

What is the team composition?

I worked most closely with Matt (CEO) and Anna (COO). Anna coordinated Rapid Dev's developers, and although I didn't work directly with them, I believe two developers worked on our project.

How did you come to work with Rapid Dev?

We reached Rapid Dev through Bubble, a no-code platform. I posted about our project looking for a no-code agency, and Matt reached out to me directly. We explored several other agencies at the time and ended up choosing Rapid Dev. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around €50,000 (approximately $54,000 USD) with Rapid Dev. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–December 2021. We worked full-time from June–October 2021 and in a part-time modality of around 20 hours a week from October–December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Initially, we ran 5–10 courses on the platform’s first version, which supported 500 users at the time. Most of our revenue during that time was from the learning courses. 

Rapid Dev helped us fix bugs, and someone was always available to help. During the launching of the platform, they were available to help us and fix any issues, and we also had a backup plan.

Overall, Rapid Dev really engaged with us from the beginning of the project. They ensured they understood the kind of platform we wanted to build. Rapid Dev gave us a lot of insight and suggestions to fix the challenges we faced during the project. 

How did Rapid Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

Rapid Dev was great at communication. I always had a clear understanding of our timeline and budget. We kept close communication through Bubble and Zoom meetings. We also used Loom to record videos and Notion for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with Rapid Dev’s communication. I’ve worked with other agencies before, and I really liked that we had close communication throughout the project. 

Moreover, Rapid Dev was great at helping us understand our problem and the different approaches to resolving it. In fact, Rapid Dev has worked with 3–4 of our investors. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for Rapid Dev to improve. The challenges that we had during this project weren’t because of them but related to the technology we used and other factors that forced us to take different approaches. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend you trust Rapid Dev’s expertise. Use their experience to your advantage and understand your project’s possible outcomes. If you involve Rapid Dev in your project from the beginning, you’ll get a better product.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Co-Founder of a VC-backed fintech startup based in San Francisco.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Rapid Dev to build a lightweight MVP to test market feedback to our fintech concept, before we hired our first engineer.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We evaluated a half dozen vendors based on (i) price, (ii) speed, (iii) relevant experience.

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

We had a kickoff meeting to write the statement of work, outline key deliverables, and align on deliverables, timeline and price of project. We iterated daily and provided feedback, making multiple large changes to scope during the project, which Rapid Dev was highly responsive to allowing us to flexibly change the end product based on market feedback.

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

We worked with Matt Graham, the founder of Rapid Dev directly. He was well spoken, highly communicative, and a great thought partner!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Matt built our MVP in record time, allowing us to test our hypothesis with design partners and collect critical feedback on our concept that informed our longterm product roadmap.

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

Matt was highly responsive, iterative, easy to work with, with a founder-like partnership mentality. Rapid Dev was timely, efficient and cost effective.

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

Working with Matt was comparable to having another co-founder on the team, but without the commitment or cost. He has a strategic mindset and willing to change the scope of the project in real time based on the needs of the client. A true strategic thought partner!

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

Rapid Dev was perfect for this stage in the early design phase of our company life cycle. We were able to quickly refine our product strategy, based on his work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations and analytics manager at Common Energy, a company specializing in community solar power.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rapid Dev?

I needed help with building a carbon footprint calculator in a no-code platform, so I sought Rapid Dev’s assistance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rapid Dev helped me build my calculator on Bubble.io. Initially, I provided them with a model of the calculator I had built in an Excel spreadsheet. I also provided them with design templates and some documentation detailing our expectations and requirements.

From there, Rapid Dev took my input and translated it into a Bubble.io app to make it more interactive. Throughout the development process, we had multiple iterations of the app to see which one worked best from a customer perspective.

This app is a carbon footprint calculator that lives on our website and has two versions of it — a mobile app and a web app. To use it, people first go to our website and enter their ZIP code. After providing more data, they can see their carbon footprint, as well as some recommendations on how they can reduce that footprint.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Matt (CEO).

How did you come to work with Rapid Dev?

We found them on Google and reached out to Matt via email. He discussed the project with us and told us what they could do to complete the project, so we took it from there.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we’ve already ended our engagement with Rapid Dev, our product is still in the development stage, so we haven’t launched it yet. Still, it was a great project, and the outcome met our expectations. Rapid Dev was very understanding of our needs, and they did their best to meet our goals.

How did Rapid Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

Working with Rapid Dev was very good, and they were great at project management. Matt was very responsive and on top of things. Moreover, he was receptive to feedback and implemented changes very quickly.

Throughout the project, Rapid Dev stuck to the timelines, and they were great at communicating. We mainly communicated via email. If something was taking longer than expected, they let us know upfront. We found a few bugs here and there along the way, but their team always fixed them quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Overall, my experience working with Rapid Dev was very positive. I would highly recommend working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t change anything about Rapid Dev’s work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of RothBuilder, a PaaS company built with the intent of helping kids and teens earn income by leveraging e-commerce to start investing earlier than ever before.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rapid Dev?

We hired them to build a multi-vendor marketplace using Bubble, a no-code technology. We wanted to get our MVP to market quicker than we could with more traditional technology development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rapid Dev is developing a multi-vendor marketplace platform that sells digital products for our vendors from a common catalog. We’ve engaged with various content authors and secured master resell rights to their content. That content includes technology, lifestyle, and language courses. Each vendor from the marketplace can sell from that catalog to earn income. We use the automation built into the pipeline to automate users’ earnings into investments, tax, and discretionary cash.

At the start of the project, we gave Rapid Dev a preview of our initial MVP trial that used Python. However, that MVP didn’t end up as a shippable project. We provided Rapid Dev with the former construction to use as a prototype to refine. 

The first week of the partnership was focused on setting up the project and then spent 3–4 weeks designing the app. Rapid Dev developed concept sketches that were then converted to wireframes using Figma. Then, Rapid Dev used the improved design on the frontend to improve the backend development during our first iteration of the project. 

What is the team composition?

We started with about four teammates working on our project. During the design phase, we worked with the project lead, a design team, and Matt (CEO). Now, however, we only interface with Matt and the project lead. 

How did you come to work with Rapid Dev?

We were referred to Rapid Dev by a consultant I’d worked with previously. We had a good call with them and explained our company and where we were with the development. During the initial part of this call, they went into detail on the application we were looking to build and what the development entailed. After a few conversations, it looked like they’d be a good fit. They took the ball from there and gave us a very detailed proposal.

I’ve worked in the technology space for over 15 years and have seen a lot of proposals. Rapid Dev sent us the most impressive proposal I’d ever come across in my entire career; it was detailed, and their team followed up quickly. Rapid Dev set us up for success. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just under $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking with Rapid Dev in May 2022 but didn’t bring them on for the project until June 2022. The project is still ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are in the last stages of app testing, and Rapid Dev has completed 90% of the commissioned app development. We have one last project pillar to process — Rapid Dev is helping us rectify an issue with our payment gateway, Stripe. 

I can’t provide much in terms of qualitative or quantitative feedback. However, they always deliver high-quality products on time. My team is very satisfied with Rapid Dev’s work; we’re very happy. 

How did Rapid Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

The project lead oversees all the technical aspects of the project, while Matt acts as a consultant, helping us make decisions. Rapid Dev’s deliverables are always on time, be it project setup timing, app design or development, or testing. They’ve been diligent about staying on top of our budget and timelines. 

We’ve collaborated through Figma for the app design process, providing ongoing feedback to optimize our feedback loop. Rapid Dev’s team collaborates through Slack, but that isn’t a client-facing tool. We also jump on calls to discuss the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Matt has a lot of integrity and a customer-centric focus. The true highlight of the partnership has been working with Matt — he provides great oversight on the entire project. He has been steering the project from start to finish. He’s been a joy to work with because of his customer-centric approach. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, we’ve had a great experience working with Rapid Dev. The only thing that could be better would be establishing checkpoints during the development phase, like at the end of sprint cycles. That would let product owners provide more feedback during the process — there should be more collaboration with the product owner. However, it hasn’t been a huge issue since Rapid Dev’s availability is good. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Rapid Dev is a treat to work with — customers should provide feedback when requested and jump on a call when there are questions about the project. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a deal-making platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Rapid Dev?

We wanted to create an MVP for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rapid Dev did web development for us using Bubble.io, and currently, they’re designing and building a mobile app for us. The design tasks have included creating an icon for the app and making the loading screens. To jumpstart the product building, I supplied Rapid Dev with the UI design, which they took as a starting point. In terms of features, the site allows members to subscribe and receive notifications on new deals for strategic business development.

For the mobile app portion, they’re creating it for Android and iOS.

In addition, they provide maintenance, bug fixes, and changes to the web platform according to our requirements.

What was the team composition? 

We’ve been working with Kate (Project Manager), Max (Developer), and Matt (CEO).

How did you come to work with Rapid Dev?

We found them online. We chose them because we jumped on a call with them, and they sent me a video of their work, and they seemed like a great fit for us.

How much have you invested in them?

So far, we’ve $15,000–$20,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been amazing, focused, and organized; Rapid Dev created a functional MVP that exceeds our expectations, which is the most important thing for us.

How did Rapid Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines and stay on budget. Moreover, we use Jira, Zoom, Google Meet, and email in terms of tools and communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re fast in developing a high-quality product. Moreover, they can take complex concepts and execute them in a simple manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they’re great at what they do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow their protocols and instructions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketplace director of the American Craft Council, a nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rapid Dev?

We wanted to create a new event-producing database that could duplicate our previous system's work and be user-friendly to enable us to edit our events.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rapid Dev does software database design and development for us on Bubble. We started by sharing with them the general scope of the project, and after a couple of meetings, they showed us their proposal and a timeline, which we decided to move forward with. To jumpstart the process, we gave them an extensive brief on our current workflow, database, and needs.

In terms of functionalities, the software allows us to send forms, collect payments, and send contracts. The site also has a landing page for general information.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Matt (CEO) and his team.

How did you come to work with Rapid Dev?

Our IT manager reached out to them.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

So far, we’ve spent $40,000–$50,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re very responsive and transparent with their work.

How did Rapid Dev perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is great. We use Slack as our main communication tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to communicate with us is their best attribute.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could spend more time on planning and research before starting a project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Plan more ahead of every development sprint.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own and operate a custom metal shop that's main focus is on custom metal water features and sculpture.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rapid Dev?

I hired Rapid Dev to create a marketplace website for an online business idea that I've wanted to work on for some time now.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

The primary reason for selecting Rapid Dev was there quick responsive communication and clarity of what they could provide for my project

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

I asked that Rapid Deve create a simple online marketplace that would provide a connection spot for artisans of various mediums to connect with businesses in the food and bar industry. When businesses are just starting, they often want to stand out from the other businesses in their area, so often they look for custom furniture and or decor. My goal with the website was to facilitate that connection.

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

I recall only working with Matt, Anna and Anthon. I'm not completely clear on their individual roles on the project, however I know that Matt took the lead and coordinated the work detail with Anna and Anthon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Currently, the project is on hold as I evaluate my next step in the process.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication played a key role in the project, and I would say that made the workflow much easier

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

Whenever we ran into functionality issues, they gave multiple options that allowed us to keep moving forward. They also gave us all the necessary information to make informed decisions.

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

As a person working on a new idea, my biggest challenge was not knowing exactly what I wanted. Hindsight is 20/20, but I wish I could have seen more options in style and functionality of a marketplace website. Rapid Dev did what I asked however it might have added a nice touch to present a few different options and then narrow down to a specific direction. I worry now that I may have requested a website that is too simple so I'm now trying to figure out how to improve what I have before I launch it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner/Principal Consultant: Business Process Improvement + Construction Software Applications Support

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

My background is in gathering client requirements related to business process improvement, workflows, and systems integration. My challenge is that while I've worked in software for 10+ years and have held a variety of roles and understand every part of the SDLC, I'm not a designer nor have the technical skills of a developer per se.

I engaged Rapid Dev to compartmentalize my client project. I continued to act as Project Manager, Consultant and Solutions Architect capacities that I excel at. I communicated client requirements and worked on some of the technical API pieces and passed off things to Rapid Dev way outside of my skillset. I wanted to leverage Rapid Dev expertise in no-code. By using their team of UX/UI, design and developers prototype and ultimately build out my application in less time that it would take me.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I saw them listed as an official firm on Bubble's webpage and one of the few located in the United States. Being in the same time zone and speaking the same first language was a huge plus for me; in the past I've worked with developers from a dozen different countries across the globe and always struggled with coordinating meetings and truly understanding each other.

I had reached out to Matt @ Rapid Dev with a few high-level asks, the same day he responded with a quick video addressing each concern, mentioning references to other completed projects with similar functionality etc. The personal touch of shooting a video vs a generic "yes we can" email was a big contributor to the decision.

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

Develop an enterprise application to replace existing client systems using no-code platform, Bubble. The application should have a "workflow engine" that routes business processes, based on business rules to different reviewers of approval processes. There would also need to be 100+ API calls to multiple other client systems to send/receive data.

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

The core team was (1) assigned Project Manager, Design UX/UI and multiple developers (2-3 at any given time) based on the volume of requirements, deliverables and deadlines for each sprint I assigned the Rapid Dev team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The specific project is complex with bits and pieces constantly being rolled out, given its connectivity to other client systems and ultimately depending on my client's availability to define/design the pieces of functionality they needed.

Given my background in traditional SDLC, timelines were absolutely crushed using this no-code team. Things that previously would take months were being coded in a week --> pushed back to me to test/validate --> and iterating thru this as needed.

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

From early on we used a JIRA board for me up post requirements (tickets). Rapid Dev PM would set deadline, assign to appropriate resources on their side. Once this project ramped up, we setup dedicated weekly coordination meetings to discuss what had been completed in the previous week, any tickets the Dev was stuck on / challenges and also to kickoff new work tasks. Another tool that proved insanely valuable was the use of Loom Videos.

To walk-through specific screens, testing, requirements, etc... Seeing a visual walkthrough and the ability to view it multiple times and tag comments directly timestamped on the video was great

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

They really nailed some complex API interfaces as well as developing some on-screen display features that in my previous software company cost $100k+ worth of dev and QA hours.

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

There were a few times deliverables were marked by developers "ready for testing" but hadn't actually been tested before kicking it over to me to test. When assigning complex tasks to them, sometimes they just began what they thought the work was without asking clarifying questions or paraphrasing back to me in their words what the deliverable should look like.