Revelry Labs

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your company. 

I’m the founder of a company serving the shipping industry. We have a large inventory of parts and services on our website, and we help connect vendors with shipbuilders and engineers.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Revelry Labs?

My initial goal was to build a site that was just a directory, and I didn’t realize until after we started building it that we were going to need an e-commerce site. Gerald [Ramos, the CEO,] and Joel [Wietelmann, the CTO] at Revelry were able to provide the experience and talent to get that done.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

I’m an engineer by training and I thought at first I had the capability to do most of the work for the site myself, and I would just use Revelry as a consultant. Eventually, the project went beyond my skill level and everything (back-end, front end, graphic design, and code) was done by them.

What was your process for selecting Revelry Labs to work with?

I was referred to Revelry by two individuals, and we set up a meeting very quickly. We probably only talked for an hour before we had agreed on a deal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project?

The results have been positive even though it’s still a work in progress. Website went live in March of 2014, but we just implemented an SEO [search engine optimization] strategy this past week [January 2015], and I’m told that we’ll probably make a big jump in terms of traffic in the next month.

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Month over month, we keep doubling. We’re averaging 3,000 hits a month now.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Communication. They’re very accessible. I know I can jump on Flowdock, or send an email, and I know it will be promptly returned.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

When we start new product features, I think sometimes there’s a disconnect in terms of what I would like to see in a new feature and what’s been coded, but normally by the second iteration we have it all hammered out.

What advice would you give to future clients?

I would design out the flow of your entire process ahead of development. I would be much more detailed in how I laid out what I wanted them to do with the site.

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your organization?

I work at a company offers an observation feedback platform for kindergarten through 12th-grade schools. It manages, and makes more efficient, the relationship between the instructional coach and the teacher. In K-12 context, teachers are observed and coached by their instructional leaders, such as principals. There are a series of interactions that occur in and out of the classroom, and a bunch of data and resources are shared. We try to take that process from wherever it’s happening, whether it on paper or pen, or Google Docs, and build a thoughtful digital platform to manage it all.

What is your position?

I’m the chief executive officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were trying to address when you first approached Revelry Labs?

When I joined the company, I saw an opportunity to scale our product and really commercialize the sale of it. Initially, I thought we would simply build upon the existing code base; however, we discovered that we actually needed to start from square one and build a completely new platform. Revelry helped us build our new and improved solution from scratch.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of their involvement?

The scope of work was complex and required reaching a certain level of feature parity. We thought we were going to do it all on the original code base, but we ended up building a completely new one because we realized after the fact that it wasn’t going to allow all of the functionalities we wanted. Revelry effectively operated as my CTO [chief technology officer], and after they stopped working on the code itself, they acted as an advisor on all technical issues, and helped us hire our own set of engineers. Really, it was them and me building the whole product. I brought the vision of what it would look like, and they handled all the technical components, from the UI/UX [user interface/user experience] design to the process flows and information architecture.

How did you select Revelry as your partner?

I connected with them through another entrepreneur down here. I was evaluating a number of different groups that I had found through online research, and Revelry was actually just starting up around the time that we were searching for someone. Ultimately, I chose them because I was confident in Gerard [Ramos, CEO at Revelry Labs] and the way that he was helping, walking me through the process of development.

Could you provide a general cost estimate for this particular engagement?

It was $50,000.

When was the project completed?

The product was client ready three months after we started [2013].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

Our sales numbers really speak for themselves. When I joined the company, there were 10 different schools using the product, and, during the span of about six months, there were some 40 schools using the product, and we’re on schedule this year to triple our numbers. Feedback has been fantastic. We consistently receive praise and compliments from our end-users regarding how simple and yet effective our product really is.

When working with Revelry Labs, is there anything that you would consider unique or special about their approach that distinguishes them from other vendors?

They’re all great guys there, and very talented. Gerard really offers some great ideas based on his experience, as will the rest of their team. They know how to work within a defined scope and tight budget, which isn’t always the case when it comes to developers. It’s been extremely valuable having them as our dedicated technology partner.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think they could improve as a service provider?

I had zero experience with tech projects of this nature. As a result, I think that they probably could and should have managed me better. It can be easy to walk into issues when you aren’t familiar with these types of deployments, and I came to the table with some unrealistic expectations.

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your organization?

I run a startup. We’re working on a scan-to-3D printing application for businesses and consumers.

What is your position?

I’m the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you first approached Revelry Labs?

I had the idea and proof of concept for the solution, but lacked the technical skills to build it myself. That forced me to search for developers externally, someone with the qualifications and experience to design and develop my solution.

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail?

Most of their work revolved around functional development, testing, systems integration, and configuration. They dealt with the complex, technical areas. I provided strategic guidance and managed the projected directly.

How did you select Revelry Labs as your partner?

A business associate recommended them to me. I talked with about half a dozen different developers, and in each case I felt most comfortable with Revelry. Their approach to design and development was very appealing to me because I knew that I would be heavily involved in an iterative process.

When was this engagement concluded?

The relationship began in August 2014, and it remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, could you share any statistics, metrics, or user feedback that would demonstrate the quality of their performance?

Internal testing has showed continuous improvement in functionality with each iteration. It has improved on a visual basis every time, and the usability has continued to improve, too. I’m 100 percent satisfied with their project management, their ability to deliver assignments on time, and remain responsive throughout the deployment process. Feedback from end-users has remained overwhelmingly positive, too. Revelry continues to add value to our product offering.

When working with Revelry Labs, is there anything that you would consider unique or special about their approach that distinguish them from other vendors?

This is the first time that I have used an outsourced partner, so I wouldn’t know how to compare the service provision. I will admit that I’m very pleased with how effortless the whole process has been. I’ve heard horror stories in the past regarding tech projects, but my experience with Revelry has been nothing but positive.

In retrospect, are there areas in which you think that they could improve as a service provider?

This was my very first rodeo, so I couldn’t give any input on that. I’ve moved the goalpost on them numerous times, and they’ve responded very well. I’ve been impressed with their flexibility because we’ve had to change things up on them several times.