Tepia

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and psychologist of Wahlberg Psychological Services, a private practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tepia?

I have hired Tepia to develop a mobile app for me in the medical arena.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tepia is building an app for me. I have provided some ideas and data, but they have rebooted the whole thing. I have had the option of doing design work with them, but we also have a design team that’s working hand in hand with Tepia.

I know the app works on Garmin and other platforms. However, we have decided that Apple was the simplest way to start, and it would be easier to go into other operating systems. At this point, we’re basically running through an iPhone and an Apple Watch.

They’ll continue to help me as we get ready to beta-test the app and Tepia will be part of that process. When we launch the app, they’ll continue to be in charge of making sure things are working. There might be modifications, and they’ll be actively involved in all of that. They have also offered to provide optimization and marketing services.

What is the team composition?

I primarily consult with Abraham and Brianna. I’ve worked intimately with Brianna, and my emails are answered by her. She's in charge of the development team.

How did you come to work with Tepia?

We found Tepia through an online search and talked to them about our goals and what we wanted to build. They took a look at things and came back to me and said that they felt they could do it. I liked them from the beginning.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working together since March 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I can see the results of the app. They send the results, and I can see it and load it on my phone and watch. It’s fun because I see the product being built.

We’re fine-tuning things right now. We’re pretty heavy in the weeds, and we’re trying to make it look pretty. If there are changes, Brianna will work with me on making modifications.

How did Tepia perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great with project management. There are times when we can’t predict certain things popping up. I understand that because I’m asking them to build something that’s never been done.

We do a lot of Zoom calls and emails. They are easy to communicate with and Brianna is extremely flexible. If I have a couple of questions, she immediately responds. We spend a lot of time with them.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Brianna has been fantastic. I’ve enjoyed working with her. She’s very open and easy to communicate with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think Tepia is an honest company, and they communicate well. The problem I had before I met them was trying to work with a company that didn’t communicate or respond. As an app developer, that was frustrating, but I haven't had that issue with Tepia.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they should improve, I’ve been very pleased with them. In a perfect world, I would have my app delivered in two weeks, but that's not realistic.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I went in knowing exactly what I wanted, so I would tell future clients to know what they're looking for as precisely as possible. Tepia is very honest, so their clients should go in with a clear idea of what they want to do and give Tepia an opportunity to understand what they’re looking for.

The more locked in their clients can be, the easier the process is. I came in with a very clear idea, but little things changed along the way. If they go to Tepia with a clear understanding of what they want, Tepia can tell them what they can do and what it would cost.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a home improvement solutions company. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company simplifies home improvement by offering fixed pricing, USA-made windows and doors, licensed and insured professionals, and easy financing—all managed through a user-friendly mobile app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Tepia to accomplish?

• Create a User-Friendly Platform
• Streamline Contractor Operations
• Integrate Key Features

SOLUTION

How did you find Tepia?

Online Search

Why did you select Tepia over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Tepia were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Scope of Work
User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) Design:

Designed an intuitive and visually appealing mobile app interface for customers and contractors, focusing on ease of use and accessibility.
Conducted user research and created wireframes and prototypes to ensure seamless navigation and a positive user experience.
Mobile App Development:

Built a cross-platform mobile app for iOS and Android, enabling customers to measure, design, and order windows and doors, as well as schedule installations with licensed professionals.
Developed a contractor-facing portal within the app to manage project claims, schedules, team assignments, and payment processing.
Backend Development:

Created a robust backend infrastructure to support app functionality, including user account management, secure data storage, and real-time updates.
Integrated APIs for payment processing, scheduling, and financing options to streamline the customer and contractor experience.
Feature Integration:

Implemented fixed pricing models for various products and services.
Added financing options with built-in eligibility checks, ensuring a smooth process for customers to apply for and access financing.
Designed a system for contractors to upload and verify licenses and insurance, ensuring customers are matched with vetted professionals.
Testing and Quality Assurance:

Conducted rigorous testing to identify and resolve bugs, ensuring the app runs smoothly across devices.
Validated all features, including grid calculations, tempered glass requirements, and financing plan displays, to ensure accuracy and reliability.
Launch and Post-Launch Support:

Assisted with app deployment on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Provided ongoing support and maintenance to address issues, implement updates, and ensure the app continues to meet user needs.
Key Deliverables
Fully Functional Mobile App:
A cross-platform app for iOS and Android that allows customers to manage their entire home improvement project—from design to installation—through a single platform.
Contractor Portal:
A dedicated system for contractors to claim projects, schedule jobs, and manage teams and payments, optimizing their workflow.
Integrated Financing Solutions:
A seamless financing system integrated directly into the app, offering 0% interest and 12-month no-payment options for qualified customers.
Fixed Pricing System:
A pricing module ensuring transparency and consistency for customers, eliminating surprises and building trust.
Comprehensive QA Reports:
Detailed testing reports highlighting resolved issues and ensuring all features met the highest standards of functionality and user experience.
Tepia’s work laid the foundation for our company to revolutionize the home improvement industry, delivering an innovative, efficient, and user-friendly platform

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Operational Efficiency:

Reduced project scheduling and management time for contractors by automating workflows.
Simplified the quoting and payment process, enhancing contractor productivity.
Customer Engagement:

Successfully launched a functional app with intuitive features, attracting early adopters and generating positive feedback from customers.
Sales Impact:

Enabled over 100 early app users to place orders, contributing to revenue generation through increased project bookings.
Customer Satisfaction:

Achieved a smooth and transparent user experience by eliminating unexpected costs through fixed pricing and financing options.
Scalability:

Built a platform capable of handling significant user growth while maintaining performance and reliability.
Market Differentiation:

Positioned us as the only mobile-based app in the U.S. offering this suite of services, giving it a competitive edge in the home improvement industry.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Tepia Co demonstrated exceptional project management throughout the development process:

Timely Deliverables: They adhered to the project timeline, delivering milestones and key features as scheduled.
Responsiveness: The team was highly responsive to feedback, quickly implementing changes and resolving issues.
Adaptability: They effectively accommodated evolving requirements and ensured the app aligned with RELI’s vision and business goals.
Communication: Regular updates and meetings kept the project on track and ensured transparency at every stage.

What was your primary form of communication with Tepia?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

 
What stood out most about Tepia Co was their exceptional blend of technical expertise and proactive problem-solving. They didn’t just follow instructions—they approached the project as true partners, offering creative solutions to challenges and anticipating potential issues before they arose. Their ability to seamlessly integrate complex features, like real-time price calculations and financing options, while maintaining a user-friendly interface was truly impressive. Additionally, their commitment to clear communication and responsiveness made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Their passion for innovation and dedication to our vision set them apart from other development companies.

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

Not really. Everything was fantastic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of operations for Nexo Insurance Services and CrossFit RRG.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tepia?

We needed help to build an internal database for our CrossFit RRG program. We were looking for a partner that would be responsive to our requests and forward-thinking when there were changes we could make.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tepia has helped us develop, maintain, and grow the internal database that we use in CrossFit RRG. It’s a proprietary system that works with our clients so they can log in and view their accounts and information. On the backend, we use the same system for our team to process things on their behalf. This is a custom software with a front-facing web app so that users can access our portal.

The proprietary system we’ve created is fairly complicated. We have various workflows that our clients can go through. Depending on their answers to questions along the way, their experience adjusts to what they’re applying for. In addition, our proprietary system partners with a third-party payment system. Tepia has created links to an outside service that we utilize. We also have an external mailing that happens from our system, so they link to a third-party communication system that goes out and notifies our clients.

What is the team composition?

Since we first started working with Tepia, we’ve had a variety of project managers. We typically meet with three members of their team regularly. Behind the scenes, they have a whole staff of developers that we don’t ever meet face-to-face.

How did you come to work with Tepia?

One of Tepia’s founders was a contractor that worked with us on a previous project. We enjoyed working with him so much that when we were looking for someone to help us out, we sought him out again.

When we decided to partner with Tepia, we were looking for a team that would be responsive to our request when things weren't working well. We needed someone forward-thinking about changes, as well as someone very good at communicating throughout the entire project regarding billing, timelines, and expectations.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Tepia has helped us save time. The amount of time saved is on our team in processing things that would have had to be done manually. If I had to do this job completely without this system existing, we would have to have significantly more people on our team, at least two more people. Our turnaround time would likely be more delayed than it is now. Currently, we get back to our clients within the same day or one day. That would probably turn into a week-long timeline if this system didn’t exist.

Because of the ongoing functionality that Tepia continues to improve, we’re able to keep that tight of a timeline. They’ve probably saved us in the salary of at least two people and in customer satisfaction with the work that we do.

How did Tepia perform from a project management standpoint?

Even if things haven't been necessarily on time or on budget, the team has communicated to us in our biweekly meetings. We feel like we have a concept of where we're at. We communicate more frequently than that via phone calls, texts, and emails. The budget is communicated at least mid-month for each month, as we have a certain retention amount set for the monthly upkeep of our system.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Kimmy has been our project manager for this program for a couple of years. She's very responsive and works to make sure that everything is done in a timely manner and that she understands our needs before getting her team working on it. The clarification of what the job entails really comes from Kimmy leading the charge, which saves us a bunch of time and money from not going down the wrong road. I’m very grateful for all of her hard work on our projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re upfront with us throughout these projects, and we really enjoy partnering with them because of that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing we’ve found challenging at times has been the staff turnover. Team members whom we hadn't yet been introduced to have come in to manage our projects; suddenly, we simply had a new person. Over time, that transition has become significantly better.

Tepia has ramped people up before bringing them in to meet us, so they’re familiar enough with our account and what our needs are. That has improved over time, but that was the one sticky thing for us when there was a transition that was sometimes challenging.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. I certainly don't specialize in anything IT or tech-related in my day-to-day work. I've had a lot of questions about how things could work or what things were possible. At no time have I ever felt like I was asking a stupid question or my ideas weren't welcome in any of the conversations. The Tepia team is very good at ensuring that the customer feels comfortable and confident and understands enough of what they want. They’re invested in that, too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Volume - A Trading Game. We aim to make stock market and trading education easier, more accessible, and more efficient.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tepia?

We initially hired them because we wanted to get an MVP to market. We were still far off from achieving the goal. As a developer myself, I wanted developers working with me and a bit of mentorship and guidance from a business perspective to support us for future growth.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tepia did a lot for us. We had a development contract for which we received code from one of their engineers. We also received higher-level consultations from Brianna (Director of Engineering) and Abraham (President).

The first product we worked on was a stock market simulator. To build it, Tepia had to understand the stock market, specifically day trading. Once we started working together, we crash-coursed an onboarding on the vision for the product, its value, and some basic concepts crucial to understanding before development.

Once we were all on the same page, we developed the roadmap, compartmentalizing some of the goals they would work on. They did everything on TypeScript and made some high-level design considerations and recommendations.

What is the team composition?

Brianna was the head of operations and acted as project manager. We also had a senior engineer and an assistant project manager.

Additionally, we spent a lot of time with Abraham. He took an interest in the project, offered advice, and left his door open whenever we needed help.

How did you come to work with Tepia?

We initially found them through Google.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $12,700.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in April 2023, and they completed the initial development contract in July 2023. Additionally, we still use them as consultants.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Tepia helped us save a lot of money and time. They helped us analyze the cost-benefit before starting. Moreover, they were proactive in their approach, helped us with QA, ensured the site was bug-free, and even analyzed the UX.

Stock market education is a deep rabbit hole, and our platform aims to offer services for beginners. The people on our team were also our customers, so they gave us unique insight into how to optimize the UX and make it approachable to a beginner.

How did Tepia perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered the work on time and under budget and communicated well. We initially came to them with a bunch of Google Docs. Brianna helped us convert everything to ClickUp tickets, and we used ClickUp as our main project management tracker.

Additionally, we used Google Chat and Google Meet to communicate.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

The advice we got from Abraham was totally invaluable.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was an out-of-college broke kid when we started this whole thing, so I was financially limited. Not many developers were comfortable working with me. Since I’m also a developer, there was added pressure because I scrutinized all the code and preferred development patterns. I needed to find somebody willing to work with me rather than handing control over everything. Tepia had never done that before, so they made an exception for me.

Moreover, Tepia was great about making technical suggestions because they understood the tasks deeply.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The biggest challenge with the project was understanding stock marketing. Initially, it took some time for Tepia to get comfortable and come up with their own ideas. Eventually, it did happen, so it made sense that they wanted to have a complete understanding before making suggestions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate, be open to ideas, and listen. As a developer, I had to remember that they were the experts, and I needed to listen to their advice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder and CEO of a software company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mobile App

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Tepia to accomplish?

• Create proof of concept
• Create commercial version
• Speed to market

SOLUTION

How did you find Tepia?

Online Search

Why did you select Tepia over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Tepia were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Project Planning and Research: Understanding the dating app market, defining user personas, and establishing clear goals and features for UON. 
• UI/UX Design: Creating intuitive and engaging user interfaces and experiences, including wireframes, mockups, and user journey maps. 
• Development: Coding the application for both iOS and Android platforms, integrating features such as user profiles, matching algorithms, chat functionality, and live event scheduling. 
• Testing & Quality Assurance: Rigorous testing phases, including unit tests, integration tests, and user testing to ensure a bug-free, seamless UX. 
• Launch and Deployment: Making the app live on respective app stores, ensuring all compliance and store requirements are met. 
• Post-Launch Support and Updates: Providing ongoing maintenance, updates, and customer support post-launch to ensure continued performance and user satisfaction. 

Each of these deliverables was critical in bringing the UON app from concept to reality, providing a robust platform for users to connect and find matches effectively.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Partnership with established organizations

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Communication with every step of the project, and kept with timeline

What was your primary form of communication with Tepia?

Virtual Meeting

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

They were open to explore early on as we developed this project. Made it easy to create a project within the scope we wanted

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

All areas of improvement were easily communicated during our virtual meetings

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own Secure Live Scan, LLC., a digital fingerprinting services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Tepia?

I had an idea for a child ID system app but needed someone who could help me create it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tepia is helping us develop a mobile app for Android and iOS. The team has been tasked with creating the software for the platform and integrating a separate software kit from IDEMIA, which is the company that provides the finger scanner for this product. To jumpstart the process, I’ve given them a partially developed app, which they’ve used as a starting point.

In addition to this, Tepia’s team provides maintenance and updates for the backend of the app.

What was the team composition? 

I’ve worked with five members of Tepia’s team, including Dustin (Director of Operations), who has been our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Tepia?

I found Tepia through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $20,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Tepia has met our expectations and at a reasonable cost. They've been absolutely wonderful and stand out among their competitors thanks to their commitment to making the app work perfectly and exactly how I want it, which makes me happy with the process and what they've done for me.

How did Tepia perform from a project management standpoint?

Tepia has met the deadlines and budget we've established for this project, and no money was due until they finished the project.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 

Dustin has been extremely helpful, and his knowledge base is great. Dustin has been helping me understand the process and get through some of the challenges we've encountered — he has spent a lot of time holding our hands.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed by Tepia's ability to explain things to us despite us not being tech-savvy. They patiently answer our questions and tell us what keys to push on our laptops. Overall, their knowledge is amazing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think there's anything they can improve on because they're always available and responsive to our needs. They should keep doing what they're doing because I like them very much.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Contact them and be open with what you want. In addition, be specific and realistic with your requests so they can let you know if they can do it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Business Development Manager of Water Saver Solutions

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Water Saver Solutions helps healthcare facilities implement water conservation opportunities and fight against infections by implementing the FixtureCare® program on water control points.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Tepia Co to accomplish?

• To build an improved FixtureCare® application for internal and customer usage

SOLUTION

How did you find Tepia Co?

Online Search

Why did you select Tepia Co over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

What was the size of Tepia Co’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Tepia began by creating a comprehensive discovery and design document for the app we desired that we could go out to bid with. They created brilliant wireframes, maps, and documents that we could share with competing developers to bid the work out to.

We quickly realized that Tepia's team was the best group for the job, so we gave them the green light to begin developing the app. They assigned us a project manager and we proceeded to have weekly meetings as they shared build after build with us until it was perfect.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• It took a little while to weed out all the debilitating bugs, but once they were sorted out the app they built for us quickly became our new and default means for completing work. Milestones were projected and met each month, early builds were shared with us, and they generously accommodated our continued feedback along the way.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

We admit that we were an overly demanding customer, but Tepia Co was always willing to go the extra mile for us.

What was your primary form of communication with Tepia Co?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

The dedication Tepia's project managers showed to our project, always making themselves available for a meeting, text, or phone call.

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

We learned that our project could have benefitted from more QC hands, so perhaps we should have taken Tepia's advice and hired a third party QC firm.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a permit company, so I’m a contractor who runs permits for other contractors. I go to different cities and submit paperwork and drawings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tepia Co?

I was trying to address an organizational issue. I’ve been fortunate enough to build a large project portfolio and service a lot of clients, but it’s become overwhelming to use an excel sheet to manage my business. I wanted to partner with a software company to create a dashboard for me to keep track of clients and organize my projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Tepia Co built a dashboard that allows my clients to log in to a portal and upload new projects they’d like me to work on. I can also communicate progress and provide status updates directly via the dashboard, which has reduced the typical back-and-forth via email.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two team members, Abraham (Founder), and Brianna (Project Manager). 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $25,000 in the partnership with Tepia Co. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Tepia Co from June–October 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since I haven’t rolled out the tool yet, I don’t have specific metrics, but I’ve really enjoyed working with Tepia Co, and I look forward to partnering with them in the future.

How did Tepia Co perform from a project management standpoint?

Tepia Co performed well from a project management standpoint. They provided weekly updates and we met biweekly to discuss progress and align on our vision. Everything went smoothly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with Tepia Co’s hands-on approach; they were willing to understand my needs and meet them. They were also very friendly and easy to talk to. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Tepia Co could improve on, everything went smoothly and worked out for me. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise you to be prepared for meetings and meet with them as frequently as possible. Peel the onion and outline your most critical needs so Tepia Co can do the work for you; they’re the professionals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of an app that allows you to share 100 moods, emotions, and desires with your partner. The goal is to increase communication in a gamified way. People can post status updates with colors and emojis, which simplifies the communication process between people.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tepia Co?

I’d created a few frameworks for the application, and we wanted to create the technical side of it — the coding and the functionality. They’re our sole development resource.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In addition to the frameworks, I’d created the brand, content, and wireframes, but Tepia created all the coding, functionality, and documentation.

After we provided the framework, they took it piece-by-piece, identifying any holes they say and providing coaching as to the direction of the application. The result was a much cleaner design.

Users posts statuses in the form of moods — there are over 400 different choices, including fears and desires, like the fear of abandonment. There are also relationship ratings and a weekly relationship check-in featuring ten questions. The main feature is the mood statuses, I would say.

The app is available for iOS currently, and we’re working on Android — Play Store approval is all that’s left.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with 3–4 people, including Tricia (Project Manager) and Abe (President).

How did you come to work with Tepia Co?

My partner had heard of them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t’ really have statistics or metrics, as the app launched two days ago, but we have the proper data analytics set up to gather the incoming data once it’s time.

How did Tepia Co perform from a project management standpoint?

I can only speak about Tricia’s work, but she’s done amazing — very communicative, organized, detail-oriented, and quick. She’s carried a lot of the desk work, even over Google Meet.

Things can get rocky when we get lost, but Tricia has maintained an upbeat, positive mood the entire time; she’s a great coach, in that way.

Their whole team is very responsive, and they didn’t take advantage of us from a payment standpoint; everything was very fair, and they acted with integrity.

I’m new to the world of technology, but everything felt honesty and seemed to be full of integrity. I’m creative and innovative, and Tepia was able to hold my large vision and bring it down into something executable. They truly know what they’re doing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We haven’t gotten too far into testing the code itself, but we haven’t had any problems with the app shutting down — it functions smoothly. It’s also very impressive that we’ve been able work with consistent, reliable developers from Tepia.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t answer this with a clear conscience, as this project has been my first time in this setting. There have been times when I wanted to be further along than we actually were, but that’s fairly normal; you have to be patient because the fix for one issue might cause a second issue; it’s a bit of a dance.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the former technical project manager at Gerber Labs, whose parent company is PalPilot. At that time, I was focused on building our e-commerce website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Tepia Co?

Tepia served as our web developers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Tepia developed a plan for our platform’s architecture. Once they finished that, we reviewed the designs and workflows they made. We also reviewed how we wanted to build the website. Moreover, they referred us to external SEO and UI/UX design experts; though we engaged them specifically for web design, they also helped us onboard a full suite of engineers and developers. Then, Tepia built the website from the backend to the frontend using custom HTML programming; we didn’t use any website presets or templates. Our team specifically requested this because our site wasn’t just a landing page; it was a place where users could buy and customize their orders.

Moreover, we created the project's documentation together. Contributions came from both of our teams. For one, we provided them with ideas and mockups that we found on other websites. We also looked into other tools we could use; this included GitHub, where pre-built scripts were available. Eventually, Tepia helped us organize what we wanted to build and gave us their own ideas, helping us move on with the process. 

For core features and functionality, the website allowed end users to upload schematics. These schematics were drawings of computer hardware that they wanted to build. The website was also able to detect the dimensions of the drawings. Moreover, it had an algorithm that helped users understand the cost, time, and labor resources that their schematics would consume, generating a quote for them instantly. 

Further, our contract with Tepia indicated that they’d provide 30–65 days or a full year of maintenance services after the website was finished. This was for any unexpected bugs or errors on the website. 

I've already left the company, but Tepia is still currently working on the project.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 3–4 people from Tepia. Abraham (President) helped us during the onboarding process. Our team also interacted with Dustin (Project Manager), who provided us with weekly updates and suggestions around day-to-day issues. Finally, 1–2 software developers also occasionally worked with us to go through issues or workflows. 

How did you come to work with Tepia Co?

We found Tepia online. Our company was located in Orange County, so we wanted an agency that was close to us. That way, we could meet them in person and have a conversation when necessary. Overall, Tepia had a good location, and they had a good web presence. These were the reasons we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent just over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in February 2020, and they were still working on it with my former company when I left. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The metrics were highly positive. Our team managed to secure orders in the first month that the website went live even though we still had to do a lot of development work on it. 

Anecdotally, the Tepia team was on point and flexible in their work. For instance, our company worked with many overseas vendors, so many of our meetings had to be done in the evening. Despite that, Tepia was highly accommodating. They spent time on the meetings and worked with us even though there was a language barrier among vendors.

How did Tepia Co perform from a project management standpoint?

Tepia’s project management skills were great. Given the nature of the development industry, it was rare for us to meet our set deadlines — they did take a few weeks longer than expected to deliver the project — but the team was extra communicative during the entire process. As a result, we managed to plan around such delays. 

For communication, we met a few times in person during the initial engagement. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, we transitioned to emails and video conference calls to communicate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was highly flexible and accommodating. In fact, Tepia resources would jump on a call late at night with our vendors if they had to discuss things with them. Moreover, they provide great service recommendations. For example, when we wanted to have stronger designs in terms of site colors and branding assets, Tepia brought in experts from their network. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish that they had been more assertive in some of our discussions. I would’ve loved to receive more recommendations around our project requirements. To be fair, they’d already provided great recommendations and the team was good at what they do. However, as a client that wasn’t as technically savvy as them, we could’ve used all the recommendations we could get. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with Tepia early on because they’re great at conceptualizing ideas and providing feedback. Simply put, don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis — just have a conversation with them. Their resources are friendly, so even if you decide not to work with them, your initial interaction will be worth it.