How to choose the perfect partner for app development?

A good company does not limit itself to just executing orders but also cares about ensuring that the final effect is consistent with the business expectations of the client. Programmers should think about the optimal solution that will meet the client's requirements while making the application's development easy and inexpensive.

At Alergeek Ventures, we believe that the team of people working on a given project depends on the needs of that project. When a client comes to us who is at a very early stage of operations - for example, just finished developing an idea and transferring it to paper - then we assign one of our experts to them, so they can go through all the technical assumptions of the project and think about how to implement them in the most suitable way. It will always be a person who has knowledge in many fields and, in case of any doubts, the possibility of contact with specialists. This person will (usually alone) execute the first version of the product, and the client can test it in market realities.

Among our previous clients, we often encountered situations where moving from the so-called MVP (Minimal Viable Product) phase, described in the previous paragraph, to a full-fledged product is the biggest challenge. Often this first version, created by a "solo" programmer, contains many mental shortcuts and resulting habits that later become a significant hindrance when other people join the team. This means that the same person must constantly work on the application - and paying specialists who can create an architectural outline to introduce simple corrections is a straightforward way to unnecessary waste of money.

Even a single programmer in our company moves according to certain top-down conventions, which means that when there is a need for faster work - it's easy to add more people to it. Still, the same person will be responsible for communication and planning actions, but the work will spread over several people and will move forward much more efficiently.

Now you're probably wondering, "okay, but how much does it actually cost?" After all, the price of the service is sometimes extremely important in the context of profitability. And we understand that, which is why, unlike other companies, we have a completely different billing model.

The average company prepares a cost estimate and a completion date. Usually, the client does not have much control over the project, pays more, receives an application, which may technically be done correctly, but still deviates from his expectations. Does it have to be this way? We don't think so.

Imagine you want to build a house. Asked about what it should be like, you answer "like the neighbor's" ("an app like Uber" - we often hear). The foundations have not yet been laid, you still don't know what it will all look like, and you are already asked about the color of the walls. Then for several months, no one contacts you at all, or only says: "it is as you wanted, you will see in a few months." Will you like such a building in the end? Of course not.

We build differently. At the start, you get a place next to the construction manager. You issue commands, which we as a team break down into goals. You have access to the list of all tasks. So you know exactly who is working on what and what the progress is. Once a week or two, the team presents the results of their work. You can report a correction or a change of direction at any time. Payments? You know exactly how many hours are devoted to which tasks, and from week to week, you decide how to shift priorities. You are continuously informed about what and how much it will cost, you can decide whether it's worth doing or perhaps save on it. Everything is settled in a convenient form: we issue you one invoice per month. With us, you create an application that you will not overpay for. Perfectly tailored to your needs, because you will be on the construction site from beginning to end: with the right tools, so that controlling the project will be extremely simple for you.

Of course, we are able to prepare a preliminary cost estimate (we are happy to show you an example), but often for the client's good it is worth moving away from it - because something can be done similarly, but a bit cheaper or a bit more expensive, but much better. We are able to advise you based on our clients' examples, whether it is worth investing in a given functionality, whether it is better to give up or recommend a solution that will be important for the success of your application.

Such an approach requires much more engagement from clients in the application creation process, dedicating more time and focusing on details. The whole dedication should yield better results, but well... instead of going to the construction site only to pick up the keys, you need to be there at least several times a month.

We will repeat what, according to us, are the most important aspects to pay attention to when choosing the ideal partner for creating an application:

We hope you have a better understanding of how different companies handle IT projects and now it will be much easier for you to find a company that meets your needs. If you have any questions, write to us. If you would like to share your opinion, you can find us on LinkedIn - we believe that we are not always right and are happy to listen to a different opinion.