Appetiser

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & Managing Director of Lawnsmith Australia Pty Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provides lawn care software solutions to assist home lawn enthusiasts and professional lawn care contractors manage their lawns

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop a lawn care mobile app

SOLUTION

How did you find Appetiser?

Online Search

Why did you select Appetiser over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Appetiser were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The project focuses on developing a comprehensive lawn care companion app that provides users with guidance, notifications, and tools to manage their lawn care activities efficiently. The development process is structured into multiple phases, covering planning, design, development, testing, and launch.

The scope includes app development and setup, which involves planning and defining project phases, setting milestones, designing and developing mobile and web app versions, setting up backend services, servers, and APIs, implementing a CMS for admin control, and ensuring user-friendly onboarding, email verification, and OTP services.

User features include account creation, profile management, and user settings, lawn management where users can create and track multiple lawns, a lawn detail screen to display insights on lawn conditions, a timeline feature for users to track applications, notes, and treatments, a resource hub for lawn care tips, articles, and best practices, a help centre for user support and issue reporting, and notifications and banner announcements for updates and reminders.

Admin features within the CMS include user management and monitoring, help centre report handling, custom content management such as resource categories, articles, and updates, terms of service and privacy policy management, a dashboard with app analytics and insights, and suggested resources management based on user requests.

Testing and quality assurance cover MVP scrutiny to ensure core functionalities work as expected, performance optimisation and bug fixes before launch, APEX Testing for compliance and quality assurance, and beta testing with real users for final feedback and refinements.

Launch and post-launch support include App Store and Google Play submission, meeting platform requirements, final reviews, a client demo, and go-live preparation, along with ongoing monitoring and improvements after release.

Key deliverables include the roadmap and MVP definition, which consists of a project plan with milestones and deliverables and the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with core functionalities. The mobile and web app deliverables include functional iOS and Android applications and a web-based version for broader accessibility. The CMS deliverables include an admin portal for managing users, content, and reports.

User-facing feature deliverables include lawn tracking, notifications, application timeline, educational resources, and community engagement features. Testing deliverables include QA and beta testing results, along with identified issues and resolutions. Launch preparation includes App Store and Google Play submission, pre-launch marketing, and user onboarding strategies. Post-launch support includes bug fixes, performance updates, and monitoring analytics and user feedback integration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The successful completion of the MVP, ensuring all core functionalities were implemented as planned, timely deployment of backend infrastructure, CMS, and API integrations and successful submission and approval of the app on the App Store and Google Play. Validation of the app idea, concept and execution with beta testers and early adopters.

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

The project was managed smoothly, with clear milestones and solid communication throughout. Deliverables were met on time, and any issues that came up were handled quickly and efficiently. Regular check-ins kept everything on track, making sure progress was steady and aligned with expectations.

Bringing an idea to the team was easy, and they helped shape concepts into real, functional features. Working with the project strategy team, UX/UI designer, project manager, and product manager made the whole process seamless. They took ideas from rough thoughts to well-designed, working solutions, ensuring everything fit within the bigger picture.

Any challenges were tackled promptly, and when I wasn’t sure how to move forward, they provided solid, practical advice based on their experience. Their enthusiasm and friendly approach made the process not just productive but genuinely enjoyable. It felt like a real collaboration, where their expertise helped refine ideas while keeping things exciting and rewarding.

What was your primary form of communication with Appetiser?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stood out the most was their ability to take an idea and turn it into a fully functional product through close collaboration and solid support. From the start, they understood the vision and worked closely to refine it, offering expert guidance every step of the way. Their attention to detail was impressive, ensuring that every aspect, from design to functionality, was well thought out and polished. Their ability to balance creativity with practicality made the whole process smooth, and their enthusiasm made it enjoyable.

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

While I was very happy with the overall process and dealings with Appetiser, an area for improvement would be covering long-term costs more thoroughly during the initial strategy stage. Ensuring there’s a sustainable business model from the start would help plan for growth and ongoing development, ensuring the product is a right fit. Having these discussions early on would also make sure the MVP aligns with the long-term vision, not just the initial launch. For the quality and extensiveness of the work, in the time frame that was given, and the number of people working on the project, the value was great. However, the ongoing maintenance plans offered slightly less value for money compared to the initial design and build stage.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Co-Founder of a fitness company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provides training programs and exercise instructions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Appetiser to accomplish?
Launch our training app into the app store.

SOLUTION

How did you find Appetiser?

Online Search

Why did you select Appetiser over others?

High ratings

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

1. Concept Development & Strategy

• Collaborating with stakeholders to define app goals, features, and user experience.

2. UI/UX Design

• Creating intuitive, user-friendly designs that align with brand identity and optimize usability.

3. App Development

• Building the app for iOS and Android platforms, including coding, integrations, and feature development.

4. Testing & Quality Assurance

• Conducting thorough testing to ensure functionality, compatibility, and performance across devices.

5. Backend Development & API Integration

• Developing and integrating necessary backend systems, databases, and APIs for seamless app operation.

6. App Store Deployment

• Managing the submission process, including meeting guidelines, app store optimization, and resolving issues during approval.

7. Ongoing Support & Maintenance

• Providing post-launch updates, bug fixes, and performance enhancements.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• On-Time Delivery
• App Store Launch & Downloads
• Successful launch on the iOS platform.

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

Once we received Isaiah as a project manager, it was a great experience to work with Appetiser.

What was your primary form of communication with Appetiser?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They demonstrated excellent communication and willingness to take on feedback.

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

Implementing clear communication from the start and asking more questions specific to the app's design, so users aren't left with features that aren't finished / not working.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm founder of Good Empire, a social app for good/impact engagement platform that helps individuals and organisations level up for people and planet.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

As a non-tech founder, we needed a team to build our app. iOS, Android and backend. We wanted to work closely with the team, run the sprints, the UX, whilst not having to hire our own team from scratch. We also wanted the flexibility to scale up and down as needed.

SOLUTION

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

We chose Appetiser from a shortlist of 5 dev shops. In the end, we liked the founders, we liked the flexibility they offered around the way we could work with the team chosen for us, and we liked the work they showed us.

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

We first committed to a 4 month MVP build across iOS and Android, and then extended the partnership to continue developing the app and platform. Speed to market was a critical factor. We now work on monthly sprints, focusing on key revenue-driving features and improvements.

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

We work with a BA/lead, QA, iOS dev, Android dev and backend dev.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's early days, but we're starting to see some good traction on the product.

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

Monthly sprints, twice-weekly standups, with Slack comms in between.

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

They are really invested in our project. They have a wide range of skills and resources we can bring in and out of the project any time we need.

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

We've been able to adjust as needed. We had a less productive sprint earlier this year, but were able to bring in new leadership and get things back on track.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO of an App start up in Melbourne. There are currently only 2 full time employees and we are building a 2 sided marketplace for uses to connect with influencers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Appetiser?

We had the idea for something well out of our technical depth so we hired Appetiser to develop the whole project including native iOS and Android apps as well as a backend admin system. We also just begun a web app version of the platform.

What were your goals for this project?

To build a MVP that we can get out to the Australian market as our initial testing ground before deploying internationally.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Complicated story but basically the original company we started working with folded and are account manager was head hunted by Appetiser. We me with the CEO and were suitably impressed and comfortable that they could take it on.

Describe the project in detail.

We had an initial session to deliver our brief to the designer. He came back to us within 2 days with a comprehensive draft of initial designs as well as a brief prototype of the user interface. We were impressed immediately. We made a few minor adjustments and moved into actual development for the next 12 months + working in small sprints.

What was the team composition?

We have 3 core developers, 1 for each platform (iOS/Android/Web), then each platform had up to 2 or 3 additional developers depending on the scope of the current sprint. There is also a project manager and QA team. and we have direct access to contact any of them at any time as if they were our own team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have just completed the MVP of the iOS app and it has been approved by Apple. The Android version is about a week away. Feedback so far is amazing, we have influencers getting on the platform everyday and we can't wait to start our marketing campaign and get it in the hands of users all over the world.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We mostly communicate via email and we share task lists via Trello. Occasionally we catch up in their office if there's any pressing items to cover. We also receive a weekly report about the progress of all current tasks.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I've worked with numerous other app development companies in the past and Appetiser easily out performs them all. Initial designs and prototypes were produced very quickly and they were fantastic. Development updates come through weekly, we're very happy with the first version of our app.

Michael's knowledge and experience are invaluable to our project, he's just as passionate about our project as we are, like he's part our team. We're looking forward to continuing our app journey with Appetiser.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not really, to be honest we had a few hiccups along the way but none of them Appetisers fault. For example Covid caused some small delay but again Appetiser handled things very professionally.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of My breeders store

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A platform for registered breeders to advertise their kennel, pups and stud services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build our app

SOLUTION

How did you find Appetiser?

Online Search

Why did you select Appetiser over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Appetiser were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Appertiser were extremely helpful and professional from start to finish

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had fortnightly meetings and were updated on progress

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

Always delivererd on time

What was your primary form of communication with Appetiser?

Virtual Meeting

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

Extremely professional and helpful

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

No. They are the best! 💯🙌

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of ISHIFTZ, a staff management app and service for businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Appetiser?

Appetiser are developing both IOS, Android and web app for iSHIFTZ.

What were your goals for this project?

Goal to develop a high quality app With the capability to be used by thousands of busiensses.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I spent over 40 hours on calls to more than 17 development agencies looking for the right one. Appetiser stood out and wasn’t a hard decision to go with them.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They are developing my app on iOS and android and web version. They are developing the entire systems and development including design and functionality.

What was the team composition?

Michale the founder of appetiser is very hands on with us along with the other staff and developers. Communication has been great.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Without appetiser I would not have the confidence I do now about my project.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Lots of phones calls and Skype calls which was a necessary to get on the same level.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The communication is exceptional, and the quality of development unreal.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of